Nutrition advice needed for Marathon Training

a2z76 wrote: »

I have signed up for a marathon that takes place in November 2023. This will be my second marathon. My first was in April of this year. I did it in 4 hours and 17 minutes. I had no idea what to expect and ran it simply for the experience with no time expectations. I absolutely enjoyed it and immediately signed up for the second one. This time around I have a time goal of 3 hours and 50 minutes which I think is doable. My questions are around nutrition for optimal fueling and recovery for the amount of running I will be doing. Should I be focusing on macros? -what types of foods and the timing of those for pre and post workouts - Hydration, what types of hydration should I focus on? Should I be taking supplements and if so which ones? I will be averaging about 45-55 miles a week of running. A couple days a week are speed workouts and threshold workouts. The other days of running are at an easy pace. Most days I am running an average of 45 to 90 minutes. On my long run I will do up to 2 hours of running. I usually run about 6 days a week. I also incorporate some strength training, usually 2 days a week about 20 minutes, low intensity. I am a 46 yr old female for reference. For my first marathon I didn't focus as much on my nutrition as I did on running. I ended up losing weight (not intentionally) and I felt like I was always eating. This time around I really want to optimize both running and nutrition. Also, any advice on fueling, timing and how much, during the marathon would be greatly appreciated!!

belamont wrote: »

8bass0head808 wrote: »

Anabolic overnight oats: my favorite pre workout meal

Mix all ingredients in a mason jar and refrigerate overnight.

1 cup rolled oats
1 scoop vanilla whey
8oz milk or substitute
50g berries of your choice

Great option! This is almost exactly what I use with some slight differences; I swap the berries for banana which gets cut up and mashed into the mix (add berries before eating though), and cook up enough ~5 meals (be careful to stir frequently while cooking as it bakes to the bottom of a pot very easily with the protein powder). 2 meals go in the fridge, 3 in the freezer and take them out as needed throughout the week so I don't have to prep the night before.

I was previously just having a banana and protein shake ~30 to 40 minutes before a workout, and finding that I'd hit a wall about 45 minutes into the gym session. I switched to having the oats meal approximately 1 to 1.5 hours before the gym session, and found I could easily workout for up to 1h 45m before getting tired, and usually still had a bit left in the tank if I needed to add any cardio at the end of the session.