A few days ago in our Chat, a fellow subscriber posted this question:
“Hi THM community — any advice on how to avoid legs losing strength after about 3 hours of running. Does a specific meal before a long run help? (Training for a marathon in late October — in all my past marathon attempts, I’ve had to slow down in the 4th hour and then walk-run after 5 hours to finish the last 3 miles).”
This got me wondering, as I know it’s something I’ve thought a lot about, researched and read up on some, and yet still feel overwhelmed by the amount of information out there around what to eat for running — in terms of, what can we eat the day before a long run or a race, to ensure we feel our best when we’re out there doing it?
When I played soccer in high school, our coach constantly preached the gospel of complex carbs — he wanted us eating pasta, as much as possible, the night before a game. But that was a long time ago, and nutrition science (I’m sure) has brought new ideas to the fore since then.
What do you eat — whether it’s during training or the day/night before a big run — so you’ll feel strong and energetic for your run? — Terrell
I'm so glad you posted this. Fueling as a deliberate part of my training is something that I really want to learn more about over the next six months or so.
I already incorporate a lot of starches (especially rice or potatoes) in my day to day nutrition. For shorter morning runs, I go for toast or crackers with peanut butter. I don't really like gu or gels -- I'll carry mini Kind bars and mint lifesavers for fuel.
I like sushi the day before a long run. But when I do a half marathon, I'm usually traveling so my pre-race dinner is usually steak and baked potato with salad so I don't have surprise gut issues.
If I am out more than an hour or doing fierce speed work I have oatmeal with my morning coffee. I also bring Haribo gummies or cliff shots on runs longer than 90 minutes. My nutrient timing needs to occur about every 75 minutes, but less fuel than what packets of gels recommend so I go for chewable
I like to take dry figs with me as a substitute for the gels. Figs are a great natural carbohydrate fuel source. I also tend to get leg cramps on longer runs and my son in law recommended that I drink pickle juice for that. 🤮 But it worked! Pickle juice is filled with electrolytes Potassium and Sodium. I buy at the dollar tree those clear travel shampoo bottles and fill it with pickle juice. I put them in the freezer so that by the time i start feeling the leg cramps( for me it’s after mile 10) it’s not frozen but cold and that helps because drinking pickle juice is gross but drinking hot pickle juice is very gross. For me it’s like that Would you Rather Game my grandkids play. Would you rather take a quick pickle juice shot or suffer for a long time with leg cramps. I’ll pick the pickle juice :)
I always find it funny that people say pickle juice is gross. I love it and will pour it in a juice glass as my recovery electrolytes after my run.
But I'm also the person who is always going picky a salty snack over sweets, so I'm not surprised that I prefer pickle juice to a lot of the sweeter sports drinks.
Good tip on the figs; I'll try that as an option that won't melt and get gross in the Carolina heat.
Thank you for the insight and a smile to my face. Since a pr for me is around 5 hours plus in a marathon, breaks are key to my health and sanity. When I train with my running partner I place water,gu, gator aide and fruit at about 5 miles. We will plan our routes to hit the water at least twice on 10 plus training runs. For us it’s like a game to place the treats in the perfect spot. The reason I enjoyed the thought is because when your injured it’s the little things you miss.
Lots of podcasts delve into fueling for a run, short or long. Exactly what to eat and even during the race. I know gels are a big thing. But definitely research it!
I don’t eat anything before races at home but will munch on a bagel pre marathons. I’ve never done any of the Gu etc but did find these jelly beans that are awesome!
I order a sushi sashimi platter and consume the entire thing all by myself. Pure lean protein and carbs are my go-to the night before. Morning of, usually a banana and/or spoonful of peanut butter. Gu if necessary during the race.
Nutrition for long-distance running is so important and something that I take seriously. I don't typically do anything special the night before for my regular weekend long runs (10-20miles). For breakfast I'll have a banana and oatmeal, as well as fuel w/ Skratch chews and Gu gels every 30mins during my run. For race prep, I have a meal plan for the whole week leading up to the race, making sure to load up on dark leafy green and fruits early in the week (nitrates in things like kale, arugula, beets & chard help blood flow to the heart, and increase the muscles' ability to access energy during hard efforts). Lean proteins (chicken, salmon, legumes, eggs) all week will repair and build muscle from all the training you've done! And I will start loading on the complex carbs on Weds (whole grain pastas, sweet potato, bread, tortillas, rice, etc) eating my last (raw) fruit or vegetable at lunch 2 days prior to race morning. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate all WEEK, not just the day before. I have yet (knock on wood) to have any stomach issues or 'dead legs' (from fueling) in the runs/ races I have done in the 5 - 10hr range. In my opinion, the nutrition factor needs to be happening as part of the running lifestyle, for maximum running benefit. And then you feel awesome all the time! Yay!
