Fuel for running!

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ThoughtsOfBelle
ThoughtsOfBelle Posts: 34 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi guys - I'm sure this get asked ALL the time, but what's your favourite meal to eat the night before a big run?

I'm doing a 7k fun run on Saturday and really want to cook up something delicious but full of energy for my Friday night meal :)

All suggestions are welcome!!

EDIT: Please note that I am asking more about your favourite recipes etc, rather than anything "marathon" specific.. I know 7k is not a huge run!!

Replies

  • MrsSpinks
    MrsSpinks Posts: 274 Member
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    Bump! I need some ideas too!
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Carbs whole wheat pasta with protein/veggies. have a great run.
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
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    Don't eat anything you haven't already tested out for a run. I made the mistake of eating something new the night before a race and it did NOT sit well the morning of.

    Having said that, I like plain pasta with a dab of butter and grated parmesan cheese. Totally plain, simple and easy on my stomach.

    Good luck with the race!
  • EbbySoo
    EbbySoo Posts: 267 Member
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    White rice with veggies/lean protein, and dessert +favourite cereals, oatmeal with milk + brown sugar. :D
  • pucenavel
    pucenavel Posts: 972 Member
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    Sushi!!

    (and lots of it, brother!)
  • jlambert77
    jlambert77 Posts: 77 Member
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    Again, don't eat anything new..stick to what your body knows, and don't overload on carbs..it'll only make you have to use the bathroom. Eat what you would normally eat...the night before I ran my first 1/2, I ate more protein than normal, but no more or less carbs than usual...then I had a nice bowl of oatmeal with a banana for breakfast that morning! :)
  • runwithmike
    runwithmike Posts: 173
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    Depending on the distance of the race, but I usually opt for a pasta dinner and a lot of veggies. Don't forget to drink a lot of water the day prior to a race. Run strong!
  • NeilWin
    NeilWin Posts: 21
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    Porridge oats for breakfast.
    Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner. Wholewheat pasta and lean beef mince.
  • KBGirts
    KBGirts Posts: 882 Member
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    Sushi!!

    (and lots of it, brother!)

    For some reason this always tears my stomach up. Sushi is pretty much one of my favorite foods, but every time I eat it, I'm hitting the bathroom rather quickly. I wish this could be my pre-race fuel. :sad:
  • TheKitsune6
    TheKitsune6 Posts: 5,798 Member
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    Sushi!!

    (and lots of it, brother!)

    Please tell me this is true!! I have a half marathon I'm training for and I'd LOVE to chow down on some sushi <3<3
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
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    No to belittle your run but I don't think you need to worry about any special food before a 7k. Stick to what you normally eat.

    Get your kit prepped up, stay off the booze and get a little more sleep than usual.


    In fact it is good advice not to change much the night before a run, so when you have longer runs you should eat some carb rich foods that you are used to the night before. Typical carb rich foods are pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, but you usually build this carbing up into a very light week of running before the event.

    Whilst I'm on the subject of carb loading ,there is some pretty sting recent evidence that carb loading doesn't offer an advantage for even marathon distances. I've not researched the evidence enough to have asking opinion myself so I stick to resting the week before a race and take the opportunity to indulge in a big past meal the day before.

    Have a good run.
  • malenahan
    malenahan Posts: 73 Member
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    I eat "normal" the day before the race. In my opinion, you can't make up for poor nutrition the night before the race. I may add a few extra pretzels the day before the race and definitely hydrate, but I don't eat anything too heavy! For me, protein is just as important as carbs the day before, but everyone is different!
  • Picola1984
    Picola1984 Posts: 1,133
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    This has some good info

    http://www.taketothestreets.org/advice.aspx?sport=running&cid=31&aid=16
  • ThoughtsOfBelle
    ThoughtsOfBelle Posts: 34 Member
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    Thats one of my favourite things too. :D
  • ThoughtsOfBelle
    ThoughtsOfBelle Posts: 34 Member
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    No to belittle your run but I don't think you need to worry about any special food before a 7k. Stick to what you normally eat.

    Get your kit prepped up, stay off the booze and get a little more sleep than usual.


    In fact it is good advice not to change much the night before a run, so when you have longer runs you should eat some carb rich foods that you are used to the night before. Typical carb rich foods are pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, but you usually build this carbing up into a very light week of running before the event.

    Whilst I'm on the subject of carb loading ,there is some pretty sting recent evidence that carb loading doesn't offer an advantage for even marathon distances. I've not researched the evidence enough to have asking opinion myself so I stick to resting the week before a race and take the opportunity to indulge in a big past meal the day before.

    Have a good run.

    I wasn't saying the race was anything special, I was just saying I wanted to cook something nice the night before, and was asking for some recipes.
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
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    Sorry I misunderstood.

    My favourite meal the night before a race is prawn and chilli linguini. With cheese cake dessert.

    Have a good race.
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
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    Enough to be satisfied but don't overfill, particularly if its an early run. A good mix of foods like you would always eat will be good, but you can afford to add more carbs than you otherwise might.

    Just as an example, I'm going for a decent run tonight (15k). I ate normally last night, had weetbix & banana this morning, and I'll have a big wholemeal roll stacked with salad & chicken for lunch. I wont eat after that (3-5 hrs before my run) to make sure I dont feel bloated. Other than that I'll have a little bit more water than usual, and maybe a protein shake if I'm a bit hungry before the run.

    Just enjoy the race :)
  • ThoughtsOfBelle
    ThoughtsOfBelle Posts: 34 Member
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    Sorry I misunderstood.

    My favourite meal the night before a race is prawn and chilli linguini. With cheese cake dessert.

    Have a good race.

    No dramas, but just also remember that to some people, 7k is still a significant achievement, so comments like "not to belittle your run" etc can be quite hurtful.

    Thanks for your suggestion.
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
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    I specifically put "not to belittle your run" because I didn't want it to come across as belittling. I was not being sarcastic, I was being literal.

    I think that the thing that confused me was the fact that this thread is titled "fuel for running!" which implies that you are looking for a meal to eat the night before a race to provide a carb load.

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