Nutrition when training for half marathon- need help!

lbridges27
lbridges27 Posts: 15
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hello MFP friends! Are any of you training for marathons or half marathons? If so, what are you eating to prepare for your training runs and the race? I ran my 7mile training session this morning and afterwards had abdominal cramps all day long, from about 9:30 am till an hour or so ago. I ate oatmeal with fruit about an hour before my run and drank a bottle of water prior to the run, then another while I was running. If you have any suggestions or advice please send my way!! thanks :)

Replies

  • lordofultima
    lordofultima Posts: 293
    Eat a lot of food, carbohydrates specifically. Never diet and try to run a marathon, you need to eat food to have energy, something which will be impossible if you're in a calorie deficit.
  • Hag35
    Hag35 Posts: 1
    Try to sKip the water before the run and just drink before and after.
  • kittyb1
    kittyb1 Posts: 42 Member
    Hey there....I will find more links but this one is pretty good. When I'm at school tomorrow I'll ask one of my profs who is a long distance runner for some advice. (I'm doing a nutritional Science Degree here in Canada).

    http://www.thedietchannel.com/Marathon-Training-and-Nutrition-Fueling-for-Long-Runs.htm

    Cheers,
    Kitty
  • Veggie_Eloise
    Veggie_Eloise Posts: 99 Member
    I'm training for a 10k in a month and a half and a half marathon in October.
    I drink 2 glasses of water and eat a banana (or take a muscle milk or pre-game fuel Gatorade) 1 1/2 to 2 hours before my run.
    I drink about six glasses of water during my run.
    Then, I have a light Gatorade mix after my run. Like 1/2 a cup in 2 cups of water or the Gatorade Protein drink 03 thing.
    I won't eat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours after a longer run.
    If I don't follow this, I tend to have horrible horrible nausea for hours along with cramps.

    Good luck!
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
    That sounds like a fair enough meal...for me...but...here is the thing...I found my nutrition/fuel during training was like a chemistry assignment...ie no bananas or cottage cheese before running...at all...the whole day before running as I burp them up the whole run...afterward they are awesome. This is the time to figure it out though....I liked a bagel with cream cheese before hand..about 60 minutes prior..no milk ever before a run for me. I also have heard and thus practices that if you are running more than 60-90 minutes you need to replenish cals...so drink gatorade during those long runs..I never liked to drink it straight so my liquid I would carry with me would be about 50/50 water/gatorade and I would take a few sips every 2 miles.
  • lbridges27
    lbridges27 Posts: 15
    great website! thanks!!
  • lbridges27
    lbridges27 Posts: 15
    I'm training for a 10k in a month and a half and a half marathon in October.
    I drink 2 glasses of water and eat a banana (or take a muscle milk or pre-game fuel Gatorade) 1 1/2 to 2 hours before my run.
    I drink about six glasses of water during my run.
    Then, I have a light Gatorade mix after my run. Like 1/2 a cup in 2 cups of water or the Gatorade Protein drink 03 thing.
    I won't eat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours after a longer run.
    If I don't follow this, I tend to have horrible horrible nausea for hours along with cramps.

    Good luck!

    great website! thanks!!
  • lbridges27
    lbridges27 Posts: 15
    I'm training for a 10k in a month and a half and a half marathon in October.
    I drink 2 glasses of water and eat a banana (or take a muscle milk or pre-game fuel Gatorade) 1 1/2 to 2 hours before my run.
    I drink about six glasses of water during my run.
    Then, I have a light Gatorade mix after my run. Like 1/2 a cup in 2 cups of water or the Gatorade Protein drink 03 thing.
    I won't eat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours after a longer run.
    If I don't follow this, I tend to have horrible horrible nausea for hours along with cramps.

    Good luck!

    great advice! thanks!!
  • emmaleigh47
    emmaleigh47 Posts: 1,670 Member
    I agree with the "fueling = chemistry experiment".... its all about experimenting and finding what works for you.
    Oatmeal for ME would be way too heavy and it would sit like a rock and I would probably throw it up (yep Ive already had that fun during my long runs).
    An Uncrustable PB sandwich is what I eat before a long run, and I dont drink anything before, but alot the day before.
    Did you fuel up during your run? or drink anything with electrolytes?

    I mix gatorade with water for a combination and drink that during... and I also use CHOMPS chews during a run as well.
    Message me if you would like... IM no expert but I love runners!
  • runningneo122
    runningneo122 Posts: 6,962 Member
    That sounds like a fair enough meal...for me...but...here is the thing...I found my nutrition/fuel during training was like a chemistry assignment...ie no bananas or cottage cheese before running...at all...the whole day before running as I burp them up the whole run...afterward they are awesome. This is the time to figure it out though....I liked a bagel with cream cheese before hand..about 60 minutes prior..no milk ever before a run for me. I also have heard and thus practices that if you are running more than 60-90 minutes you need to replenish cals...so drink gatorade during those long runs..I never liked to drink it straight so my liquid I would carry with me would be about 50/50 water/gatorade and I would take a few sips every 2 miles.

    Well said... gotta experiment to find what works best.
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