You are 100% correct. If anyone plans on running for multiple years and avoiding injury, they absolutely need to be paying attention to nutrition before, during, and after running. We do not hop into a car with an empty gas tank and expect to get very far, but we ask our body to do a great deal more without complaints!
I went all in on the Maurten products (which are a little pricey but I've found them to be worth it). I take a bar/drink mix 3 hours before my run and then just follow the fueling guidelines. It feels a little weird not to eat anything if I just do the drink mix but I ran 22 miles last week and didn't feel hungry before or during really.
I was pleasantly surprised! I did the drink mix pre run, a gel at the beginning and then another gel every 4-5 miles (alternating the caffeine and no caffeine). The drink mix is gel-like and takes a little getting used to but I have been using the products for a few weeks now and have been pretty impressed.
Thanks so much for all this feedback, super helpful! I’m doing the Parks 1/2 M on Sunday ..will definitely try carb loading today and tomorrow (I typically do pasta only night before) and maurten gels which I’ve never tried (GU and Gatorade don’t do the trick for me). If all goes well (1/2 M is relatively ok to handle for me) repeat for the MCM in 7 weeks.
It’s still so hot to train though.. good luck with the weekend running everyone!
Night before pizza and beer. Morning of, English muffin with peanut butter and jelly washed down with tea. That’s powered me for 38 years of half marathons.
This has been such a complicated topic for me because you hear so many different things and heavens forbid you’re seeing a nutritionist I get so overwhelmed. I am also training for a half my first ever and I’m a slow runner so eating for me is a big deal even more so to avoid bonking out. A lot of good tips here to try!!!
Same for me, Valerie! I recently purchased a book around running and nutrition and later regretted it, because it assumed a level of knowledge that I didn't have -- someone who's starting at the very beginning. I wish there was a book for complete, absolute newbies, who are starting at zero.
I recently started following an account on instagram @the.endurance.nutritionist, and I've found her information to be accessible as a beginner in that space - she has free content a different options for paid membership or coaching that I'm looking into. I'm toying with the idea of training for a full next year, and fueling is something I want to have a better handle on before that training block starts.
I totally agree!! I wish there was a nutrition for beginner runners lol it’s not easy to get info for us so we end up with a lot of trial and error for sure.
I might be able to help with this, but never considered it! Would love to know more about some of the questions you feel aren’t answered online!
Ultimately, some of it will be trial and error, because what kind of food a person does well with depends a lot upon their digestive status and physical size as well as the effort they’re putting into a run. So there’s not a one size fits all situation when it comes to fueling a run, but there are some basic principles that benefit nearly everybody that I simply expected would be accessible via Runners World or other online websites.
If you are just looking at the night before, you are limiting your ability to fuel properly for a long run. As one is training for a marathon it is best to eat more carbs regularly, rather than to carb load the day before. This helps to ensure adequate glycogen stores throughout the week to support the entire week's worth of training. I have found that eating a high carb meal, such as a pasta dinner 2 days prior to the long effort works best. For me, eating a plate of pasta the night before can cause some unexpected potty breaks. During the run fuel early and often. As a rule on long runs I take a gel every 3-4 miles. When I was training for Berlin I started using the Maurten products and find them to be quite good. The day prior to a long run I will have a 320 drink in the afternoon. The morning of I have a 160 drink before I run and then the gels mentioned above. This fueling strategy has worked very well for me. Also get some electrolytes in there if you can. That can help a lot too.
You're welcome! I just try and add some extra carbs at most meals during training and will switch out my high protein snacks for high carb snacks. My favorite is popcorn. Also, I do have a breakfast the morning of the run, but generally just toast with peanut butter or maybe some oatmeal in addition to the Maurten drink.
