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[Mixolydian]

Throughout my early life I participated in sports that took advantage of my speed. Track, soccer, football, etc.. I went to practice but didn't really have to worry about outside training, and certainly nothing focused on long distance.

Like many folks, as I stumbled my way into adulthood and eventually parenthood, exercise took a back seat and I gained weight. Once I hit my 30s, I decided to stop screwing around and dropped all the weight I had gained. Also like many folks, the weight loss was through calorie restriction and constant exercise, but with something foreign to a former sprinter: running long (ish) distances.

I now love running, but very much consider myself a newbie at it. I run 3-5 miles a day (started with couch to 5k), and recently entered Conquer the Gauntlet to test myself.

It was amazing. My biggest problem, however, was my peerage meal. I followed a meal from a race buddy, and it did not sit well with me after the race, and I threw up 30 mins after.

The meal was essentially carbs and 20 oz of water 4 hours before the race (oatmeal, yogurt, banana, bread with PB); 20 oz of Gatorade and some nuts 2 hours before; 20 oz of water and energy chews 30 minutes before.

I tasted the damn Gatorade (some reflux, not vomiting) throughout the last half of the race, and it was annoying as hell. Didn't affect my performance, but it was certainly a bother.

I know that this is all a learning and feeling out process. What works for others may not work for me, etc.

Any race vets mind chipping in with what works for you?

 

[KiKaL]

Depends on the race.

I generally will try and eat heavy carbs the night before and even stick to eating a good amount of carbs the days approaching a race. This really only matters for longer races. A 5k really isn't going to need to hit your body's energy reserves.

The day of, I wake up and will do oatmeal and coffee. I usually try and have coffee immediately to umm...help clear my system. I will drink some water, but I mostly focus on hydrating the week up to a race.

This routine is for obstacle course races ranging from 5miles to 14miles, (Spartan Races). I do the same though for half marathons and plan on doing it for the full I have coming up.

Edit-

What length of race was the following for? Seems pretty good for a half+ but quite a bit for anything below.

The meal was essentially carbs and 20 oz of water 4 hours before the race (oatmeal, yogurt, banana, bread with PB); 20 oz of Gatorade and some nuts 2 hours before; 20 oz of water and energy chews 30 minutes before.

 

[RyanDG]

I usually try and have coffee immediately to umm...help clear my system.

Oh man - this would kill me before a race. I mean - I get why you do it... But the thought of drinking coffee the morning of a race makes me shudder. I have to usually fight with myself on long backpacking trips to even make coffee in the morning before hiking the next section. I need it, but something about coffee before physical activity is always tough for my system.



For mornings of races, I've generally switched primarily to green tea. It gives me a bit of energy and calms my system a bit. It also can help settle an upset stomach a bit if for whatever reason something you decided to eat in your pre-race meal decides it wants to act out against you.

 

[Mixolydian]

Depends on the race.

I generally will try and eat heavy carbs the night before and even stick to eating a good amount of carbs the days approaching a race. This really only matters for longer races. A 5k really isn't going to need to hit your body's energy reserves.

The day of, I wake up and will do oatmeal and coffee. I usually try and have coffee immediately to umm...help clear my system. I will drink some water, but I mostly focus on hydrating the week up to a race.

This routine is for obstacle course races ranging from 5miles to 14miles, (Spartan Races). I do the same though for half marathons and plan on doing it for the full I have coming up.

Edit-

What length of race was the following for? Seems pretty good for a half+ but quite a bit for anything below.

It was like a warrior dash kind of. 3.8 - 4.1 miles with 27 obstacles of varying difficulty. Running is the easy part of this one.

www.conquerthegauntlet.com

 

[Mixolydian]

For mornings of races, I've generally switched primarily to green tea. It gives me a bit of energy and calms my system a bit. It also can help settle an upset stomach a bit if for whatever reason something you decided to eat in your pre-race meal decides it wants to act out against you.

Oo, good idea. Didn't even think of that.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

If it's for south-east Asians, you'd probably be expected to include rice. Of course depending on where in Asia they're from, you can customize with the appropriate meat or veggies.

I've heard Whites like mayonnaise, and you'd probably be safe with a cold-cut sandwich of some sort.

