One of my cousins (who just ran a 25 minute 5k, no less!) asked me recently for my thoughts on food and running. I have so much to say! Keep in mind, I have zero actual nutritional knowledge. Everything I know about eating and running I learned from my own experiences eating and running.
The days leading up to a race:
The week of a race I try to make an extra effort to drink lots of water. I realize that drinking water on Monday won’t keep you hydrated all the way to Saturday or Sunday, but it helps me to be prepared. I feel like it also ensures that I will drink lots of water the day before the race, which does make a difference. In terms of food, I eat pretty much like normal.
I keep this and another water bottle on my desk at work. I fill 'em both up in the morning and drink all of both every day. Gotta get in that agua!
The night before a race:
Carbs are a must. If it’s a long run, I eat pasta. Personally, I like lettuce, pasta, red sauce in a bowl in that order. I know that some people are fans of pizza, but I try to cut down my dairy intake before a race, so I skip the pizza, ice cream, etc. I continue to drink lots of water, but I avoid drinking too much close to bed time. (You don’t want to make a ton of late-night potty runs because your bladder is full.)
The morning before a race:
I always eat a piece (or two if the race is longer) of toast with peanut butter and jelly. I know that some runners prefer a bagel or a banana. (I had a bagel with peanut butter prior to running Austin and that earned me a PR.) Again, I drink water but not too much. There are some runners out there who like to drink coffee prior to a run, but coffee isn’t my thing, so I don’t. (My understanding is that it helps you stay regular, if you know what I mean. If that’s a concern for you, it might be worth a try.)
If it’s an afternoon/evening race, I have found that pizza lunchables work well for me. I don’t know why this is, but who am I to argue with something that works?
My breakfast on marathon morning.
During the race:
This really depends on the length. If I’m running a 5k, I usually don’t take in anything (not even water – no time!). For a 10k or longer, I like to take in Gu. (For a 10k, I might eat the Gu at the halfway point. For a half, I take one Gu at 4.5 and one Gu at 9. For my recent full I had Gu every 5 miles.) My advice is to test out different flavors on training runs. (Strawberry banana might sound good, but it to me, it tasted like warm shampoo. Blech! I couldn’t even bring myself to swallow it. I’m just glad this didn’t happen during a race.) I’ve tried chews, and while they taste better than Gu, they are just too hard to chew. I think they work just as well, but they aren’t right for me. I’ve also heard of runners eating gummy bears, Starbursts, fun sized candy bars, oranges, and other solid foods during races.
As for fluids, I like water or Nuun and drink it as needed. I try to make sure that I take at least a swig every two miles.
After the race:
You’ll want to hydrate, so I always go for lots of water post-race. Protein will help you recover, so you need to find a way to get some of that in. My mom is a big fan of Muscle Milk. Milk doesn’t appeal to me, so I prefer a smoothie with protein powder. A big ol’ burrito is another protein-rich option, but really anything protein-y will work.
Post-run smoothie
The big takeaways: Find what works for you and stick with it. If pizza the night before and coffe the morning of make you run fast, go for it. If dairy doesn’t agree with you (that’s me!) stay away. Practice your food/hydration routine in your training. That’s the time to work out the kinks, not a race.
What are y’all’s pre-, during, and post-work out go to foods? Anything that you have to avoid or that tastes nasty? Share your food wisdom!*
PS This Runner’s World post that HTP recently linked too is pretty helpful, too!
Great post, Amy!
I don’t have any pre-race eating rituals, but I do try to incorporate carbs, usually in the form of pasta. I have a pretty strong stomach and I haven’t had any adverse reactions to anything I’ve eaten pre-race…knock on wood.
The morning of a race: coffee, coffee, coffee. Oh and more coffee. Also, either pb/banana on bagel/toast or a Clif bar and a banana. I’ve had more successful races with the Clif bar/banana combo, so that’s usually what I choose.
I’ve only fueled during a race if it’s 10 miles or longer, even then, I probably don’t eat enough. During my last 10 mile race I ate only a few sport beans before the race and a few during. Eating never appeals to me when I’m running. Also, I do not like Gu. I’ll eat it if I have to, but it really grosses me out. I like Sport Beans. It’s hard to chew and run, but I’ve gotten better at it over time. When I was marathon training, I would peel a few clementines and throw them in a snack baggie to eat. They provided fuel + hydration, which was good. I also went through a dried apricot phase. Oh and kid fruit snacks work, too. I’m partial to Spongebob fruit snacks, but any will do. After my epic half marathon cramp a few weeks ago, I’ve been carrying my handheld water bottle with a Gu Brew tablet in it. It’s like Nuun….and I really like it because it’s not super sweet like Gatorade.
