Meals while training for a half marathon?

[MarketingHU]

Hello, it’s me again. Leilah, from HealthUnlocked. Thank you for all your great music suggestions - I'll be sure to link the final playlist here Today I’m looking for those willing to share some training tips around nutrition and eating when preparing for a half marathon.

What is your go-to meal when training? Any foods to limit/avoid? What do you eat before a half marathon? Tell me in the comments below.

Your suggestions will be featured in a blog post on HealthUnlocked and Inverness Half Marathon official website.

Thanks everyone

[SlowLoris]

Healthy balanced diet. Nothing extra and no changes leading up to race day.

Having said that, I'm just about to tuck into a Pork Pie but I've always been better at giving advice than following it.

[misswobble Marathon in reply to SlowLoris]

ha ha! I like the pastry! You can keep the middle bit LOL

[ju-ju- Marathon]

Its been a while, but I would eat well the week before and generally aim for healthy food...

[misswobble Marathon]

I think this has been covered on here often. There's probably a sticky post

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to misswobble]

Flapjack! 😊😊😊

[misswobble Marathon in reply to roseabi]

😁

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

Food is an individual thing, and it's best to experiment and find what works for you personally.

I tend not to worry too much about what I'm eating during training, but I do like to time hard runs to finish in time for a meal, and I try to make sure it is a balanced meal. This helps keep me going for the rest of my day, I find, and stops me from snacking so much. I always eat at least an hour or two before a run to give the food a chance to go down, and if I am going a longish way (>15k) I take fluid and some sugar with me (sports drink usually, and a gel and/or jelly babies for the longest runs).

Around race day it gets a bit more important! In the couple of days leading up to the race I cut down on fibre and avoid chillies, to avoid unpleasant loo breaks during the race 🙄 On the night before the race I find that pizza margarita works for me, and for breakfast on the day I find peanut butter on toast or with a bagel is nicely substantial. I have a gel or a few jelly babies roughly halfway through a half marathon. Immediately after a race I like chocolate milk, and always have a bottle of Yazoo in my bag-drop bag - this is the only thing I have ever found palatable after a full marathon! I like it after a half marathon too, though, and it contains enough protein and carbohydrate to top up the reserves 😊😊😊

[GoGo_JoJo Ultramarathon]

I worry less about what to eat before any long run as during and after. Fuelling and hydration on the way round and the right recovery foods are my key components.