What Food To Eat Before A Race?

Paully D

Hi all,

I'm just wondering if anyone could advise me what sort of food I should be eating and how long before the race I should eat it?

I've been training to run 8-10 miles over the last few weeks and whilst things have been going OK, it's close to race day and I think they could be a lot better by improving what I eat before a race.

What I have been doing is usually eating a small tin of beans on toast or soup with brown bread a couple of hours before my run in the evening and have found myself getting quite dizzy and getting slight pains of hunger near the end of the course.

I know I should really be getting a breakfast (for example Weetabix) but I'm stuck on what foods I should eat a couple of hours before my run, and is a couple of hours enough time before it?

I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks

seamus

I'm not sure what the prevailing wisdom is, but what works for me is a minimum two-hour gap between eating and the start of any exercise (incl. warm-up time).

I would typically go for slow-release carbs, not a million miles off what you mention. These generally should help maintain a fairly stable blood sugar level.

You mention that you eat this in the evening - is it possible that you're just not eating enough, hence why you feel hungry and dizzy? The portion you mention sounds like lunch to me. And a relatively small lunch if I was planning a 10 mile run two hours later. Do you have your dinner in the middle of the day?

hardCopy

I can't tell you what'll work for you. Porridge seems to be the most popular option but not everyone likes it.

Just don't try anything new on race day. Practice your nutrition on the morning of your long runs.

Corkie100

seamus wrote: »

I'm not sure what the prevailing wisdom is, but what works for me is a minimum two-hour gap between eating and the start of any exercise (incl. warm-up time).

I would typically go for slow-release carbs, not a million miles off what you mention. These generally should help maintain a fairly stable blood sugar level.

You mention that you eat this in the evening - is it possible that you're just not eating enough, hence why you feel hungry and dizzy? The portion you mention sounds like lunch to me. And a relatively small lunch if I was planning a 10 mile run two hours later. Do you have your dinner in the middle of the day?

Agree with this, I'd even try to leave three hour gap between meal and race. Would you try eating more frequently and small portions? Or if you like to stick rigidly to meal times, Make breakfast substantial, decent lunch and lighter snack before run? I tend to stick to fairly plain foods on race day, but would graze away all day and not get over-full at any stage but not let myself get hungry either. Like the others have said, it's trial and error really. I personally find dairy hard to tolerate in large quantities, but others would have no problem with it.

BeepBeep67

If I have a narrow window before I run I'll eat either a wholemeal bagel with Marmite or a Mueller rice.

Paully D

Thanks for the advice all.

I think the main problem is I'm not eating enough, especially as I'm burning circa 900 calories on run days.

Some days I do skip breakfast (bad habit, I know) and might only have a lunch (before a run) and dinner (when I have got back and showered etc). I have been trying (and succeeding, thankfully) to lose a bit of weight and have so far dropped around a stone and half since the middle of May, along with getting back into the running again this summer.

I'll try getting into a proper routine of having a decent breakfast, moderate lunch such as the ones mentioned around 3 hours before a race and snack on something small and light if needed.

I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks all