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We’ve spent months placing within the miles and testing out every kind of fueling choices on the run. But, what to eat the week of a marathon begins sending us in to a little bit of a panic! And the way do we modify our consuming the morning of a marathon?
Do we have to carbo load?
Are we speculated to do the carb depletion earlier than the loading?
And what about all these nerves which might be messing with our abdomen?
Let’s break down each items of the puzzle and assist you determine what’s going to work finest so that you can enter the race feeling rested, muscle glycogen topped off and abdomen comfortable.
Why What You Eat Earlier than A Marathon Issues
Your race efficiency can completely be improved or derailed by diet. It doesn’t matter what number of miles you’ve put in in case your physique doesn’t have sufficient of the proper gas to get you to the end line.
Whereas your urge for food might drop some throughout taper after which be very low attributable to nerves earlier than the race, it’s important that you simply gas!
Throughout a marathon, your physique primarily depends on cardio power manufacturing, fueled primarily by carbohydrates and a few fat.
Carbohydrates, saved as glycogen within the muscle tissues and liver, present available power throughout extended train. That is essential to keep away from a drop in power and temper (which then derails your focus).
As you run, your muscle tissues break down glycogen to provide adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the power foreign money of the physique. The physique’s glycogen shops are restricted, and the speed of glycogen depletion goes to extend throughout a race when you’re pushing tougher than regular, it may well additionally fluctuate based mostly in your health ranges, age and dimension.
When glycogen ranges turn into critically low, you may expertise a sudden drop in power ranges, muscle fatigue, and a big lower in efficiency. This phenomenon, also known as “hitting the wall,” generally is a important impediment to beat throughout a half marathon.
Therefore, we need to go in to the race with a physique that’s absolutely stocked after which we need to maintain feeding it to maintain that power flowing!
Let’s begin by wanting on the total image of the week after which extra particularly race morning.
What to Eat the Week of a Marathon
Let’s begin with the concept that the vast majority of runners should not doing carb loading accurately and sure don’t have to make a drastic shift of their weight loss plan.
We don’t need to do new issues on marathon day…why would you need to make large adjustments to your regular habits the week of the race?
- Eat usually till 2-3 days earlier than the race
- Proceed consuming fiber as much as then after which nonetheless embody some to maintain issues transfer
- 3 days earlier than the race be sure no less than 50-60% of your energy come from straightforward to digest carbs
- 2 days earlier than the race once more intention for no less than 60%
- 1 day earlier than the race see if you may get nearer to 70-80%
I’ve seen some advocate as much as 90% of your weight loss plan in these days be from carbs.
However for many runners, I discover that quantity has felt overwhelming or they’re simply craving some precise substance by protein. So be much less tied to the quantity and extra targeted on relaxation, restoration and never strolling all day within the expo.
Carb loading has the potential to enhance efficiency by 2-3%. That’s almost 7 minutes for a 4-hour marathon.
MUST READ: AVOID these seven carb loading errors >>
What are Simple to Digest Carbohydrates?
Simple to digest carbohydrates don’t imply sugar and sweets. Although they’re scrumptious, we don’t need to improve irritation or trigger power swings, so these are solely a part of your race week plan.
- Juice – one of many few occasions we’ll advocate it right here as a result of normally we wish the fiber of a smoothie
- Bagels – or I really like sourdough as a result of it typically helps to calm the abdomen as a result of fermentation
- Rice – white rice has much less fiber
- Potatoes – go loopy with common potatoes or candy potatoes, simply watch the butter or heavy fat the day earlier than the race
- Oatmeal – throw in some floor flax for additional anti-inflammatory goodness
- Pancakes, waffles, benefit from the muffin you may typically overlook
- Berries, bananas, cantaloupe
As a result of carbohydrates trigger the physique to retain water (we wish effectively hydrated muscle tissues for the race) it’s completely frequent to acquire weight whereas working.
That is 2 DAYS, you aren’t gaining fats. It’s water.
I dig Betty Crockers fashion of throwing in some chocolate chips!
What Do I Eat the Evening Earlier than a Marathon?
Take into consideration a lightweight meal.
That’s proper, I’m not a fan of the normal pasta dinner. Until that is what you’ve been doing with success all through coaching.
