Race Nutrition Starts Before Race Day
Nutritional strategies vary greatly between individuals, and between types of events. With our team coming up on the 3M Half Marathon this weekend, our final big push before tapering into the Livestrong Austin Marathon & Half Marathon, now seems like a good time to share some of my personal nutritional strategies. Your results may vary….
Taper Nutrition
A good nutritional strategy starts days before race day. As my exercise volume and intensity is greatly decreased in the final pre-race week(s), my diet is focused on high-energy foods that are easily digested, with as little fiber as possible in the final 48 hours. With running events in particular, I’ve found the necessity of avoiding high amounts of fiber in the days leading up to my race increases substantially. I focus on lean proteins, healthy fats, and small amounts of grains that are more refined than I typically prefer.
It’s even more important than usual to maintain a balanced metabolism during the taper. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking less exercise means you should be starving yourself by caloric restriction. When the body enters starvation mode / low blood glucose, it turns to internal fuel sources for functioning; sources that you want preserved and optimized for race day. By eating small, frequent meals, you’ll avoid this common mistake, and arrive at your race with optimal internal fuel sources, ready to give your best performance possible.
Pre-Race Dinner
Dinner the night before my race is the last “meal” I will enjoy before crossing the finish line, so it’s an important one. For this meal I want some lean protein, and easily digested carbohydrate to top off my glycogen stores. My traditional pre-race meal is Chicken Pad Thai (no spice). I know that a normal, healthy diet in conjunction with the decreased exercise levels of the taper, will optimize my glycogen stores without the need for a “carbo-loading” meal, such as the still too common “pasta feed” held prior to many charity events. Gorging the night before a race may result in sleep disruption, bloating, and constipation – none of which will contribute to a good race day performance. When you reach an 8 out of 10 on your “full” scale, push the plate away. You’ll thank yourself in the morning.
Race Morning Nutrition
As a general rule, ingesting 200 kcals per hour prior to race start is a good idea. So for a race that starts at 7am, if you plan to be done eating by 5am, you can probably safely ingest 400 kcals. Some racers I know will get up early, eat their pre-race meal, then get back in bed to grab a little more shut-eye. Personally, I’ve found that doesn’t work, as digestion slows when in the horizontal position, leading to possible bloating/heartburn issues. Additionally, I know from my research studies in grad school that sleep deprivation doesn’t negatively impact physical performance (quite the opposite, in fact), and since it’s rare to have a good night’s sleep the night before a race, you might as well just get up, stay up, and arrive at your race in a calm, prepared state. That extra 15 minutes of sleep you think you need really won’t help you at all… but slowed digestion, or rushing around feeling late, will have a negative impact on your day.
The contents of this race morning meal will vary depending on the type and duration of my race. Since we’re talking about running events here, my half marathon pre-race meal will be two bottles of Mix1, a product out of Boulder, CO that I recently discovered and am in love with. This liquid meal will be easily digested, and provide me with 400 kcals, 60g carbohydrate, and 30g protein. When it comes time for the full Austin Marathon, I’ll wake slightly earlier, and in addition to the above, add some solid foods to stave off hunger pains for a longer day on the course – egg white (hard-boiled), white toast w/small amt of nut butter.
All of this will be washed down with a small amount of my usual French-pressed coffee, as is my routine. Thereafter, I will hydrate with water and nuun until one hour prior to race start. That one hour gives my body time to absorb what it needs, and let go of the extra, so that hopefully I will not be needing to stop mid-race.
Race Nutrition
This has been a tricky one for me to nail down, as running nutrition is a lot different than triathlon nutrition; The non-jostling of the bike portion allows for better calorie absorption. Through diligent practice during our team long runs, I’ve found the right product and concentration that my system can handle. The more calories you can get in, the better you’ll perform, but only to the point at which your body can absorb and utilize said calories. Take in more than you can absorb at race intensity, and you’ll be dealing with stomach pain, and losing a lot of time at Port-O-Lets. For me, the right combination seems to be three servings of Espresso Hammer Gel, pre-diluted in a standard sized water bottle (which I will carry with me), every two hours. This provides me with about 270 kcals every 2 hours; about a quarter of what I’ll be burning. The rest of my energy will be coming from internal glycogen and IMTG stores, hence the importance of having and following good nutritional strategies in the week leading up to the event. I’ll have a second bottle waiting at the mid-race point to be handed off to me, pre-mixed. Added bonus: I am saving the environment by not using one of those millions of little paper cups that end up in waste/recycle/compost at all these events.
Post-Race Nutrition
Sometimes, ice cream is the answer!
Have a GREAT race ~ See you all at the finish line!
Coach T.
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Tammy Metzger, M.Ed. is a multisport coach, and owner of Tempo Multisport LLC in Austin, TX. Interested in affordable triathlon team affiliation, in a fun, supportive environment, with coaches that will motivate and challenge you? Join Team Tempo! For more information, contact tammy@trainwithtempo.com
Tags: 3M half marathon, austin, Austin marathon, fitness, glycogen, hammer gel, mix 1, nutrition, race nutrition, recovery, running, taper
