Nutrition before running

[Grog]

I second KSH: I'd suggest looking in what you eat the night before.

You could perhaps also try some honey or jam for a "real food" feeling. However it shouldn't kick in for at least half an hour, so if you really want to run "first thing" in the morning you should have some reserves to dip into...

Experiment some more and keep us informed! Maybe that time you bonked was just that: one time. Try going for a run without but take a gel or something with you, perhaps? I like Bloks (clif) because I can have them one at a time and they don't make a mess in my pockets if I don't finish the whole 6-pack...

[Wahine]

OTG - as much as I agree with KSH and Grog in most cases, I do think that yours is a little unique. Having said that, you still have to consider carefully what you are eating the night before.

As you said, because you are a big girl you burn more calories in 30 min than I would in 1 hour. Also, I seem to remember that you have a really hard time keeping your HR down. This would suggest that you are working at a higher zone and may be using up your glycogen very quickly because you can't work at a level that allows you to burn fat as a larger proportion of your fuel.

I have two suggestions. First, start learning how to make you own smoothies. You can easily make really good ones that are gluten free. I use yogurt, which I think you can have and you can substitute soy or rice milk for regular milk. These work really well for me. If I only drink 8 to 10 ounces, it holds off the wolves (I'm hungry all the time) and I can still run pretty hard without my stomach getting upset. Becuase it's pretty much liquid, your body should be able to digest it quickly, but ideally you would have one 30 to 45 min before running.

Second. As hard as this is for me to tell you right now, slow down or go back to a run walk interval so your body can use more fat as fuel and your glycogen stores won't be depleted so quickly. I know you have only just gotten to the point where you can run 3 miles in a row, but maybe you should save that for your one hard run per week right now.

I would also suggest trying some different gels. I'm an accelerade girl myself.

[Grog]

Ah! Wahine is so wise. All she writes seems very right.

Smoothies sound like a smart solution, too, and a tasty one to boot!

Good luck OTG. Keep us posted.

[rocknrollgirl]

OTG..consider trying Hammer gels...they do not have simple sugars in them. I switched over to their products last fall, and I have been very happy.

[KSH]

Here is what I found in Runners Magazine:

"One of the biggest nutritional mistakes I see runners making is back-loading their day", says Nancy Clark, author of Food Guide for Marathoners: Tips for Everyday Champions. Clark notes that even experienced athletes often eat too little at breakfast and lunch, only to find themselves famished in the evening hours. The result? Erratic running performance. Instead, start your day off with at least a400-600 calorie breakfast that's high in carbs but also offers some protein and good fats. Think oatmeal with a dollop of yoguart or some trail mix with nuts and raisins.

[violette]

I run at noon, so at around 10am, I'll eat a small banana. But make sure to drink as much water as possible before your run. I try to drink at least 3-250ml bottles. I try to drink them before 11am.

Works for me.

[KnottedYet]

When I run, it's in the morning. Usually before I eat, or depending on my work schedule it may be an hour or two after I eat.

Always I have my coffee. (first thing I do when I get up is make coffee. I am an addict. Caffeine is my friend)

If I'm hungry but need to run RIGHT THEN I will eat a few Clif Bloks. Nice thing about the Bloks is they don't upset my stomach and they don't send my blood sugar on a roller coaster. (and you don't have to eat a full serving, like with gels) No gluten.

Larabars are my other fuel of choice, but they are too heavy for me
to eat before a run. As noted, also no gluten. Costo sells 'em by the case. SKnot eats them, and I have to hide some for my bike rides.

Mind you, my morning runs are only maybe 30 minutes tops. My morning bike rides (where I really do need to eat first or I bonk badly) are 3 hours or so.

[Deborajen]

OTG I seem to remember that you have a really hard time keeping your HR down. This would suggest that you are working at a higher zone and may be using up your glycogen very quickly because you can't work at a level that allows you to burn fat as a larger proportion of your fuel.

This is interesting. I, too, have trouble keeping my HR down and sometimes have trouble "hitting the wall," although not as much lately. I was tested for diabetes a year and half ago and found out that my blood sugar tends to stay at the low end of normal. Maybe I use up glycogen quickly in a similar way. What works for me is consuming Gu in smaller increments more frequently than is recommended. It seems to keep my energy level steady.

For a first a.m. run, I usually eat half a banana 10-15 minutes before starting and that seems to work. Haven't paid much attention to what I eat the night before, but that tends to be my most balanced meal - ?

Guess we're all different. Hope you find something that works for you.

Deb

[VeloVT]

My stomach is normally pretty sensitive -- have to wait at least two full hours after a meal to run, GU (though not all gels) predictably upsets my stomach, as do some energy drinks. But I can have a powerbar -- the original, gooey, taffy-like, not very good tasting kind, I think they're called Powerbar Performance -- 20 min before running without trouble. This might be worth a try?

Yogurt is ok for me 5-10 min before a run for easy/moderate runs, but I find it will upset my stomach if I go for a really hard, fast run.

[KSH]

My stomach is normally pretty sensitive -- have to wait at least two full hours after a meal to run, GU (though not all gels) predictably upsets my stomach, as do some energy drinks.

Just curious... does sensitive = side cramps?

My coach has told me that I should try to run an empty stomach to see if that gets rid of my side cramps. My first test is today... no eating 2 full hours before I run. It this doesn't work, I go for 3 hours.

[roadie gal]

I second the caffeine BIG time.

But if I have to run on an empty stomach, I have a serving of my Infinit Nutrition sports drink a few minutes before I head out the door. For running, my solution has 256 cal/20 oz and 1.5gm of protein. So far, this has worked well with my stomach. If my run is over an hour, I'll carry a half serving with me as well. The liquid has been better for me than even a gel.

[VeloVT]

Fig Newtons, in moderation, might also be digestible shortly before a run... or... I'm a little ashamed to admit this because they're COMPLETE JUNK, but I've been way into using Nutragrain bars as pre/mid workout snacks lately. I'm taking a "triathlon conditioning" course and the Tuesday night sessions run from 7-9, first hour is hard spinning and second hour is in the pool. Because of the timing I end up not eating a real dinner, but having a large snack and hour before and a small snack in between spinning and swimming. Nutragrain bars work great in between, they go down quickly and easily and basically they're high-fructose corn syrup held together with a very small amount of real food, so they go into your bloodstream really fast.