While a 5K running race might not need too much preparation, it's still important to eat well the night before. We're talking complex carbohydrates, protein and a little fat to give your body enough energy to perform at it's best. Suggestion: Grilled salmon, brown rice and steamed veg such as broccoli or spinach.
Get set – 3-4 hours before
Slow-release (low-GI) carbs are the best nourishment for your body at this time. Try porridge topped with fruit, a bagel or wholegrain toast. It's wise to avoid fatty foods that will lie in your stomach and anything that you're not used to eating to avoid an upset stomach.
Fatty foods
High-fat foods like cheese, pizza, burgers, and fried food are undeniably hard for your body to digest, and no one wants to nurse a food baby when they run, even if the fatty food was ingested more than 12 hours before a race.
“Think bread, oatmeal, bananas, etc. The meal should also have moderate amounts of protein and fat to keep you satiated.” “A pre-race meal should be enough to fill you up and keep you from becoming hungry before the start of the race,” she continues.
For longer exercise bouts—say, up to three hours—stick with liquid carbohydrate sources instead of solids for the best gut-soothing results. That's because liquids have a lower gastric load and empty quicker from the stomach than semi-solids like gels or solid foods do, says Costa.
Yes, a small amount of peanut butter can be part of a nutritious pre-run meal or snack when paired with a carbohydrate source (such as a banana or a piece of toast) 2 hours or more before exercise. Consuming protein and carbohydrates before endurance exercise has been shown to improve sports performance [1].
Protein takes longer for your body to digest—so you'll have to eat a couple of hours before the race begins—but eggs are a popular pre-race breakfast choice, especially for those who like something “real” for breakfast. Eating a breakfast like this, long enough in advance, leaves you well-fueled for a long race.
Icy balls. My coach recommends ice baths the evening before a race. By drawing alot of blood into your legs to counteract the cold. It helps to flush out any remaining crap (lactic acid etc) and get your legs really fresh feeling.
High GI carbohydrate foods are best during a run as they release energy quickly. Choose specially designed sport gels and isotonic drinks, or try bananas, oranges, honey, dried fruit or gummy sweets such as jelly beans.
Therefore, eat well balanced meals every 4 hrs or so for the 3-5 days after the race. Following an Ultra, your body will be in such energy deficit that it will utilise most of what you eat to repair and refuel.
These races are held over punishing distances, varying terrain and could last multiple days. According to studies, runners can expend anything between 3500 calories to 8000 calories a day during an ultra.
Most ultrarunners aim for 200-400 calories per hour. A good tip is to set your watch to remind you to take something in every 15 or 20 minutes.
When to start carb loading for a marathon or ultra. Carbohydrate loading generally begins about 3-4 days out from race day (although some can start as many as 7 days out). At this time, you gradually increase your intake of carbs per meal while eating less of fat and fiber.
Granola bars and bananas are great pre-race foods. Avoid foods rich in fiber (including fruits with skins, such as apples and pears) to avoid bowel movements right before (and during) your run. Be sure to maintain your hydration in the morning with a combination of water and sports drinks.
Have a bedtime snack of oatmeal or granola in the two nights leading up to the race. The last supper before the race should be carb-rich, but not overly filling. Avoid fiber and too make fat or protein.
“Ice cream takes a long time to digest overall because of the fat content,” says Elliott. An upset stomach can wreck the rest of your run and make it hard to get the nutrition and hydration you need to finish feeling good.
It's not bad to drink milk before running, in fact, it's the opposite. Milk has fluid, electrolytes and energy and can be good to drink before running, especially longer distances when your body needs extra carbohydrate to fuel muscles.