I like this plan, and especially like the Maurten gels since you don't have to chug added water for them to work. I love popcorn and eat it frequently, but I've found I have to cut it out of my diet (along with anything else that's high in fiber) in the week leading up to a long effort, so as to minimize the risk of gastric distress during a race.
I'm running my first road marathon in three decades this November and wondering how to fuel in an event where I'm not going to wear a hydration vest. Thirty years ago, you didn't carry fuel at all--and this is why we often hit the wall at mile 20!
Are you running NYC, by chance? I was supposed to run it but am injured. When I can't wear my hydration vest I wear a belt. I like the Nathan Trail Mix II. It has a very roomy pocket to fit all of my gels. NYC has water stops at almost every mile beginning at mile 3, so it you are running that you will have plenty of opportunity to hydrate, even if you don't carry water with you. However, I don't recommend that. I get thirsty and like to drink when I feel the need. Best of luck to you Henriette, whichever race you are running!
Thanks, Stacy. I'm running the Athens Marathon in mid-November in my parents' native Greece (where I spend a lot of time). There are regular and frequent water stations, but I agree: I don't want to be dependent on those. I'm an UltrAspire runner, so I could use the race belt from them, which I like, but I also have shorts with waist-band pockets and that might be enough for the gels, anyway. Thinking about whether a handheld would be a good idea. Sorry you're injured! I hope you recover well and are back to whatever running you wish to do soon!
Typically I will carb load for 2 days leading up to a race. Thai food and pizza are my preferred go to's. Morning of race is more challenging. How do you balance feeding the machine and avoiding an unwanted forced pit stop due to an upset stomach? I will usually drink some powder electrolytes (like Gnarly hydrate) and force myself to eat some protein bars early since I dont usually eat before 10 am. Then, take whatever is offered during the race. Sometimes 2. :)
I ‘discovered’ UCAN at the SF Marathon (half) and have used it ever since. Pasta deliciousness the night before a big event, then 10 oz UCAN an hour before race start and then every ~1.5 hours. I love that they have little gel packs now so I don’t have to carry extra water bottles for refueling! At the local marathons, my mom drove around to meet me at spots along the course with a fresh bottle -- like a pro runner, just much slower 🤣 That said, I have an iron stomach, so I am a running omnivore and happy to grab whatever weird stuff people are handing out on the street 🍩🥞🌮🍕🧁🥒🥨
Ran both halves. The first half was my first-ever half marathon, in fact. Flew out there from flat, hot Houston to enjoy the cool weather. Second half was the following year and honestly I think it’s harder; some of the downhills are so steep I actually stopped and thought, “I don’t think I can even walk down that.” I watched other people fly down it, shrugged, and ran it, but it’s scary for a flatlander! And oh, my aching quads afterward!
I eat a big pasta meal the night before races / long runs, but I find that fueling well during the run makes a big difference for me too. Gels are great, but I also like those little applesauce pouches made for toddlers (lol), graham crackers, little bags of salty chips, chocolate or candy, and little squeeze packs of peanut butter or nutella. I've only done halfs, not a full marathon (yet!) but eating something really small every ~40-60 mins through the race has helped me a lot!
I like eating some applesauce or graham crackers right before a long run (~15 mins before starting)—gives my body some simple sugars and doesn't throw off my gut, especially if I've been eating well in the past 12-24 hours. I run in the morning, so I find the dinner the night before makes a bigger difference than what I ate right before I ran.
I don’t (generally), but most of the time I’m not running super-long distances, just a few miles. This weekend, I’m scheduled to run 8 -- my longest run in a long time, and I’m kinda wary about running out of gas in that last mile or two.
For long runs, I try to prepare a day or two in advance by upping carbs almost to marathon carb loading level. That means eating a lot of calories in the days prior but I find if I don't then it makes that run even rougher. Like you, I'm a high 4, low 5 hour marathoner and train in Florida. I ran yesterday afternoon for an hour 20 and it was brutal. Not a fan of 5 am wakeups but when it has to be done, it has to be done. All that being said, I fuel long runs with Maurten, switching between regular and caffeine every 30 minutes, I carry an 18oz bottle with LMNT and refill that every hour or so. This does 2 things for me. It gets my gut ready for these runs and I'm used to the fueling. Hoping all of this helps me next month in Chicago to a PB. Keep up the good work. Fueling is key.
