Carbo loading, advice needed!

olivia3263

I posted this in one of my running groups, but didn't get a response so I thought I'd try it here. Thanks in advance for any help you can share.

So I'm training for my first long race (longer than a half marathon). It's a 20 miler on Feb 18th, and then after that I'll be training for a marathon in June. My runs are getting above 15 miles now, and I'm trying to practice my eating habits the day (or 2 days) before my long runs so I know what works for me.

I know the basics for carbo-loading: start 2 days prior to the long run/race, try to keep carbs at least 70%, make extra room for the calories by decreasing fat, and I've read that you should have about 4 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. Well, for me that makes about 600 carbs (A LOT). If I try to eat that many carbs, I will surely go above my maintenance calorie limit (which I'm ok with doing 1 day a week - I just need to know if this is in fact right).

My questions are:
1) Should I be eating more than my maintenance calories the day before a long run? Is it silly to try to carbo load staying under maintenance level?

2) I've read that you should avoid carbs with too much fiber the day before a long run to avoid stomach problems. Should I be picking white rice over brown? Regular pasta over whole wheat? Does it really matter that much? I guess it's different for every person, but I just want to know what you all eat.

Thanks for the advice! I just want to make sure I'm headed in the right direction.