Last week, we kicked off the Virtual Running Buddy idea and asked you to send in your questions. This week, we take on the first two questions.
Question:
What should I eat before and after a run? Does it change depending on temperature/conditions or how long and far I run?
-Raymond (@Spiffster)
Photo by Sheffield Tiger
Answer:
Nutrition before and after (and even during!) a run is very individualized. What works for me might not work for you.
However, there are a few generalizations that can be made. For instance, eating a fatty, greasy meal before a run probably isn’t the best way to get started.
In general, you’ll want easily-digestible carbs before and during a run and carbs and protein after a run. Typically, my pre-run meal is oatmeal. If I will be running for more than 90 minutes, I might consider taking in some additional carbs during the run in the form of Gu gels, Honey Stingers or Shot Bloks. Feel free to try “real” foods like pretzels, bananas or honey. Just try to stay away from high fiber foods mid-run (trust me on this). After a long and/or hard run, I usually recover with chocolate milk, since it’s in the 3:1 – 4:1 carb to protein ratio recommended by experts.
In addition to nutrition, hydration is an important aspect of “fueling” a run. As you sweat, you lose water and electrolytes. Replenishing these things will go a long way in keeping you feeling strong during and after a run. Don’t forget to continue rehydrating after you are back from your run.
The longer the run, the more critical these things become. Of course, all of this advice is to taken within the context of a healthy, well-rounded diet.
Here are some general guidelines that I tend to follow:
Runs of 30 mins or less: Don’t do anything special, except maybe bring water on hot days.
Runs of 30-90 mins: Eat 200-300 calories of carbs before the run and definitely bring water, regardless of outside temp. If it’s a hard run, recover with about 300 calories (16 oz or so) of chocolate milk.
Runs of 90+ mins: Make sure to hydrate well for at least 24 hours before the run. Avoid a high protein or high fat dinner the night before (consider carbo-loading). Eat 200-300 calories of carbs before the run. Bring water and nutrition for during the run. Recover after the run with about 300 calories (16 oz or so) of chocolate milk. Eat a meal within 90 minutes of returning, emphasizing carbs but being sure to include protein as well.
More resources:
Runner’s diet: food as fuel
One of About.com’s “10 Mistakes Runners Make” is Not Fueling Properly
Runner’s Guide to Nutrition from McMillan Running
Question:
I’m training for the Lakefront Marathon. I ran it last year, and in my training I completed one 20 miler and one 22 miler. The marathon went well. This year I was thinking about skipping the 22 miler because so many people say it is physically hard to recover from anything over 20 so close to race day. Other people I talk to have said 22 is important for breaking through the mental ‘wall’ as well as the physical. What do you think?
-Anne (@bananza)
Answer:
You say you have run a marathon before. How did the effort required to complete the marathon line up with your expectations going into it? Many training programs have the longest long run max out at 20 miles (some even max out at 16 or 18 miles). Do you feel that you need the psychological benefits that a 22 mile run would give you? Or, are you comfortable with the distance mentally, but are concerned about your physical abilities?
If you want/need the mental boost of running 22 miles in marathon training (or any run over 10 miles for a half, etc), I say go for it. But do so CAREFULLY (run slowly and take breaks if you want or need them). Pushing yourself too hard in training could result in an injury close to race day. If you’re mentally comfortable with the distance/time you’ll be running and don’t have any aggressive time goals, I’d say there is no need to go beyond 20 miles for a marathon, 10 miles for a half marathon, 5 miles for a 10K, or 2.5 miles for a 5K. Of course, as always, this is just my opinion. Here is what the experts say:
In Hal Higdon’s “Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide” the question of “What is the best long-run training distance for marathoners?” is addressed.
Marathoning The Hansons’ Way – Smashing the myth of the 20 miler
Runner’s World answers “A marathon is 26.2 miles long. Why is my longest training run only 20 miles?”
Think I got something wrong above? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments. Have a question you’d like to have addressed? Send it to marty@fitmilwaukee.com. Remember that if you would like to ask your question anonymously, to mention that in the e-mail.
Excellent advice as always, Marty! I would only add that you should stay away from experimenting with your nutritional routine on race day. Try different gels, foods, etc. on training runs and see what your GI system – or taste buds – can or can’t handle then.
Great point Joe! The old “nothing new on race day” advice should definitely include food and drink (as well as any equipment). If sports drinks and/or nutrition will be available on the course, it’s a good idea to test those out in training, too.
Thanks for the advice… and I do love some chocolate milk. Those were some great questions that were asked and even better answers, thanks for also linking to additional resources.
Thanks Raymond! I appreciate the question. I wanted to offer “this is what works for me” as well as “this is what the experts say.” The best answer for you will need to be determined, but hopefully you’ve got enough resources to get started testing things out.
Re: the 22 Mile question, I’d like to point out that 2 of the 3 additional sources cited mention that 20 is the limit for beginners. An experienced marathoner (is that one marathon? 3? Definition cloudy, ask again.) can push that up to 22-23 miles. Personally, I topped out at 20 before my first marathon, 22 for my second, and because of a Garmin fail, 23.6 for my third (should have been 22). I have never felt injured or improperly rested due to the additional miles – the taper on my plan (an Intermediate plan, so the proper build-up is built-in as well – another important consideration) seem to take care of that.
I DO think it’s good mental training for the full 26.2, though. One source mentioned that at 22, you get to quit just as you hit the wall, or words to that effect. I disagree. By training up to 22 (and beyond), I believe I was better prepared to ignore the wall – or at least push past it.
As Marty said, it comes down to the runner. What I know about Anne, she should have the base to be able to crank out 22, but only she knows for sure it’s worth the risk. As I said to Marty last Saturday on the issue – on a 22 I’m more inclined to take walk breaks and/or water/fuel breaks if needed because I know I’m pushing the edge at that point and really need to listen to my body. But personally, I put full faith in the plan I follow. If it says to run off a cliff, I figure out how high a drop-off needs to be to be considered a ‘cliff.’
Best of luck, Anne. I think you’re lucky in that there really is no wrong answer here.
Nice work, Marty.
BTW, I didn’t mean to completely ignore the other source which tops out at 16 miles. Since I don’t know that plan at all, I didn’t feel I could comment on it. I’d have a lot of doubts/questions facing 10 unknown miles in my first marathon, but they seem to have a history of success to point to, so I’m not going to judge.
Thanks for the answer, Marty! In answer to your question I felt last year that I trained really hard going into the marathon and my experience was a good one. I honestly thought the 22 was just so I would know what to expect in the later miles, and that I wouldn’t need it the second time around because I know what to expect from a marathon now. I wouldn’t call myself an advanced runner by any means, Oblivion, if anything I’d put myself back in the beginner category. So by that thinking I would skip the 22. I’m concerned physically because after my 22 and after the marathon I got sick last time. I appreciate all the helpful links you’ve shared, thanks so much Virtual Running Buddy! And thanks for the input Oblivion!
Great information, I too have found that there is a lot of mis information on the internet about running. I find that by regular small runs and wearing my belt i can lose weight at the same time.