Most runners report feeling groggy and weighed down within the morning after consuming an enormous bowl of pasta and breadsticks.
Simple at dwelling meal from Wellbeing.
You need to arrive to the race feeling gentle, recent and never like your physique is digesting an enormous dinner after what was most likely not your finest evening of sleep.
Just a few choices:
- A pair slices of pizza (works nice if that is what you’ve executed all by coaching)
- Salmon and potatoes (personally salmon and candy potato fries is my favourite pre-race dinner)
- A sandwich – love sourdough to assist the abdomen, plus get in somewhat protein and throw in some avocado
- Hen stir fry with white rice and light-weight on the excessive fiber veggies
Discover the choices are low fiber, most likely somewhat decrease in fats and better in carbs. However nothing loopy. As famous the entire issues we need to eat the day earlier than the marathon are SIMPLE.
At present is just not specializing in large prime quality diet like all of the fruits and veggies…it’s carbs that your physique doesn’t have to work too arduous to make use of.
When Ought to I eat Earlier than a Marathon?
I’m going to stipulate a plan for you under, however ideally we’re going to be consuming just a few occasions. First will likely be your main meal to prime off glycogen shops and that will likely be 2-3 hours earlier than the beginning time.
This meal is admittedly important for that final little bit of power and shouldn’t be skipped. I do know you will not be feeling hungry throughout that 3AM get up name, however you’re going to be so glad you ate come mile 10….and 25.
What to Eat the Morning of a Marathon?
Marathon morning is somewhat totally different than lots of your lengthy runs. You possibly can’t merely eat and get going. Your finest pre marathon meal goes to be a mix of the good selections you made at dinner and now what you finalize on race morning.
Reasonably you’ll be awake and sure shifting round for hours earlier than crossing the beginning line.
2-3 hours Pre-Marathon Meal
Whereas nonetheless in your resort or dwelling, strive having oatmeal with nut butter and berries OR a bagel with 2 tbsp nut butter. One thing with somewhat substance to it.
This meal is probably going going to be 300-500 energy and largely carbs. You could need to have some fats or protein to assist create that lasting power and maintain you full as a result of it positively sucks to really feel hungry throughout a race.
Widespread issues that work for lots of runners:
- Bagel with nut butter and a banana
- Sourdough with nut butter (sourdough is usually simpler on the abdomen it’s my go to) and a few raisins
- Juice + some dry cereal on the go
- Bowl of oatmeal with some protein powder, berries and nut butter
On the best way to the race
In case you didn’t get in a ton for breakfast (and no 200 energy isn’t sufficient) then strive consuming a banana (I LOVE the banana wrapped in a tortilla concept above straightforward to move and eat on the bus, in the beginning, and many others) or a Clifbar. Once more, these are nonetheless straightforward to digest carbs.
**Notice: Bananas truly assist to assuage the abdomen. So not solely are they an ideal carb for gas, but in addition in the event you’re feeling nervous and further bonus factors for the potassium, vitamin C and different great things.
Beginning Line
About 10 minutes earlier than when your wave is able to go eat a Honey Stinger Waffle or your favourite gel – you completely need some carbs proper then due to that large time hole.
Hydration
All through all of this strive sipping electrolytes. You don’t need to really feel bloated, so simply sip persistently. Keep in mind that hydration is just not solely a part of your power, however helps with digestion.
The best way to Keep away from Marathon Abdomen Points
In case you’re avoiding race morning fueling since you’re frightened about runner abdomen points, then my first concern is we didn’t do sufficient apply fueling throughout coaching. But it surely’s additionally potential that attributable to nerves your abdomen is a bit more fussy.
- Keep on with meals that you understand
- Attempt one’s which might be straightforward on the abdomen like toast, crackers, bananas, pretzels
- Drink extra juices to get in some energy and carbs without having to digest
What To not Eat Earlier than a Marathon
In case you are somebody who tends to have abdomen points or notably if you’re touring for a race, just a few closing suggestions:
- Don’t strive new meals (says the one that had fried catfish and paid for it dearly in a race)
- Race morning I are likely to keep away from a lot dairy, this may be a problem as you get sizzling for lots of people
- Keep away from a whole lot of heavy fried or fatty meals
- Keep away from a whole lot of excessive fiber meals (brussels, broccoli, and many others)
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