How much Yum Yum is enough Yum Yum?

[mrrun]

How much fuel do we need to run 21K? It turns out that this slice, smaller than it looks as it's on a small plate, is just enough for me. Running on little fuel provided the water tanks are full and a daily diet healthy and varied, is more than doable. Do you also go simple or do you delve into haute cuisine to power your runs?

[SlowLoris]

Decent cup of coffee does me.

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to SlowLoris]

I bet! Although I love coffee, I can't run on it. Btw, I knew the gent from your profile pic.

[SlowLoris in reply to mrrun]

My favourite restaurant.

[misswobble Marathon in reply to mrrun]

Milk pre-run upsets me but I don’t mind an espresso ☕️

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to misswobble]

Can't do any milk, not my thing. My pre run breakfast has been the same for years now (green tea, boiled egg, sometimes a toast). This was my son's lunch leftover. I don't bin anything so that was put to good use. 😉

[Grannyhugs 10 Miles]

I don’t do your length of run but the majority of my runs up to 2hrs are done before breakfast on a pot of tea, if I’m feeling a bit hungry half a banana, but I’m ready for porridge loaded with fresh fruit and yogurt on return. Happy running 🤗

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to Grannyhugs]

My main concern is how to replenish electrolytes and glycogen during longer runs, especially in warm weather. Winter runs I find more forgiving. I would normally eat pizza (the whole thing) afterwards!

[Grannyhugs 10 Miles in reply to mrrun]

Interesting what you say warm / cold weather. In the summer I was always ravenous after long runs, I just though I’d got used to them now. There’s obviously something in your pizza that your body craves.

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to Grannyhugs]

Pepper and sugar! 😀

[misswobble Marathon]

I like my grub on the run 🙂. I once took so much that I developed a list and had to empty my snack pocket to even myself up ☺️

In my defence, I get hungry, despite being fuelled up on porridge 🥣. I look forward to a goodly snack along the way. A reward for reaching a certain stage. 32km is Hula Hoops time 🥳😋🏃‍♀️

I do pick low-hanging fruit as well should the opportunity present 🍎🍒🍓

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to misswobble]

I can't eat during the run. Even during the marathon and the 50k the only concession was a small choc bar and electrolyte drink powder that I mixed with water for hydration. Afterwards I ate like an animal for several days. 🥴

[misswobble Marathon in reply to mrrun]

I eat lots the week after too. Homemade curry and chilli usually feature 😋

[SlowLoris]

This chap has some interesting food choices. forestgrumpblog.wordpress.com/

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

I’m someone who needs food no matter what I do and little and often works for me. I can’t eat huge amounts of food in one sitting but I’ll graze throughout the day.

Learning about fuel and long runs has been interesting for me and I’m still discovering things along the way. My ideal long run would be to stop half way, have a snack and a coffee and run on 😂 I did find out recently, by accident, that I can run 20K on a bowl of porridge from six hours earlier. Normally I’d run that distance a few hours after eating so it was good to know that I don't need that much. But I felt very hungry during it so I won’t repeat it. Weirdly I can’t eat much afterwards either, it’s the day after that I get my appetite back 😋

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to Irishprincess]

We often can't eat after long runs because the flow of blood goes where it's needed the most, i.e. running muscles, abandoning places where it's not needed that much. That's why you see people puking when eating during marathons or ultras or fainting after they finish with a sprint. I enjoy sharing that info here. Some other platforms are less kind. I had ultras asking me what's wrong with me, why would anyone need to stop for eating or drinking during a 50K run, haha. One guy repeatedly asked me why I needed anything at all before the half. Oh well, never mind. 😀

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to mrrun]

Yes I’ve done the “bend over to throw up” thing a few times at the end of races but I’ve not managed the full heave-ho yet 🤢 although I’ve tried very hard 😂

I guess we’re all different with what we need food-wise. But I would imagine that stopping to eat and drink during a 50K run would be the moments to most look forward to 🙂..... apart from the finish of course 🙂

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to Irishprincess]

I managed the whole of 50km on a Twix bar and electrolyte powder drink. I stopped to buy fresh water from corner shops and would then mix the powder in, otherwise I was on the move throughout. It's amazing what a good training plan can do, as well as a good diet. The night before I carbed up with pasta and meat and that saw me through. The day after the run I started feasting for days, anything I could put in, I put in, and layered it with beer. They tell me that the 75km business and longer is a slightly different game. Hopefully I will find out. 😜

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to mrrun]

Those Twix bars have a lot going for them..

