Half Marathon Nutrition

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cstibbe
cstibbe Posts: 47 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey all you runners out there! I have been researching half marathon nutrition the past couple days and feel slightly overwhelmed with all the different advice. I am starting to train for a half marathon on Monday and have my ten-week training schedule all planned but I need help with nutrition. So for those of you who are experienced runners, and train for marathons/half marathons, I would love some guidance!

Some questions I have are what carb/protein/fat percentages did you follow? I have read 50/25/25 and 65/10/25 and other slightly varied percentages. I am 21 years old, female, 5'7" and weigh 143 pounds. I also have ran about 20 miles weekly for the past 6 months. I don't know if that information changes anything but there it is!

Another question I have is how many daily calories should I be consuming, roughly? I would love to still lose weight during this process but obviously my training comes first, so if it is highly recommended not to, then I won't.

Couple more questions! I promise! What did your meals look like the day before the race? Also, what was your breakfast before the race and how long should I space out breakfast and the race?

Any other advice regarding nutrition would be greatly appreciated! Happy running everybody!
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Replies

  • nseuell
    nseuell Posts: 110
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    I'm sorry, I don't have answers for you- but I am starting to train myself in two weeks and wondered the same things! I'll be anxious to see what advice you get :)
  • hdchic78
    hdchic78 Posts: 31 Member
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    I would say, if you are running 20 miles a week now -- keep doing what you're doing....don't stress about the %'s of what you're eating, just eat a healthy, well balanced diet. as far as race day goes...you have 10 weeks to "practice" but above all else... do NOT TRY ***ANYTHING*** new on race day!! not even new socks!!! You'll wanna stick with what works for you -- myself, I don't eat anything before my long training runs, I tend to get an upset stomach.... LOTS of people eat a banana and peanut butter on whole wheat bread/toast.... you gotta figure out what works for you!!!! Hope that helps a bit!!

    (btw -- I have 4 half's under my belt + over 30 5K's, and my diet and training is constantly getting tweaked!!!)
  • bbonney
    bbonney Posts: 18 Member
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    The night before I carb load...pizza, pasta stuff like that...then in the morning I have a Power Bar Energy about an hour before the race thats about all I can stomach without it coming back up during the race. Gel packs are good energy while your running also.
  • brityn
    brityn Posts: 443 Member
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    I'm coming up on my first half here in a few weeks and would love to read the feedback
  • cheangela
    cheangela Posts: 173
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    Whilst in training, I focus on eating foods that aid in recovery (anti-inflammatory powers), respiration, and provide the maximum amount of "good" energy. For example, apparently the tough bits of raw pineapple (not the canned crap) are a very concentrated source of bromelain which is really good for reducing inflammation in the muscles and joints. Broccoli has some super duper properties that actually enhances respiratory ability somehow. When I refer to "good" energy, I'm mostly referring to foods that my body does not react to in a sluggish way. Like I know I am lactose and soy intolerant as well as sensitive to gluten so I tend to choose foods low or not containing these things. I try to consume 85% or more of my calories in the form of nutritionally dense veggies, but... that's just what my personal body seems to enjoy. You might be a chicken kind of girl with a side of rice (I have training friends that swear by it). Get creative :-). But you might find it incredibly beneficial to go on some anti-allergen diet and slowly re-introducing new things to see if you have any wonky reactions. When I cut gluten, my 10K time went from 1:05 to 58 minutes... with little to no speed training.
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
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    I have no advice, but I'm also in my 20s, 5'7 126lbs and training for my first 1/2 marathon. Friend me if you like :bigsmile:

    I'm a bigggg foodie and consider myself somewhat "learned" when it comes to nutrition, albeit far from an expert. I'd love to share any tips or advice from experience!

    -Meag
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
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    I would say, if you are running 20 miles a week now -- keep doing what you're doing....don't stress about the %'s of what you're eating, just eat a healthy, well balanced diet. as far as race day goes...you have 10 weeks to "practice" but above all else... do NOT TRY ***ANYTHING*** new on race day!! not even new socks!!! You'll wanna stick with what works for you -- myself, I don't eat anything before my long training runs, I tend to get an upset stomach.... LOTS of people eat a banana and peanut butter on whole wheat bread/toast.... you gotta figure out what works for you!!!! Hope that helps a bit!!

