With only 8 day until the Pittsburgh marathon, anticipation with my clients is building!  Although I totally understand the excitement, I’ve had to press the DON’T PANIC BUTTON a few times this week.  I’ve received many questions from clients (and non-clients) about what to eat the night before.  Hopefully you’ve been practicing your fueling plan during your long runs and already know what you’ll choose.  Here are some additional questions I’ve received regarding fueling for a marathon.

Q: Should I Carb Load?

A: The goal with carb loading is to increase glycogen stores so that you have a greater supply of energy to fuel your run.  This process, however, requires more than simply loading up on pasta the night before an event.  It’s important to cut back on running in the few days leading up to your long run and give your muscles some down time from exercise. That will allow them to store the maximal amount of glycogen. 

Q: What should I eat the week leading up to the event?

A: This is no time to be trying new foods!  Your diet should remain fairly consistent during this week.  That means the same well-tolerated carbohydrates that you (hopefully) have been eating while training.  Each meal should continue to be balanced and include healthy carbohydrate sources such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy.  As you know, each meal should also include a lean protein source and some healthy fats.

Q: What should I eat the night before?

A: The night before the marathon will look very similar to how you were fueling the night before your long run (you were practicing how to eat for your long runs, right?)  Think healthy, balanced meal.  The most important thing is that you don’t consume anything that might upset your GI tract or cause you to wake up feeling yucky.  Be sure to have a healthy carbohydrate source, moderate protein and low fat.  A few of my favorite suggestions are chicken stir-fry over rice, chicken fajitas or pasta (but skip the garlic bread.) Depending on what time you eat dinner, you may benefit from a bowl of cereal before bed as well.

Q: What should I eat in the morning before the marathon?

A: No doubt about it, have breakfast.  Keep the carbohydrates choices to easily digesting carbs and stick to foods that you are sure you tolerate before running.  There is no “right answer” as to what to eat.  I would suggest avoiding high fiber and high fat foods for sure (though many runners do great with oatmeal before long runs.) Some examples include: English muffin with peanut butter & jelly, cereal with milk, piece of fruit, rice cakes with peanut butter, energy bars, etc.

Q: What’s the best fuel during the marathon?

A: There is no “best” food.  You want to maintain a steady fuel intake by consuming easy-to-digest carbohydrates such as sports drinks or items like gummy bears, twizzlers, dried fruits (pineapple or raisins are good choices.) Other commercially made products such as gels, beans, chews and bloks are available too.

By practicing your fueling plan during your long training runs, you reduce anxiety about hitting the wall or experiencing GI upset.  Then you have more time to focus on the fun you’ll have sight-seeing through the city.

For those of you running the Pittsburgh marathon, see you May 6^th!