 

[akira28]

If it's for south-east Asians, you'd probably be expected to include rice. Of course depending on where in Asia they're from, you can customize with the appropriate meat or veggies.

I've heard Whites like mayonnaise, and you'd probably be safe with a cold-cut sandwich of some sort.

What about the Irish?

 

[Mixolydian]

If it's for south-east Asians, you'd probably be expected to include rice. Of course depending on where in Asia they're from, you can customize with the appropriate meat or veggies.

I've heard Whites like mayonnaise, and you'd probably be safe with a cold-cut sandwich of some sort.

God dammit, I even thought about changing the title to head these posts off, but oh well. I received two quality posts. Ha!

 

[waypoetic]

I prep with being hydrated. And eating a big dinner, like something with pasta; vegetables, pasta, bacon, some grated cheese on top etc and I'm set for a couple of hours. For breakfast it's oatmeal, of course. No coffee.

I don't run btw, I'm a road cyclist.

 

[KiKaL]

Oh man - this would kill me before a race. I mean - I get why you do it... But the thought of drinking coffee the morning of a race makes me shudder..

I just recently started doing it after having it recommended to me. I have noticed a pretty significant change since doing it. I started doing it before my early morning Sunday long runs also. I have always to run in the morning and it seems to really help get me going.

 

[Ghost23]

For that short of distance, you really don't need to carbo load the night before. Carbo loading is more for a marathoner and less a 5k'er. For 5ks, I used to eat some oatmeal and toast three hours before the race and that's it. No energy chews or anything. Oh and of course hydrate constantly.

 

[Mixolydian]

For that short of distance, you really don't need to carbo load the night before. Carbo loading is more for a marathoner and less a 5k'er. For 5ks, I used to eat some oatmeal and toast three hours before the race and that's it. No energy chews or anything. Oh and of course hydrate constantly.

Including obstacle races? Seeing as how I run 3-5 miles almost daily, I'm inclined to agree that I may have overdone it. Maybe I overestimated how much energy I'd use with the obstacle portion of the race.

 

[Late Flag]

For breakfast, just eat whatever you would normally eat on mornings that you run. Why fix it if it isn't broken.

This just another application of Rule #1 of running: Nothing new on race day.

 

[Chorazin]

For OCRs like Tough Mudders or whatever, I usually pick up a big greasy breakfast sandwich when getting gas in the morning, then on the way there eat a quest bar like a half hour beforehand. Nothing crazy, they usually have power bars and bananas on the course for a snack.

 

[KiKaL]

Including obstacle races? Seeing as how I run 3-5 miles almost daily, I'm inclined to agree that I may have overdone it. Maybe I overestimated how much energy I'd use with the obstacle poration of the race.

I'd say Obstacle Course are definitely a different beast. When deciding what I need for an OCR nutrients wise, I look at how much time I will be on the course. It seems to be a much better benchmark than distance since like you said, the running isn't always the most taxing part. Even that type of event makes a difference. A Spartan Sprint versus a Warrior Dash or a Spartan Super/Beast versus a Tough Mudder are very different in the amount of physical toughness.

 

[RedNalgene]

For breakfast, just eat whatever you would normally eat on mornings that you run. Why fix it if it isn't broken.

This just another application of Rule #1 of running: Nothing new on race day.

This is your answer. You need to test out your pre-race meal before the race. What works for one person doesn't work for everyone. For instance, I hate coffee before a race - it upsets my stomach too much. What doesn't bother my stomach is PB on a bagel or english muffin and a banana. Simple foods, but it took me lots of tries before I found the mix that worked for me.

 

[Mixolydian]

This is your answer. You need to test out your pre-race meal before the race. What works for one person doesn't work for everyone. For instance, I hate coffee before a race - it upsets my stomach too much. What doesn't bother my stomach is PB on a bagel or english muffin and a banana. Simple foods, but it took me lots of tries before I found the mix that worked for me.

Yup. I said as much in my initial post, but thought I'd put my feelers out for suggestions. Besides a few posts, the input has been appreciated.

 

[Fewr]

I did 30k this weekend (3.5hrs), and had some sugary bread and biscuits the night before, then a banana and a protein bar a couple of hrs before the event. Don't want to eat too much the night before because then I have to think of toilets, etc.