Eating before a run

NTA

Make sure your snacks are fairly moist, as you're going to dehydrate quickly and start getting bowel cramps if you're not hydrated enough. Hence the gel comment - cyclists use them a lot

taniwharugby

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Eat a couple of hours before the race - nothing too heavy. Get some magnesium tablets in too for muscle relaxation and cramp prevention. 
Keep fluids at a fairly high level, because once you start to work you won't need to piss. Grab some gel packs to scoff about 10km in so you can kick on. 
Are they supplying any fluids on the trail?
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Yeah I think there are a few stations along the way, but think they are well along the way.
 
Gu energy gel is what I was told to get.
 
I guess my biggest concern is about emptying myself, the time of the run means I should be fine, but when I have run early in the morning before, I have used a lax the day before or take, er, provisions with me on my run to deal with it, but am hoping the 9.30 start means it wont be an issue.

Hooroo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="571648" data-time="1460407811">
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Yeah I think there are a few stations along the way, but think they are well along the way.
 
Gu energy gel is what I was told to get.
 
I guess my biggest concern is about emptying myself, the time of the run means I should be fine, but when I have run early in the morning before, I have used a lax the day before or take, er, provisions with me on my run to deal with it, but am hoping the 9.30 start means it wont be an issue.
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I was told (When I trained for a Marathon a few years ago) that you shouldn't use those gels on the day unles you ahve used them in training, i.e. don't try anything new on the day

Cookie

If you're planning on consuming gels during the race, have a look at what the going rate is for running. You can only absorb so much carb at a time - in cycling I think it's around 60-100g per hour. The rest is just wasted sugar, and I know a lot of people get nausea/indigestion if they over do it. 
So it's good to have a fixed rate in mind, eg one pack per hr and keep the intake steady over the course of the race because it's easy to forget/lose track. Also you might want to factor in a caffeine gel to push you through the last few miles!

taniwharugby

I guess my biggest issue with it, is this is my first (likely to be my last) of this kind of run, so tough to say what I would normally do.
 
I have a 2L camelpack, that I expect I will use by the halfway point and be able to refill there for the return journey. Being bale to drink while running is new to me, let alone eating anything...I would probably only be looking at a single gu anyway, again, I'd plan on consuming at halfway.
 
So is all new territory for me any which way you look at it.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="571649" data-time="1460410089">
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I was told (When I trained for a Marathon a few years ago) that you shouldn't use those gels on the day unles you ahve used them in training, i.e. don't try anything new on the day
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Fucken amen to that. I'm not a runner ( obviously ) but like many enthusiastic smashers of tin I've always been keen to try other kinds of supplements. Creatine boasted all sorts of benefits but all it did to me was make me shit through the eye of a needle on many occasions one afternoon at work. I remember Anton Oliver saying it did nothing for him either and he's the kind of bloke who just looks at a weight bench and puts on muscle.

JK

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="571739" data-time="1460436086">
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Fucken amen to that. I'm not a runner ( obviously ) but like many enthusiastic smashers of tin I've always been keen to try other kinds of supplements. Creatine boasted all sorts of benefits but all it did to me was make me shit through the eye of a needle on many occasions one afternoon at work. I remember Anton Oliver saying it did nothing for him either and he's the kind of bloke who just looks at a weight bench and puts on muscle.
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This happens when the creatine doesnt disolve probably prior to drinking and it fails to get absorbed correctly.

SammyC

Lydiard said that the best pre race meal was a couple of slices of toast and honey, and a black coffee, 2 hours before the race. Plenty of National Titles and a few Olympic gold won using that advise.
 
John Walker used to have fish and chips and a 2 litre coke the night before a big race.
 
 
My advice is to just eat your normal diet, Changing things up could only pose problems, When I did ironman a couple of years ago I tried all sorts of gels in training and they all gave me huge stomach problems, don't use them unless you've tested them out in training before.

