Food to eat for an early morning run

[Misstrolly]

Hi all. I normally run late afternoon but I am planning on doing the 20 minuter of w5r3 tomorrow and I need to get it done and dusted in the morning as I have a day of social activities planned for the rest of the day.

My question is, I'm never really hungry when I wake up and normally make do with a cappuccino and wait for my appetite to kick in about an hour or so after that. If I need to set off on this big ol' run quite early, I feel I will need some sort of fuel about half an hour before I set off. Do you think a Dorset cereals cereal bar with nuts would be enough? (I've run out of bananas!) it's about 137 calories and is about all I can stomach first thing.

[CaroleC Graduate]

Hi Misstrolly,

for a 20 min run plus five mins warm up and cool down I'd not bother with anything to eat unless you feel you can't do the run without any fuel. I can do up to an hour on empty but everyone is individual. It's twenty minutes, and if you have a snack fairly late on the evening before, I can't see that it will be a problem.

CaroleC

[Misstrolly Graduate]

Thanks Carole. I deliberately had a jacket potato asart of my dinner tonight too. Does the carbohydrate stay in your system overnight, enough to run the next morning?

[hacw]

Well i hate to say this but if i were you i would either re arange your day and stick to your normal time for your big wk5r3 or just redo wk5r2. Only cos your body and mind are not used to running first thing and mentaly W5R3 is a 'BIG' achevement and i wouldnt want to risk the mental torment if i couldnt sucseed or the phyisical injuary due to pushing too hard. You mention 'that you need to get it done and dusted' Your mind may not be on your running if your thinking about the rest of your day?? I am an evening runner and i would redo a session.

GOOD LUCK what ever you decide let us know how you got on

[Misstrolly Graduate in reply to hacw]

I see where you are coming from with this, I already repeated wk5r2 at the weekend and i would prefer to run in the evening as usual, but I just won't have the chance to run, then shower and recover from red face when I have my visitors here I'll see ow strong I'm feeling tomorrow and let you all know what the outcome is

[shelleymcb Graduate in reply to Misstrolly]

good luck

[blueboots Graduate]

When I run in the mornings I eat a small bowl of dorset cereal as I can't run on empty. It will be a nice change to run in the morning especially if you are enjoying the same sunshine as we are, it should still be cool enough in the morning. Good luck with the 20 minutes, just take it steadily.

[CaroB Graduate]

I normally can't function if I don't eat first thing but when I started running (in the morning) my daughter told me I would get a stitch if I ate first so I don't. I just have a cup of tea and I am fine. Suprisingly it takes at least half an hour after my run before my body wants food.

[Greg_M Graduate]

I am like Carole and run easily enough on empty if I go first thing so long as I have had my tea the night before.

post wake up glass of water and out we go.

[didntrunthat Graduate]

I'll maybe have a couple of gulps of a sports drink, even a cereal bar tends yo come back up on me :/

[carcassonne Graduate]

I haven't done anything like the runs you have - only up to week 3- but I always run (and do other exercise) in the morning on nothing but water. I find my appetite takes a while to kick in, and then when I get back I have something really filling (e.g. baked beans on toast) and it tastes twice as good! Good luck (or, perhaps, I hope it went well!)

[AliB1 Graduate]

I just drink about half a pint of water or maybe a little more and then i'm straight out the door. couldn't face anything else at the time i get up to run!!!

[Misstrolly Graduate]

Thanks for all your answers guys, I guess it comes down to all of us being so different with our body rhythms etc. I bought women's running magazine yesterday ( I cannot believe I did, what on earth is happening to me!) and the was a feature about all these gels you can get that give you energy before and during a big run. I have to say that they do look quite sickly but might consider them in the future when I'm doing m 10k in July. There was also a feature about European running events, I saw a midnight run in Tromsø Norway which looked brilliant as well as a northern lights half marathon /10k. I'd love to do something like that.. What are your thoughts on running holidays?