What do you guys eat before a 5+ mile run?

[Fujichants]

So I find that I can go without food and run 4 miles comfortably. But anything after that...my stomach starts to turn on itself, I feel weak, dizzy, and lightheaded.

I like to run in the morning, and usually don't feel like eating breakfast so early when I need to get my run done before work starts. I don't really like running in the afternoon/evening because I end up with an upset stomach from all the food that i've eaten during the day sloshing around in there.

Any advice on what to eat? Thanks!

[Natural Beauty]

i like just a half bagel. Too much and i end up looking for a pit stop but a half is just enough. i've talked to others who like to eat a small apple. they said a banana is too much sugar to fast and you burn right through it.
some of my other friends swear by goo, but i've never been able to get the hang of eating that on such a short run.

[alpinerabbit]

Spoonful of rice syrup in diluted juice. and a whole grain cracker to "soak it up" a bit.

I used to try milk but I think it gave me heartburn.

[Deborajen]

Although I prefer to eat breakfast and then run an hour later, this morning I wanted to go earlier to beat the heat and get in 6 miles, so I just had whole wheat toast with peanut butter and honey before the run. It worked great. Usually before runs of 4 miles or less, I eat half a banana and sometimes a few peanut M & M's.

I've also tried Gu or another gel before a run (Hammer is my personal favorite) and those work, too. Liquid on an empty stomach doesn't work well for me. You might want to try gel or Gatorade with some crackers - those aren't as heavy as food and not sloshy as plain liquid.

Deb

[Kimmyt]

This morning I had half a bagel with butter, and a small slice of cantelope. If I have some time between eating and when I start moving, like a race morning, I can eat some cereal and milk b/c it won't be all sloshy by the time I run. But i really like the solidity of half a bagel, it makes me feel full without feeling like I have a brick in my stomach.

K>

[jesvetmed]

If I'm just getting up and going soon, I'll have a banana and water. But if I'm going to go in more than an hour, I'll have cereal, banana and soy milk, and a few bites of cottage cheese. It all seems to settle fine by an hour later.

[emily_in_nc]

A Clif bar holds me comfortably for a five-mile run.

[rbs4fun]

Most of the time if I get out of bed to go for a run, Gatorade only. But if I will be up more than 2 hours before my run, a banana or instant oatmeal works well for me.

[michelem]

This is interesting. When I run in the morning, I run on an empty stomach. Granted, I'm only running for about an hour-and-a-half and it is said that one doesn't "need" to eat unless exercising for 2 hours plus. Also, I don't bring fluids with me on my runs, but drink quite a bit the day before and when I get home and throughout the rest of the day. If I eat or drink before I run, I end up getting stomach pains andn needing to go to the bathroom . . .

I ran a 1/2 marathon late last year and sucked on Clif Shot Blocks throughout the race. That worked well for me.

[rocknrollgirl]

I can't eat before I run. If I run in the am, I go on an empty stomach. If I run in the afternoon, I have to make sure that my last meal was 3-4 hours before I run. My stomach gets really upset if I run with food in it.

[Kimmyt]

So I think the take home message for people is 'different strokes, different folks'

:)

Honestly I couldn't imagine doing a 1.5 hour run with no water at this point in the summer, but then I'm in the swamp that the Mid-Atlantic currently is. Nothing better than 80% humidity at 7 in the morning!

K.

[KSH]

When I do my long runs (10-14 miles) on the weekend, I wake up early and just go run. If my tummy is growling, I might eat a package of Sharkies beforehand.

Otherwise, I just do gels.

I have run up to 2:40 eating a package of Sharkies and some gels, in the morning.

[emily_in_nc]

If I don't eat before I run (even just a short 5K), my stomach growls and I feel really hungry. I have a fast metabolism and eat several snacks a day in addition to three small meals, which works for me. I'm petite so probably don't store a great deal of glycogen in my muscles compared to someone larger. For instance, I always get hungry on bike rides before my DH.

So yes, different strokes for sure!

Emily

[katluvr]

Interesting post as my "coach" just suggested that my feedback on my runs shows I need more "nutrition". Anything less than 5 miles and I am pretty good. I, too, like morning runs, find it hard to eat, etc. I have been trying to get more "energy" and will do a gel w/ a 5 mile run.
Now I am a very slow runnner and need to lose a few pounds so I think that I don't need the calories--I have "fat" to burn. But my coache recommends abotu 3 gels in a 7 - 10 mile run. Plus having a bit of fuel to get going. This weekend is only a 5 mile run..but next week is 8 miles...so I'll try more gels and see if I feel less like I can barely finish. I have always (and still do) struggle w/ the right amount of nutrition & calories to complete the training but lose weight. I just can't seem to find it. Then again, I think I "starve" during my workout and then over eat later (weekend pig outs!).
Interesting info here. I agree, it is individualized, but I do think I need to experiment more--see if more gels= better energy to finish and maybe even up my speed.:o

[Fujichants]

So this morning I made sure to be hydrated by drinking lots of water, and I had half a bagel with low fat cream cheese.

I had enough energy to finish my 6 mile run and then some!

I think I will stick with the half a bagel thing for anything over 5 miles.

I can't drink gatorade on an empty stomach, same goes for the gels and other energy foods such as the Cliff shotblocks. My stomach just gets bloated and uncomfortable.

[limewave]

I'm glad the 1/2 bagel seems to be working for you.

I usually go with a banana and a glass of water. When I was doing endurance runs (anything more than 8 miles) I would get up 45 minutes early, eat either a bagel (small one, not the huge bagel shop kind) or some oatmeal, go back to bed for 30 minutes and then get up and do my run.

Anything with milk or sugar was not good for my run.