MN5

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This happens when the creatine doesnt disolve probably prior to drinking and it fails to get absorbed correctly.
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.....not only that there is a possibility I may have taken slightly more than recommended in order for "dem gainz" to appear quicker......

taniwharugby

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.....not only that there is a possibility I may have taken slightly more than recommended in order for "dem gainz" to appear quicker......
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and how did that turn out for ya?
 
Anywhoo, I'm not generally a big breakfast eater, so I need to balance that with the body needing some fuel to work with, so probably go with something simple, and not sure I'll even go with a snack for the run, sure I haven't run this distance before, but the body doesn't generally respond that well to food during exercise; there will be hydration, fruit and snacks at one of the checkpoints, so I'll see what is there and how I feel and hydration probably the most important factor.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="571832" data-time="1460511316">
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and how did that turn out for ya?
 
Anywhoo, I'm not generally a big breakfast eater, so I need to balance that with the body needing some fuel to work with, so probably go with something simple, and not sure I'll even go with a snack for the run, sure I haven't run this distance before, but the body doesn't generally respond that well to food during exercise; there will be hydration, fruit and snacks at one of the checkpoints, so I'll see what is there and how I feel and hydration probably the most important factor.
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Coulda been better......
 
There was a bit of a conspiracy theory around that Jonah and Joeli had bad kidneys from Creatine in their early days at Counties, there's no doubting that they were the biggest, scariest wing pairing on the face of the earth, particularly in that era......however an expert in my family assured me it was just incredibly bad luck and islanders are more prone to it than other races. Those two had completely separate issues in fact. 
 
If I bothered with Creatine again I'd definitely be more sensible about it but I find the odd pre workout and high protein diet do the trick.

JK

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="571828" data-time="1460510886">
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.....not only that there is a possibility I may have taken slightly more than recommended in order for "dem gainz" to appear quicker......
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And more left in the gut which would have caused you issues.
 
A lot of people used to load creatine, so 4-5 serves a day for up to a week, when they first used it. This wasnt actually required and gave major stomach cramps and toilet issues for many.
 
Micronised creatine is > normal creatine mono hydrate when it comes to dissolving and absorption so would recommend going with that if bothered to use it again.

MN5

Stuff I used was definitely of the "cheap, nasty" variety. I pinched it off my mate at work.

taniwharugby

I've never really bothered with supplements, as a bit of a goody goody, after I got given a list of banned shit (substantial list of stuff too) as a teen by the Northland Golf Association when I was playing provincial stuff, I just decided it was easier to take nothing at all - except beer.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="571845" data-time="1460513824">
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I've never really bothered with supplements, as a bit of a goody goody, after I got given a list of banned shit (substantial list of stuff too) as a teen by the Northland Golf Association when I was playing provincial stuff, I just decided it was easier to take nothing at all - except beer.
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They felt the need to give that to a golfer ?????? I know you played to a really high standard but still......very surprising.

taniwharugby

haha I know...but hey, guess they were just doing their job, and like most 'athletes', up to you to ensure what you put into you isn't in the list; IMO makes a mockery of any pro athlete that claims they didn't know, if some teenage provincial golfer from Whangarei has been given a list of banned substances.
 
Bu tthen I guess they are paying people to tell them what they shold an dshouldnt be doing as well....

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="571909" data-time="1460521205">
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haha I know...but hey, guess they were just doing their job, and like most 'athletes', up to you to ensure what you put into you isn't in the list; IMO makes a mockery of any pro athlete that claims they didn't know, if some teenage provincial golfer from Whangarei has been given a list of banned substances.
 
Bu tthen I guess they are paying people to tell them what they shold an dshouldnt be doing as well....
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Yeah the old "aw shucks I didn't know it was banned" defense is fucken tenuous, ( unless it's Warnies Mum ). Didn't Walter Little get banned for some painkiller for his teeth many years ago ?

The Silver Fern

Eating before a run