Well you must’ve dodged the heat bullet while you were here because NC has had a heat index above 100 these past few weeks. It’s made running pure misery to where these last 4 days I just couldn’t do it.
It was 90/96. Not as bad as it's been but it was still brutal. However, I did keep the pace in Zone 1 the entire time and I did carry my LMNT. Today I feel fine which is good.
I don’t really change my diet much anymore (I’m 72) and only run halfs not full marathons anymore. Before a race it’s peanut butter on whole wheat toast and a couple of gels (usually chocolate) during the race. Seems to get me through.
I usually run first thing in the morning (it’s already too hot at 5am here in FL), so it makes it even harder!! My body needs a LOT of fuel to be able to run, even slowly. If I do a tortilla with banana, cinnamon, honey, and pb first thing, shove down half a bagel 15 minutes later, and then get going I am usually good to go. Always bring gels if I’mma be gone more than 90 minutes tho
Your PB & banana tortilla sounds pretty good. When I ran by myself, I like apple slice with peanut butter before a morning longs runs, but my spouse can't do apples. We'll give this a try to see if they tolerate it better.
Such an important question! I try to consciously eat more carbs for a few days before an event but I usually don’t eat rice or pasta so I don’t even follow my own advice. Especially for women it’s important to fuel up about 2 hours before the event, a balance of protein, carbs and fat. During a long run, I use Maurten gel. It’s fantastic. Highly recommend. Nutrition cannot be underemphasized.
Spring is another one that's good. They use all real foods, and their Awesome Sauce is pretty high in calories and can be useful for an ultra. I also like Huma, which I discovered when a training buddy left some behind :-)
I haven’t had good luck with gels either. Maurten has very few ingredients, no flavoring, and feels clean. I can’t tolerate sugar or caffeine so their 100 type works well for me.
I'm so glad you posted this. Fueling as a deliberate part of my training is something that I really want to learn more about over the next six months or so.
I already incorporate a lot of starches (especially rice or potatoes) in my day to day nutrition. For shorter morning runs, I go for toast or crackers with peanut butter. I don't really like gu or gels -- I'll carry mini Kind bars and mint lifesavers for fuel.
I like sushi the day before a long run. But when I do a half marathon, I'm usually traveling so my pre-race dinner is usually steak and baked potato with salad so I don't have surprise gut issues.
If I am out more than an hour or doing fierce speed work I have oatmeal with my morning coffee. I also bring Haribo gummies or cliff shots on runs longer than 90 minutes. My nutrient timing needs to occur about every 75 minutes, but less fuel than what packets of gels recommend so I go for chewable
Yes those are the ones…Extreme Sport Beans…they are so tasty too!
I like to take dry figs with me as a substitute for the gels. Figs are a great natural carbohydrate fuel source. I also tend to get leg cramps on longer runs and my son in law recommended that I drink pickle juice for that. 🤮 But it worked! Pickle juice is filled with electrolytes Potassium and Sodium. I buy at the dollar tree those clear travel shampoo bottles and fill it with pickle juice. I put them in the freezer so that by the time i start feeling the leg cramps( for me it’s after mile 10) it’s not frozen but cold and that helps because drinking pickle juice is gross but drinking hot pickle juice is very gross. For me it’s like that Would you Rather Game my grandkids play. Would you rather take a quick pickle juice shot or suffer for a long time with leg cramps. I’ll pick the pickle juice :)
I always find it funny that people say pickle juice is gross. I love it and will pour it in a juice glass as my recovery electrolytes after my run.
But I'm also the person who is always going picky a salty snack over sweets, so I'm not surprised that I prefer pickle juice to a lot of the sweeter sports drinks.
Good tip on the figs; I'll try that as an option that won't melt and get gross in the Carolina heat.
Hey I hadn’t thought about using it after the run as well. I will try that.
I keep Nuun around the house as well, but I just prefer the saltiness of the pickle juice.
Thank you for the insight and a smile to my face. Since a pr for me is around 5 hours plus in a marathon, breaks are key to my health and sanity. When I train with my running partner I place water,gu, gator aide and fruit at about 5 miles. We will plan our routes to hit the water at least twice on 10 plus training runs. For us it’s like a game to place the treats in the perfect spot. The reason I enjoyed the thought is because when your injured it’s the little things you miss.
