10K – what to eat?

MsFat2Fit
MsFat2Fit Posts: 59
edited November 8 in Food and Nutrition
I’ll be participating 10K race next weekend; the start will be at 7am.

What I should eat the night before and then in the morning before the race? I’d love to have my oatmeal porridge in the morning but that would mean that I should wake up super early to cook it…

TIA :smile:

Replies

  • Rompa_87
    Rompa_87 Posts: 291 Member
    Don't try anything new on race morning that you haven't practiced in training. If you have usually done your runs after eating oatmeal for breakfast then eat oatmeal for breakfast on race morning. Just make sure you eat is 90-120min before the race starts. For something as short (no offense intended but endurance usually means longer than 90min) you won't really have to eat anything too different the night before. Maybe a regular serve of pasta or meat with sweet potatoes etc.

    You should have plenty of energy onboard for a 10km run!

    Goodluck and let us know how you go!
  • CallmeSbo
    CallmeSbo Posts: 611 Member
    Dont eat too much bran(speaking from experience) day before or milk or any dairy products on the morning. I didnt knw I was lactose intolerance until I started running.lol..Oatmeal should be fine, personally I prefer a banana. Then I can eat what ever after the race. A 10k isnt too long, so I manage. Goodluck!
  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,543 Member
    Oatmeal...Bagel.....whatever.

    It's a 10k, so it really won't matter that much in my opinion.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    I would just have the porridge as normal. I always have it before a run. As long as you have 20 or 30 mins to let it settle you'll be fine.
  • rowyourboat
    rowyourboat Posts: 125 Member
    Congrats on running a 10K. That's AWESOME! I'd have some pasta the night before and either half a bagel or banana when I woke up at 5:30. Make sure you drink your 8+ glasses of water starting a few days before the race if you don't already do that. Good luck!
  • sjtreely
    sjtreely Posts: 1,014 Member
    My advice is to eat what you've been eating during your training. Nothing new.
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    Oatmeal...Bagel.....whatever.

    It's a 10k, so it really won't matter that much in my opinion.

    Agree... it is only 10km, and less than the equivalent of an hours workout so I'd just stick to what you know, get up early if so...can't you just microwave it? besides, it takes minutes in the pan. Not exactly a "must get up 1/2 hour early jobby".


    maybe have a banana on toast. Its more than enough. Drink water. but to be honest, I never do anything special for a 10km as its not an endurance event really and I run way farther for training.
  • traceybett
    traceybett Posts: 206 Member
    Way to go on the 10K... I have done a 5K twice and felt it really challenged me... haven't tried a 10k yet, I have no advice on the food as I am a brand new runner/walker....

    Just wanted to say WTG!
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
    I'd eat a banana and peanut butter about an hour before the race. And carry a small gatorade incase I run out of steam part-way through.
  • paulwgun
    paulwgun Posts: 439 Member
    Way to go on the 10K... I have done a 5K twice and felt it really challenged me... haven't tried a 10k yet, I have no advice on the food as I am a brand new runner/walker....

    Just wanted to say WTG!

    Im new to running too, well jogging have done 5k three times on a treadmill at the gym and just committed myself to do a 10k in June so have plenty of time to practice LOL
    i like the way some posters write "its only a 10k" :bigsmile: until last Monday 5k was running to the end of the world and back for me maybe next year ill be able to post "its only a 10k" LOL

    good luck with your run :drinker:
  • traceybett
    traceybett Posts: 206 Member
    I KNOW! I was SO proud of my 5K and a 10K is a big wow in my world too! THANKS girl! and good luck with your new journey too!

    :drinker:
  • BobbyDaniel
    BobbyDaniel Posts: 1,459 Member
    On race days I'll usually get up early enough to have a protein bar and some coffee and hopefully have enough time to "take care of business"; I'll also bring a banana with me and try to eat that 15-30 minutes before the run for a little extra fuel. And then I celebrate my run with breakfast at Cracker Barrel!
  • pucenavel
    pucenavel Posts: 972 Member
    I eat lots of brown rice and sushi the day before a race.

    Protein bar and instant oatmeal for breakfast.

