Pre-race food!

trout78

I am doing my first 5K on Thanksgiving Day and trying to gather some ideas for pre-race food! I am not much of a runner and am looking at this as a way to challenge myself. Any ideas would be helpful!

avaloneternal

Test what works for you on your training runs. I do half and full marathons and my pre-race breakfast is a Starbucks ginger molasses cookie and a banana. It is calorie dense and easily digestible. It probably wouldn't work for a 5K but, like I said, trial and error is key because everybody's stomach is different and you don't want to be surprised mid-race. Good luck and have fun

cassblue21

Hi! My sister runs and she does not eat anything before as it gives her a side ache. I however have done a couple of 5k's and have eaten a half to a whole smaller protein bar before hand. The best advice I have heard on this subject is "Do not change up your habit on race day. Do what you always do before you run."

Good luck with the 5k! They are a blast!

mtkny

Half of a bagel and/or a banana are good things to eat before a race, at least half an hour before you start running. And drink water. But just do what you would normally do before your runs. And pancakes, I believe, are necessary afterwards!!

AZTrailRunner

The 5k isn't a long enough race to worry about fueling up for. Just avoid alcohol and greasy foods the night before. Eat a sensible dinner, and you'll be fine.

Drink plenty of water the 2 days leading up to the race though.

Check out the link in my signature for more tips.

skemery

Usually I just have a banana before a race. If it's a long race (like a half) I take gels with me to eat every 45-60 minutes. The important thing is to figure out what works for you during a training run and not make any race day changes (the same thing applies with clothes, shoes, etc.)