Jerusalem Marathon 2014 – Medical instructions for the marathon participants – Instructions for the participants of the Jerusalem Marathon events 2014

Enjoyment, challenge, self-actualization, a social experience, and a sense of a sports achievement bring people in their thousands to participate in the events of Jerusalem Marathon 2014. Standing at the starting line, accomplishing the marathon, and passing the finish line in a satisfactory state necessitate appropriate preparation.

Participating without appropriate preparation is likely to cause injury, health hazard, and in extreme cases – even death. Here are the instructions that will enable you to get you to the finish line satisfied and smiling.

Physical preparation
      
Practice: it is recommended that you practice with the assistance of a licensed fitness instructor, it is recommended to include cardio –respiratory and muscle-skeletal training in your workout schedule. The preparation ought to be done by means of a training program, based on a customized efforts toolbar, which will prevent over-exercising, which increases the risk of injury.
You are to establish running goals (distance and time), which match your fitness level and the level of training.
Participating in a half-marathon is recommended for people who have completed at least 3 runs of 10km in the last 2 years.

Participating in a marathon is recommended to people who have participated in no less than two half-marathons in the last 2 years.

Injury or illness at the time of training:

Every workout that was not completed due to injury or illness, demands a 2 days regression in the training program. It is recommended that you consult a professional regarding your return to training following an illness.
Running with a known injury, that has not healed properly, is likely to worsen the injury, and even cause irreversible damage.
If you have contracted an illness, accompanied by fever, stomach upset, or diarrhea in the week preceding the marathon, you are not to participate in it!

The Health Ministry recommends a visit to the family physician or a sports doctor prior to participating in the marathon.
In accordance with his recommendation, you are to perform an ECG in order to rule out congenital heart defects.
A health declaration, including information on the health state in the week preceding the marathon needs to be signed.

 

Nutritional preparation

 

48 hours before the run:

You are to increase your consumption of carbohydrates, such as pasta, rice, potatoes, or bananas.
To salt the food slightly more than usual.
Not to exaggerate drinking coffee and alcohol beverages.
To drink 500cc of water 2 hours before the start.
To drink an additional 500cc of water in a slow pace till the start.

During the run:

You are to drink water at every stop.

The recommended drinking pace is 7ml/kg/hour for men (for a man weighing 70 kg it's approximately half a liter per hour) and 6ml/kg/hour for women. You are to add approximately 100-300 ml per hour, in accordance with our sweating rate, and in accordance with the weather conditions.

In case of a heat wave, it is recommended to spill water on the head and the body and to cool the body with the water sprayers along the path of the marathon, and to increase your consumption of liquids.
For those who are running a half-marathon or a full marathon, also to increase the consumption of salt (salt tablets, isotonic drinks or gels) in order to prevent the development of blood hyponatremia.

After the run:

You must drink water in accordance with your needs.

It is recommended to weigh yourself before and after the run (without clothes, which absorb a lot of sweat), in order to estimate the volume of the liquids lost in the duration of the run. Loss of every 1 kg of weight from before the run necessitates consumption of 1-1,5 liters of water (not more!)
Your course of actions before the run and for its duration:

You are to dress in accordance with the weather conditions which are predicted for the day of the run. It is recommended that you prepare dry clothes to change into after the run.

It is recommended to write personal information on the back of the number plate, which will include identification information: name, phone number, essential medical information, such as sensitivity to medication, background diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, etc.

Diabetes sufferers are requested to run with a tag, or another identification symbol, which will identify them as diabetes patients, and to take with them a carbohydrate on every trip, so it will be readily available to them.

Asthma sufferers are requested to run with a tag , or another identification symbol, which will identify them as asthma patients. It is recommended to use the inhaler as needed.

You are to stop running and request help from one of the staff members, situated by the side of the road, in case of the following symptoms:

Dizziness, nausea, general weakness.
Pains in the chest.
A new and not recognized pain.
An extreme shortness of breath.

In case where it appears to you that another participant is unwell, or seems to be collapsing, you are to attract the attention of the medical staff members to his state, immediately.

Good luck!
Prof. Naama Constantini and Dr. Noam Olshinka
The Orthopedics Department, Hadassah

 

Source: Jerusalem Marathon