This post is part of an series on all things marathon training. You can find previous Marathon Monday posts here.
Race week has arrived! Thankfully, so did my package of maple bacon GUs from REI.
Race day fueling can make or break your marathon or half marathon. After months of hard work, do you really want to miss your goals because you didn’t plan for how to fuel before and during your marathon?
Thankfully, race day fueling is not complicated. While weight loss and weight gain may be more complex than a simple calories in, calories out equation (you have to factor in issues like body composition, metabolism, quality of calories, exercise, hydration, etc), race day fueling can basically be reduced to a workable equation of calories in and calories out over time.
(Of course, I am simplifying this a bit for the sake of brevity: to really read in-depth about race day fueling, I highly recommend Matt Fitzgerald’s The New Rules of Marathon and Half Marathon Nutrition.)
Most people burn about 90-130 calories per mile, depending upon body weight and running efficiency. So, over the course of a marathon, you can assume you will burn anywhere from 2350 to 3400 calories, with a considerable amount of these calories coming from stored carbohydrates (glycogen) and recently consumed carbohydrates. This means that the foods you consume in the days leading up to the race and the carbs you take in during the race will directly impact your ability to fuel your running for 26.2 miles.
Pre-race nutrition begins with carb-loading in the days before the race, when you want to consume up to 70% of your calories from carbohydrates, such as fruit, squash, potatoes, bread, and grains. You may want to cut down on fibrous vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli during these days, as to reduce the chances of digestive issues on race day.
Your dinner the night before the race will probably be the last full meal you consume before the race, so you want to make the most of it by eating a meal high in easily digestible carbohydrates and low in protein, fat, and fiber. You want to eat familiar foods that you’ve tried in training and know will not upset your stomach, which will be extra sensitive thanks to race-day nerves. While you want to eat a large amount of carbs at this meal, avoid eating too heavy of a meal, which can cause a poor sleep or slow your digestion, and try to eat earlier in the evening.
Your breakfast the morning before the race should be eaten 2 to 4 hours before the race—the earlier you eat before the race, the more carbohydrates you can take in. Of course, this is highly individualistic; some runners can tolerate more food on their stomach before races than others. Great sources of pre-race carbs include plain bagels, plain white rice, bananas, dry cereal, oatmeal, or toast with jam. Breakfast serves as topping off your carbohydrates stores with some easily digestible carbs.
For mid-race fuel during the marathon, Fitzgerald strongly recommends consuming 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour, depending on how many your stomach can tolerate. You can consume these calories through sports drink, gels, chomps, or a combination of these.
What does my marathon race day fueling strategy look like? Please keep in mind that I am a new marathoner, so what I have is based off of research, personal experience from half marathon, and what has worked in my training.
The Night Before:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast, a very large and heavily salted baked russet potato, and roasted squash, with dry rice Chex and a banana as evening snacks. These are gluten free, low fiber, and low-glycemic sources of carbohydrate that will provide me with easily digestible carbohydrates, minimal GI distress, and a steady release of energy. I’m not a fan of large meals before a run, since those can be hard to digest; I’m saving that for my beer, burger, and fries after the marathon!
The Morning of:
2 hours before: Dry rice Chex and a banana. This is what I’ve done in training and it works well for me. Nothing to upset the stomach, but also enough carbs to fuel my run.
15 minutes before: 1 GU.
During the race: 4 GUs, at miles 6, 12, 18, 24, with an extra GU on hand if needed. Once I start a GU, I take a “sip” about every half mile until it’s gone, so each GU usually lasts about 3 miles. Again, my focus here is having a steady stream of energy without any stomach issues. This has worked for me in training really well, so fingers crossed for race day.
As for hydration, I have practiced drinking water every 4 miles on my goal pace runs and long runs, so my plan for the race is to drink water every four miles or according to thirst.
Portland Marathon Training Week 17
Monday: 9 miles on the treadmill, 1% incline: 1 mile warm-up, 6 x 1 mile at half marathon effort (7:35, 7:35, 7:38, 7:40, 7:39, 7:35), 1 mile cool down. I was tired and just not feeling this run, so I kept my pace on the slower end of the prescribed range.
