Eating before competing

If you don't normally eat before running, don't start now.

If you do eat prior to running, and you're in good enough shape to run it
hard, I'd eat nothing more than a few spoonfulls of cereal two or more hours
before. Less than 200 calories. I found that when racing all out, I wanted
*nothing* in my stomach, but some can eat a modest amount and not suffer.

You don't need to worry about potassium, your body has plenty stored.

The rule of thumb is too simple: the variables are:
1) the intensity of the run. The harder you run, the less you want to eat.
If you're just cruising it at a low % of effort, you can eat more.
2) The time before the run you eat. You can eat more 4 hours prior to
racing than 1 hour prior.
3) The amount you eat. The harder the run, and the less time before the
race, the less you can eat.

To get your maximum output, you want your blood in your muscles, not your
digestive system.

As far as energy goes, you're going to be burning mostly muscle glycogen and
fatty acids in the race. Your liver will have a pretty full load of
glycogen from your evening meal to keep your blood sugar up for this
relatively short race. In my experience you needn't worry about
carbohydrate replacement on short races. (For ultras it's a different
story...)

I used to never have more than a cup of coffee prior to morning road races.

For the longer, slower-paced ultra marathons (31-50 milers) I race now, I
follow the advice in the first paragraph, and eat light an hour or two
beforehand.

-- Dan

"TarfHead" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm participating in my first 10-mile road race on Saturday morning at
10:00. I have to be at the race centre before 09:00.

My usual breakfast is a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice. Can
anyone recommend anything else I could eat that morning that would be
of benefit to me over the course of the 90/100 minutes it will take me
to complete ? For example, would eating one or more bananas help -
slow release of potassium ?

All advice appreciated, though commonly available products such as
fresh fruit is more relevant for me. I won't have the time to hunt
down energy bars or the like between now and then.

Also, is leaving an hour between finishing eating and starting the
race a good rule-of-thumb ?

Guidelines I follow, choose one:

4 hours before event, 4g CHO per kg body weight
3 hours " ", 3 g CHO per kg "
2 hours " ", 2 g CHO per kg "
1 hour " ", 1 g CHO per kg "

Of course, it is preferable that one practice with the timing and the foods
in training rather than trying something new on race day.

Potassium is not all that important; sodium is far, far more critical.

Also, do not neglect hydration.

Good luck.

"TarfHead" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm participating in my first 10-mile road race on Saturday morning at
10:00. I have to be at the race centre before 09:00.

My usual breakfast is a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice. Can
anyone recommend anything else I could eat that morning that would be
of benefit to me over the course of the 90/100 minutes it will take me
to complete ? For example, would eating one or more bananas help -
slow release of potassium ?

All advice appreciated, though commonly available products such as
fresh fruit is more relevant for me. I won't have the time to hunt
down energy bars or the like between now and then.

Also, is leaving an hour between finishing eating and starting the
race a good rule-of-thumb ?

"Dan Stumpus" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

If you don't normally eat before running, don't start now.

If you do eat prior to running, and you're in good enough shape to run it
hard, I'd eat nothing more than a few spoonfulls of cereal two or more

hours

Quoted message said:

before. Less than 200 calories. I found that when racing all out, I

wanted

Quoted message said:

*nothing* in my stomach, but some can eat a modest amount and not suffer.

You don't need to worry about potassium, your body has plenty stored.

The rule of thumb is too simple: the variables are:
1) the intensity of the run. The harder you run, the less you want to

eat.

Quoted message said:

If you're just cruising it at a low % of effort, you can eat more.
2) The time before the run you eat. You can eat more 4 hours prior to
racing than 1 hour prior.
3) The amount you eat. The harder the run, and the less time before the
race, the less you can eat.

To get your maximum output, you want your blood in your muscles, not your
digestive system.

As far as energy goes, you're going to be burning mostly muscle glycogen

and

Quoted message said:

fatty acids in the race. Your liver will have a pretty full load of
glycogen from your evening meal to keep your blood sugar up for this
relatively short race. In my experience you needn't worry about
carbohydrate replacement on short races. (For ultras it's a different
story...)

Liver glycogen can be seriously depleted during the time between the
evening meal and breakfast. It depends on a lot of issue here, but I have
seen reports of liver glycogen being 50 o 80% gone overnight.

