Marathon Meals:
LoveyChar
Posts: 4,336 Member
For you Marathoners, what do you eat for dinner the night before the big run? Do you eat close to bed right before laying down or way in advance before going to sleep? Do you eat extra portions of food for endurance the next day? I am running my first one on Sunday. Any and all advice and suggestions are welcome. Thank you so much...
2
Replies
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I eat a bunch of pizza or a big bowl of ramen (both of which were tested prior to multiple long runs).
I eat 2-3 hours before bed because that is when I always have dinner. If I felt hungry before going to sleep, I'd probably have a small snack (but that has never happened). I try to eat a bit extra all week, not just the day prior (which according to what I've read is really too late).
The most important advice I follow is DON'T EAT A LOT OF ANYTHING NEW. I've heard some horror stories.
The morning of, I usually have a bagel with peanut butter, but if I remember correctly you already have your pre-run meal situation figured out.3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I eat a bunch of pizza or a big bowl of ramen (both of which were tested prior to multiple long runs).
I eat 2-3 hours before bed because that is when I always have dinner. If I felt hungry before going to sleep, I'd probably have a small snack (but that has never happened). I try to eat a bit extra all week, not just the day prior (which according to what I've read is really too late).
The most important advice I follow is DON'T EAT A LOT OF ANYTHING NEW. I've heard some horror stories.
The morning of, I usually have a bagel with peanut butter, but if I remember correctly you already have your pre-run meal situation figured out.
Thank you for this, thank you... I love both ramen and pizza!!! I won't try much of anything new this week and the morning of, I'm planning peanut butter toast.1 -
First of all Congratulations and have fun!!!
I second don't eat anything new!!! Just eat whatever you did the night before a long run during training. The morning of eat whatever you did before your long run. I typically have toast with butter and honey before my run. You likely will have trained with some type of fuel mid run.1 -
Joanna2012B wrote: »First of all Congratulations and have fun!!!
I second don't eat anything new!!! Just eat whatever you did the night before a long run during training. The morning of eat whatever you did before your long run. I typically have toast with butter and honey before my run. You likely will have trained with some type of fuel mid run.
Thank you!!!0 -
Agree 100% - Nothing new. Now is not the time to experiment.
What you eat 2 days before is more important. I normally have a decent pasta meal with protein 2 days before a race. The day before I try to get carbs and protein but I avoid too much fat and fiber. I don't go crazy with it (I'm not counting grams) I just try to focus on light meals that are carb based.
Don't forget to stay hydrated in the days leading up to the race.
Good luck.1 -
My meal the evening before a marathon is usually pancakes. I save one to have in the AM with peanut butter. As @dewd2 said, what you eat in the days leading up to the race is probably more important. I drink plenty of sports drinks and juice. I don't usually drink sugary drinks or much of anything with calories, but when prepping for a marathon it is important to take in enough liquid with your meals because your body depends on water to help store glycogen. Getting my carbs/calories from drinks also helps to keep me from feeling too full and bloated from eating too many carbs.
Good luck on Sunday!1 -
Agree 100% - Nothing new. Now is not the time to experiment.
What you eat 2 days before is more important. I normally have a decent pasta meal with protein 2 days before a race. The day before I try to get carbs and protein but I avoid too much fat and fiber. I don't go crazy with it (I'm not counting grams) I just try to focus on light meals that are carb based.
Don't forget to stay hydrated in the days leading up to the race.
Good luck.
Thank you very much!0 -
lporter229 wrote: »My meal the evening before a marathon is usually pancakes. I save one to have in the AM with peanut butter. As @dewd2 said, what you eat in the days leading up to the race is probably more important. I drink plenty of sports drinks and juice. I don't usually drink sugary drinks or much of anything with calories, but when prepping for a marathon it is important to take in enough liquid with your meals because your body depends on water to help store glycogen. Getting my carbs/calories from drinks also helps to keep me from feeling too full and bloated from eating too many carbs.
Good luck on Sunday!
I appreciate this! I am learning from y'all...0 -
i'm going to honestly say if you are just figuring this out now - you are a bit behind the game - what did you eat the nights before your long training runs? what did you eat the days of your long training runs? keep with what works1
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deannalfisher wrote: »i'm going to honestly say if you are just figuring this out now - you are a bit behind the game - what did you eat the nights before your long training runs? what did you eat the days of your long training runs? keep with what works
Thank you...I just wondered what everyone else does that brings them success. I am always trying to improve and I appreciate the "veteran" runners experiences. Mine are minimal at this point in comparison...2 -
deannalfisher wrote: »i'm going to honestly say if you are just figuring this out now - you are a bit behind the game - what did you eat the nights before your long training runs? what did you eat the days of your long training runs? keep with what works
Thank you...I just wondered what everyone else does that brings them success. I am always trying to improve and I appreciate the "veteran" runners experiences. Mine are minimal at this point in comparison...
