Excerpted from CORE PERFORMANCE ENDURANCE by Mark Verstegen with Pete Williams. © 2007 by JOXY LLC. Permission granted by Rodale Inc.

EVENT PLANNING AT A GLANCE

Events lasting 60 minutes of less
Pre-Event
This is a short race. Make sure to eat something with carbs and a little protein and hydrate with about 16 to 20 ounces of fluid. More important, make sure to eat sensibly in the days leading up to the race and make sure that you recover after your training sessions. Examples: Toast with peanut butter, one-half or an entire energy bar, a 16-ounce sports drink.

During
Grab water or a sports drink every 10 to 15 minutes.

Post-Event
Consume a mixture of carbs and protein as quickly as possible after the race. An energy bar or ready-to-drink product is the easiest option.

Events lasting more than 60 minutes
Pre-Event
Drink 17 to 20 ounces of water 2 hours before the race. Consume 7 to 10 ounces of a sports drink 10 to 20 minutes before the race. Consume 1 to 2 carbs per pound of body weight 2 to 4 hours before the race.

During
Consume 30 to 60 grams of carbs per hour from liquid, solid, or semi-solid sources. Drink 7 to 10 ounces of fluid every 10 to 15 minutes. If the event is longer than a 90-minute duration, choose a carbohydrate + electrolyte + protein or amino acid beverage.

Post-Event
Consume 0.8 gram of carbs per kilogram of body weight plus 0.4 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight immediately after the race, followed by another meal 60 to 90 minutes later. Drink 16 ounces of sports drink for each pound lost.

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