Eating Before the Long Run

"Eat No Evil"

One of the questions I get asked most often is if I eat before I run. It almost amazes me that most new runners, and some veterans, are afraid to eat before running because they're afraid of getting sick. If you're training for a marathon (like Mercedes), then early in your training, it is OK to skip breakfast, but as you progress deeper into your training and your runs start approaching 2 hours, you better start fueling like a marathoner so you can train like a marathoner. If you skip breakfast, realize that you've probably gone 12 hours without food, so you're in partial glycogen (stored energy) depletion. When your training goes more than about 90 minutes, then you need to start addressing the "fuel in your muscles" problem with Gu's, drinks, chews, etc., but before that 90 minutes you want to be sure there's some fuel in the tanks to get going. Now, you don't want to have King Henry's feast before a run, but there are two general ways to get a good blood sugar level and provide carbohydrates to the system to delay the draining of the muscle glycogen.

The first is to have a light breakfast. Donuts and a coke are not a good idea! Eggs and sausage are not a good idea! We have to be a little smart about this. We need some carbohydrates that can be digested easily. I usually have a cup of coffee with whole wheat toast and jelly. If I'm going be going pretty long (or before a marathon) I'll add peanut butter and maybe a banana. So with this "Al Special", we have both simple carbohydrates (jelly), complex carbohydrates (toast & banana), and some fats & protein (peanut butter). The coffee provides caffeine which has been shown to improve endurance and free fatty acids into the bloodstream which can be used as fuel before the stored glycogen.

If the thought of food still gets you gagging, try a pre-run energy drink. Something like boost or ensure will get you a bundle of carbs, fats and protein (about 300 calories total) and is very easily digested. Another good pre-run breakfast is Powerade (or Gatorade) and a couple of fig newtons. Several studies have shown that Fig Newtons provide almost the same nutritional value of Powerbars! Plus, they don't have the consistency of shoe leather. Plus, they're a ton cheaper. The Powerade will also hydrate you. Learn to read nutrition labels and you'll find you don't have to spend pumped-up prices to get the same things as you can in advertised "energy" or "recovery" foods. Anyway, the point is that you don't have to eat a whole lot to get you off to a good fueled start for your morning run. Be sure to try these methods during training - don't wait till race day!

I'll see you on the roads - AL


"One child lost is too many...one child saved can change the world"