I have a bunch of runners in my family and we're always asking each other for input . . . even though we know what works well for us, you can always learn new stuff and it's just interesting to hear what other people have tried (my brother drinks pickle juice during marathons, for example!). Even though you've got a plan for this marathon, it's never too early to begin thinking of things to try for your next marathon (and yes, I'm assuming you've got the bug and will probably run another!).
I had never heard of the idea @lporter229 shared -- to try sports drink and juices the week before the marathon to get in the carbohydrates/hydration without feeling too full and bloated. I may try that in June (my next marathon). My appetite tends to be really uneven during the taper and juices could help on really low appetite days, I think.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »i'm going to honestly say if you are just figuring this out now - you are a bit behind the game - what did you eat the nights before your long training runs? what did you eat the days of your long training runs? keep with what works
Thank you...I just wondered what everyone else does that brings them success. I am always trying to improve and I appreciate the "veteran" runners experiences. Mine are minimal at this point in comparison...
I have a bunch of runners in my family and we're always asking each other for input . . . even though we know what works well for us, you can always learn new stuff and it's just interesting to hear what other people have tried (my brother drinks pickle juice during marathons, for example!). Even though you've got a plan for this marathon, it's never too early to begin thinking of things to try for your next marathon (and yes, I'm assuming you've got the bug and will probably run another!).
I had never heard of the idea @lporter229 shared -- to try sports drink and juices the week before the marathon to get in the carbohydrates/hydration without feeling too full and bloated. I may try that in June (my next marathon). My appetite tends to be really uneven during the taper and juices could help on really low appetite days, I think.
Thank you for this support and yes, I'm always up for drinking some juice! I don't get muscle cramps, not usually anyway, but I just read some juices that are high in potassium which would be beneficial during a long run! Prune, grapefruit, orange, carrot and vegetable juice are all in that category. I appreciate you...you'll do great in your race...your positive attitude shines through!!!1 -
deannalfisher wrote: »i'm going to honestly say if you are just figuring this out now - you are a bit behind the game - what did you eat the nights before your long training runs? what did you eat the days of your long training runs? keep with what works
I agree that it is wise to test out fueling and nutrition on your long training runs, but that is only part of the picture. There is only so much you can do during a training run to try and predict how your body is going to react in that uncharted territory of the final miles of a marathon. Personally, after about 18 miles of pushing my limits, my body pretty much rejects all fuel. I may be able to force down a few sips of Gatorade or Tailwind, but forget gels or chews. I have heard people say that they do not feel the need to carb load prior to a marathon because they fuel throughout the race. Maybe this works for some people, but not everyone and you may not realize this until it is too late. I fuel throughout the race but only for as long as my stomach allows. After that, I am relying on what I have stored to get me through the rest of the race, so having a plan for this is key for me.
I guess my point in all this is that, yes, it is wise to be prepared ahead of time by experimenting with what type of fuel your body prefers, but you also need to be prepared to expect the unexpected because you will be pushing your limits harder than you ever have before. It helps to understand the physiology of what is happening with your body when you are "running on fumes" so to speak. It is always wise to ask questions and seek advice from experienced runners, as most of us have learned some lessons the hard way!3 -
lporter229 wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »i'm going to honestly say if you are just figuring this out now - you are a bit behind the game - what did you eat the nights before your long training runs? what did you eat the days of your long training runs? keep with what works
I agree that it is wise to test out fueling and nutrition on your long training runs, but that is only part of the picture. There is only so much you can do during a training run to try and predict how your body is going to react in that uncharted territory of the final miles of a marathon. Personally, after about 18 miles of pushing my limits, my body pretty much rejects all fuel. I may be able to force down a few sips of Gatorade or Tailwind, but forget gels or chews. I have heard people say that they do not feel the need to carb load prior to a marathon because they fuel throughout the race. Maybe this works for some people, but not everyone and you may not realize this until it is too late. I fuel throughout the race but only for as long as my stomach allows. After that, I am relying on what I have stored to get me through the rest of the race, so having a plan for this is key for me.
I guess my point in all this is that, yes, it is wise to be prepared ahead of time by experimenting with what type of fuel your body prefers, but you also need to be prepared to expect the unexpected because you will be pushing your limits harder than you ever have before. It helps to understand the physiology of what is happening with your body when you are "running on fumes" so to speak. It is always wise to ask questions and seek advice from experienced runners, as most of us have learned some lessons the hard way!