    (btw -- I have 4 half's under my belt + over 30 5K's, and my diet and training is constantly getting tweaked!!!)
    I would have SERIOUS fatigue if I didn't eat anything before my long runs... I usually have a bowl of oatmeal with fruit, chia seeds and yogurt and then an energy gel + water every 45 mins or so while I'm running... I find it amazing that anyone can run without fueling first! Crazy! :noway:
  • amizen
    amizen Posts: 3 Member
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    Hi!
    I did my first 1/2 Marathon last year (in Cleveland) and followed a 14 week training program starting from no running. It was quite an adventure. I wasn't on MFP yet at that point, but through the course of the training I definitely upped my carbs from what I was eating before (making sure they were whole grains, brown rice, etc and not just sugars). I ate what I wanted and often when I wanted but I tried to eat 5-6 smaller meals a day stretched out. You sound like you were in way better shape than I was when I started last year (like I said I was a non runner), but even eating often and more than usual, I did not gain any weight (I did not lose any either!).

    I have found that even this year with my training my calorie burn (exercise calories) at this point aren't that much different than my other work out 4-5 days a week schedule from pre-training. I am sure that will change as I longer more and for longer distances on the weekends, but I figure I'll adjust then. I considered changing my calorie count (by adjusting my daily activity) but I am going to stick with what MFP suggests for now. I would like to stay on my weight loss track if I can but I am also going to put training first. This week I have been vacillating between being starving and eating all of my calories and not even making min. calories by choice, so I think it is going to be a day by day thing for me too.

    The day before the race I had a good breakfast, a light lunch and a larger dinner (pasta is the best). That morning I got up early and ate a homemade egg and bagel sandwich about 2.5 hours before the race. I learned early on with my weekend long runs that eating before really gave me cramps, so I would just have a small cup of coffee (the caffeine did make a difference). You just have to sort out what works for you---and that goes for all aspects of the race: your eating habits before long runs, your clothing, your shoes and socks, how you tie up your hair, what headphones you like if you are going to listen to music, anything you think that might be a factor--try different things!

    A great book for women is the Non-Marathoner's Running Guide for Women by Dawn Dias. She is hilarious and really goes along with all the different things I was experiencing last year. I actually am probably going to pick it back up now.

    Ok. So that was a lot--but I hope it helped! Let me know if you need any more advice!
  • cstibbe
    cstibbe Posts: 47 Member
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    Thank you everyone, I am loving the advice so far! I also HAVE to fuel before long runs or else I feel nauseous. I have oatmeal for breakfast every morning so will probably stick with that. My main concern with nutrition was with the carbs. I feel like a lot of people stress eating a lot of carbs while training for distance races so I wasn't sure whether I should up my carb intake or not.
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
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    Thank you everyone, I am loving the advice so far! I also HAVE to fuel before long runs or else I feel nauseous. I have oatmeal for breakfast every morning so will probably stick with that. My main concern with nutrition was with the carbs. I feel like a lot of people stress eating a lot of carbs while training for distance races so I wasn't sure whether I should up my carb intake or not.
    I am eating 50/25/25 trying to cut fat and gain muscle, and so far I haven't had any problems (I just finished W7 of HH Intermediate 1/2 Training)... But yes, there is a lot of information out there that supports a higher carb diet, so I wouldn't be afraid to aim between 50 and 65 if that's what feels right to you!
  • cstibbe
    cstibbe Posts: 47 Member
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    I am also planning to follow HH's training schedule, how do you like it so far? I am planning to follow the novice schedule, but for the long runs on Sundays, follow the intermediate plan. I don't think I would be able to go into a half marathon race having only ran 10 miles as my longest distance.
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
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    I used the HH 10K training plan and really thrived on it... I initially planned to use the novice plan, but felt that it wasn't enough running for me and I wanted more of a challenge. Then I wanted to do a hybrid of the novice and intermediate, because of the speed training (I really wanted to work on improving my times) and the long-run distances, but found that it didn't really make that much difference from the full Int. so I've just been following that. I have an extra month and a half to play around with before my 1/2 Marathon so I am going to re-run a few weeks, take 2 "break" weeks - including this one because I have injured my foot - and will be trying to run one or two Sundays farther than the 1/2 distance to prepare mentally and physically for race day... So basically, I'm just doing my own thing! hahaha But I love the schedule and find that it gives me a great base to work from and adjust for my own training needs. No complaints!
  • jessmomof3
    jessmomof3 Posts: 4,590 Member
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    I'm a half marathoner/ triathlete (finished my first half IronMan this last year) myself and have found that it's more about fueling yourself pre-and post-workout. Find what foods work for you (I avoid wheat because of an intolerance) and don't eat a lot of dairy pre-run but I am fine w/ it post-run. I'm on the lower end of the carb, the 45-50% carb works fine for me (good carbs, most of mine come from fruit, veggies, dairy, baked potatoes, oatmeal, brown rice...), w/ good protein, and good fats. Omega-3's are great as an anti-inflammatory (ground flax, chia seeds, walnuts, salmon) to help your recover. I'm not a fan of sports drinks, bars, or other things that a lot of *athletes* eat and I do very well in races and have never *bonked* or run out of energy.