Quoted message said:

I used to never have more than a cup of coffee prior to morning road

races.

Quoted message said:

For the longer, slower-paced ultra marathons (31-50 milers) I race now, I
follow the advice in the first paragraph, and eat light an hour or two
beforehand.

-- Dan

"TarfHead" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm participating in my first 10-mile road race on Saturday morning at
10:00. I have to be at the race centre before 09:00.

My usual breakfast is a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice. Can
anyone recommend anything else I could eat that morning that would be
of benefit to me over the course of the 90/100 minutes it will take me
to complete ? For example, would eating one or more bananas help -
slow release of potassium ?

All advice appreciated, though commonly available products such as
fresh fruit is more relevant for me. I won't have the time to hunt
down energy bars or the like between now and then.

Also, is leaving an hour between finishing eating and starting the
race a good rule-of-thumb ?

"Dan Stumpus" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

For the longer, slower-paced ultra marathons (31-50 milers) I race

now, I

Quoted message said:

follow the advice in the first paragraph, and eat light an hour or two
beforehand.

That's why you're much faster than me. I eat a few thousand calories(
bacon, eggs, pancakes) less than a hour before I race. I often eat two
egg McMuffins and a OJ as I drive to the start of my training runs.

-DougF

"Doug Freese" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Dan Stumpus" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

For the longer, slower-paced ultra marathons (31-50 milers) I race

now, I

Quoted message said:

follow the advice in the first paragraph, and eat light an hour or two
beforehand.

That's why you're much faster than me. I eat a few thousand calories(
bacon, eggs, pancakes) less than a hour before I race. I often eat two
egg McMuffins and a OJ as I drive to the start of my training runs.

-DougF

My stomach is upset thinking about eating that. Again, it is what works for
you. I saw an article around the 2000 Games about what some athletes eat
before a competition. It was amazing how some people obviously go for
comfort foods or are superstitious.

"Doug Freese" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

"Dan Stumpus" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

For the longer, slower-paced ultra marathons (31-50 milers) I race now,

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

follow the advice in the first paragraph, and eat light an hour or two
beforehand.

That's why you're much faster than me. I eat a few thousand calories(
bacon, eggs, pancakes) less than a hour before I race. I often eat two
egg McMuffins and a OJ as I drive to the start of my training runs.

I'm not so sure that I am faster on an age-adjusted basis, Doug.

While I can't run hard (140+ HR for me) on a full stomach, I think if I were
to do a 100 miler, I would chow down an hour before, first to keep me from
going out too fast, and second to get a good flow of energy, chi, or
whatever to let me last longer out there.

I read an account of a Western States 100 Runner who saw the winner of the
race wolfing down a thick porridge just before the start.

"Dan Stumpus" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

While I can't run hard (140+ HR for me) on a full stomach,

I agree speed goes better on minimal calories. My reference was for long
races or long training runs.

Quoted message said:

I think if I were
to do a 100 miler, I would chow down an hour before, first to keep me

from

Quoted message said:

going out too fast, and second to get a good flow of energy, chi, or
whatever to let me last longer out there.

I like to keep the oven fueled from the start. I at least start with a
known base.

Quoted message said:

I read an account of a Western States 100 Runner who saw the winner of

the

Quoted message said:

race wolfing down a thick porridge just before the start.

Did they call him Yogi? 🙂 There are some strange looking things be
munched from drop bags or crews. One year I had bread pudding and
another rice pudding. Maybe custard or crème brulee next year.

-Doug

[email hidden] (TarfHead) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I'm participating in my first 10-mile road race on Saturday morning at
10:00. I have to be at the race centre before 09:00.

My usual breakfast is a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice. Can
anyone recommend anything else I could eat that morning that would be
of benefit to me over the course of the 90/100 minutes it will take me
to complete ? For example, would eating one or more bananas help -
slow release of potassium ?

All advice appreciated, though commonly available products such as
fresh fruit is more relevant for me. I won't have the time to hunt
down energy bars or the like between now and then.

Also, is leaving an hour between finishing eating and starting the
race a good rule-of-thumb ?

Ran yesterday and just had my usual breakfast. Completed the race OK
in 1:39. Nver ran for longer that 1:04 previously so that was
something.

Possum....and lots of it.