Greetings all!
I'm a recreational-level Masters swimmer who's been going for nearly a year now. I swim a mere 2x a week, 1hr a workout, and generally finish less than 5KM a week. This is fine for me, swimming is a hobby for me, and it fulfills my "hobby" requirements quite nicely.
I do, however, like to have goals, and distance goals just don't cut it for me. I decided that my main goal was to compete regularly, and to fill my event card, eventually, with times from 17 or 18 different events.
I want to do my best when it comes down to swim meets and being timed, and coincidentally, I also want to improve my (currently shoddy) eating habits, so I figured I'd come to others who might know...
What kinds of foods should I be eating the week before the competition? What kinds of foods should I be avoiding?
I would assume that McDonalds and the likes is assumed - but how harmful are things like chocolate and high-sugar foods, aside from the fullness they give you and the lack of other foods you consume as a result?
If anyone has special meals they like to eat before competition, and they don't mind sharing the logic behind the meals, I'd really appreciate the info!
Jill
Some Chick's Life
Parents
Former Member
Some of these race-day diets look near-starvation to me.
At the other extreme I remember my father (a former swimmer) taking me to my first meet when I was 9 or 10. In those days going to a meet was quite a trek - we traveled over the narrow overseas highway from Key West to Fort Lauderdale. So for the pre-race lunch my father took me out for a nice and big sirloin steak, which he considered race-day food. (I think a large protein meal was considered appropriate in the days when my father swam.)
I remember not feeling so well after my first swim.
Some of these race-day diets look near-starvation to me.
At the other extreme I remember my father (a former swimmer) taking me to my first meet when I was 9 or 10. In those days going to a meet was quite a trek - we traveled over the narrow overseas highway from Key West to Fort Lauderdale. So for the pre-race lunch my father took me out for a nice and big sirloin steak, which he considered race-day food. (I think a large protein meal was considered appropriate in the days when my father swam.)
I remember not feeling so well after my first swim.
