* Night marathons require different preparation; eating schedule is affected differently. Best to have a meal 3 to 4 hours before a marathon.
* Carbo-loading is only for runners running for more than 60 minutes.
* Marathon preparations should look into diet, eating times, footwear, overall health in addition to daily training.
* No new shoes, no new routines and know your body in order to run the distance.
Kuala Lumpur, 21 September 2011 - With just slightly over a month to the best ever night marathon in Malaysia, the organizer Twenty First Century Sports (TFCS) held a forum at Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) earlier in September to help participants prepare for the night run.
The forum fielded a panel featuring a sports doctor, a nutritionist, a podiatrist and a marathon coach. The participants exchanged views and receive professional advice from these top-tier sports experts. The purpose of the forum was to help participants prepare for the marathon.
"Having organised more than 150 running events, we can see that running has gained many fans especially lately. As more people take up running, we want to help them prepare for a marathon or towards a marathon. The forum panelists are experts who have been involved in marathons and various sporting events. They are the best people to answer any queries that participants have on diet, hydration, injury, footwear and training," said Nithiaseelan Vegayathunam, Director of Twenty First Century Sports.
Nithiaseelan, who is also the Race Director of Putrajaya Night Marathon 2011 added, "Each run is an achievement. It must also be enjoyable. And we want to help them have an injury and mishap-free run. It is definitely different having a marathon in the morning and in the night. The forum is to help them prepare and add to the enjoyment of a run."
Sports doctor, Dr Aparajitha Krishnan said that blisters, sprains, strains, lacerations and heat illnesses are some of the usual conditions that she has treated in the medical tents. Her deep insight of the marathon scene was invaluable to the newcomers at the forum. Having worked with TFCS for more than 6 years in all their runs, Dr. Aparajitha spoke mainly on how runners can identify and gauge the conditions of their injuries and at which point they need to stop or seek medical attention.
For a marathon in Malaysia, ensuring that the body is well hydrated is key to combating the intense heat and humidity.
"The secret is to essentially go slow. From what I have seen and heard, preparing for the marathon is a slow progress. It takes time. And sometimes, all you have to do is relax. If you have a fever, do not take part in a marathon! If you have a new shoe, break in it few weeks before the marathon. The medical tent is a place you want to avoid during the marathon!" Dr Aparajitha said.
"You need to know a good routine to warm up as a good warm up can prevent most common injuries during a marathon such as cramps. If you have an injury, please let it heal. Rehabilitate as advised by your doctor. And always remember to provide a medical clearance if you have any form of health conditions such as asthma or joint pains," she added.
Chai Wen Jin
Speaking on eating and drinking right was Chai Wen Jin, a nutritionist with the National Sports Institute of Malaysia. Chai emphasized that everyone is unique. The only manner that a runner can know their body is through experimentation and training.Chai also discussed on the kind of food that a runner should have to prepare for a marathon. "If you are preparing to run a marathon, prepare at least a month before. Begin to adjust your diet to have high carbohydrate, low fat and a balanced protein intake. Do not overeat as you will be carrying more weight than you want to," she advised.Reinforcing the importance of keeping well hydrated, Chai informed the runners that they should drink in small doses but in high frequency.
"Preparing for a night marathon is different. Your eating schedule is affected rather differently. It is always best to have a meal 3 - 4 hours before a marathon. Do not skip meals, instead, adjust your meals," Chai emphasised.
Chai also said, "Carbo-loading is not the same with calorie-loading! If you're not running for more than 60minutes, you should not attempt carbo-loading. A 10km run does not really require isotonic drinks intake. However for a 21km run, you will need to balance drinking of water and isotonic. And there is no necessity to drink at every stop."
"Try during your practices. Experiment" Chai said.
Sidamparam a/l M. Periasamy
As the runner prepare for a marathon or run, they need to bear in mind that no two persons are the same. Marathon Coach, Sidamparam a/l M. Periasamy said, "Everyone has their own pace. Go slow. Practice daily."