Post race: anything goes. I do like a smoothie in the warmer months. Sometimes I go with coffee and a bagel. After long runs, Craig and I would drink those premade Odwalla chocolate protein smoothies. Yum. I’m NOT the best example of proper post race/long run nutrition; it usually takes a while for me to regain my appetite.
Wow, that was long. Sorry!
And what did you decide about candy? Candy corn = good, jelly beans = bad?
I like the taste of sport beans (far superior to Gu), but I don’t feel like they work for me. I have found that eating while I run is all mental. I don’t know that any of it really makes a difference for me; all that matters is that I believe that what I’ve eaten is working. (That’s how I got hooked on Nuun. I had a few good runs with it and was convinced that it was all due to Nuun.)*
I think once we start running those longer runs we (runners) start to get into our pre and post running routines. I noticed a big difference in my performance when I would drink water before races and runs. I am HORRIBLE about getting my water each day so 3 times a day I stand over the sink and chug 2 glasses of water! I add more if I run/workout that day. I don’t break away from my morning pre run breakfast either (fear perhaps!). I always have oatmeal, coffee (works like a charm!!), and some water before the long runs/races. I do the GU’s during races too. I love the chocolate and the peanut butter flavor- yum! I find I have to take them every 4 miles. Thanks for the post!!
Chocolate and peanut butter are my favorite Gu flavors, too! Interesting idea to chug chug your water. If it gets you to drink water, I don’t know why that wouldn’t work.*
The morning of my best half marathon I drank a sugar free red bull and ate a power bar. I am not sure how “healthy” that is, but it worked for me that day!
Haha! I say go with what works!*
This post is so helpful!
I definitely work on trying to hydrate myself well in the days leading up to the race, as well as eat pasta or other solid carbs the day before. The morning of I usually have cereal and sometimes a banana. I’ve never carried a water bottle during races, but based on some recent experiences where water stations were not readily available I might start doing so. I find that I have to take GU about every 4 miles, too. Post-race fueling and hydration is so important, as you mentioned – and I’ve learned this lesson the hard way!
Thanks for your thoughts on the chews, too. I’ve never tried them, but based on what you said I don’t think they would work for me either.
I never used to carry a water bottle, either, but I did during one race and it made such a difference. Having fluid available when I needed it…and also not having to stop at congested water stations…was so helpful.
Count me in the “I hate carrying stuff” camp. For my first marathon, I tried training with a water belt but I found it incredibly uncomfortable. I had to wear it tight so that it wouldn’t move, and the tightness on my tummy was no bueno. When I trained for the marathon I just had, I decided to try using a handheld. Some times it’s a pain, but it’s not as bad as the water belt (for me, anyway). I’m so glad that I had it!*
A very useful article, I’ll have to try a few of these out. Thanks Amy!
Let me know if there are other things you are curious about. I have lots of opinions when it comes to food and running, and I’m happy to share all that I know.*
Muscle Milk was found to have extremely high levels of heavy metals in testing done by Consumer Reports. Just something to think about. Anyways, I’m a gel user, but I really like the taste of Carb Boom, so I tend to use that. Oh, and I’ve been known to use salt pills so I can drink as much water as I want since I get such bad dry mouth.
I’ve never heard of Carb Boom, but I love the name. Cute!
I have heard of people taking salt while the run, but I don’t know anything about it. Someone in my running group said that she takes salt packets from restaurants and literally downs the stuff while she’s running. Yucky. I guess I don’t know why somone would take salt. I’m a salty sweater, does that mean I need more salt?*
Not necessarily. It’s about maintaining a certain ion balance in the blood, but that doesn’t mean you are sweating out more than you are taking in. I like to drink an excessive amount of water and prefer it to Gatorade (which has salt levels closer to what is in your blood), thus the salt pills. I wrote a post on why you need salt here: http://runningonwordsblog.com/2011/07/22/in-defense-of-salt/ (sorry for the link, but it’s a lot to retype in the comments).
I’m glad you posted the link! Lots of good info!*
I just can’t get on board with Gu and its similar cohorts. To me, they have the consistency of what I imagine High Fructose Corn Syrup would be like. Other than that, I’m pretty lucky when it’s cool out because mostly anything goes. When it’s hot, I’m screwed no matter how much hydration and normal-food I take in. Heat and I are not friends. Maybe I should try running with a cabana boy alongside fanning me?