Food for half marathon training

oknwhat
oknwhat Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What foods are best during training for marathon. I ate oatmeal and a little yellow rice and 3 hours later went to do my run..wasn't the best on time and my side started hurting. Uuhh

Replies

  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    You don't need special half marathon food. What you're describing sounds like a side stitch, which doesn't necessarily have anything to do with what you ate.
  • totem12
    totem12 Posts: 194 Member
    How far were you trying to run? Side stitch means your breathing is off which might mean your pace was too fast. Personally before my long runs I always down a Lucozade sport, definitely helps me go further. Avoiding alcohol near runs, helps too. Other than that, some days are hard some are easy, but I've never noticed it linked much to what I've eaten.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    totem12 wrote: »
    How far were you trying to run? Side stitch means your breathing is off which might mean your pace was too fast. Personally before my long runs I always down a Lucozade sport, definitely helps me go further. Avoiding alcohol near runs, helps too. Other than that, some days are hard some are easy, but I've never noticed it linked much to what I've eaten.

    Side stitches can be caused by breathing, but that’s not the only possible cause. We don’t actually know what causes them, but here is a list of some possibilities: https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a20838539/how-to-beat-side-stitches/

    If your side stitch is a one time thing, then I wouldn’t worry about it. If it’s recurring, then I would look into some of those possible solutions.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,154 Member
    The only change I've made as I've started approaching half marathon distance is bringing run fuel with me to get accustomed to digesting as I run and to test out options. As for the pain, I agree with everyone else that it sounds like a side stitch.
  • buckykatt1
    buckykatt1 Posts: 18 Member
    I use gels during my run for fuel. I have previously used Jelly Belly sport beans and this year I'm trying Science in Sport isotonic gels. I usually eat a banana pre-run and a gel at miles 3 and 7.
    Side stitches are just the muscles between your ribs spasming. Try to keep your breathing even and take walk breaks if needed.
  • GaryRuns
    GaryRuns Posts: 508 Member
    As others have said, nobody really knows what causes side stitches. It could be what you ate, or it might be your breathing, or it might be something else entirely.

    As to not doing your best during your run, there are SO many possibilities, besides what you ate. Was it hot? That slows me down tremendously. Did you get enough sleep? Amazing how sleep, or lack thereof, affects performance. Were you hydrated? Again, I've taken serious performance hits when I wasn't drinking enough fluids. Are you giving your body enough recovery time between runs? When I was running I tried using my resting heart rate to gauge this quantitatively by taking my heart rate every morning as soon as I woke up. Honestly, I was awful at this. If I had been honest with myself I would have taken at least one more rest day a week.

    As for food, running isn't particularly demanding as far as nutritional requirements. If you eat a balanced diet and get enough carbs to fuel your runs then you're good.
  • Emmapatterson1729
    Emmapatterson1729 Posts: 1,296 Member
    When I would get side pains while running, I would slow to a brisk walk, elevate arms, hands behind head, keeping upright, and focus on breathing for a few seconds until pain subsided.

    That's what I was taught by track coach.

    As far as food before running, if we were running shorter races or sprints, we would eat high carb meals (Mac and cheese or spaghetti, etc). For longer runs, higher proteins, a lean chicken breast or a lean cut of steak. We would also eat a couple of bananas upon waking to help with potassium levels.

    Good luck!

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