I am running a half marathon on 10/22. Thoughts on how much carbs the day prior to race?

I just ran my second half today, and I didn't do anything differently. I did have 3 energy gels during the run, at 20 carbs each, but my diet yesterday was normal. I am type 2 diabetic,though, so carb loading isn't good for me anyway.

I would avoid the so called low carb diet deal during an endurance event, your body runs on carbs, especially for endurance. If you don't have carbs your muscles and liver will become glycogen depleted and you will hit the wall sooner than everyone else.

If you want to do the more modern "carb loading" protocol it's based on a week prior to the endurance event:

Depletion stage (3 days) 5 g/kg CHO, fat + protein. hard training
Repletion stage (3 days) 10 g/kg CHO, fat + protein. light exercise, rest.

Event day: 3-4 hours before consume 3-4.5g/kg CHO
2 hours before consume 2g/kg CHO
1 hour before consume 1g/kg CHO

During it's 30-60g/hour or 1/2-1g/min CHO

If you don't know your weight in kg, take your pounds and divide by 2.2

CHO is short for carbohydrates which are made up of Carbon/Hydrogen/Oxygen molecules.

Fun stuff!

Good luck!

My first HM is in December and I am playing around with different foods the day of race. I had two servings Special K with almond milk, and that was just right for my 6-miler. The night before I had French bread pizza, and that didn't cause me any issues the day of.

I will play it safe and probably stick with potatoes or rice, chicken, and a roasted veggie the night before, but probably double the starch amount I usually eat.

juliedunlap wrote: »

I ran 9 miles today and felt pretty good, but it is a mental game. I'm not looking to set records other than finishing. I average a 11 minute mile. Looking for thoughts from my lower carb friends on food choices and amount of carbs before a race.

With a week to go, now is not the time to experiment.

In principle you don't really need to carb load before a Half but if you're on a low carb diet that judgement changes somewhat. You may need to think about some supplementation of your carb intake this week.

Personally I find carb loading for a marathon or longer is something I plan a week for. Eating the day before had limited value as you'll not really process the intake prior to the race. A heavy meal will sit in your stomach undigested.

I'm the week before a race in going for baked potato, tuna, pasta no closer than two days before, copious amounts of fruit, veggie curry.

What have you been doing before your long training runs? Continue to do that.

I wouldn't change WHAT you eat, only how much. IMO, I'd eat at maintenance for a few days leading up to the race. But otherwise, I would't change anything else.

DX2JX2 wrote: »

Another vote to reinforce the notion that you should do what you've already been doing. Do not eat anything new or change the routine you've been following before your long run days. If it's been sufficient to fuel you for 9-10 miles then it should be fine to get you to 13.

YEESS !! don't change. your body will make up for the small gap between 9 to 13. It could be worse to surprise your body with something abnormal from what it has been working with causing issues for yourself during the race day. Have fun!

The first time I trained for a marathon one of my coaches gave me the most valuable piece of advice I have ever gotten about distance running. The advice was "Remember that if you carb load, eventually you'll have to carb unload (poop). So try to train yourself to take a dump before your run. Otherwise your legs could tighten up while you stand in line at port-o-potties along the course." I knew about what time I would have to leave my hotel for the race so I always did my business about that time during training. On race day I "carb unloaded" before I left my hotel room & ran past all the long, stinky lines along the course.
Oh and stick with what you eat on training days, the time to experiment has passed for this race. If you feel bad on the course, take note so you can experiment during training for future races.

If you have something that you've eaten successfully in the past right before (or during) your long runs, then you might want to take a little bit of it with you in case you need it in those last few miles. Personally, I have to eat something pretty quickly at roughly 10 miles or else I will be somewhat light-headed for hours after.

I'm not low carb, but I'm usually pretty picky about making sure my meals include a lot of protein & fiber instead of just filler carbs that won't help meet quotas. That goes out the window right before and during a run - starch/sugar-syrup based food items are my go-to then (usually fruit snacks and some electrolyte tables) since anything else isn't going to sit easily (at least for me) during a run.

Try not to drink anything the hour or so before the race. A sip or two at most. Having to stop mid-race can mess with your race. Either you get stiff while waiting, or you try to make up for lost time and go out too fast.