Pre- Marathon Meal

Bowl of oatmeal, maybe a bagel, banana,  Baker Breakfast cookie ,  and must have the cups of coffee.  At least two hours before race start.

Remember, nothing new to the system the morning of.  Stick with familiar foods.

I think as long as you aren't eating within 90 minutes or so of the time you start your run, you'll be fine.  If it works for you in tri's, you'll probably have similar results for your runs too, so I would stick with it.

Here's what I had finished 3 hours pre-race start for my only stand-alone marathon:

oatmeal--@2 servings, Ensure plus, Clif Bar, OJ & coffee

This is probably @1,000 calories or so.  I seem to eat more than most people, but I'm bigger than many of them and it seems to work for me.  YMMV and all that...

What you MEANT to say was about 3 hours before ......... ;-P

I may eat something like a Clif Bar and a banana when I wake up just to slake the hunger a bit as long as it is far enough away from the start time, but I usually run empty ...... I will take a Gu about 45 minutes before the start and another while waiting at the start line right before going along with an energy drink (Gu20 or Vitamin Water usually).

Actually, no.  Of course, I realize that there are certain "rules" that exist regarding degestion and how things break down and when is the best time to consume food before a workout (and I won't even pretend like I know much about it).  However, from personal experience, if I were to wake up in the morning, and eat a PB Bagel at 8am, I'd rather go for my run at 9:30 and not 11:00.  By the time 11:00 rolls around, I'm already hungry, and I hate working out when I'm hungry.  Perhaps I'm not getting the best benefit from eating 90 mintues prior, which I think is what you are pointing out, but from a standpoint of how I feel during that 16 mile run, it is what works best for me.  I know that I sure couldn't roll out of bed and do 16+ miles on nothing but gel and gatorade.

True, for you that may work, but you are one of the lucky ones that doesn't have that result in GI issues.

Conventional sports nutrition wisdom says no solid food between 3 hours and about 5 minutes from the start for the express purpose (as you noted) that with blood flow and body focus on digestion that your performance will be sacrificed a bit even without the usual GI problems people have by trying to excecise in the middle of their digestive process.

I guess I am so adapted to running on an empty stomach in the morning that it doesn't bother me.  What's weird is when I do my lunch runs on Weds. that I am usually famished even though I'll have eaten my normal breakfast (a Clif Bar, a Power Bar Harvest bar, a bottle of Vitamin Water and a cup of Earl Grey tea).  But I don't feel hungry doing an 18 - 20 miler in the morning when I don't eat anything. :shrugs:

Well, no wonder you're famished!  That's not breakfast.  It's a snack!

yeah, that's actually  my dilema. I just make a cup o joe and hit the road. Figured that aint gonna cut it at MCM. Even this saturday I don't see my self waking-up  and eating at 4 am then heading out at 7 am for that 18 miler.  or maybe I should. 

That PB and bagel is sounding better and better

I'd say i'm in that 2-3 hour prior window. But for local races it's been less. Probably over analyzing anyway. I'm staying 1/4 from the start. So I can eat early enough, drink my coffee than leave most of it back at the room anyway

Appreicate the input nonetheless. Thot maybe I'd try something different on these last few LSR's.  

I've always eaten before racing, but just re-read Hammer's nutrition guide and followed their suggestions for my first-ever 18-miler.  I rolled out of bed, had a glass of water, then started my run and started my nutrition plan 15 minutes into it.  I was hungry when I left the house but they were right that the feeling went away while I was running.  I sipped gel or perpetuem every 15 minutes and ended the run feeling great.  The 16-miler that I had done the week before didn't go  nearly as well.  I did it again with a later-day 20-miler last week (ate 3 hours before the run) and it worked again.  I'd say give it a try on one of your long runs and see how it goes.

OTOH, I ate a PB bagel and bottled coffee before every tri this season (almost always less than three hours before) and did just fine too...  as others have said, YMMV.

That thing should be mandatory reading for endurance athletes and is a bible for nutrition information ........ that is where I get the majority of my nutrition stategies/understanding from.  It was really enlightening to read the articles ......

Just remember that while there is some good info in there...there is some self-serving marketing BS too.