I've run 15 half marathons and one full marathon. People ask me about pace, shoes and training plans, but the thing that makes or breaks a race more than anything else is what you put in your body before and during it. You can do every training run perfectly and still fall apart at mile 10 because you ran out of gas.
Before I get into the food, though, I want to talk about why I keep lacing up in the first place.
Why I run
Running brings me peace. Between teaching, coaching and building businesses, my days are loud. There's always another text, another email, another problem that needs solving. And the world outside all that is even louder. Turn on the news or open your phone and it feels like everything is on fire.
When I'm running, none of that can catch me. It's just me, the road and my breathing. No screen, no notifications, no arguments. Some days I pray. Some days I work through a problem I've been stuck on all week. Some days I don't think about anything at all, and those might be the best ones. I always finish a run calmer than when I started.
The benefits go way past the peace and quiet:
- A clearer head. Running is the best stress relief I've found. It burns off the anxiety and leaves room to think.
- Better sleep. When I'm putting in the miles, I sleep harder and wake up ready to go.
- A healthier heart and body. Regular running strengthens your heart, helps manage your weight and keeps you moving well as you get older.
- Discipline that carries over. Getting out the door on a cold, dark morning when you don't feel like it builds the same toughness I want my players to have. Showing up when it's hard is a skill, and running trains it.
- Setting an example. I ask my athletes and students to push themselves. I want them to see me doing the same thing.
- Great people. Race mornings are some of the friendliest crowds you'll ever be in. Everybody is cheering for everybody.
Running gives me more than it takes. But it only gives back if you take care of your body, and that starts with fuel.
The week before: fill the tank
Your muscles run on carbohydrates stored as glycogen, and you can only store so much. For a half marathon, a normal healthy diet with a little extra carbohydrate the last day or two is usually plenty. For a full marathon, you need to be more deliberate, because you will burn through what you have stored somewhere around the back half of the race. That's what runners call "hitting the wall."
- Two to three days out, shift more of your plate to carbs: rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, oatmeal, fruit. You're not eating more food so much as swapping some of the protein and fat for carbs.
- Drink steadily all week. Don't try to chug a gallon of water the night before. Sip all week and watch that your urine stays pale yellow.
- Cut back on fiber and greasy food the last day or two. Your stomach will thank you around mile 8.
- Eat a normal, familiar dinner the night before. Plain pasta or rice with some chicken is hard to beat. This is not the night for the new Tex-Mex place or the spicy wings.
Race morning: top it off
Eat breakfast two and a half to three hours before the start. Keep it simple, high in carbs and low in fat and fiber: a bagel with peanut butter and a banana, toast with honey, or oatmeal. Drink about 16 ounces of water or a sports drink with it, then stop drinking big amounts about an hour before the gun so you aren't stuck in a porta-potty line when your corral moves up.
About 15 minutes before the start, a gel or a few chews gives you one last top-off.
During the race: eat before you're hungry
This is where most people get it wrong, and where I learned the most going from the half to the full. By the time you feel empty, it's too late to catch up.
- Half marathon: if you'll be out there more than about 75 minutes, take a gel or some chews around mile 4 or 5 and again around mile 9.
- Full marathon: plan on 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour. For most people that's a gel every 30 to 45 minutes, starting early, around mile 4 or 5. Don't wait until you're hurting.
- Take water with your gels, not sports drink on top of a gel. Too much sugar at once can turn your stomach.
- Drink to thirst and grab a cup at most aid stations. On a hot Texas morning, use sports drink too, because you're losing salt along with sweat.
Nothing new on race day
If you remember one thing from this article, make it this. Practice your fueling on your long training runs: the same breakfast, the same gels, the same timing. Find out what your stomach can handle on a Saturday morning in practice, not with a bib on your chest. Check what the race hands out on the course and train with that brand, or carry your own.
After you cross the line
Within an hour of finishing, get some carbs and protein in: chocolate milk, a protein bar, a banana and whatever they're handing out in the finish chute. Keep drinking. Then go get a real meal. You earned it.
I'm a coach and a runner, not a doctor or a dietitian. If you have diabetes, a heart condition or any other health concern, talk to your doctor before you start training or change how you eat.
Whether you're signing up for your first 5K or your tenth half, I hope you find what I've found out there: a little peace in a crazy world. See you at the start line.