BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- A day before the race, you'll need to start fueling your body with the right ingredients. Ahead of the 8th annual Bakersfield Marathon, a good carb load will help you cross that finish line. "Some of my favorite carbs to recommend are sweet potatoes...always a good carb, they're healthy, nutritious," said Melissa Rossiter with Blue Zones Project. "A regular potato as well, because you can do a lot of different things with them. Doing just plain white jasmine rice, brown rice, that's always a good carbohydrate. It's healthy but you're still getting that carbo load. Sourdough bread is always good too." As for the morning of the race, don't wait until the last minute if you choose to have a full breakfast. "Most racers eat within three hours of the race," said Rossiter. "That way they have time to digest the body's fuel. But it's not too close to race where they might make themselves sick." 4 arrested, 96 grams of narcotics seized after probation officers search Bakersfield home As for race time, take advantage of the hydration stations with water and electrolytes. "Electrolytes are going to kind of replenish that, your body's natural sugars that you're going to be losing as you're racing," said Rossiter. "Just making sure that you're stopping at water stations as needed." After your race, it's okay to cave into a guilty pleasure. "So if you want to celebrate with something a little indulgent, to celebrate the training, I say go for it," said Rossiter. ...read more read less