Well said, you have to expect the unexpected.
I am a firm believer that we should test during long runs and then use that during the marathon, but it's impossible to predict exactly what your body is going to do and there may be times when you need to mix things up a little.
My last marathon, my stomach began cramping really badly after mile 20 and I couldn't stomach another Gu. No worries, I knew what I needed (sugar) and I was able to make up the gap with hard candies for the last few miles (which I was able to stomach). Knowing the general principles allows us to improvise in a pinch.2 -
lporter229 wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »i'm going to honestly say if you are just figuring this out now - you are a bit behind the game - what did you eat the nights before your long training runs? what did you eat the days of your long training runs? keep with what works
I agree that it is wise to test out fueling and nutrition on your long training runs, but that is only part of the picture. There is only so much you can do during a training run to try and predict how your body is going to react in that uncharted territory of the final miles of a marathon. Personally, after about 18 miles of pushing my limits, my body pretty much rejects all fuel. I may be able to force down a few sips of Gatorade or Tailwind, but forget gels or chews. I have heard people say that they do not feel the need to carb load prior to a marathon because they fuel throughout the race. Maybe this works for some people, but not everyone and you may not realize this until it is too late. I fuel throughout the race but only for as long as my stomach allows. After that, I am relying on what I have stored to get me through the rest of the race, so having a plan for this is key for me.
I guess my point in all this is that, yes, it is wise to be prepared ahead of time by experimenting with what type of fuel your body prefers, but you also need to be prepared to expect the unexpected because you will be pushing your limits harder than you ever have before. It helps to understand the physiology of what is happening with your body when you are "running on fumes" so to speak. It is always wise to ask questions and seek advice from experienced runners, as most of us have learned some lessons the hard way!
You are so sweet... thank you. I appreciate this so much... I struggled through my 20 mile run and I know I can improve on it in the future but it's other peoples' experiences that help because it gives me a way of knowing how to try something different in the future. And I don't necessarily want to learn any more lessons the hard way, if I don't have to...
I looked up juices, especially ones with high potassium levels. Carbs plus higher potassium, yes!!! I never would have considered juices without your response, so thank you again for this...!!! I0 -
No advice on the diet, but lots of good luck on your marathon, and I hope you'll let us know how you do, and what you decide to eat.1
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Wishing you the best of luck!!1
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I would generally eat whatever I wanted. I never 'carb loaded' or anything prior to a long run (half marathon is my longest).1
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lporter229 wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »i'm going to honestly say if you are just figuring this out now - you are a bit behind the game - what did you eat the nights before your long training runs? what did you eat the days of your long training runs? keep with what works
I agree that it is wise to test out fueling and nutrition on your long training runs, but that is only part of the picture. There is only so much you can do during a training run to try and predict how your body is going to react in that uncharted territory of the final miles of a marathon. Personally, after about 18 miles of pushing my limits, my body pretty much rejects all fuel. I may be able to force down a few sips of Gatorade or Tailwind, but forget gels or chews. I have heard people say that they do not feel the need to carb load prior to a marathon because they fuel throughout the race. Maybe this works for some people, but not everyone and you may not realize this until it is too late. I fuel throughout the race but only for as long as my stomach allows. After that, I am relying on what I have stored to get me through the rest of the race, so having a plan for this is key for me.
I guess my point in all this is that, yes, it is wise to be prepared ahead of time by experimenting with what type of fuel your body prefers, but you also need to be prepared to expect the unexpected because you will be pushing your limits harder than you ever have before. It helps to understand the physiology of what is happening with your body when you are "running on fumes" so to speak. It is always wise to ask questions and seek advice from experienced runners, as most of us have learned some lessons the hard way!
You are so sweet... thank you. I appreciate this so much... I struggled through my 20 mile run and I know I can improve on it in the future but it's other peoples' experiences that help because it gives me a way of knowing how to try something different in the future. And I don't necessarily want to learn any more lessons the hard way, if I don't have to...
