What to eat before 5k

nicool31
nicool31 Posts: 6 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
The trick with this typical question is that I will be running a night race, so I need several meal ideas for the day of before my race at 9pm. Should I have my carb meal for breakfast day of, then really light lunch and supper? Or just keep it light all day with carbs the night before like always. Just want to make sure I don't make any mistakes. This is my first race and I wanna knock it out of the park.

Replies

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,247 Member
    You don't really need to worry too much about carb loading before a 5K but I think you're on the right track. I can't eat much less than 3 hrs before a race and something light is the way to go (nothing new, just foods that you'd normally eat). Try to eat your supper by about 6.

    Good luck!
  • kmoore02
    kmoore02 Posts: 167 Member
    I'm running a night race this weekend too and I plan to do what I normally do on days that I run; eat early and light.
  • buzzcogs
    buzzcogs Posts: 296 Member
    Eat good and healthy. My personal fav is peanut butter sandwiches. Load up on the Gatoraide and water. Being well hydrated will keep you moving fast. Good luck, I'm sure you will "knock it outta da park"!
  • KyliAnnHobson
    KyliAnnHobson Posts: 551 Member
    I'm not sure what is best, but just be sure to try it out in advance. I normally run in the mornings on an empty stomach, but ran this evening instead for the first time. I had a Luna bar about 2 hours before my run and my stomach was killing me. I definitely prefer running on an empty stomach. I also can't drink any water while running or my stomach cramps.
  • 99clmsntgr
    99clmsntgr Posts: 777 Member
    Don't do anything different than your normal routine. Your body's used to doing things a certain way, if you change things up, you might not respond to it very well.

    Personally, for just a 5K, I wouldn't worry about carb loading or any of that kind of stuff. Just eat how you would normally eat when you're going to exercise that day, try to hold whatever normal interval you would have before exercising. If that means eating a little later dinner, it's OK.
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
    I would just eat what you would normally eat and try not to eat anything too close to the start of the race. You're last meal should be about 3 hours before the race. I would just make sure you drink some fluids leading up to the race, especially if it's gonna be hot. Maybe drink some smart water, Propel Zero, or Powerade Zero it will give you the electrolytes without the calories.
  • nicool31
    nicool31 Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks everyone! You can always find a ton of info for morning 5k's but rarely for the evening. Wanted to make sure that there wasn't some top secret strategies that I didn't know about. =D
    I'll be sure to try some different things out before race day to see what works.
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