Running Nourishment

What kinds of foods do you eat before running? I've found a protein shake and some Chia sesame snacks from Sunflower work pretty well. Zone Perfect bars are pretty good too. Clif bars seem great. I try not to fill up on heavy dinner stuff beforehand because I don't want it to weigh me down.

How much water do you typically drink beforehand? I think as long as you're hydrated, you're good, you just don't want to drink so much it's sloshing around inside you and making you woozy. I've found I can do 7 miles without replenishment of any sort, but I'm sure that changes if the terrain is steeper and the temperature is warmer.

If you do need to eat or drink during the run, do you find it's better to slow down and walk while eating/drinking, or do you just plow on through? I always have a hard time calling it a run if I walk or stop for anything but a shoe tie. And speaking of, what do those crazy ultrarunners do in the mountains? Do they always run the entire way up the hill? Or do they walk part way? I've heard that there's some mantra that it's better to finish slow than to not finish at all, implying they may slow down on the hills. I'd welcome that, but I'm afraid I wouldn't want to start running again after I got to the top.

A few months ago, I decided to try the paleolithic diet, or at least some of the principles (eliminate all grains and refined sugars, as well as potatoes, rice, etc., and eat a diet that is essentially high in animal protein and moderately high fat). I love it! I thought I'd miss the breads and potatoes (which I LOVE), but surprisingly enough, I don't.

I also fell off the running wagon for several months, and have just resumed it in the past week, and while on this new diet. I have to say that I have more energy while running, even though I'm not really in shape yet (just got back from a 5-mile run) than I did when I was eating the higher/high carb diet. Sounds counter-intuitive to what you traditionally hear, and what I learned when I was in college (nutritional science major), but it is really working for me!

So, to answer your question, I usually end up eating either some cheese or a handful of almonds before I go running if I'm concerned about running out of gas during the run. I usually try to drink a pint or two (my beer glass comes in real handy for this!) of water not immediately before I go, but like 30-60 min.

Otherwise, my diet now consists of eggs (we buy the vegetarian type with higher levels of omega-3 FA's in them), full-fat yogurt and cheese, lots of vegetables: salads, soups and sauteed. Also, tuna, grilled chicken, occasional steaks, salmon, nuts, and occasional fruit. Eliminate all oils/fats save for olive oil, butter and lard (which in my case, is saved bacon fat).

I find that I don't get those unpleasant energy crashes I used to when I was eating the more traditional diet.

All this being said, I think you should experiment with various foods/snacks and see what works best. If you find yourself not being able to get through a run without feeling tired, and you ate an "energy" bar, maybe try some cheese or a handful of almonds next time. I have not found that it causes me any problems to eat a high fat/high protein food shortly before I run, but again, YMMV.

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Originally Posted by Sun Dance

I always have a hard time calling it a run if I walk or stop for anything but a shoe tie. And speaking of, what do those crazy ultrarunners do in the mountains? Do they always run the entire way up the hill? Or do they walk part way? I've heard that there's some mantra that it's better to finish slow than to not finish at all, implying they may slow down on the hills. I'd welcome that, but I'm afraid I wouldn't want to start running again after I got to the top.

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Oh, I forgot to address this: Personally, I feel no compulsion whatsoever to run 100% of the time when I'm out on a run. I am not a hill runner, so I start walking when I get tired going up a hill. I find that I would rather run at whatever pace feels good and then stop and walk for a bit, rather than try to slow down so much that I'm always running. I'm sure there are a lot of runners out there that feel the need to run at all times, but I wouldn't pressure yourself to do that if you don't want to.

As far as the food/water thing goes, I only bring water if: a) it's summer; b) I'm running 6+ miles. I use a camelback with a 700ml bladder, I think. I would bring food if I were going to run 8+ miles, but not necessarily plan to eat it unless I started bonking.

I am not an ultra runner, although I've done Grand Canyon R2R's, which were 21-23 miles each way. I ran down and across and started hiking when it got steep, so I think the most I've run there would be about 16 miles. In those situations, of course, I brought a lot of food and more water :mrgreen:.

I run in the morning and never eat before a run, unless I am racing and there is going to be a few hours from the time I get up to when I am running. If I am running at home I am usually running within 15 minutes of waking up. I carry a handheld water bottle on all my runs (filled with water), and only carry food if the run is going to be longer than 10 miles. After a 10 mile run I can feel the need for food, but it doesn’t hit until after the run. If it is a race I eat my normal breakfast foods, either a protein shake, some oatmeal, toast. Nothing too heavy just something to curb my hunger.

During a race that is 26 miles or less I will carry a flask of EFS gel. I start taking some after the first hour and then about every 30 to 45 minutes. I get all my water from the aid stations. I will also carry some salt pills and a ginger chew just in case my stomach gets upset.

During an ultramarathon (I have only run 3 a 55K, 50 mile, and 100K. I have another 50 mile in March and my first 100 mile in May) I eat whatever sounds good. I carry a hydration vest and have EFS gel, energy bars, salt pills, ginger chews, and my drop bags are loaded with stuff. I also eat at the aid stations which could be anything from soup and M&Ms, to potato chips and flat coke. In an ultra whatever sounds good and will keep the calories going.

In an ultra it is completely acceptable to walk. In fact the rule is “If you can’t see over it, walk over it”. Even the elite runners walk the uphill’s. While you are going for speed, the main goal is endurance. My first 50 mile race took me just over 12 hours and we climbed 11,000 feet. If you were to run the uphill’s you wouldn’t last long. Walk the uphill’s and run the flats and down hills (if possible)

Hope this is helpful, it ending up being longer than I thought.

Carb load the night B4, eat very light prior to the run. Hydrate well throughout. Where's the run?

@Sombeech recommends a large dosage of diet Mountain Dew... :lol8: