Haven't tackled my first run yet but I'm aiming to get it done after work this evening **gulp**.
I'm one of those that generally skips breakfast (I know, but eating before my eyes have focused is a struggle!) and can even miss lunch which I know isn't going to help with the energy/motivation that I'm lacking so I was just wondering what other newbies eat during the day?
Thanks - any encouragement will be gratefully received 
Go for it, Lockie! Plan to eat after your run, and don't forget to re-hydrate! It's not a good idea to try to run on a full stomach. Get your run over and done with, then you can relax and enjoy your meal, basking in a cloud of accomplishment!
Porridge any time of day! Then an hour to let it settle before heading off. It's the food of the gods! Good luck!
I normally just make sure I have a banana about 2 hours before I run. Works a treat!
I always try to have porridge for breakfast and a light lunch (no more than a sandwich or soup). I run after work too, so might have a banana before I leave work and wait 'till after my run before eating dinner. It seems to work for me...
You already know what the answer is 
so do try to eat a balanced diet spread over 3 or 4 or more meals per day. Your body will love you for it, and it will respond to the kindness by letting your feel energetic and ready to conquer this new running thing you're throwing at it.
Thanks everyone, porridge it is!
Just done first run and it wasn't half as bad as anticipated ... but it's early days though!!
Before I started running I had quite a bad bout of disordered eating (missing breakfast and often lunch as well, no desire to eat, making myself too busy to eat) and
1. It's a really quick, efficient route to feeling truly awful,
2. It's truly, properly hard to break the habit of not eating once it starts, and
3. The good news, running is a really good way to get yourself to stop it because if you don't eat, you can't run, and if you do eat, you can. For me at least that made it seem really obvious that Food Is Important.
Anyway, rant over ( but do make a start with the running because it galvanises you into improving your eating). I eat breakfast every day (muesli or cornflakes with yoghurt), then try and have a lunch involving carbs and protein on run days. If I've missed lunch I can run on a couple of Brazil nuts, but better to have lunch at least an hour before and then run :).
Sorry if I've come across rude; you're well within right to tell me to shut up and mind my own. And running is a total joy. Get into it.
Quite a few people here run on empty, I did in the early stages, but now I'm running longer distances I find I need something to fuel it. Porridge is brilliant! I guess it depends largely on how you feel. You don't say if you want to lose weight, I'm guessing not if you can skip breakfast and lunch. For me running will make my body tell me what it wants, I'm certainly eating more carbs now.
What about food?
Running and food
Food and running 
Long runs and food
Too much food!
