It’s that time of year, when all
the runners are out. Whether you’re
training for a 5-K, half-marathon, or marathon, special attention should be
placed not only on training for your runs but also on your nutrition. Maybe you’ve heard that you need to load up
on your carbs, drink lots of water, and stay away from the fiber. But the question is, are you doing the right
thing?
The food that you choose to fuel
you through your run can make a big impact on your performance. Runners tend toward extremes: overdoing food or drink, cutting back on
foods that give them fuel, or eating/drinking foods that may cause digestive
disaster (aka runner’s trots). Here are
some tips to not only help you avoid those common mistakes but also guide you
in what to eat and drink. Having the
proper nutrition before, during, and after the race can help you perform at
your best.
At the end of each tip, I’ll
share a few things that I’ve changed up or am consistently doing (trying to do)
within my marathon training. What works
for me may not work for you, but that’s why there’s a training period – try it
out and see if it works. No surprises on
race day.
The Mistake: Eating a box of pasta
Runners like to feast on carbs
the night before a race. And why not,
right? You’re going to burn through them
the next day. But overloading your
system with more carbs than it can handle may only lead to digestive problems (I’ve actually seen it happen during a
race. Believe me, it wasn’t
pretty). Running to the porta-potty
every mile isn’t performing at your best.
The Fix:
The key is to consume moderate
amounts – not huge portions all at once – of carbs several days prior. And make sure before the actual race that
you’re trying this out. What works for
one will not work for all, but the key is to train this way (no one wants any
surprises on race day). You can have
oatmeal for breakfast, quinoa for lunch, and whole-wheat pasta for dinner. Make sure you pay attention to your body’s
cues – eat to fullness so that you’re not bothered by indigestion.
I always
eat whole grains – it’s just been something I’ve been working on to improve my
health overall. So daily, I’m rotating
my grains – whether it be homemade buckwheat pancakes in the morning, a brown
rice bowl at lunch, and then whole wheat pasta at dinner – what’s been working
for me is the consistency of having my complex carbs daily and in a sufficient
amount. There was a work luncheon the
other day in the office – I opted out and ate my own food instead. May sound odd to some, but it was a Friday
before my 10 miler, I wanted to make sure I had the right amount of fuel (and
those work lunches never have a balanced meal for me) – I had made the whole
week count, I wasn’t going to mess it up less than 12 hours to my run. Consistency has been the key for me – it’s
crazy to think my 5 and 6 mile runs are a breeze, but they are.
The Mistake: Drinking Gallons of H₂O
If you’re drinking too much water
before the race it can leave you feeling bloated and can also dilute your
electrolytes (those minerals responsible for muscle contraction). Other side effects from diluting your
electrolytes: muscle weakness or
cramping, and in extreme cases, can lead to hyponatremia (a life-threatening
condition triggered by abnormally low sodium levels).
The Fix:
The key is to stay hydrated days
leading up to your race. Make sure
you’re taking in enough water (refer to the color of your urine to let you
know. The darker, more concentrated in
color means you are dehydrated. Urine
should be almost clear in color). On the
morning of the race, you can have ~16 ounces of water two to three hours before
the start, allowing your body time to process this extra fluid; drink another
one to two cups right before the start (and of course hydrate throughout the
race).
I do
drink water and plenty of it (my urine is almost always clear). Here in Miami it is fall, but it has been
quite humid even still. The humidity
always requires extra hydration.
Additionally I talk a lot for my job – that too is dehydrating. I’m constantly taking in water and aiming to
stay hydrated, with an ever watchful eye on my urine. What I have been trying to work on is the
fluid replacement during the run – with a balance of my fast-acting carbs & then the fluid during – this has
been what I’ve been working on, simply trying to have enough circulating glucose
for energy but yet not too much to cause the ever loving GI distress.
The Mistake: Loading up on Fiber
Eating healthy means including
~25-35 grams of fiber per day. Fiber
should be gradually included into one’s diet – otherwise uncomfortable gas
& runner’s trots may ensue. So if
you’re used to having a high-fiber diet, all that roughage right before a race
shouldn’t be a problem. But if you’ve
been living on pizza and burgers, now is not the time (a week before race-day)
to try to have 25 grams of fiber in a day.
Mix the high-fiber foods with prerace jitters and well, accidents may
occur.
The Fix:
The truth is that one should be
training with these foods during your practice runs and then you can see how
your body reacts. But if you think that
fiber may be an issue cut back on those foods a few days before a major
race. If you’re racing every weekend,
reduce your fiber intake only on race day to make sure you don’t cut all of the
fiber out of your diet. (And if you’re doing races every weekend you really
should be eating better).
Fiber is
my middle name. I’m a vegetarian and
therefore eat plant-based meals. Once
when I checked my fiber intake I was taking in anywhere from 40-50g of fiber
daily. That’s my norm. I’m use to the side effects. I’d be honest in telling you that I don’t cut
back on the fiber as it helps with my regularity – and I want that prior to my
runs, otherwise that’s when I have a problem – during the run. So fiber for me is the norm, not having
enough fiber is actually what throws me for a loop.
The Mistake: Skipping Breakfast
There are many reasons that
runners skip breakfast before a race:
too nervous or worried about feeling full, don’t wake up early enough,
and as is my case, burping ensues the whole way. Without it, you’re likely to tank in any
race. Why? Studies show that a prerace meal keeps your
blood sugar steady and provides energy to power you through. If you skip breakfast there’s no way to get
enough fuel midrace.