    I'm currently training for my 7th half marathon in April. I use MFP to make sure I'm getting *enough* calories and keep tabs. Make sure to refuel w/in 30 min of your runs. 4:1 ratio of carb:protein is what most experts/ nutrition articles recommend. A banana and yogurt or a homemade smoothie are awesome to refuel.

    Good luck!! Half marathons are my FAVORITE distance to race!

    Oh, and my favorite meal the night before a race? A huge baked potato and a chicken breast. And then I eat a banana right before bed. I don't eat pasta so I stay away from the pasta feeds! :wink:
  • kimandal99
    kimandal99 Posts: 52
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    Great questions! I am training for my first 1/2 marathon in May and have been trying to find these answers online and haven't had any luck. I am most scared of not fueling myself properly (or fueling myself too much before the race which can cause more problems!). Hopefully once I start getting to the long runs of 10 miles or so for practice I can start trying out food patterns. For now, I am really only doing between 5-7 miles on long days so I don't really prep much (other than eating yogurt beforehand.)

    I am terrified that eating a big pasta dish the night before the race will upset my stomach the next day since I don't regularly eat pasta.
  • jessmomof3
    jessmomof3 Posts: 4,590 Member
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    Great questions! I am training for my first 1/2 marathon in May and have been trying to find these answers online and haven't had any luck. I am most scared of not fueling myself properly (or fueling myself too much before the race which can cause more problems!). Hopefully once I start getting to the long runs of 10 miles or so for practice I can start trying out food patterns. For now, I am really only doing between 5-7 miles on long days so I don't really prep much (other than eating yogurt beforehand.)

    I am terrified that eating a big pasta dish the night before the race will upset my stomach the next day since I don't regularly eat pasta.

    If you don't regularly eat pasta, then don't do it!! Practice your fueling before your 8-10 milers and find out what works for you!! One of my friends eats breakfast for dinner (pancakes or waffles) the night before w/ egg whites. I'm a chicken breast and baked potato girl. :bigsmile:
  • cstibbe
    cstibbe Posts: 47 Member
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    Breakfast is a great idea! I am in the same boat I am running 5-7 miles right now but I will definitely start playing around with the foods I consume when I get to the 10+ mile runs. I know the subject of "eating exercise calories" has been beaten to its core, but do you girls eat back the calories you burn after the long runs? Also what is a good base amount of calories to be consuming during training? I am set at 1500 cals daily at the moment and plan to stick with that, give or take100 cals, but plan to eat more for the longer running days. Does1500 sound like enough during the week to prepare for my long runs on the weekends??
  • albragg
    albragg Posts: 55
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    I ran my first half last summer (SF Marathon July 25, 2010). I didn't really change my nutrition. I found that I really liked to drink Cytomax and have jelly beans on my long runs. I can't function without something in my tummy.
  • maryrunslikeafox
    maryrunslikeafox Posts: 136 Member
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    I'm also running my first half marathon this year in April! I am running the NYC Marathon in November. Looking for some training friends here on MFP.. please add me:flowerforyou:

    Also figuring out nutrition stuff. I'd like to lose 15 more pounds but I realize that is tough with training. I can say that I have definitely lost inches though! Lost a few pounds already.. but mostly the inches!
  • abbylove08
    abbylove08 Posts: 215
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    Keep in mind when training for ANYTHING that your last 7 meals are still in your digestive system. So I pay extra close attention to what I am eating starting 2 days before the race (typically no "cheat" foods). Also, I do my carbo-load 2 nights before the race. The food will still be in my digestive system but the carbs will have made their way into my system. Also, it prevents that heavy feeling in my stomach i get the morning after a big meal during the race. I do up my carbs just all around 2 days before the race.
    I eat a PB&J english muffin the morning of the race.
    Make sure you get protein w/in 30 minutes after any long run to rebuild those muscles!
    Hydrate, hydrate, HYDRATE! There is nothing worse than not being fully hydrated during a half-marathon. Start drinking extra cups of water about a week before the race!

    Lots of random info, but this is what I've learned works for me! I'm running my 3rd half in 3 weeks. yay!

    gooooood luck!
  • makinitcount44
    makinitcount44 Posts: 441 Member
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