What do you eat before a full?

[goofeygirl]

A full marathon is a long distance...what do you all eat before it?
I normally eat the same thing...considering we are up at 3am or even earlier, it is hard to want to eat something at that hour and hope it lasts for the duration...I know you will all gear up on your gu's and gump's and beans...but what for breakfast? I normally have a bran muffin and a banana...which is actually what I eat before a half...but a full?

The other day I was up very early and had three slices of toast with three eggs and then a short while afterwards went out and did a total of 18 miles (it was 14.5, a break and then another 3.5 later on) and I felt totally satisfied with that breakfast...it lasted me that whole 18miles..even with it broken up.
So I hope and pray that I will be able to eat that exact same meal the morning before the full...like at 2am...

So for the full...what is the meal plan? Esp for slow pokes like me where we will be on the roads for a long time....something that will keep the energy going and last?

 

[cewait]

Good topic…

From a coach’s perspective, now is the time to figure out what you will want to eat during marathon weekend. There are several schools of thought on pre-race meals. What they have in common are:

1. Something in the 200-600 Kcal range,
2. Light, easily digestible,
3. Eaten 2-4 hours pre-race
4. Taken with a bottle of water and or coffee
5. Must be resort room ready (we are DVC so less pressure on DVC folks... but at one time you found me shopping for bagels the day before the race.)

Since we are all an experiment of one, the what’s in the meal is of less importance. Well, it’s only important to you. If you try something and you feel overly full or end up looking for a bathroom 30 minutes into the run, you need to move on to something else. I find that from year to year, tastes change and the body’s reaction to certain foods change as well.

For me personally, I get up around 0200-0215, have a cup of coffee and shower. I will then have a toasted bagel with cream cheese (the only time I have cream cheese), some fruit, a glass of OJ and start on a bottle of water. While eating, I obsess about the day on the Weather Channel or will alternate with the 10 “Must Do’s” on the tube. We usually leave the villa at 0310-0315 and arrive at the race 20 minutes later.

So the follow up question here is ....

Shower or not? I do mainly because I did the first time I ran the marathon and, well, why risk bad mojo.

 

[dragitoff]

I've changed a few things over the past year or so with my pre-long run/race breakfast, but now I eat a pack of peanut butter crackers about 90 minutes before running. It's enough protein that I feel full and ready to go, but not so heavy I have stomach issues. I have a pretty sensitive stomach in the morning so this seems to work well and it travels well.

 

[jmasgat]

For me, it's instant oatmeal and a banana. I just can'teat much before a race since my GI tract is usually in some form of rebellion due to nerves.

And I eat the same thing before any race--regardless of distance. The pre-race meal is just to"top off the tank". Eat well the days before and fuel properly during the race and you'll be all set, regardless of distance.

 

[paxsarah]

I do pretty much the same thing regardless of race distance (well, I'll run a 5k or 10k with no solid breakfast beforehand). Refrigerator oatmeal with some sliced almonds prepared with almond or coconut milk, and coffee, around 2-3 hours before race time. Then 30-45 minutes before the start I'll drink some GenUCAN, which is also my race fuel - lately I've been using the plain version mixed with coffee for the pre-run drink.

 

[WhereInFlorida]

I am impressed with the 3 pieces of toast AND 3 eggs before your training run.

 

[Diskidatheart]

What works best for me is having a banana and peanut butter before my long runs, or short runs for what it's worth. I wash it all down with some water. My body appreciates the consistency and since it works during training, I'm hoping that it will work before the marathon as well.

I'll use Roctane Gus and Shot Blocks during the race. I try to get about 30g of carbs every hour and use those specific products because they are higher in sodium, which I need as I turn into a salt lick after my runs .

 

[goofeygirl]

I am impressed with the 3 pieces of toast AND 3 eggs before your training run.

Yes me too! I never had that before a long run....I just felt like poached egg on toast...three. About an hour later more or less I went outside...I didn't feel out of energy or lethargic or having this desire for sugar...or weak...I felt satisfied...so I think I found my pre race full marathon meal!

As I mentioned, I normally have a muffin, a banana and a coffee...but I had to change that...for an early morning race...the coffee part...I end up stopping at countless pop's because of it..so no matter how desperate I am for coffee, it will have to wait. In fact, the last race I did not drink any coffee and it was motivation to finish the race...just for some DD coffee! I finished the race and ended up drinking two large coffees!