The Fix:
If you know you get too nervous
to eat before a race, try waking up a few hours before the start. This will allow you to eat slow, letting each
bite settle before taking another. Remember, most times the race is quite early
morning and there will be some transit time to get to the race. During your training mimic the same schedule –
wake up early and wait that time before going for a run - you might lose some
sleep, but the key is always to simulate and train to see what works.
Prior to
runs these days I’ve been rotating different energy bars/balls. My go to one (because it’s so simple to make)
are these Peanut butter balls by Paula Deen.
I just don’t roll them in all that extra stuff she does at the end. I wake up and have 1 or 2 (depends on the
length of my long run) and then head to my friend’s house to run. That 20-30 minutes in between has been
working well. The other thing that I’ve
been trialing out is a shot of expresso.
I’m not doing it for the possible energy boost it may give, rather I’m
doing it to avoid the caffeine withdrawal headache. I know I’m going to be running for a LONG
time. I know I’ll get a headache if I
don’t have some caffeine. The other
reason why I’m testing this out now is to see if/when the laxative effect kicks
in. You all know your body. In some people caffeine does exactly that (if
caffeine doesn’t do this to you, consider yourself lucky?) Regardless I’m trialing it out so there won’t
be any surprises of sorts mid-way through the run. Since it’s not much volume, it’s just a black
expresso, it’s worked to help avoid the headache and not cause any GI motility
issues.
The Mistake: Trying Something
New
If you’ve never had a spicy tuna
roll, don’t order it the night before your race. You won’t know how a food affects you until
you’ve tried. Last minute
experimentation could send you straight to the bathroom and might even leave
you dehydrated.
The Fix:
Stick with what you know a week
before the race. You can also check the
race website to see which drinks and gels (if any) will be offered along the
course. Test them out in advance. Don’t be afraid to skip the prerace dinner or
hotel breakfast. Remember if you’re not
used to it, stick with something you know. For my race in January it’s here
local in Miami. Regardless when I’ve
been traveling for races, I always travel with food, just in case.
Call me a
creature of habit, but I have the same dinner every Friday night. This training season it’s all about the
spaghetti – maybe the obvious choice, but it’s the tried and true. When I walked my previous marathon back in
2008 I had pasta the same way. Since my
race was in San Diego I figured I could find the same spaghetti sauce out that
way (previous issues with GERD, finally found a sauce that didn’t cause said
GERD, not traveling with the sauce GERD ensued). I’m just glad the race is local this time
around. Traveling can sometimes create
limitations. When I was in Puerto Rico
it was actually hard to find pasta. I
could have used rice and beans, but let’s be real, beans can be quite
gassy. I hadn’t trained with it, so it
was definitely not the time to start (the night before the race).
Eat better
If you can find time to train
hard, you can also find the time to fuel-up right! Competitive athletes that don’t show up for
meals might as well not show up for training.
You’ll lose your edge with hit or miss fueling. Make sure to fuel-up with good nutrition –
you’ll always win!
I’ve
always eaten well – I’m a dietitian, it’s in my blood J But as I’ve been training for the marathon here’s a few
things I’ve done differently – added, changed, or taken away. My work schedule is always depending on what
patients show up – that determines what time I’ll get lunch as well as what
time I head home for dinner. So for
meals I’ve been taking each day as it comes and plan accordingly – I typically have
three main meals and 1-2 snacks – again I play it by ear, but I definitely don’t
go too long without eating – where before I’d just keep going and not eat. It’s best the patients don’t see me
hangry!
Additionally
what I’ve been adding into my diet is seafood.
I think of myself as a vegetarian and will have fish when eating out (as
many restaurants don’t always offer the best available vegetarian options). But eating out is rare, so again I default
and most times say I’m vegetarian, even though technically I’m a pescatarian. Training so far has increased my total
nutrient needs – carbohydrate, protein, and fat – and while carbs are easy to
get, protein from a plant source has been hard for me to get a sufficient
amount (I don’t use supplements and already eat nuts in enough creative ways). So I’d say this is one area that I’ve changed
in that I’m making salmon, tuna, and/or another white fish (mahi mahi/grouper/sea
bass) a staple 3-4x/week – whereas before it was only utilized sparingly. I know that this helps me not to worry about
whether or not I’m getting enough protein.
I’m already using nuts 2-3x/day – whether in a whole form, nut butter,
or a “cheese” of some sort, but that alone wasn’t hitting the mark (in addition
to a glass or two of milk, some cheese, and/or eggs). The addition of seafood I believe has helped
me to ensure I’m getting an adequate amount of protein.
I have
omitted all alcohol. I did have some
alcohol a few weeks back (for my birthday weekend celebration), however, since then
I haven’t had any. I’ve never been too
heavy a drinker, but I know that when I do drink it takes away from my eating –
when I drink I can’t eat and if I eat I can’t drink. May sound weird, but that’s the way I’ve
always been. So, again, I’d rather eat
and not alter the amount of food I’m consuming.
I’ll make sure to celebrate after finishing the marathon!
I’m getting ready to enter week 7
of 20 of marathon training. My runs so
far haven’t been too difficult – we’ll talk after the 18 and 20 miler! What I know is this: when the right foods are eaten, at the right
time, recovery time is reduced, energy is sustained, and the muscles work
better. You might have your running
training down, but if nutrition is the missing link, definitely take some time
to put things in motion. Make the time
to eat wisely and well – your body will thank you. Happy running!