Lots of podcasts delve into fueling for a run, short or long. Exactly what to eat and even during the race. I know gels are a big thing. But definitely research it!
I don’t eat anything before races at home but will munch on a bagel pre marathons. I’ve never done any of the Gu etc but did find these jelly beans that are awesome!
I wonder if you are talking about the Jelly Belly Sport Beans. Love them! I don’t run very far, but I use them as a treat to spur me on!
I order a sushi sashimi platter and consume the entire thing all by myself. Pure lean protein and carbs are my go-to the night before. Morning of, usually a banana and/or spoonful of peanut butter. Gu if necessary during the race.
I love sushi the day before a race or long run.
Sushi is my favorite pre race meal as well!
I love this, Maureen!
Nutrition for long-distance running is so important and something that I take seriously. I don't typically do anything special the night before for my regular weekend long runs (10-20miles). For breakfast I'll have a banana and oatmeal, as well as fuel w/ Skratch chews and Gu gels every 30mins during my run. For race prep, I have a meal plan for the whole week leading up to the race, making sure to load up on dark leafy green and fruits early in the week (nitrates in things like kale, arugula, beets & chard help blood flow to the heart, and increase the muscles' ability to access energy during hard efforts). Lean proteins (chicken, salmon, legumes, eggs) all week will repair and build muscle from all the training you've done! And I will start loading on the complex carbs on Weds (whole grain pastas, sweet potato, bread, tortillas, rice, etc) eating my last (raw) fruit or vegetable at lunch 2 days prior to race morning. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate all WEEK, not just the day before. I have yet (knock on wood) to have any stomach issues or 'dead legs' (from fueling) in the runs/ races I have done in the 5 - 10hr range. In my opinion, the nutrition factor needs to be happening as part of the running lifestyle, for maximum running benefit. And then you feel awesome all the time! Yay!
You are 100% correct. If anyone plans on running for multiple years and avoiding injury, they absolutely need to be paying attention to nutrition before, during, and after running. We do not hop into a car with an empty gas tank and expect to get very far, but we ask our body to do a great deal more without complaints!
Super, super helpful -- thanks, Erin! I'm going to have to borrow/try these!
I went all in on the Maurten products (which are a little pricey but I've found them to be worth it). I take a bar/drink mix 3 hours before my run and then just follow the fueling guidelines. It feels a little weird not to eat anything if I just do the drink mix but I ran 22 miles last week and didn't feel hungry before or during really.
Wow! That's pretty amazing... okay I'm going to have to check these out!
I was pleasantly surprised! I did the drink mix pre run, a gel at the beginning and then another gel every 4-5 miles (alternating the caffeine and no caffeine). The drink mix is gel-like and takes a little getting used to but I have been using the products for a few weeks now and have been pretty impressed.
Thanks so much for all this feedback, super helpful! I’m doing the Parks 1/2 M on Sunday ..will definitely try carb loading today and tomorrow (I typically do pasta only night before) and maurten gels which I’ve never tried (GU and Gatorade don’t do the trick for me). If all goes well (1/2 M is relatively ok to handle for me) repeat for the MCM in 7 weeks.
It’s still so hot to train though.. good luck with the weekend running everyone!
Night before pizza and beer. Morning of, English muffin with peanut butter and jelly washed down with tea. That’s powered me for 38 years of half marathons.
Love this!!! (Especially the pizza and beer 😃 )
Gotta love the beer!!
This has been such a complicated topic for me because you hear so many different things and heavens forbid you’re seeing a nutritionist I get so overwhelmed. I am also training for a half my first ever and I’m a slow runner so eating for me is a big deal even more so to avoid bonking out. A lot of good tips here to try!!!
Same for me, Valerie! I recently purchased a book around running and nutrition and later regretted it, because it assumed a level of knowledge that I didn't have -- someone who's starting at the very beginning. I wish there was a book for complete, absolute newbies, who are starting at zero.
I recently started following an account on instagram @the.endurance.nutritionist, and I've found her information to be accessible as a beginner in that space - she has free content a different options for paid membership or coaching that I'm looking into. I'm toying with the idea of training for a full next year, and fueling is something I want to have a better handle on before that training block starts.
What are some of the beginner questions you feel weren’t well explained?
I totally agree!! I wish there was a nutrition for beginner runners lol it’s not easy to get info for us so we end up with a lot of trial and error for sure.
