Veggie runners- what to eat before a marathon?

napathy

Hi, just wondering whether there are any veggie runners out there who could advise on what I should be eating before my first marthon in two weeks time. Pasta alone I can't eat. Aso I decided, on my last Long run today today!, to try taking in food along the way so in more general terms what do people take on board during a race and when. I tried a banana at about 13 miles and (apart from looking like a child who had been just told he can it all by himself, banana all over the place!) I think I took it on board too late because I slumped about 18 miles. any advice???

Krusty_Clown

Well, before the marathon you should eat the same as everyone else, e.g.: porridge, weetabix, bagels, etc. Whatever you typically eat before your long runs. During the marathon, people will usually take on sports drinks, gels, water (all veggie products). You could also bring something along for an extra kick, like wine gums, sweets etc. Make sure you don't try anything for the first time on race day though. If you're planning on taking gels, make sure you have tried them first in training.

If you eat a banana at mile 13, it probably will not have digested by the time you finish the race.

sideswipe

Saw the weirdest thing while running along Sandymount yesterday, a guy coming towards me sucking back what I thought was a gel, it caught my attention as it looked pretty big, as he got closer I recognized it from feeding my little one! He was actually knocking back a sachet of BABY FOOD!:eek: I kept laughing to myself every time I thought of it after. Oh well whatever works for you I suppose.

TFBubendorfer

sideswipe wrote: »

Saw the weirdest thing while running along Sandymount yesterday, a guy coming towards me sucking back what I thought was a gel, it caught my attention as it looked pretty big, as he got closer I recognized it from feeding my little one! He was actually knocking back a sachet of BABY FOOD!:eek: I kept laughing to myself every time I thought of it after. Oh well whatever works for you I suppose.

What's so weird about that?

sideswipe

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

What's so weird about that?

Ah twas you I saw then! Suppose it's not that weird, I just don't get out much.

TFBubendorfer

sideswipe wrote: »

Ah twas you I saw then! Suppose it's not that weird, I just don't get out much.

No, I've never tried it, but I have seen it recommended a few times. By definition, baby food is nutritious and easily digestible, and it comes in handy portions.

So, what's so weird about it?

Stupid_Private

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

So, what's so weird about it?

Ehm... It's baby food?!

TFBubendorfer

Stupid_Private wrote: »

Ehm... It's baby food?!

We run in tights.
We run in the rain.
We run with headlamps.
We run when we're sick.
We get up at stupid o'clock in the morning to run.
We run in places that are bound to bring up the odd "interesting" encounter.
...
Why would eating baby food be weirder than any of the above?

Krusty_Clown

sideswipe wrote: »

Saw the weirdest thing while running along Sandymount yesterday, a guy coming towards me sucking back what I thought was a gel, it caught my attention as it looked pretty big, as he got closer I recognized it from feeding my little one! He was actually knocking back a sachet of BABY FOOD!:eek: I kept laughing to myself every time I thought of it after. Oh well whatever works for you I suppose.

Looks like a rather expensive alternative to a gel, but I suppose it is organic, if that's something that motivates you. Less carbs than a typical gel too, but that lid looks handy! I think I'll stick with my SIS isotonic gels.

TFBubendorfer

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Looks like a rather expensive alternative to a gel, but I suppose it is organic, if that's something that motivates you. Less carbs than a typical gel too, but that lid looks handy! I think I'll stick with my SIS isotonic gels.

I'd imagine baby food tastes better than a SiS Isotonoic gel which tastes what I expect snot to taste like and has the same consistency ....

sideswipe

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

No, I've never tried it, but I have seen it recommended a few times. By definition, baby food is nutritious and easily digestible, and it comes in handy portions.

So, what's so weird about it?

Yeah, as I said thinking about it maybe it's not that weird, all natural ingredients etc etc.
Still not sure if I'd be up for it, anyway breast is best IMO;)

Krusty_Clown

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I'd imagine baby food tastes better than a SiS Isotonoic gel which tastes what I expect snot to taste like and has the same consistency ....

One man's poison. I quite enjoy the taste, and find it far less phlegmy than non-isotonic gels. Given that my kids are almost of legal driving age, I don't think I'll ever get to compare them with Ella's kitchen banana and apple.

--amadeus--

Missed this before....

The actual nutrition during a race is the same as a meat eaters - drink to thirst and eat whatever carb replacement you have run with. The only thing that is off limits are jelly babies and the like which usually contain gelatine. Sports Beans do teh same job and have Pectin as teh gelling agent.

