Half Marathon in just over a month, couple of questions

Gustov

Gustov

Gustov

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Joined
30 May 2008
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Hey guys,

I'm running the Miadenhead half marathon in just over a month's time.

I've been training for a while and can run the below distances in these times (on road)

5km - 21 mins
10km - 48 mins
21km - 1 hour 52

However recently I've found it's actually getting harder rather than easier. I'm running 2/3 times a week- usually around 10km each time.

I find running SO much easier in the evening which is infuriating as the run is at 9:30AM.

Could somebody please let me know what I should be eating the morning before a run? What should I be drinking? (How much water?)

Do you recommend I drink when running? Should I take something beforehand to increase my performance? I usually have 3 x gluten free bits of toast with peanut butter. (Please note I don't eat gluten)

How important is the meal the evening before?

Thanks guys!
 
Gustov said:
.....

Could somebody please let me know what I should be eating the morning before a run? What should I be drinking? (How much water?)

Do you recommend I drink when running? Should I take something beforehand to increase my performance? I usually have 3 x gluten free bits of toast with peanut butter. (Please note I don't eat gluten)

How important is the meal the evening before?

Thanks guys!
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This you first I guess...?? Don't worry about it being a morning run, I'm the same and hate running in the morning but on race day it wont matter. In the morning stick with what you know i.e. pb & toast a few hours before the start.. sip water up until the start, but not a lot. I have a strong coffee and a lucozade sport (waters boring) after breakfast and during the race I'll have a mouthful of water from every drink station except the first.

Until then maintain a sensible diet, don't worry too much about the evening meal the night before (just eat something complex carby that's not going to give your stomach grief) and dont change anything last minute.

No need to over think the food/drink thing and good luck :)
 
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I struggle with the morning ones as well, because I'm not much of a breakfast person early in the morning. Just a bowl of porridge for me before that sort of distance and I'll start to eat bananas to make up the gap if I start to get hungry before the event. Gluten free, you could try a rice based porridge or semolina pudding? I also run quite well on a bowl of full fat Greek yoghurt with a few teaspoons of strawberry jam mixed in.

I usually drink water on the way round and I sweat quite a lot. When I've done more intensive endurance events I'll take a bottle of watered-down Lucozade sport to keep me going. It's a bit sweet and sugary for me by itself, but with about 1/3 water in it it's great.

I don't know how long you've been running, but you're maybe tiring yourself by running that sort of distance so regularly. Perhaps try dropping your regular runs to 5k and do one long slow one at the weekend. This is what Runner's World usually recommend.
 
I prefer running in the evening to morning and do all my training then. I only ever run in the morning if it is a race or I'm doing very long runs for marathon training. Adrenalin tends to kick in on race day and you will find yourself naturally running faster - so train when you feel you get the best results/performance.

In terms of race day I always eat a couple of pieces of toast maybe with some peanut butter then I start hydrating. I don't go in for sports drinks (don't like the taste and have never performed better having drunk one). I like to be up at least 3hrs before the race so I've got plenty of time to take on liquids. During the race I will normally take on water at most of the water stations.

When I was younger I tended to eat pasta the night before but to be honest I just now eat normally but without eating too much.

In terms of your training. Twice a week is not frequent enough. Personally I run 4 or 5 times a week when training for an event. The important thing though is to vary the intensity and distance of those runs.
 
I don't run in the morning unless its race day. With those times you don't have much to worry about.

As for diet and drinking. I've been running seriously for 15 years. I took on board the advise that was given to me when I started out and it's safe to say that looking back it was rubbish. I used to drink a fair bit, I cut the drinks out and times improved. As for eating only you know what you can eat without getting an upset stomach and dodgy bowels during a run, eat what you like banana, porridge, fry up.

In short - experiment, get a bit of experience and you'll be fine. And largely take what people tell you to do with a pinch of salt.
 
For me, I like a big bowl of porridge with some dried fruit and golden syrup about 90 to 120 minutes before a half or marathon. En-route to the start I'll have a bottle of sports drink, but try not to drink anything in the last 30 to 45 mintues before the start as there are ALWAYS queues for the toilets.