I looked up juices, especially ones with high potassium levels. Carbs plus higher potassium, yes!!! I never would have considered juices without your response, so thank you again for this...!!! I
For next time (or maybe even this time but not during the race) check out endurance specific drinks like Tailwind (one of my favorites) or Gatorade Endurance (not the junk you buy in the supermarket). It also can be helpful to drink things like NUUN (or similar drinks tabs from GU and others) leading up to the race. These are very low calorie but give you some added nutrients.1 -
lporter229 wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »i'm going to honestly say if you are just figuring this out now - you are a bit behind the game - what did you eat the nights before your long training runs? what did you eat the days of your long training runs? keep with what works
I agree that it is wise to test out fueling and nutrition on your long training runs, but that is only part of the picture. There is only so much you can do during a training run to try and predict how your body is going to react in that uncharted territory of the final miles of a marathon. Personally, after about 18 miles of pushing my limits, my body pretty much rejects all fuel. I may be able to force down a few sips of Gatorade or Tailwind, but forget gels or chews. I have heard people say that they do not feel the need to carb load prior to a marathon because they fuel throughout the race. Maybe this works for some people, but not everyone and you may not realize this until it is too late. I fuel throughout the race but only for as long as my stomach allows. After that, I am relying on what I have stored to get me through the rest of the race, so having a plan for this is key for me.
I guess my point in all this is that, yes, it is wise to be prepared ahead of time by experimenting with what type of fuel your body prefers, but you also need to be prepared to expect the unexpected because you will be pushing your limits harder than you ever have before. It helps to understand the physiology of what is happening with your body when you are "running on fumes" so to speak. It is always wise to ask questions and seek advice from experienced runners, as most of us have learned some lessons the hard way!
You are so sweet... thank you. I appreciate this so much... I struggled through my 20 mile run and I know I can improve on it in the future but it's other peoples' experiences that help because it gives me a way of knowing how to try something different in the future. And I don't necessarily want to learn any more lessons the hard way, if I don't have to...
I looked up juices, especially ones with high potassium levels. Carbs plus higher potassium, yes!!! I never would have considered juices without your response, so thank you again for this...!!! I
For next time (or maybe even this time but not during the race) check out endurance specific drinks like Tailwind (one of my favorites) or Gatorade Endurance (not the junk you buy in the supermarket). It also can be helpful to drink things like NUUN (or similar drinks tabs from GU and others) leading up to the race. These are very low calorie but give you some added nutrients.
Thank you! I do use Gu gels and Jelly Belly Sports Beans while running, but I will try all of the drinks. I don't have a sensitive stomach, not usually anyway, so I'm not worried about drinking them during even the first race. Im hoping to get some free samples first at packet pickup, we'll see...0 -
Pizza the night before at my regular dinner time. Coffee, red bull, and muffins the morning of. Jelly beans, chips, coke, and water during.2
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MotherOfSharpei wrote: »Pizza the night before at my regular dinner time. Coffee, red bull, and muffins the morning of. Jelly beans, chips, coke, and water during.
Oh I love what you eat... thank you!1 -
I am still quite new to running. I like Parkrun, and I have done a few longer runs - my goal is primarily to just finish.
I did my first half-marathon event in early September 2019, then a full marathon about a month later. And a half-marathon this month.
Prior to the half-marathon, my nutrition and training really took a dive.
I can't remember what I ate before the run, but during was an oat bar with chocolate chips, which really helped me for the last 3-4km.
For the marathon, my nutrition was even worse than the half-marathon. Poor planning, poor state of mind.
I packed what I knew worked for me- Rehidrat sachet, a Farbar, and an oat bar.
They had plenty of food, Powerade and Coke on the run.
About 10km in I grabbed a date ball and ate it without thinking.
Bad idea.
Stomach cramps from then.
Around 35km my legs also started to cramp.
The last food station had boiled potatoes with salt and I grabbed a handful which helped with both the stomach and leg cramps.
For this half-marathon this month, my pre-race nutrition was much better. I wasn't sure if there were food stations, so I packed a 250ml water with Rehidrat, oat bar, and a GU gel.
Not even 5km in the stomach cramps started. There were lots of water stations, but no food. And even worse, no toilets.
Eventually at about 12km I was desperate and had to make a plan.
After that, I felt much better and carried on. I ate my oat bar and had the GU- I was pushing quite hard, and the cramping for the first 12km took a lot out of me. Haha. Literally! (gross, sorry).
What I have learnt so far:
Oats the morning of.
Weak cup of coffee.
Banana if it is a bit of a wait between leaving home and the race start.
Avoid fatty foods the night before.
Avoid strong coffee the morning of.
I think the chicken, rice and lentil dish I had the night before contributed to my cramps. I don't normally eat lentils.
During the race:
Avoid snacks like date bars.
I don't normally grab sweets.
I do grab bananas.
If my muscles are cramping bad I will grab a cup of Powerade and have half, washed down with water. Too much Powerade doesn't agree with me.
Happy running!2 -
@HCAs85 - Interesting that your aid station had boiled potatoes! I could probably tolerate that...I love potatoes! Was this a trail race or is it customary for marathons outside of the US (assuming you are since you use km lol) to offer things such as Coke and potatoes at aid stations? Here you usually only find that on trail races that offer Ultra distances.
