Carbs, and protein, and running. Oh MY! Advise please!

[jngwright]

I am training for the ToT 10 mile using the Galloway method. I run 3 miles 2-3 times a week with a long run every other weekend. I am looking for advice about what my body needs before running..
I try to keep well hydrated and eat balanced meals. Since I am training for a night race, I am doing night runs at home as well. My question is..sometimes when I am running I feel like I am going so slow-almost running in place (lol, though I know that is not true). Other times, I have great energy and feel wonderful. What should I be eating before running for that energy? I follow up my runs with protein and gatorade and water, so am okay there I think.

I have many pounds to shed and am not a big athlete, by any means, so I am a slow runner. I am okay with my average speed, I am asking about helping to boost my energy-not my overall speed.

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[cewait]

Journal your diest and days for a couple weeks. Anything and everything that goes in your mouth should be captured. Also note your exercise and stress levels for the day and how you felt about the day. Finally add a weather note.

The picture will come clear.

 

[stargazertechie]

I perform best when I'm at a 40/30/30 macro nutrient ratio (carbs/protein/healthy fats) for my overall diet.

90 minutes before a long run I try to get a 250-300 calorie snack/breakfast of complex carbohydrates and protein in fairly equal balance. For any run over 12 miles I take gels with. After a run it's a protein bar and Gatorade cut 50% with water.

Not a nutritionist, just a former collegiate athlete who did the above during racing season (though not a running sport)

 

[PrincessV]

Journal your diest and days for a couple weeks. Anything and everything that goes in your mouth should be captured. Also note your exercise and stress levels for the day and how you felt about the day. Finally add a weather note.

The picture will come clear.

I started using a run-tracking app that records weather and there's no doubt now: my energy level is heavily dependent on humidity levels. (It's west-central FL - HOT is a given; humidity is the only thing fluctuating these days, lol!)

My experience with food as been that I can do protein-heavy breakfast, but after that I need to stick with small, mostly complex carb meals before an evening run. My go-to dinner is a small bowl of whole wheat pasta with simple red sauce, some sauteed zucchini and a little fresh parmesan. For morning runs, I never deviate from a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries. But I figured these out through trial and error - try some things and see what feels best!

 

[WeRunDisney]

Agree on the weather bit. I know it definitely impacts my performance in a big way. If I eat junk after work and then run, I can always tell. Balancing carbs and protein is usually a good MO. I sometimes grab a handful of sport beans on my way out for a run with a swig of water for some quick energy.

 

[MacyMay]

You need to first have a healthy diet, high in carbohydrates, low in fat, and sufficient but not excessive in protein. The carbs that you need to eat are complex carbos. These are absorbed slowly and give you a steady energy supply. These are the carbohydrates found in cereal, pasta, vegetables and bread.