Before, during and after a run what you eat matters. No matter what kind of “eater” you are, you have to figure out which foods fuel you without weighing you down.
In the days before a big race I make sure I eat foods that make me feel “light”. The last thing I want to do is eat foods that weigh me down. While this list is different for everyone here’s what works for me leading up to a race, during the race, and after the run (same applies for long runs).
The week leading up to the run:
I avoid these foods that don’t make me feel my best:
- all dairy
- spicy foods
- wine
- desserts
- gluten
I load up on the foods that make me feel great and that my stomach easily processes:
- veggie juice
- smoothies
- quinoa pasta
- homemade tomato sauce
- potatoes
- sweet potatoes
Focusing on hydration is also huge for me. I begin drinking a little more water than normal the week before a race. It may sound strange, but I want to wake-up on race day morning already hydrated and ready to go. Typically, I won’t drink more than a few ounces of liquids before the race. This helps me avoid extra trips to the porta-potty (and is the reason I’m reducing my coffee intake).
The morning before the run:
During the run:
13.1 miles and under: I find that if I’ve fueled properly in the days leading up to a 1/2 marathon and it’s not hot outside, I don’t need anything other than water and a little gatorade (or whatever is offered on the course).
13.2 – 18 miles: I fuel once with a clif shot block or clif shot gel around mile 9-10. I also stop at water fountains around my running route as needed in an effort to stay on top of my hydration levels.
18 miles and beyond: I’m still working on this but the plan is to fuel twice with a gel/block and once with an electrolyte such as nuun. As I figure this out I’ll report back.
After the run:
As soon as I get home I either pull out the juicer or the blender to refuel. If a juice is what I’m craving I make sure I also have a slice of bread with nut butter. Otherwise I usually make this coconut water smoothie.
*Please note, I’m not making these recommendations for anyone specifically but just letting you know what is currently working for me.
What about you, have you learned what foods work best for you for fueling your long runs/races?
I love this post! Fueling is something i’ve been struggling with since starting marathon training. I had up to 13 miles down but everything past feels like a whole new ball game!
The most interesting thing I took away from this is the fact that you don’t need a whole lot of water the morning of the race!
That’s only because I wake-up hydrated!
So glad you like the post. I always find it helpful to hear how others fuel. It gives me new ideas. How’s your training going?
It’s completely overwhelming at times but I love it. 🙂 I’m more excited every day for November!
I’m all about oatmeal with a serving of fruit, nut butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and my latest addition is chia seeds. For both long runs and bike rides, these seeds have been so helpful. As for hydration, I try to make sure I’m taking a sip every 10 minutes. I’m working on fueling “during”. This is hard, but it’s all about experimenting.
I need to work on the drinking thing. I like your idea.
whole wheat peanut butter sandwich (not too much peanut butter)!
I love this post! This is a good reminder for me as my half is a week away, and it’s a holiday weekend, so I really need to be mindful of my eats. Good reminder that hydration counts for many days ahead of time as well.
I swear by toast and pumpkin seed butter for the morning before my long runs/races.
Pumpkin seed butter? Do tell! This sounds amazing.
It is amazing! I get it from iHerb. I’ve never seen it anywhere else.
Well if I were running I would say LOAD UP on the gluten! 🙂 And of course sweet potatoes are money. And afterwards? Yogurt, and PB sandwiches.
Thanks for this post! I’m training for my first marathon and I have 19 miles scheduled for Saturday. I know what types of things I should be fueling with and how often on the long run, but not exactly when, so this was helpful! I’m realllly not a big fan of gels, etc. so fueling has been a little bit of a challenge.
I find that I do better with shot blocks every ~45 minutes for any distance over 8 miles, but I don’t typically drink the gatorade or equivalent so I need the salt as well as sugar in the shot blocks.
I also find it very important to avoid high fiber foods for about 24-36 hours before any race longer than a 10k.
Afterwards, I go for whatever strikes my fancy as long as it has some protein and fruit or vegetables. One time I did a half that finished off with clam chowder, and that was great on a gusty, snowing March day so I often go for soups for the hydration in addition to the nutrients. I can’t stand smoothies, though; reminds me too much of having my wisdom teeth out.
Jess, you are so freaking inspiring! You make me want to eat better and train better!! But I may need you to come pull me out of bed in the morning 😉
love that you emphasized eating foods that make you feel lighter before. I feel people still cling to the belief they need to load up (or the outdated carboload). Also interesting your fueling during sort of on the lighter side as well.
Hey Jess!
I love your blog. It’s really fun and informative. I was wondering what your thoughts are on sports aids like electrolyte, complex carb and amino acid powders. Seems like endurance athletes are more partial to actual food than supplements. Would you agree?
Thank you!
I think everyone is different and it depends on their stomach and taste preferences. Although, I’m not exactly sure what you mean by supplements? Electrolytes are essential to long distance athletes.