What to eat before a 4.5 mile race?

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2013-03-27 11:43 PM

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Subject: What to eat before a 4.5 mile race?
Hey there BT. Any suggestions on what to eat before a 4.5 mile race? I haven't been running very consistently throughout the winter, so I'm doing this race to complete it, not to PR. Still, I always like to run my best. I'm not much of a bread person...would half a banana, a rice cake and nutella be appropriate? With water, of course. Maybe a small coffee, but I'm not much of a coffee drinker, either.

2013-03-28 6:55 AM
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Subject: RE: What to eat before a 4.5 mile race?
How long between waking time and the start?  That would probably dictate my answer.  The closer to the race that I'll be eating, the higher the glycemic index of my meal and faster digestability I'll want.  Don't know you well enough to know if a banana would be enough...I'd probably have my usual Egg McMuffin, but there's bread on that.  Banana and a little peanut butter maybe...granola (not usually recommended for daily intake).  Oatmeal if you have time to digest it.  You don't need much...just enough to top off the few hundred calories worth of glucose you have floating around. 
2013-03-28 7:57 AM
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Subject: RE: What to eat before a 4.5 mile race?

You don't need much for fuel, just some easily digestible food to keep you from getting hungry before/during the race. I'd just do a light version of your regular breakfast, and make sure to avoid anything that wouldn't sit well if you ate it before a training run. Everyone's different, but for me, I'd avoid too much fiber, fat, or protein, as well as chocolate, wheat and dairy products. Those haven't worked well for me before training runs, especially hard efforts. But if you can tolerate Nutella, great!

Banana and rice cakes would probably be fine, if you've eaten them before training with no problem. My go-to foods are generally oatmeal, Cliff Mojo bars (brown rice based) or an oatmeal-based bar, and/or a banana, plus a small cup of coffee.

2013-04-18 1:43 PM
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Subject: RE: What to eat before a 4.5 mile race?
Hot Runner - 2013-03-28 7:57 AM

You don't need much for fuel, just some easily digestible food to keep you from getting hungry before/during the race. I'd just do a light version of your regular breakfast, and make sure to avoid anything that wouldn't sit well if you ate it before a training run. Everyone's different, but for me, I'd avoid too much fiber, fat, or protein, as well as chocolate, wheat and dairy products. Those haven't worked well for me before training runs, especially hard efforts. But if you can tolerate Nutella, great!

Banana and rice cakes would probably be fine, if you've eaten them before training with no problem. My go-to foods are generally oatmeal, Cliff Mojo bars (brown rice based) or an oatmeal-based bar, and/or a banana, plus a small cup of coffee.

Ditto. I usually do a banana and a 1/2 gatorade, plus some coffee. You really don't need much. 

2013-04-18 2:20 PM
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Subject: RE: What to eat before a 4.5 mile race?

GreenMtnLabbit - 2013-03-28 12:43 AM Hey there BT. Any suggestions on what to eat before a 4.5 mile race? I haven't been running very consistently throughout the winter, so I'm doing this race to complete it, not to PR. Still, I always like to run my best. I'm not much of a bread person...would half a banana, a rice cake and nutella be appropriate? With water, of course. Maybe a small coffee, but I'm not much of a coffee drinker, either.

Race day is not the day to make a change up.  If coffee is not part of your normal AM routine or normal training routine, best to skip it on race day.

My staple pre-race breakfast for anything 90 minutes or under is oatmeal consumed roughly one hour before race start.  I have massive trouble with GI distress and oatmeal is the one food I can rely on 100% of the time to avoid all GI trouble or cramping......even if I have to eat it within minutes of starting a training run.

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