I might be able to help with this, but never considered it! Would love to know more about some of the questions you feel aren’t answered online!
Ultimately, some of it will be trial and error, because what kind of food a person does well with depends a lot upon their digestive status and physical size as well as the effort they’re putting into a run. So there’s not a one size fits all situation when it comes to fueling a run, but there are some basic principles that benefit nearly everybody that I simply expected would be accessible via Runners World or other online websites.
If you are just looking at the night before, you are limiting your ability to fuel properly for a long run. As one is training for a marathon it is best to eat more carbs regularly, rather than to carb load the day before. This helps to ensure adequate glycogen stores throughout the week to support the entire week's worth of training. I have found that eating a high carb meal, such as a pasta dinner 2 days prior to the long effort works best. For me, eating a plate of pasta the night before can cause some unexpected potty breaks. During the run fuel early and often. As a rule on long runs I take a gel every 3-4 miles. When I was training for Berlin I started using the Maurten products and find them to be quite good. The day prior to a long run I will have a 320 drink in the afternoon. The morning of I have a 160 drink before I run and then the gels mentioned above. This fueling strategy has worked very well for me. Also get some electrolytes in there if you can. That can help a lot too.
I also have heard you need to be carb loading days in advance not just the night before!
This is all really helpful, Stacy -- thanks for sharing!
You're welcome! I just try and add some extra carbs at most meals during training and will switch out my high protein snacks for high carb snacks. My favorite is popcorn. Also, I do have a breakfast the morning of the run, but generally just toast with peanut butter or maybe some oatmeal in addition to the Maurten drink.
I like this plan, and especially like the Maurten gels since you don't have to chug added water for them to work. I love popcorn and eat it frequently, but I've found I have to cut it out of my diet (along with anything else that's high in fiber) in the week leading up to a long effort, so as to minimize the risk of gastric distress during a race.
I'm running my first road marathon in three decades this November and wondering how to fuel in an event where I'm not going to wear a hydration vest. Thirty years ago, you didn't carry fuel at all--and this is why we often hit the wall at mile 20!
Are you running NYC, by chance? I was supposed to run it but am injured. When I can't wear my hydration vest I wear a belt. I like the Nathan Trail Mix II. It has a very roomy pocket to fit all of my gels. NYC has water stops at almost every mile beginning at mile 3, so it you are running that you will have plenty of opportunity to hydrate, even if you don't carry water with you. However, I don't recommend that. I get thirsty and like to drink when I feel the need. Best of luck to you Henriette, whichever race you are running!
Thanks, Stacy. I'm running the Athens Marathon in mid-November in my parents' native Greece (where I spend a lot of time). There are regular and frequent water stations, but I agree: I don't want to be dependent on those. I'm an UltrAspire runner, so I could use the race belt from them, which I like, but I also have shorts with waist-band pockets and that might be enough for the gels, anyway. Thinking about whether a handheld would be a good idea. Sorry you're injured! I hope you recover well and are back to whatever running you wish to do soon!
Typically I will carb load for 2 days leading up to a race. Thai food and pizza are my preferred go to's. Morning of race is more challenging. How do you balance feeding the machine and avoiding an unwanted forced pit stop due to an upset stomach? I will usually drink some powder electrolytes (like Gnarly hydrate) and force myself to eat some protein bars early since I dont usually eat before 10 am. Then, take whatever is offered during the race. Sometimes 2. :)
I ‘discovered’ UCAN at the SF Marathon (half) and have used it ever since. Pasta deliciousness the night before a big event, then 10 oz UCAN an hour before race start and then every ~1.5 hours. I love that they have little gel packs now so I don’t have to carry extra water bottles for refueling! At the local marathons, my mom drove around to meet me at spots along the course with a fresh bottle -- like a pro runner, just much slower 🤣 That said, I have an iron stomach, so I am a running omnivore and happy to grab whatever weird stuff people are handing out on the street 🍩🥞🌮🍕🧁🥒🥨
Which half in San Francisco did you run, Steph? I've seen UCAN advertised, but never tried it -- now I'll have to!
Ran both halves. The first half was my first-ever half marathon, in fact. Flew out there from flat, hot Houston to enjoy the cool weather. Second half was the following year and honestly I think it’s harder; some of the downhills are so steep I actually stopped and thought, “I don’t think I can even walk down that.” I watched other people fly down it, shrugged, and ran it, but it’s scary for a flatlander! And oh, my aching quads afterward!
