1st Half Marathon coming up - need clarification on carb loa

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seekingstrengthX2
seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all!

My 1st Half Marathon is on April 28th and I am psyched and ready to roll!! I've been training since January 1st and am confident that I can finish in a respectable time. :)

Here's my question.

My husband is a runner and has been doing races for years. I know from going with him to races that the pasta dinner the night before is a huge hit. They usually sell out (at least at his races) and everyone loves it. Now, with that said, he never goes. He says a bunch of carbs the night before makes him feel sluggish. I read in another person's running post that they carb load for 5 full days "up until" the day before the race, but then eat normal the day before.

What do you think? Does it just vary for every person? I've not intentionally ate any differently in my training runs, though I will admit 11 miles is my top run. But still, that's pretty far and I really did nothing differently.

I need input from fellow runners, please. I would love to hear from those that DO carb load and those that DO NOT. I don't want to peter out before the finish line, but also don't want to do something that's not necessary. One guy in another thread even said he doesn't carb load the night before because then he has to poop during the race (LOLOL.... TMI, right?). Haha.

Thoughts?

Thanks!


P.S..... by the way, how many carbs do you consider to be carb loading anyway? Double what you'd normally eat? Triple?
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Replies

  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
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    If you're only doing a half, there's no need to carb load. The pre-race meal is a tradition, not a necessity.

    No need but is there any value?

    As far as I can tell, no.

    I'm not citing this from personal experience (I've done one half and one race of 20.2 miles) but from what I've read in books on running and from Runners World and Running Times.

    Personally, I give a limited amount of credibility to personal experience. By definition, it's impossible to get a broad overview when only a smattering of folks come forth with information.

    If you look my photo (taking during my half), you'll see that I'm wearing a Nathan water vest (excellent product, BTW) and there's a clif bar in the front left pocket. A half is so short, distance and duration, that the body barely runs out of glycogen before the race is over. Why did I carry the Clif bar? Just in case I bonked but I didn't come close.

    For my 20.2 mile race, I don't think I bonked, either. Historically, pre-Gu, runners would bonk at about mile 20 but I did OK in that race (it was 1985). In fact, that's the day I decided to…quit smoking! :-)
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    I don't specifically carb load in advance of a race, your body is only capable of storing a finite amount of glycogen.

    I suspect that the pre-race pasta dinners are more of a tradition and social event rather than people making a serious effort to carb load.

    In the week preceding a race I just make sure that carbs are making up at least 60% of my calories and I don't eat at a calorie deficit. I must confess to having pasta and chicken as my pre-race dinner (no heavy sauces and not a huge plate) I tend to cut back a bit on fibre for a day or two ahead of time. On race day I'll also have a pretty good breakfast ( peanut butter on whole wheat toast or bagel, yogurt & a banana) at least 3 hrs before the race start and I will take a couple of gels with me for the race.

    At 11 miles you're pretty close to race distance, are you experimenting with any fuels yet? (If you're going to now is the time - nothing new on race day) If you're concerned about bonking they're a handy way to down some calories and electrolytes during the race. (As an aside, yesterday I did a 10 mile run and all I had eaten beforehand was a yogurt and banana, didn't take any gels and didn't drink anything during the run and felt fine when I finished)
  • Heidi_M78
    Heidi_M78 Posts: 143 Member
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    Accoding to Tim Noakes carbs are now a big no no before big races.
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
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    I don't think a half is going to be long enough for most people to bonk.

    Nutrition during the race, however, can improve performance if you choose to use it.
  • jamielynas
    jamielynas Posts: 366 Member
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    If you're only doing a half, there's no need to carb load. The pre-race meal is a tradition, not a necessity.

    I agree, I do about 4 half marathons a week without carbo loading
  • aweightymatter
    aweightymatter Posts: 222
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    What everyone else said... I "carb-loaded" for a couple days before my first half (same number of calories, but WAY higher carb percentage) and just felt gross. It didn't hurt my performance but it didn't help it either. It was just a bunch of water weight for nothing, pretty much.

    During the race I ate some Shot Bloks and wound up drinking some Gatorade at a couple of the water stations because it's Florida and it was hot as hell.

    But all the extra "fueling" I did beforehand was pretty much useless. Next time I will just go along with what I was doing before/after my long training runs.
  • ColoPhotoChic
    ColoPhotoChic Posts: 1
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    I have heard from different podcasts that women burn fat during a long run and the carb load will just weigh you down. Men can benefit from a carb load but not when "loaded" less than 18 hours before running. The better option is to watch your nutrition the 5 days before the run. Don't overdo the carbs or fiber in the 18 hours before running. You're going to do great! BTW, which 1/2 are you running?
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
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    There's no real scientific backup to prove that carb loading works.

