Nutrition before running

[Offthegrid]

I've done two runs before work, and learned a lesson each time. First, a single packet of Gu is not enough. Second, two packs of Gu at a time make my stomach feel sick while running.

What do you eat before a run -- particularly if you run first thing in the morning? (Unfortunately, PowerBar or Cliff Bars are not an option for me because of gluten, but Larabars could be. Just haven't tried it yet.)

[Grog]

I don't eat before running first thing in the morning, unless I have a 1-hour + run planned, in which case I'm likely to try to ingest a little bit of granola, perhaps even with some yogourt, 90 minutes or more before the run.

What do you mean when you say that one packet of Gu is not enough? Did you feel weak? What didn't work for you? What did you eat the night before?

[KSH]

For a morning workout... I would think that is you took in good nutrition the night before and didn't wake up hungry, you could go without any food in your tummy... especially for a run under an hour.

I was talking to my tri coach last night... and he was suggesting that I stop eating hours (2 hours?) before I run... to try to fix my side cramp issue. He said that the food you eat right before you run, doesn't do any good... because it doesn't have time to digest.

If you are doing a slow run, your body will use reserves to pull from to power your body.

He said it's odd learning how to run on a hungry stomach, but it's perfectly fine. I will test this out and see how true it is! Although, when I run hungry, I lose energy.

Maybe you should try some sort of liquid nutrition... although... for a run under an hour... you should be fine with just water. ????

[rocknrollgirl]

I do not eat before I run in the morning. It makes me sick to my stomach. Even if I am hungry, I wait. If I run in the afternoon, I make sure I do not eat for several hours . If I have anything, just a Hammer gel.

[limewave]

I can usually stomach about a half of a banana or half a bowl of instant oatmeal. But I have to have that first thing right when I get up so it has 10 to 15 minutes to settle while I'm getting ready. And I always warm-up with a slow 1/2 mile in the mornings before I take off.

[Offthegrid]

I had the one packet of Gu last time, and I bonked BIG TIME. I could barely walk up the stairs to buy something to eat. This time I tried two packets of Gu, and it upset my tummy.

Keep in mind I burn 500-550 calories when I jog because I'm a big girl. I'm not sure if the standard 1-hour formula applies.

I think banana is next on the list -- that's a good idea. I'd love to try a small slice of banana bread sometime, but I'm out of my gluten-free special flours and can't get more until at least next weekend.

In the past I've pretty much been able to eat whatever on the bike, so this is a bit of new territory. I can't ever eat right before swimming, though, or I do get sick, but I've never bonked while swimming.