Not sure where your race is OP, but in the US, most marathons offer water and Gatorade at aid stations every 1-2 miles and gels or chews at two or three stations along the route. In bigger races you will find spectators and support groups with orange slices, bananas, bagel pieces and candy, but at most races, especially smaller ones, you are largely responsible for your own nutrition during the race.1 -
I am still quite new to running. I like Parkrun, and I have done a few longer runs - my goal is primarily to just finish.
I did my first half-marathon event in early September 2019, then a full marathon about a month later. And a half-marathon this month.
Prior to the half-marathon, my nutrition and training really took a dive.
I can't remember what I ate before the run, but during was an oat bar with chocolate chips, which really helped me for the last 3-4km.
For the marathon, my nutrition was even worse than the half-marathon. Poor planning, poor state of mind.
I packed what I knew worked for me- Rehidrat sachet, a Farbar, and an oat bar.
They had plenty of food, Powerade and Coke on the run.
About 10km in I grabbed a date ball and ate it without thinking.
Bad idea.
Stomach cramps from then.
Around 35km my legs also started to cramp.
The last food station had boiled potatoes with salt and I grabbed a handful which helped with both the stomach and leg cramps.
For this half-marathon this month, my pre-race nutrition was much better. I wasn't sure if there were food stations, so I packed a 250ml water with Rehidrat, oat bar, and a GU gel.
Not even 5km in the stomach cramps started. There were lots of water stations, but no food. And even worse, no toilets.
Eventually at about 12km I was desperate and had to make a plan.
After that, I felt much better and carried on. I ate my oat bar and had the GU- I was pushing quite hard, and the cramping for the first 12km took a lot out of me. Haha. Literally! (gross, sorry).
What I have learnt so far:
Oats the morning of.
Weak cup of coffee.
Banana if it is a bit of a wait between leaving home and the race start.
Avoid fatty foods the night before.
Avoid strong coffee the morning of.
I think the chicken, rice and lentil dish I had the night before contributed to my cramps. I don't normally eat lentils.
During the race:
Avoid snacks like date bars.
I don't normally grab sweets.
I do grab bananas.
If my muscles are cramping bad I will grab a cup of Powerade and have half, washed down with water. Too much Powerade doesn't agree with me.
Happy running!
Thank you! There is alot of information here and I'm going to go back through all of it in this entire thread, reread and take notes and use most or much of this advice. I love oats and I love beans, but I did learn a lesson about beans after I ate them and had a huge gas bubble on the top of my stomach that a good burp would have fixed, but even running didn't help alleviate the problem. It made for quite an uncomfortable run. So beans are definitely out. I'm also avoiding high fibre like date bars during and before the run. I appreciate all of what you took the time to write, and I will definitely be very mindful of all of it...I love coffee but since it's a diuretic, I know how much it makes me urinate and I don't want to have to stop and pee at every opportunity when I can just drink coffee however I want to after the Marathon. Thank you so much...and happy running to you, also!0 -
@Iporter229
You assume correct - I am in South Africa.
The potatoes were amazing, and a lot of long distance runners I have chatted to swear by them- they pack them in their pockets for events like the Comrades!
In my case, it was a road race - the Sanlam Marathon.
I haven't done that many running events, but most will have water and Coke at the very least.
And orange slices!
Some 5km fun runs even boast glorious snack tables. Perhaps to lure more people!
Come do our run... we have candy
2 -
lporter229 wrote: »@HCAs85 - Interesting that your aid station had boiled potatoes! I could probably tolerate that...I love potatoes! Was this a trail race or is it customary for marathons outside of the US (assuming you are since you use km lol) to offer things such as Coke and potatoes at aid stations? Here you usually only find that on trail races that offer Ultra distances.
Not sure where your race is OP, but in the US, most marathons offer water and Gatorade at aid stations every 1-2 miles and gels or chews at two or three stations along the route. In bigger races you will find spectators and support groups with orange slices, bananas, bagel pieces and candy, but at most races, especially smaller ones, you are largely responsible for your own nutrition during the race.
I was offered boiled potatoes at my last marathon (a spectator, not an official aid station) and they were amazing. The starch and salt were exactly what I needed at that moment of the race.3 -
My traditional meal before any long run, including before my first marathon is spaghetti. I sometimes add garlic bread to it. If I remember right the day before my first marathon, I had chocolate ice cream as well.
By the way - best of luck on your first marathon!! Crossing the finish line after your first is the most amazing feeling, one you will never forget.
3
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