Pre race I'll admit that I usually have a huge pizza, which isn't ideal! That said there are carbs in teh base and plenty of protein in teh cheese and that is how I justify it to myself... The sensible option if you are eating out is something like Penne Aribiatta (or in a plain tomato sauce if you don't like chilli)

In general a veggie marathon runner needs to be a little more aware of thier diet than either a regular veggie or a regular runner. Running tends to play havoc with your immune system so a wide range of fruit and veg is recommended - I get the big bags of cheap "easy peel" tangerines in Dunnes, I think they are €2 per kilo or something and I go through 5 or 6 oranges at a time. A standard veggie diet should be enough but a multi vit is insurance if you're worried. One thing to be careful of is glucosamine - lots of people recommend it as for joints but it is typically of shellfish origin.

One thing you shouldn't take chances on is Iron. Runners get something called "foot-strike hemolysis" where the impact of your feet on teh ground breaks up teh red blood cells. Simplistically replenishing this takes Iron. This is a direct performance issue - low iron can lead to low haemoglobin levels and this impairs your ability to transport O2 to working muscles which slows you down. Chick peas, baked beans and spinach are excellent sources of iron and drinking orange juice at teh same time will help absorption (vit C aids iron absorption in teh body).

Lastly you need to keep a good eye on protein levels. Again chick peas are excellent as are the usual sources like beans and pulses.

Being a veggie should have no impact on your running and running should not impact a veggie diet and a good diet means that you shouldn't need supplements.

Good luck with teh race!

crosbie

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Well, before the marathon you should eat the same as everyone else, e.g.: porridge, weetabix, bagels, etc. Whatever you typically eat before your long runs. During the marathon, people will usually take on sports drinks, gels, water (all veggie products). You could also bring something along for an extra kick, like wine gums, sweets etc. Make sure you don't try anything for the first time on race day though. If you're planning on taking gels, make sure you have tried them first in training.

If you eat a banana at mile 13, it probably will not have digested by the time you finish the race.

Just watch out as some jelly sweets contain animal gelatine so that might not be great for veggies... as said really just try and do whatever worked well for you during your long runs.

opus

napathy wrote: »

Hi, just wondering whether there are any veggie runners out there who could advise on what I should be eating before my first marthon in two weeks time. Pasta alone I can't eat. Aso I decided, on my last Long run today today!, to try taking in food along the way so in more general terms what do people take on board during a race and when. I tried a banana at about 13 miles and (apart from looking like a child who had been just told he can it all by himself, banana all over the place!) I think I took it on board too late because I slumped about 18 miles. any advice???

Greetings fellow veggie! I haven't done any big research on this but before Berlin I ate pasta for my main meals the two days beforehand, if you're not a fan of that then you could try quinoa instead (available in Tesco) which I occupationally cook myself. Breakfast was my normal porridge, wholemeal bread & fruit.

Just before the race I had an 'Energy Bomb' & then during the run itself I took 4 high5 gels. Personally I find on LSR's I can manage ~17 miles without eating anything but after that food is definitely needed.

Best of luck in the marathon!

Mick Rice

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I'd imagine baby food tastes better than a SiS Isotonoic gel which tastes what I expect snot to taste like and has the same consistency ....

Now Thomas.

Don't pretend you havn't tasted snot.

TFBubendorfer

Mick Rice wrote: »

Now Thomas.
Don't pretend you havn't tasted snot.

I have? Where? When? And how do you know?

napathy

thanks for the tips. I've left it a bit late to try new stuff for my LSR but will try this again(perhaps not the snot...or the breast milk) providing I'm not completely put off by the experience next week!

A few questions about sports beans.

Where can you get these and are they easy enough on the stomach to try next week or would I be risking trouble. My stomach is usually very good though I could only try these on what will be quite short, easy runs this week so I'm not sure.

Also I normally run with Sports drinks. Probably gonna be about the 4:15 mark so will there be any left by the time I reach the relevant stations in Dublin? Also I have heard that there are nice people with food at the side of the road on the way around so is it worth travelling light and relying on these?

RayCun

napathy wrote: »

Probably gonna be about the 4:15 mark so will there be any left by the time I reach the relevant stations in Dublin? Also I have heard that there are nice people with food at the side of the road on the way around so is it worth travelling light and relying on these?

Don't rely on anything that you're not carrying yourself, except water.

There should be sports drinks and gels at various points, but maybe they'll run out, or you'll miss the station. There'll be people giving out various sugar-rich snacks, but don't base your race on finding them.