Tuesday: AM: 8 miles easy, 9:09/mile. PM: 30 minutes of strength training (this routine + extra core work).
Wednesday: 12 miles: 1 mile warm-up, 10 miles at goal marathon pace (7:51/mile average) , 1 mile cool down. This was my last workout and last double digit run before the race!
Thursday: 7 easy and hilly miles, 9:25/mile.
Friday: 8 miles easy, 9:02/mile, immediately followed by 20 minutes of recovery yoga.
Saturday: AM: 8 miles on the treadmill, 0.5-1% incline, 8:43/mile. PM: 8 miles of hiking, 1800 foot elevation gain.
Sunday: Rest day.
52 miles running, 8 miles hiking
Questions of the Day:
What’s your race day fueling strategy?
How was your running this week? Did anyone race?
What’s your favorite post-race treat?
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I need to work on practicing my fueling strategy. I have been eating very little before my long runs, but I need to practice eating something more like what I will do on race day. Bananas always work well, and I’ve tried oatmeal a few times lately. I’ve never tried dry rice chex, maybe I’ll look into that. I don’t know how you can handle holding a gel in your hand for 3 miles! Once I open it I usually finish it within a 1/2 mile just because I feel like its all sticky and I hate getting it on my hand.
I’ve heard great things about oatmeal before runs, but that’s always been too much food for me – I don’t like to eat a lot before runs either. You should try the Chex (or other cereal like Cheerios) – it doesn’t have any fiber or give that feeling of a full stomach, which is nice!
Maple bacon!? Hmmmm not sure how I feel about that one! What I do feel good about is how prepared you are for Portland, it is exciting to see, and I am rooting for you! 🙂
Thank you so much, Tina! That means so much to me! 🙂
I actully have a pretty decent sized breakfast before my marathons. I’m not 100% sure how I’ll handle it this year, as many of my runs have been broken up. But I’m sure I’ll figure it out!
I know you will! I’m impressed you can handle a big breakfast before a marathon – I can’t take too much food before running, much less with any race day nerves!
My favorite post-race treat is either ice cream or a latte (maybe pumpkin spice…) depending on the race weather. It has to be pretty cold for me not to want ice cream, though…
I’ve never thought of chex cereal before running or racing, but that’s a really good thought. I like chex cereal and it is very easy to digest but provides carbs, so thanks for the idea. The best thing to do is always find out what works for the individual but you have some good suggestions.
You would love the St. Louis Go! race I did in April – they hand out frozen custard afterwards from the best ice cream place in St. Louis! I like the Chex cereal because it doesn’t have any fiber and doesn’t feel heavy on the stomach, plus being easily digestible – hope it works for you if you try it! 🙂
I typically go into marathons fasted, taking in my first fuel around mile 14. I take 1 Gu at 14, and then walk through aid stations and take half a Gatorade, and a full cup water at every aid station (roughly every two miles) from mile 18 on. I ran a tune-up half on Saturday which again, I did fasted, no fuel throughout the race, and was able to run a 1:29 which I was happy with. It seems that training is going well and progressing to where it should be. Best post-race meal. LOTS AND LOTS OF PIZZA!
Your half marathon time is amazing – congrats again! It makes sense to fast for it if you’re going that fast, since fuel is really only needed for runs over 90 minutes. And YES to pizza – lots of it!
I try not to eat anything for 3 hours before the start of my race. So I set my alarm for about 4 hours before I am supposed to run and I eat two packages of sugary oatmeal, and a mug of coffee and cream. Then I chug a bottle of electrolyte drink, and then I spend the next couple of hours going to the bathroom. Then RIGHT before the start of the race, I take a few gulps of electrolyte drink. During the race, I only drink electrolyte drinks (no water) at as many aid stations as I can (I just get down a gulp at each one) and I have a Gu at mile 10, and at mile 15 or 16 and that’s it.