I eat a big pasta meal the night before races / long runs, but I find that fueling well during the run makes a big difference for me too. Gels are great, but I also like those little applesauce pouches made for toddlers (lol), graham crackers, little bags of salty chips, chocolate or candy, and little squeeze packs of peanut butter or nutella. I've only done halfs, not a full marathon (yet!) but eating something really small every ~40-60 mins through the race has helped me a lot!
This is all great, Rachel!
Do you eat before running? And how long so you wait after eating to start running?
I like eating some applesauce or graham crackers right before a long run (~15 mins before starting)—gives my body some simple sugars and doesn't throw off my gut, especially if I've been eating well in the past 12-24 hours. I run in the morning, so I find the dinner the night before makes a bigger difference than what I ate right before I ran.
I don’t (generally), but most of the time I’m not running super-long distances, just a few miles. This weekend, I’m scheduled to run 8 -- my longest run in a long time, and I’m kinda wary about running out of gas in that last mile or two.
For long runs, I try to prepare a day or two in advance by upping carbs almost to marathon carb loading level. That means eating a lot of calories in the days prior but I find if I don't then it makes that run even rougher. Like you, I'm a high 4, low 5 hour marathoner and train in Florida. I ran yesterday afternoon for an hour 20 and it was brutal. Not a fan of 5 am wakeups but when it has to be done, it has to be done. All that being said, I fuel long runs with Maurten, switching between regular and caffeine every 30 minutes, I carry an 18oz bottle with LMNT and refill that every hour or so. This does 2 things for me. It gets my gut ready for these runs and I'm used to the fueling. Hoping all of this helps me next month in Chicago to a PB. Keep up the good work. Fueling is key.
I’m also in FL. Had to do my 18.5 mile for marathon prep up in NC when visiting the parents last week 😂 I can NOT here
Well you must’ve dodged the heat bullet while you were here because NC has had a heat index above 100 these past few weeks. It’s made running pure misery to where these last 4 days I just couldn’t do it.
They’re in the Blue Ridge area, so it wasn’t as bad as anywhere east 😂
Oh well in that case they were great!! Better than us in raleigh 😂😂😂
Wow! What was the temperature/heat index for your run yesterday? (I can only imagine...)
It was 90/96. Not as bad as it's been but it was still brutal. However, I did keep the pace in Zone 1 the entire time and I did carry my LMNT. Today I feel fine which is good.
I don’t really change my diet much anymore (I’m 72) and only run halfs not full marathons anymore. Before a race it’s peanut butter on whole wheat toast and a couple of gels (usually chocolate) during the race. Seems to get me through.
I usually run first thing in the morning (it’s already too hot at 5am here in FL), so it makes it even harder!! My body needs a LOT of fuel to be able to run, even slowly. If I do a tortilla with banana, cinnamon, honey, and pb first thing, shove down half a bagel 15 minutes later, and then get going I am usually good to go. Always bring gels if I’mma be gone more than 90 minutes tho
Your PB & banana tortilla sounds pretty good. When I ran by myself, I like apple slice with peanut butter before a morning longs runs, but my spouse can't do apples. We'll give this a try to see if they tolerate it better.
I'm gonna have to try your tortilla recipe -- that sounds good!
I like the Huma gels
Such an important question! I try to consciously eat more carbs for a few days before an event but I usually don’t eat rice or pasta so I don’t even follow my own advice. Especially for women it’s important to fuel up about 2 hours before the event, a balance of protein, carbs and fat. During a long run, I use Maurten gel. It’s fantastic. Highly recommend. Nutrition cannot be underemphasized.
That's my challenge as well -- following my own advice. I've tried a number of gels in the past, but never Maurten -- will have to pick up some!
Spring is another one that's good. They use all real foods, and their Awesome Sauce is pretty high in calories and can be useful for an ultra. I also like Huma, which I discovered when a training buddy left some behind :-)
I haven’t had good luck with gels either. Maurten has very few ingredients, no flavoring, and feels clean. I can’t tolerate sugar or caffeine so their 100 type works well for me.
Never heard of Maurten. I like to try to keep things natural - I’m not a fan of gels.