I am staying at the Dolphin. This is good because they have that all night buffateria and I can put in an order for three eggs on toast...anytime...2am? No problem. There is someone at the station and someone at the checkout.
Coffee? No way. Will have to wait till after the race...and I mean all of them.

 

[cewait]

An old school ultra runners breakfast is a can of white potatoes... I have tried them while cycling but do not think of them except when a topic like this comes up.

Not a bad choice..

160 Kcal with a good sodium and potassium load.

 

[goofeygirl]

My aunt (rip) used to put those canned white potatoes on her salad...very good.
I never ever thought of them for anything else...really never think of them at all but its something to consider.

 

[bumbershoot]

I try to get about 30g of carbs every hour and use those specific products because they are higher in sodium, which I need as I turn into a salt lick after my runs .

you and me both! I'm not training for a Full but just the other day after 9.5 miles I was glad there were no deer in the immediate vicinity, I was so salty! The margarita, 3x sodium, shotblocks are excellent for me!

As I mentioned, I normally have a muffin, a banana and a coffee...but I had to change that...for an early morning race...the coffee part...I end up stopping at countless pop's because of it..

That combo of BRAN muffin and coffee would absolutely do me in.

And now you make me wish I'd chosen the Dolphin because a 24 hour buffeteria with eggs? Yum!

An old school ultra runners breakfast is a can of white potatoes... I have tried them while cycling but do not think of them except when a topic like this comes up.

Not a bad choice..

160 Kcal with a good sodium and potassium load.

Intriguing. Alas, Half is as far as I think I want to go, so it's not really "ultra" for me.

 

[flatlandcycle]

The infamous Tour de France-Postal riders had egg whites and rice every morning during the tour.

...and the A-Team lunch bag.

 

[wiigirl]

For me, it's instant oatmeal and a banana. I just can'teat much before a race since my GI tract is usually in some form of rebellion due to nerves.

And I eat the same thing before any race--regardless of distance. The pre-race meal is just to"top off the tank". Eat well the days before and fuel properly during the race and you'll be all set, regardless of distance.

 

[taratru]

One of two things for a half or full, depending on what I'm craving:
*two egg whites on a piece of toast with a little butter
*a banana sliced on top of peanut butter on top of half a sandwich thin

 

[JimB.]

Toasted bagel + Peanut butter and an apple. That's about it.

An old school ultra runners breakfast is a can of white potatoes...

Without intending to be offensive to anyone, but....

And I use Accel Gels exclusively during the run.........

 

[belle2211]

I guess I really need to work on this. I am not a morning person. And I do my long runs in the morning. So lately all I've been taking before runs is Energybits. They've been doing well for the 15 miles so far. I just know that I can't eat right before running (need a few hours) and I cannot make myself get up 2 hours before an early morning run! Gah! What do I do?

 

[cewait]

The infamous Tour de France-Postal riders had egg whites and rice every morning during the tour.

...and the A-Team lunch bag.

Plus a little juice and gel

 

[taratru]

I guess I really need to work on this. I am not a morning person. And I do my long runs in the morning. So lately all I've been taking before runs is Energybits. They've been doing well for the 15 miles so far. I just know that I can't eat right before running (need a few hours) and I cannot make myself get up 2 hours before an early morning run! Gah! What do I do?

For training, I get up and eat and then go back to bed.

 

[FFigawi]

Bagel & peanut butter about 2-3 hours before the start. Sipping Powerade until an hour before the start. That's what I aim for anyway.

 

[paxsarah]

I guess I really need to work on this. I am not a morning person. And I do my long runs in the morning. So lately all I've been taking before runs is Energybits. They've been doing well for the 15 miles so far. I just know that I can't eat right before running (need a few hours) and I cannot make myself get up 2 hours before an early morning run! Gah! What do I do?

I probably go against the conventional wisdom with this, but when I have to do an early morning training run I don't eat a solid breakfast, I only drink my GenUCAN around 30 minutes before going out, and then if it's a long enough run I'll also bring fuel on the run. I frequently do shorter training runs (for me, 1:15 or less) completely fasted.

I know the breakfast thing works for me because when I start my runs later and/or get up earlier for a race, I do eat that breakfast 2-3 hours beforehand - it's as much to stop the inevitable stomach growling and fuel whatever activities I'm doing during that 2-3 hours than the run itself. But I've done plenty of long runs (and bike rides) without it.