Question: Eating and Morning Runs?

A few days ago I received an email from a reader who was trying to find a balance between eating and running.  I thought that my reply might be of interest to other readers, so I am posting it here.

Food and running don't always mix for me.  I do things differently for the different distances and events that I am running:

Weekly Runs (about 30 minutes)
I usually don't eat anything before I go out.  I just drink a small amount of water.  Sometimes I will bring water with me, but more and more I leave it at home.  I hate the feeling of food and liquid sloshing around in my stomach, and I usually am too tired to eat at the hour I get up anyways.  I do make sure to eat after my run, of course.

Longer Distances (6 miles and up)
I do need something before longer runs to avoid feeling light-headed.  Though, I have found that all I can tolerate well is some Gatorade (usually thinned with some water or made weakly from the powder) and some type of energy food. 

The best choice for me are these Clif shot bloks (I generally eat 2 or 3 before the run).  They don't weigh down my stomach, but they give my body the carbs and salts that I need to do more strenuous distances.  Some people prefer the goos, while others tolerate the heavier bars-- some even just eat a few Lifesavers Gummis and are fine.  If you are often pursuing these distances, I'd suggest going to your local running store and grabbing a few different options to see what works best for you.  Alternatively, a piece of toast with butter would be a fine substitute to try out if you don't want to buy special food. On longer runs, I always recommend bringing some water.

When I was training with the AIDS Marathon program, they recommended eating about 100 calories every 45 minutes or 3 miles -- whichever comes first.  I think this is great advice.  I usually only ate about 60 - 70 calories at each interval, but everyone is a bit different.  For me, this came out to about 2 shot bloks.

Race Days
When I am participating in a race, I go about things a bit differently.  No matter the distance, race day usually means a very early morning to travel to the race site, and then some waiting around for the event to begin. Because so much time elapses (at least an hour and a half in my experience), I try to eat a larger breakfast and drink some coffee and at least 3 cups of water.  I usually plan to have a salty bagel with some peanut butter.  When I get to the race grounds there is usually free food from vendors, so I'll have half a banana if they are available. 

For really long runs (half marathon and up), it is a great idea to keep a few salt packets on you.  After significant mileage your body is often in desperate need of electrolytes because you have lost so much through sweat, and sometimes the shot bloks don't cut it.  Part of a salt packet will do wonders for you and help you find the energy you need to finish the race strong.

Every runner is different, so try out several methods before a race day to find what is best for you.

Comments

[Liz C]

I've had good luck with a banana in the morning if I'm eating less than an hour before a run. More than an hour, I go for toast w/pb. A nice trick I learned from my guy, a native Californian: toast w/avocado, sprinkled with a little salt. It's amazingly good!

But I know a lot of people can't tolerate bananas, so YMMV. And I only run maybe 30-40 mins at a time. Haven't gotten to the longer distances yet.

[Electrolytes and Leg Cramps]

Balancing food and activity is a delicate art. I know cyclists like to have some drink with electrolytes in it, and a little food for long rides. Having something with electrolytes in it can really help on those long efforts and keep the cramping down.