Being on a gluten free diet makes things harder for you. I'd try to rehearse race day a couple of times before the race to see what works for you personally.
 
i dont think it does! if he cant perform when he wants to.....

he has said "I find running SO much easier in the evening which is infuriating as the run is at 9:30AM."

so optimize your training so u perform at the time u want...

change it if your not getting what you want .. as in go to sleep at diferent times wake up at diferent times until u perform at max at the right times...

change your routine. if u cant perform at the time u want to modify ur lifestyle so u can .


basic stuff if u need to perform at 9am make sure u can perform at 9 am not at 6 pm..

look at your sleep cycles.. nutritional cycles training time etc etc
 
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I guess you aren't much of a runner... Training in the morning is NOT the same as racing in the morning.

You dont need to consider sleep cycles, nutritional cycles etc etc. Train when you want and race when you have to. I can't/don't want to train in the morning as I hate it and I don't respond well to it. Yet if I perform in the morning I do rather well ;)
 
craarc said:
i dont think it does! if he cant perform when he wants to.....

he has said "I find running SO much easier in the evening which is infuriating as the run is at 9:30AM."
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I think most studies on optimal time for training to run have shown that 4pm - 7pm is the best time. Race day preparation is a different matter.

Most road running races occur in the mornings just because of traffic management issues.
 
doesnt seem so for him from the original post maybe for most it maybe at 4pm - 7pm but if he finds it hard to run at 9.30 but thats when he has to changes need to be made..somewhere.
 
Gustov said:
How important is the meal the evening before
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Very important imo, eat a well balanced meal of meat or fish and fresh vegetables, for gluten free carbs sweet potato would be a good choice, some fats too from butter or coconut oil, I find the MCT's in coconut oil are excellent for endurance running, take a couple of tablespoons before the run with breakfast. For breakfast, bacon and egg or fish with more sweet potato, plenty of water.
 
smit101 said:
Very important imo, eat a well balanced meal of meat or fish and fresh vegetables, for gluten free carbs sweet potato would be a good choice, some fats too from butter or coconut oil, I find the MCT's in coconut oil are excellent for endurance running, take a couple of tablespoons before the run with breakfast. For breakfast, bacon and egg or fish with more sweet potato, plenty of water.
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Christ on a bike!
 
Given the nonsense I post in running threads I'd just like to point out that most of the nonsense is based on 20+ years running. Along with the fact that I (an old man) am most probably quicker, over any distance, than 99.5% of people on this forum. Dispute this and I am always willing to stretch my legs alongside you.

Ahhh, it's probably the beer talking.....
 
I feel a race coming on :D

smit101 said:
Very important imo, eat a well balanced meal of meat or fish and fresh vegetables, for gluten free carbs sweet potato would be a good choice, some fats too from butter or coconut oil, I find the MCT's in coconut oil are excellent for endurance running, take a couple of tablespoons before the run with breakfast. For breakfast, bacon and egg or fish with more sweet potato, plenty of water.
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He's training for a 'fun run' half marathon not the world record. And on all that I'd struggle to even walk to the start line.
 
TBH I agree with what firstborn is saying here.


Running a half marathon is not that much of a struggle for most people and, if you have done even a small amount of running, can be done with about 2-3 months of training tops.

Personally, I went from running the odd 2-3 mile run 1-2 times a week to doing a Half Marathon in 2 months and, IMHO, in a reasonable time for the short amount of training.

No special diets the night before or in the morning - just my usual porridge with banana that I have most mornings. Hell, I even had a heavy drinking session on the Friday night and did the run on Sunday....



My point is the Half Marathon distance is not a distance to worry about diets or anything else. Just do what you normally do and you'll be fine.
 
Exactly. I could see you struggling if you'd had a large donner kebab and chips the night before, but only because it would still be sat in your gut digesting the next morning. My usual night-before routine is not too much alcohol (I'd probably have none before a half), normal food, but nothing too heavy or fatty. Roast chicken and veg is a common one for me. Get a good nights sleep :)
 
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