Run S.M.A.R.T.
Menu
Login
  • Custom Training Plans
  • Private Coaching
  • Dr. Jack Daniels
  • Running Calculator
  • Coaching Staff
  • News & Updates
  • Contact Us

Marathon Nutrition

October 16, 2009 By Run S.M.A.R.T. In Nutrition tips /  

As part of our Marathon Nutrition Series, Run SMART coach, Alicia Shay, has put together some tips and suggestions for the Day Before the race, Race Day, During the Race and the Day After.  If anyone is interested in signing up for a nutrition consultation with Alicia please check out the Run SMART Nutrition page. Today we bring you the first part of our series:

Day Before:

1. Only eat foods that you are used to eating.

2. Pace your calories throughout the day. Eat three meals and 2-4 snacks (peanut butter and jelly sandwich, muffin and an apple, etc.) Preferably, front load the beginning of the day with a hearty breakfast, moderate lunch, small dinner and snacks mixed in between.

3. Add extra carbohydrates throughout the day. This can easily be done by adding an extra serving of carbohydrates to every meal and having a couple of snacks that are mostly carbohydrates. Focus on rice, pasta, bread, bagels, oatmeal, cereal, potatoes, and yams…not high sugar snack foods.

4. Don’t eat a huge serving of pasta and bread right before you head to bed!!

  • Eat an early dinner, somewhere between 4-6 pm.
  • Eat a dinner that similar to what you would normally eat the night before a hard long run or workout.
  • While pasta is a good form of pre-race carbohydrates, you could also have rice, pizza (with little to no cheese), sweet potatoes, potatoes, tortillas, etc.
  • In addition to carbohydrates, include in your meal moderate protein (3-4 oz. fish, meat or a vegetarian form or protein), moderate amounts of unsaturated fat (1/2 avocado, 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, Salmon is also a source of unsaturated fat, 2 Tablespoons salad dressing, nuts, seeds, etc.) and a small salad.
  • Eat a moderate sized dinner and then a moderate sized snack before bed (this could be leftovers from dinner) rather than one large meal. If you eat too much food right before bed you will have trouble digesting in before your early morning race.
  • PRACTICE! Try eating your preferred pre-race meal a few times leading up to your marathon to make sure that the your stomach does not get upset on your run the next morning.

5. Drink a little extra water throughout the day (around 1 liter) to accommodate for the extra carbohydrates that you are consuming. Don’t drink sports drinks or other high sugar beverages to hydrate, save these drinks for the race!

Tags:
Alicia ShaymarathonMarathon nutritionnutrition
Marathon Nutrition Series Part II
Hector Rivera Qualifies For The Central American Games

2 Comments

  1. Pingback: Marathon Nutrition - During the Race | Run S.M.A.R.T.
  2. Theo
    October 6, 2013 at 5:52 pm

    On your day before marathon page you give examples of pre-race carbs. Why do you recommend “pizza (with little to no cheese)”? Is it just cheese that should be avoided or all dairy products? Thanks

Comments are closed.

Archives

  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • November 2007

Meta

  • Log in
All rights reserved.