    But like someone else said, this should be something you've tested - don't do anything new on race day.
  • sakamanojr
    sakamanojr Posts: 378 Member
    It's important to stick to a ROUTINE. I want to practise everything during my training runs including what I eat so on the days leading up to the race I know how to fuel my body with food. You should even practise your morning race day food to be the amount of hours before your actual race so you can see how you react to certain foods.

    I would also recommend going to Runners World webiste and typing in Carbo loading as they have many good articles.

    Good luck and I hoep you have an enjoyable race.
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
    If that's what you normally eat before running then get up early and eat the same thing. Don't stray from your routine.
  • Kilter
    Kilter Posts: 188 Member
    I'll repeat what most others have said. Eat what you normally eat before your training runs.

    There is an axiom that needs to be explicitly said though "do nothing new on race day".

    Someone also mentioned to start your water consumption early though and that is key. Don't wait until the night before to get your water on board, make sure you are drinking your full daily amount in the 3 or 4 days before the race as well.

    Try and get lots of sleep the night before.

    Leave time to get a good morning trip to the loo and time to have a nervous pee just before the start :)

    Have a blast!

    And hey, right up a race report after to let us know how it went eh?

    S
  • LadyPersia
    LadyPersia Posts: 1,445 Member
    Great info above. This is very exciting. Have fun and let us know how you do!
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
    It's probably best if you stick to whatever it is you're used to doing. Trying something new on a race day is not the best idea. If you usually drink water during your runs, don't go swapping to gatorade etc just because it's at one of the aid stations. That being said, if you're not going for a record time and this is just more of a recreational / fun run for you, experiment as you will. Loading up on carbs the night before, or using intra-race fuel gels etc. are not going to do alot for you unless you're running longer distances, say...above an hour, where your glycogen is likely to dip to lower levels than that during a 10k.
  • MsFat2Fit
    MsFat2Fit Posts: 59
    Thanks to ALL for the great comments; just picked my race package and getting very excited... Will report later how that went!
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
    A couple of days before you should load up on carbs. The idea that you should only "carb load" the night before is sort of a myth. Your body stores it over a couple of days (from articles I've read). Also, don't try anything new on race morning. What have you eaten prior to runs before this? This is something you should test out before hand. It's not a hugely long race, so I wouldn't be too worried about it, but don't go and throw a spicy, Mexican breakfast burrito down the gullet! :) **

    Edit: ** Unless this is of course, what you've done before and it works for you!
  • MsFat2Fit
    MsFat2Fit Posts: 59
    I had a nice italian lunch a day before and some chicken & rice with veggies for dinner. On the race morning I woke up at 4:45am and prepared some oatmeal porrige and had lots of water and herbal tea.

    The race started at 7:15am - it was all fine and the weather was perfect. I finished at 1:18 - my goal was do to that under 1:30; had to walk as well since I had some pain in my left knee after 6kms.

    They had plenty of water available and after the race I had also lots of water + nice breakfast. In total burned around 1300 calories.

    Very good experience and looking forward for the next 10K race and really want to improve my time!!!
  • pcawlgrl
    pcawlgrl Posts: 1 Member
    Just wanted to say Congratulations -
    Note to some of the people posting - please don't be so dismissive of 10k runs. Us 'new runners' know that it's not exactly an Iron Man competition but it's a massive challenge to someone who hasn't been running long and should be qualfied as a huge achievement. Please try to be more supportive - I read some comments and thought I'm glad I didn't post here. I've never been fit or a runner and commited to a 10k run. I started going out 8 weeks ago and the first time I ran 3k straight I was so proud of myself - it really meant loads to me that friends that were proper runners (marathon addicts) still recognised that for me that was a good achievement and congratulated and encouraged me - it's because of them I'm ready for my 10k on Sunday - if I'd had friends going 'what - 3k - its nothing' I'm not sure I would've continued!!
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    What I should eat the night before and then in the morning before the race?

    As upthread, stick with what you know. If you're used to running on oatmeal, then that's what to have. What other alternatives do you have for breakfast?
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Very good experience and looking forward for the next 10K race and really want to improve my time!!!

    Missed the dates on this, well done
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    Second for bananas and natural peanut butter!
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