Breakfast for Long Distance Running

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britishswenglish
britishswenglish Posts: 23 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all, I'm training for a marathon in mid-May and things have been going well so far. I started back in October with quite short distances and I'm up to 100 minutes now. However, I'm having trouble adjusting my eating habits to keep up with my increase in time and distance. Usually I would make a smoothie for breakfast with lots of fats, protein, and almost always a banana, then feel good enough to run an hour later and not get any cramps or hunger pangs. Unfortunately, I just moved abroad again and no longer have access to my Magic Bullet (or any substitute smoothie-making tool).

For breakfast since I moved I've been having about 40-50g of a low-sugar oat cereal with an 80-90g banana and about 80g of skyr (high-protein) yogurt, though I'll be switching to different oatmeal variations once I run out of cereal. This is usually fine during the week because I bike 40 minutes to work and need to fuel up beforehand, but this past weekend I struggled with my 100-minute run. I decided to wait two hours after eating before running, but I still felt sluggish for the first 30 minutes or so. Does anyone have any good suggestions for what to eat before running long distances? And how much time I should wait between eating and running? Thanks!

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  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    It's something you'll have to experiment with. I don't eat before my runs because I'd have to eat a good 3-4 hours prior, or I'll feel terrible.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    britishswenglish wrote: »
    Hi all, I'm training for a marathon in mid-May and things have been going well so far. I started back in October with quite short distances and I'm up to 100 minutes now. However, I'm having trouble adjusting my eating habits to keep up with my increase in time and distance. Usually I would make a smoothie for breakfast with lots of fats, protein, and almost always a banana, then feel good enough to run an hour later and not get any cramps or hunger pangs. Unfortunately, I just moved abroad again and no longer have access to my Magic Bullet (or any substitute smoothie-making tool).

    For breakfast since I moved I've been having about 40-50g of a low-sugar oat cereal with an 80-90g banana and about 80g of skyr (high-protein) yogurt, though I'll be switching to different oatmeal variations once I run out of cereal. This is usually fine during the week because I bike 40 minutes to work and need to fuel up beforehand, but this past weekend I struggled with my 100-minute run. I decided to wait two hours after eating before running, but I still felt sluggish for the first 30 minutes or so. Does anyone have any good suggestions for what to eat before running long distances? And how much time I should wait between eating and running? Thanks!

    Personally, I use Hammer Nutrition to fuel my endurance training. You can take a look at their usage chart, but as mentioned above - it's going to involve some experimentation on your part for fueling as you increase your duration and work towards the full marathon.

    http://www.hammernutrition.com/problem-solver/product-usage-chart/
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,449 Member
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    Agreed - you have to find what works for you. I generally have a bagel 30-45 minutes before I run (if my runs last more than 90 minutes). I also have Irish breakfast tea (because I really like Irish breakfast tea :smile: ).
  • Charlene_1985
    Charlene_1985 Posts: 122 Member
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    My standard breakfast is usually 2 Extra Large Eggs cooked in Pam, with 150 calories worth of bread (I alternate between toast, English Muffin, and frozen Lender's Bagel), some bacon pieces in the eggs, and Natural Jelly for my bread. I also put 1/4c of milk in my coffee and a 1/4c of milk if I scramble my eggs. I also drink about 16oz of Diet Cranberry juice to stay hydrated. Water doesn't work well for me in the morning. I travel a lot for work so if I am up earlier than when a hot breakfast is available, a To-Go Applesauce or a Banana is enough to get me thru 5 miles. I'm a huge fan of simple sugar calories.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    rybo wrote: »
    It's something you'll have to experiment with. I don't eat before my runs because I'd have to eat a good 3-4 hours prior, or I'll feel terrible.

    Wow. I would just die if I went on a long run fasted like that! It's amazing how different people are. You are right about needing to experiment.

    I would also feel terrible if I ate a full meal before a run, so I usually just stick to my tried and true protein bar and a cheese stick about 20-30 minutes beforehand. Those don't mess with my stomach when I run, but they give me enough energy to get the job done.

    Good luck finding out what food types, amounts and time frames work for you, OP! :)
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    You could heck out Goodwill or a thrift store and up a blender since smoothies worked so well for you.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Up to ten miles I'm comfortable fasted, which is about 90 minutes for me.

    Beyond ten miles I'll have a bowl of porridge with a little honey, a banana and a coffee. That's usually about an hour before setting out.

    It does need some experimentation.

  • britishswenglish
    britishswenglish Posts: 23 Member
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    Thanks for all the tips! :) Guess I can add cereal with yogurt to the list of not-so-great meals as I experiment. Definitely will have to an egg-based meal or a protein bar too!
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,679 Member
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    I just have my usual breakfast of cereal (raisin bran) and coffee, then wait 1.5 or 2 hours to run. Sometimes I'll have a small banana or glass of juice just before heading out, then a Gu or Shotblok every 45 minutes or so on my long run. Some days I do oatmeal, but it doesn't fill me up as well. Sometimes I run mid-afternoon, so a peanut butter sandwich and apple work okay too.

    As others have said, you need to try various things to see what works for you. Bagels or English muffins work for a lot of people. Protein and fat (i.e. bacon and eggs) don't work well for me, nor does anything with too much sugar, but I have a friend who runs multiple marathons each year on donuts and mountain dew.
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    I cannot do dairy before a run- always a bad choice for me (I also can't really do much dairy at all anymore though).

    When I was distance running I'd do 1/3 c rolled oats cooked in water, sweetens with a little sugar, fruit, and nuts. If I was going more than 7miles I'd bring a Gu shot for sustained energy. I could usually head out within 30 minutes and be fine.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I have a bowl of protein enriched cereal 60-90 minutes before I run which got me round a half marathon.
  • mreichard
    mreichard Posts: 235 Member
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    During marathon training I would always eat about 56 grams of oat cereal with skim milk and black coffee. I could run about 15 min after. I would also drink Gatorade during my run - made a huge difference to performance and enjoyment.
  • MrsCoby78
    MrsCoby78 Posts: 14 Member
    edited January 2017
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    Peanut butter sandwiches and gatorade seem to work well for me.
    I've experimented with other things that didn't work so well and had some GI issues. :#
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    As others have said, you just have to experiment to see what's right for you. For 90 minutes or less I'm okay fasted (I was sick to my stomach before my last half and just had some orange juice, but that's not my normal practice, and my performance wasn't great, though I don't think it was the fueling). Normally, for a half or longer, if I have a couple of hours I have oats and a banana. This is my usual pre-half, although if traveling I sometimes do a Cliff bar (or maybe a yogurt) plus the banana instead. Before my last marathon I did this same thing (Cliff bar, banana). I find that yogurt and bananas never bother me at all, so if I had less time I'd have those instead of oats/energy bar. (At one time I liked a glass of milk and a banana, but I am really not ever bothered by dairy, and find it super easy to digest, which is something people vary on.)

    I also have been convinced that it is usually helpful to fuel during a marathon (gels are what I use, as I don't react well to sports drinks) and if you plan to do this it is helpful to start practicing early. If I'm doing this I'm less concerned about eating before, of course (and I do it for distances, like a half, where I'd not fuel if not practicing for the marathon).

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