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Tbh, I can't eat quality chocs when running. The cheaper tooth breaker with more refined sugar, the better. We'll deal with angry dentists later.

[Curlygurly2 Half Marathon]

I have found that cereals make me wheeze, and indeed give me that blood sugar crash, so these last few months I've been running on empty - well, after my usual bucket of tea...I tend to avoid carbs if I can, certainly in the morning, and I rather like not eating breakfast, and the hr zone training I've been following has made me so that I'm rarely hungry even after a long run.

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to Curlygurly2]

Intensity is one of the keys. I normally run a half on Sunday and if I go slow in cardio zone 2, I finish fresh and feel I can go on forever. Last time I simply ran as fast as I could and felt different afterwards. More tired, more hungry, muscles more stiff. I simply spent more energy and that's when I needed more pre-run fuel. We all get there through trial and error.

[Curlygurly2 Half Marathon in reply to mrrun]

That's interesting to know thanks. I'm following a HR zone training plan (yes, still plodding along at it!) and probably need to eat something before the Z4 or interval runs. I'll have a play around and see if it helps.

[Hidden]

I once had a Marmalade sandwich, when running around Paddington. . .Otherwise lots of tea before and electrolytes waiting when I get home (otherwise I get a migraine 🙃)

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to Hidden]

Do you always wait until the long run is finished before you take electrolytes or do you top up during the run? I don't take them unless I will be running for hours. If you suffer from headaches that could be because you've depleted your energy stores and maybe you should take energy drink sips while you're still running?

[Katnap Marathon]

Usually a few gulps of water and 2x slices of plain toast. Last 20k + LSR I had a small slice of flapjack around 14k and slowly supped a gel around the 20k mark.

[C3PO Marathon]

Generally a bowl of musli and yoghurt will keep me going for at least 10 km. I take a gel or jelly babies for longer distances. But this is pretty timely because I had a much smaller bowl of musli than usual for my lake run last week plus several errands, so it got me to wondering whether I don't need as much as I think

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to C3PO]

I started experimenting when I realized that the same distance and effort would leave me in a different state after the run. I was either fine and not too tired or not so fine and quite fatigued. I linked it to quality of sleep, hydration and stress levels. One 16km run was an effort, but a HM soon after was very comfortable. It's very interesting how the body reacts to all those factors that, combined, influence our running. I guess I've found something that will keep me occupied for a long while. 😉

[GoGo_JoJo Ultramarathon]

Depends on the time of day; lately I'll set out several hours after a breakfast of crumpets with almond butter and fruit but my latest in run fuel is Tescos wheats, small shreddies filled with either apricot or blueberry jammy stuff. High carb, not too high in sugar, great fuel, 6 to 10 of those every hour or so works good.

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

How often do you change your pre-run food choice? Do you change it because the previous food didn't work or you're looking for even better options? Finding the right weekly balanced diet and a pre-run breakfast was not much of a problem for me. I spent more time figuring out what to take during those long runs (anything from HM onwards). What got me through 50km was just a choc bar and Tailwind but since then I only take what my wife and I put together in the kitchen 'lab'. I'll probably end up levitating at some stage. 😜

[GoGo_JoJo Ultramarathon in reply to mrrun]

I rarely change it, that's my "day off brekkie" as opposed to my "workday brekkie". Used to be avocado on toast or pb and banana on toast. I change it if I find something overall more enjoyable 🤣 our normal weekly diet is pretty good, very high in fibre, balanced protein with only the odd day high in fat (pizza Friday). No animal products.

I've given up on carb/energy drinks as they just repeat on me. I prefer eating something solid, whilst trying to avoid spending loads on so called "sports snacks" this latest find actually knocks them out of the park. For big efforts/longer duration I'll follow it up with a protein shake for recovery once home. I've yet to have any issues with recovery, no doms no particular fatigue, just a good feed, decent sleep and carry on as normal.

[mrrun Ultramarathon in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

The funny thing about energy drinks and 'sports snacks' is that you can make them yourself - but healthier. That's what I've been taking, courtesy of my wife's enthusiasm. Totally agree with you when it comes to feed and sleep. Get those right and recovery, if needed, is formality. 😀

[GoGo_JoJo Ultramarathon in reply to mrrun]

Absolutely you can make them, I'm just too lazy. Hubby has taken to making flapjacks sometimes which are great 👍🏻