As seen on Indy Style TV: How to fuel up for the Mini-Marathon and other runs (video)

Running or walking long distances, such as during the 500 Festival
Mini-Marathon, requires proper body fueling for the best and
healthiest results. (Thad Zajdowicz)

Annessa Chumbley, RD, of Flourish! Nutrition Inspiration visited the Indy Style morning television show on Tuesday, May 4 to offer tips on the proper way to fuel up for the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon (May 8, 2010) or any of the race and walking events held in Indianapolis throughout the year.

Running and walking fuel tip #1: Eat a hearty breakfast 3 - 4 hours before the race
Mini-marathon participants should start race day with a hearty breakfast packed with complex carbohydrates, a little protein and hardly any fat.

Suggested race day breakfasts include:

• Toast with peanut butter and bananas
• Oatmeal with a half scoop of protein powder

Adding a large, ripe banana to a pre-race breakfast provides the body with approximately 30-40 grams of carbohydrates and 500 milligrams of potassium. Annessa refers to bananas as “Nature’s power bars,” as they provide carbohydrates to fuel the working muscles and help replenish the large amount of potassium lost while running and sweating.

Running and walking fuel tip #2: Switch to high-carb breakfast bars 1 - 2 hours before the race
Runners need fuel, but do not want heavy foods sitting in their stomach during the race. High carbohydrate breakfast bars offer a light way to get a boost of energy.

Annessa Chumbley recommended Emerald Breakfast On The Go! Trail Mix bars, which are available at most grocery stores and mega-marts in Indianapolis.

Running and walking fuel tip #3: Use sports drinks in addition to water to stay properly hydrated
Staying hydrated can improve your race day performance by up to 30 percent. Exercise hydration does not just mean water, though. The body has a delicate balance of sodium and other electrolytes (chemicals required to conduct electrical impulses in the body) that can be disturbed during periods of heavy sweating. While water hydrates, it does not replenish sodium and other electrolytes, which can lead hyponatremia or water toxicity. Hyponatremia (too little sodium in the body) can cause nausea, vomiting, confusion, muscle weakness, seizures, brain swelling, coma, and death.

When walking or running for an hour or more, drink approximately 8 ounces of a sports drink every 15-30 minutes to stay properly hydrated and prolong your endurance.

Part 2 - tips #4 and #5, plus video with "Elvis Recovery Shake" recipe

Watch Indy Style weekday mornings at 9:00 a.m. on WISH TV Channel 8 in Indianapolis.

Flourish! Nutrition Inspiration, located at 6630 Mill Run Drive in Indianapolis, provides nutritional inspiration and motivation to the Indianapolis community, especially to those losing weight through Bariatric surgery.  To learn more, call 1-888-567-0865 or visit their website at FlourishYourLife.com. Be sure to register for their monthly World of Wellness newsletter.

Visit the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon website to learn more about the nation's largest half-marathon race, held each year in Indianapolis.