In many shorter races people may eat a little before the start and then run the race and not eat anything until after it is over. Not so in ultra-distance races.
If you are planning to run all day then you are going to need to eat and drink in order to maintain your energy levels, in particular the glycogen levels in your muscles. If your glycogen levels run too low you will run out of muscle energy and bonk, fatal for a long distance runner as the only way to recover is to stop, eat and rest. In the course of the JFK 50 I put away, 4 Packets of Clif Shot Blocks, 3 Bananas, 1 Potato, 5 Smuckers PB&J sandwiches, 1 Cup of Soup, 2 cups of chips, 2 Pretzel sticks, 2 cups of Gatorade and plenty of water.
Of course I didn't sit down and eat it all at once, I ate little and often over the course of 50 miles to help keep myself fueled to complete the race.
Many people I know think they can fuel their spiritual lives with one big meal a week on Sunday morning. They can't! Time in prayer and the Scriptures should be a part of our daily routine if we want to grow in our faith and knowledge of God as revealed through Jesus Christ.
I have watched with great sadness as well meaning Christians have simply run out of steam because they have been running hard doing lots of good things all the while forgetting the importance of stopping to refuel. When this happens they sometimes drop out of everything or become angry and bitter about not getting things done their way.
If you reach this point in your life, take the time to recognize it and stop, rest and refuel.
We all need to feed ourselves with a steady diet of prayer and Scripture reading and reflection.