Coffee is such a must before a race! It sounds like you have your race nutrition nailed! I wish I could do electrolyte drinks, but my stomach and Gatorade are enemies and most races offer Gatorade. Although a lot of the ones here offer Nuun!
Good luck! Sounds like you’ve done a great job testing out your fueling and are ready to go! Excited to hear how it goes–and how you get to celebrate afterward with that well-earned beer, burger and fries 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂
I’ll eat just about anything as a post race treat. It all depends on what I’m craving!
I don’t like to eat a lot before any run or race. For my last marathon I had two pieces of cinnamon raisin toast with PB and a cup of coffee about 2.5 hours before the start. Throughout the race I took in Clif Shot blocks – I went through two whole packs of them during the marathon (12 pieces total, or about 4 servings). I took them at random intervals – 2 here, 1 a little bit after, then wait a while, then two again, etc. I don’t like to drink a lot the morning of the race so that I only have to pee once before the start as opposed to like 4 times, but what’s key for me is hydrating like crazy in the 3 days leading up to it.
I can’t believe your race is this weekend already! I’m so excited to see how you do!
Yes, pre-hydration is such a good point! I hate drinking a lot of water before a race (or even a long run) because going pee every ten minutes is just not fun race morning. And thank you – I can’t believe it’s here already as well!
I have only done half races but these are great tips for those distances as well. My fave post race treat is pizza or pancakes. I am all about the carbs! looks like a great training week for you!
Thank you! Definitely works well for the half – I fuel really similar for the half as well. And pancakes are so delicious after a race!
Great tips!
I’m also not a fan of large meals the night before a run, I find I do better if I eat lighter, earlier and nothing that sits in the tummy too long:)
Your the first person I have met who also trains to drink every 4 miles or as thirsty. I always tell people I drink every 4-6 miles (as needed) on training runs, and unless it’s a super hot race I quite often skip water stops if they are every mile or every two and just drink as needed. I think that says a lot about your training and knowing your body!
Post race, it varies, Pizza is always a great choice, but as bad as it sounds an Ice Cold Pepsi for me can be the best post race treat!
Sounds like you have really honed in on a fueling strategy that works for you! I am all about simple, quality carbs and have found a moderate versus large meal the night before works best for me- sweet potato with brown sugar, grilled chicken and spinach. The morning of I eat half a plan bagel with some jam 2 hours before. You must be getting so nervous and excited!! You’re going to do great!
Thank you so much, Angie! I definitely agree with you on the simple, quality carbs and moderate meal – it’s good to be gentle on our stomaches before the stress of a race!
Ah, what an exciting week! Good luck, Laura! I tried using Gu when I trained for my marathon, but cereal worked much better for me. My stomach couldn’t handle Gu, unfortunately.
I’m starting (very slowly) to pick up my running. I ran around Green Lake tonight and it was gorgeous!
Thank you so much, Lauren! It is so interesting how different fuels work for different people – I know several people who love Hammer and Honey Stinger gels, but those upset my stomach and don’t give me much energy. Cereal is always great! I’m glad to hear you’re picking up you’re running – isn’t Seattle so beautiful for running?
Great info. I can’t gel during a long run–actually, I can only do liquid fuel. I drink Tailwind–one 24 ounce bottle per hour. I have a lot of tummy issues, and I’m glad to have found this fuel.
I’m glad you found what works for you! I’ve never heard of Tailwind, but it sounds great and liquid fuels are so easily and quickly absorbed.
Your night before and morning of are really similar to mine. I want to try rice chex, might have to test it out with my 22 miler because rice is usually good with my stomach and a banana feels like not quite enough, 2 bananas feels like overkill!
I hope it works for you if you try it! Rice is always an easy food for me, but a bowl of rice has never appealed to me so early in the morning, hence the Chex. I am prone to stomach problems when I run and the chex doesn’t cause any issues for me like bagels or toast can.
Great piece. Oat seems to go in harmony with my stomach, but I’m going to try dry rice Chex and see how it feels.
Hey’ Great tips and diet plan for runners in marathon . This will really helpful. Thankyou for sharing this valuable information.