Night time 1/2 Marathon...

montana_girl
montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
edited September 30 in Fitness and Exercise
Has anyone done a 1/2 marathon (or full) at night? Fiance and I are going to do a late night 1/2 marathon in 2012, so we are gathering information on how to train for a night race (we've always done early morning starts).

Also, what do you eat during the day prior to the race?

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Replies

  • alexia_faith
    alexia_faith Posts: 32 Member
    Doing one of those in like 2 weeks

    Im thinkin of a rich vegetable carb based meal, nothing too heavy (gonna be hard to skip my pasta)

    Ive got trail mix and a flapjack to eat during the walk to keep energy levels up

    As for the day after .... not got that far Lol

    I'll be sure to post back after Ive done it (if i survive) to let you know
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
    I did the Disney Wine & Dine Half (started at 10pm in Orlando) last October. I tried to eat light/bland foods like regular pasta (no sauce), and had a normal breakfast. Honestly - I think you should eat a typical breakfast and a decent lunch (with proteins/carbs) but a light dinner (fruits/bananas/etc. - just like what you would have for breakfast before a morning start).

    The heat/humidity played a big factor since it was in Orlando so please train weather-appropriate if possible. Also, during my weekday runs, I ran towards the evening (~6-7pm) but my weekly long runs on Sunday were in the morning. I think that made a HUGE difference in my inability to run well at the race. Please do your best to run ALL of your training late in the day because I think that will "prep" your body (and mind) better for a night race.

    Don't mean to be discouraging - but it was hard, and I had done proper training (even up to 13-14 mi training runs). A night race is very different, so just do the prep work and you'll be fine!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    I've walked a night Marathon and a half. My biggest tip would be to ensure you fuel yourself adequately. Your body wants to shut down in the middle of the night rather than eat and move, so you have to convince it otherwise by taking on plenty of energy (drinks, gels, jelly babies etc. if you're running rather than walking).
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
    My biggest tip would be to ensure you fuel yourself adequately. Your body wants to shut down in the middle of the night rather than eat and move, so you have to convince it otherwise by taking on plenty of energy (drinks, gels, jelly babies etc. if you're running rather than walking).
    Definitely agree - make sure to have some kind of fuel packet or ensure the race hands them out (preferably ~mile 8-10)
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
    I did the Disney Wine & Dine Half (started at 10pm in Orlando) last October. I tried to eat light/bland foods like regular pasta (no sauce), and had a normal breakfast. Honestly - I think you should eat a typical breakfast and a decent lunch (with proteins/carbs) but a light dinner (fruits/bananas/etc. - just like what you would have for breakfast before a morning start).

    The heat/humidity played a big factor since it was in Orlando so please train weather-appropriate if possible. Also, during my weekday runs, I ran towards the evening (~6-7pm) but my weekly long runs on Sunday were in the morning. I think that made a HUGE difference in my inability to run well at the race. Please do your best to run ALL of your training late in the day because I think that will "prep" your body (and mind) better for a night race.

    Don't mean to be discouraging - but it was hard, and I had done proper training (even up to 13-14 mi training runs). A night race is very different, so just do the prep work and you'll be fine!

    This the race we are going to do! :smile:

    We were wondering about the training runs and doing them at night... that will be a hard transitition for me because I do all my runs (and cross-training) in the morning.

    Thanks for the advice! I know the race will be a challenge, but I love having various races to keep me focused not only on my exercise goals, but weight loss goals, too.
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
    OK - well the course is relatively "flat" but the heat/humidity may be an issue - make sure to train on the hot days :).
    They had "Bloks" last year around mile 8-9 and I decided not to do it this year, but the packet will give you all of that info. Just remember to hydrate and good luck training!
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    That would be pretty cool. I hate getting up early to run.
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
    I actually really want to do one of those, because I love training for my runs during the night. Actually, I trained for my first half marathon with long runs entirely during the night, since morning I had class, and then work during the day. The days I did my long runs, I just ate a lot of complex carbs, like bagels or wheat bread sandwiches, and just kept my large meals down, so I was basically snacking throughout the day.

    Honestly, though, I wouldn't worry much about training specifically for nighttime all the time. I did my long runs during the night, but did others on weekend mornings, or afternoons during the week when I could catch an hour or so. Mixing it up will totally help you adapt to whatever conditions you'll find race day.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
    That would be pretty cool. I hate getting up early to run.

    Dead opposite here. The earlier the better for me. I even struggle with the 10:00 AM starts (NYC, Boston).
  • ukhennin
    ukhennin Posts: 221 Member
    I've been considering doing the 1/2 in Vegas in December as my first 1/2. I think it starts about 5:30pm their time so it's not quite as late. www.stripatnight.com
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