Incidentally Sidamparam is the first and only Malaysian to have won the KL Marathon. He also holds a full marathon record time of 2 hours 30 minutes 55 seconds. In the forum, Sidamparam focused on the mental aspect of the preparations."It is a step-by-step process. It takes time to train, be patient. Everyone has a different body; therefore, everyone has their own training and capabilities. Your body has its own limitations. We must understand not to only push it, but how to push it," he said.
In respect to the Malaysian lifestyle, Sidamparam insisted that runners must have a disciplined training schedule as the body takes 72 hours to reset.
"Focus on improving your own capabilities. Set small goals. Achieve them day-by-day. Once you reach a new goal, never go back. It is tough to re-train. Short distance for training. Do not push so hard before a marathon. You need to rest too," Sidamparam said.
When it comes to foot care, Dr Mark Reyneker said, "Use the marathon to communicate to your body."
Hailing from Johannesburg, South Africa, Dr Reyneker has spent 10 years in Malaysia as a podiatrist. Dealing with the lower limbs of the human body, Dr Reyneker brought the runners through a crash course on the key areas a runner should worry about during the marathon.
"The only protection that we have as runners is our shoes. The surface, our bodies and the Malaysian heat affect the gear that we choose. Choosing breathable shoes and socks will do wonders to your running. Even the type of shoes that we use can affect our performances. Always purchase a solid running shoe, never badminton, futsal, or casual shoes."
"If you want to try a new style of running, introduce it to your body to condition. Slowly adapt to it. Don't jump into it," Dr Reyneker said.
There are different types of shoes. Neutral, anti-pronation and high-pronation. Different shoes for different feet. Low arc, high arc and normal arc. Dr Reyneker advised runners to learn about the type of shoes and also the soles, which are just as important. He said, "Get the right shoe. And get the right fit. It can save you a lot of pain."
The tips and advices were indeed welcomed by the participants. One of them is 24-year old Ng Kayson who has signed up for the 21km category. The physiotherapist said, "The forum was definitely useful. I am eager to get better at marathons and this certainly help with my knowledge on how to approach a marathon. It was practical and gave good effective directions. I absolutely do not regret attending the forum. I didn't register before this but after the forum, I have signed up for it immediately."
Putrajaya Night Marathon 2011 will be held on 15 October 2011. Closing date for registration is 15 September 2011. The title sponsor for the marathon is Bank Simpanan Nasional.
Putrajaya Night Marathon 2011 is the only sanctioned night marathon in Malaysia and is supported by the Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Perbadanan Putrajaya, FTAAA and MAAU.
Other partners of the night marathon are Brooks, 100 Plus, Milo and PowerBar, with hooHa.asia being the online partner.
Online registration for the Putrajaya Night Marathon 2011 can be done at http://www.putrajayanightmarathon2011.com/ or http://www.hooha.asia/
About Twenty First Century Sports (M) Sdn Bhd
Twenty First Century Sports (M) Sdn Bhd was established in 1996. A re-structuring in 2001 led them to become a corporate branding sports specialist. Their vision "Celebration of the Human Spirit via sporting and outdoor activities" has since been their driving force.
A team of 40 experienced enthusiasts at Twenty First Century Sports provides all-round sporting services. Other than corporate sports and games, they also offer coaching and training, nutritional advice, sporting medicine, consultancy, marketing and event sponsorship.
Twenty First Century Sports' track record ranges from the Siemens Run to the Redbull Futsal National Championship. They also executed the Putrajaya Half Marathon, Danone World Cup, Shape and Men's Health Night Run.
For further information, please contact:
Adeline Fong / 017-3003429 / afong@jirehconsult.com
Jovy Low / 017-2119300 / jlow@jirehconsult.com
Jireh Consult
Nithiaseelan V. / 03-5637 3821 / nithi@twentyfirstcenturysports.com
Twenty First Century Sports (M) Sdn. Bhd.
As statement above, thank to Jovy Low From Jireh Consult, the PR agency for the Putrajaya Night Marathon (PNM) 2011.
From left to right: (panelists) Aparajitha, Chai, Sidamparam & Reyneker
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Should share the forum before.... not after.
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