    That being said, I've done some killer runs the days after I've loaded up on pizza, pasta, or some other carb-rich food the night before (not carb-loading specifically, it was usually more of a "Oh em gee, I really want pizza" sort of night), so I like to enjoy me some pasta before a race, because it does give me a bit of extra speed and endurance for race day.

    It doesn't make everyone feel better, though, so I would maybe give it a go before a long run, see if it makes any difference, and if it does, then it couldn't hurt to try it with the race.
  • Chagama
    Chagama Posts: 543 Member
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    I wouldn't worry about carb loading, definitely not for a half. I've also read that for a full marathon if you keep eating at the same level but taper your runs during the last week it's the same effect as carb loading. I certainly wouldn't do anything before the race that you haven't done before in training. Everyone is different, you need to figure out what works for you. The couple of days before the race is not the time to experiment.

    Have fun!
  • jamielynas
    jamielynas Posts: 366 Member
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    Didn't mean to put that whole comment as a quote.
  • jackiemarie
    jackiemarie Posts: 111
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    i just ran my first half in march and did not carb load before. just ate normally and drank a ton of water the day before.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    I've run 3 half marathons, and I think the whole "carb loading" thing is stupid.

    When you train for a half marathon, you run that distance (or close to it) on your own, right? So why would you change your eating habits just for race day? In fact, changing your eating habits like that can cause some unwanted stomach issues for race day. Focus on eating properly during your entire training, and there is no reason to "carb load" before a race. Most of what I've read lately is actually that a good mix of protein and carbohydrates at every meal is the key to having enough gas in your tank for the race.

    Even for full marathons, there is no reason to carb-load as long as your are eating properly throughout your training. I really think changing up your regular diet is the worst thing a person can do pre-race, since your stomach may not react the way you'd like it to!
  • jackiemarie
    jackiemarie Posts: 111
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    and finished in 2:05. yippeee
  • heatgal976
    heatgal976 Posts: 53 Member
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    I was going to do a half marathon a month ago before an injury sidelined me. Going from what I have read in various websites and magazines, I was not going to carb load before the race. I might have had a dinner with carbs in it, but I was mainly going to focus on the pre-race meal. I was also going to have one or two energy beans, gels, or bars with me for during the race. Everyone is different, but some people have more carbs and some don't. Some people also use the energy supplements and some don't. As long as you are prepared, you will be fine.
  • mszebra
    mszebra Posts: 94
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    I didn't "carb load" before either of the two half marathons I did - i just ate normally- and I was fine. And I agree with one of the above posters advising to limit the fiber intake 18 hours before the race!
  • mei1005
    mei1005 Posts: 15 Member
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    I agree with your husband in terms of not overdoing it the night before a race. I eat a normal size portion of healthy carbs (whole wheat pasta) the night before long runs and it serves me just fine. I try to keep carbs to about 55-60% of my calories the week before the race. I also try and avoid anything extremely fatty, as that fat does NOT sit well during the race. You do not want to risk the dreaded runners stomach during the race.

    Good luck, sounds like you are well prepared so you'll do great!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    and finished in 2:05. yippeee

    Way to go!
  • rowyourboat
    rowyourboat Posts: 125 Member
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    I've only run one 1/2 marathon so I'm no expert. However I'm in the process of training for my second. I do like to have a pasta dinner the night before. I don't know if that is actually loading up, but it's what I do the night before I have my long runs anyway. I second the nutrition during the run. I like the gels...easy to carry and they give you a boost. Good luck, you'll do great!

    ETA: Definitely work on hydrating yourself a couple of days ahead. 8 glasses of water, plus!!! :)
  • agleckle
    agleckle Posts: 235 Member
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    I've done five half marathons. In my experience, I didn't need to carb load. That's not to say that I didn't go with my other runner friends for a bowl of pasta the night before for two of the races, but since I pretty much never eat pasta in my normal diet, it made me feel heavy and sluggish the next day like my body wasn't done digesting. I found that I felt significantly better eating things that my body was already used to, like some grilled chicken and a salad the night before... then the morning of the race I would eat half a banana and half of a small plain bagel that they handed out about 45 minutes before each race started.

    I never carb-loaded before a long run when I was training (I always trained up to 11ish miles as well) so really, it didn't make sense to me to carb load for 2 extra miles than I had run before.

    Edit: My two best times were when I ate my normal diet... 2:04:47, 2:04:57. Also, keep yourself well hydrated throughout the week before. Best of luck! :)
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
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    Accoding to Tim Noakes carbs are now a big no no before big races.

    This advice mostly refers to people with insulin resistance, and it's always a good idea to watch your carbs if you have that particular problem, race or not. I see that he's recommending it for everyone (at least from a news article I found), but then it goes on to give reasons that don't apply to most healthy people.

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