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Does proper nutrition really effect performance?

Today I'm going to discuss how a proper diet effects my performance. Yesterday was the Second Race in the Coventry Woods Trail Series. My husband and I had a great time but it was very hot and extremely humid and I could really feel it. I wasn't feeling my best and I knew it wasn't just the weather. Saturday night we had company over for dinner. I made all the fixings for tacos plus black beans corn and rice in the slow cooker. I also made an amazing dessert Chocolte Lava Cake which we served with ice cream.


 

Normally I know better that to eat ice cream before long runs so I havno ice cream unless it's Saturday rule. Yes it was Saturday but knowing that I had a race the next morning I probably should have passed on the dessert. I ate a double portion and gave myself a stomach ache. I am certain that eating this way before race day effected my performance. My time didn't suffer extremely but I was about 2 minutes slower overall and just not in the zone.



I was grateful to still be able to come in First Place in my division and 2nd Overall Female Finisher. My goal for this week is to focus on healthy foods that will fuel me for Ragnar this week and keep me feeling  strong.

My husband on the other hand did amazing yesterday. He ran with me the entire time. I knew I wasn't feeling my best so I told him to go on a few times but he kept with me until the very end and then he ran ahead and ended up beating me by 25 seconds. I will never hear the end of this! The race date for the 3rd and final in the series changed so now we will have no tie breaker but he did agree to sign up for midnight madness with me. All bets are off as soon as Ragnar is done I will start speed training so I can smoke him hahaha.

Another issue I had with our race yesterday was my watch. While we were at this event last month I knew my watch wasn't working right so I stopped looking at it. Yesterday my husband kept asking me how long we had been running so I kept looking. The distance was way off so I was thinking we still had a little over half a mile left. The course was reversed from last month so I couldn't see how close the finish was or else I would have kicked it up a notch at the finish. 

It was really nice running with my husband yesterday. I'm going to miss him and the kids while I'm away in West Virgina later this week. I will especially miss Jimmy when I'm alone running the nighttime leg!!

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