The Reasonable Runner

A race that totals more than 13 miles is deserving of multiple posts, so I present you with Part 2! Anyone who has run races or trained in any capacity will tell you that running is physical and mental. In this post, I want to focus on a physical need that cannot be denied when training for a race, food.

I want to start this post by sharing that this is an area I am still growing and learning in, and finding the happy spot for fueling. Even though I am still trying to master the science of fueling, I have tips from real-life training experience that I hope help you on your journey!

I have heard the comparison that just like you put gas in a car so that it can run, we feed our bodies to ensure they have all that they need to run effectively and well. When you exercise, it is important to ensure that your calories consumed help to replenish what your body uses during exercise. For running especially, you have probably noticed that if you get into a pattern of training or running consistently, your hunger increases as your miles do. When I first began training, I would find myself ravenously hungry 1-2 days after a long run especially, but not always wanting to eat in the immediate hours following exercise. As much as this frustrated me sometimes, it made sense the more I learned about the body’s processes and how to potentially avoid that super-hungry feeling altogether.

Eating well and eating enough is foundational to running, and especially to half-marathon training. I used to think running hungry was better for me, or would help make my runs easier, that is far from the truth! When running, your body is consistently having a high demand put on it over a prolonged period of time. This is especially true for half-marathon running, and preparation before race day is crucial to a successful training time and race day. I will dedicate a separate post to the food aspect of marathon training, and here I will focus on how to eat for the race day itself.

I have run half-marathons that began in the morning, between 8-10 AM, so the following specifics will be beneficial for preparing for a morning race. The day before, eating full and nutritious meals and snacks is a must! Your body will be burning through a massive amount of calories by the time you cross the finish line the next day, and your body will perform exceptionally better if you have ‘filled your tank’ with what it needs beforehand. The day before a half-marathon, be sure to have 3 full and balanced meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each meal should contain healthy fats, protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables. Do your best to avoid greasy foods and meals that are high in fat or sugars, and I strongly recommend not experimenting with food right before a big race (if you don’t know how your body will react to a certain food, race day is a terrible time to find out!).

Between these meals, also be sure that you are continually consuming water. Not only will you be tapping into your body’s nutritional reserves when you run, but you will sweat and lose a significant amount of water. Keep yourself even more well-hydrated than you normally do, you will be so glad you did!

Healthy snacks, such as yogurt, protein shakes, nut butter, and oats, are great additions to your pre-half diet. The easiest way to intentionally include them is to have one between each meal, or collectively have 2-3 over the course of the day. And of course, if you are hungry, absolutely eat! The day before a race is not the time to constrict your calories, and eating well in the 24-48 hours before you start will provide your body with the fuel it needs to keep your energy up, feed your muscles, and keep you from getting a sloshy/empty stomach. The night before, I do not recommend eating late into the night, and while you are increasing your calories intentionally, there is no need to over-compensate and leave yourself way too full and uncomfortable the next day.

Listen to your body when you are preparing for a race day, but know that a little more good fuel is always more beneficial than a little less. Since this post is certainly long enough, I will stop here for now, but will be sure to include more fueling tips in the future. My next post will talk all about the race day itself, and there will be food advice sprinkled into that one too!