How to Eat When Training for a Marathon

Good luck with the training!!! I have a guest post coming up at the beginning of September from a person training for a half marathon!

On food, I do eat more on days I work out BECAUSE I am expending a lot more energy those days & I need to refuel. I eat my healthy stuff… I do not eat crap just because I worked out! I tend to eat less on non workout days.

As for pre workout, I am a person that works out VERY EARLY plus my stomach gets upset with food in it before a workout so I am an empty stomach type workout person. I know this is not what experts like but it is what works for me. We are all different.

It must be nice to have the freedom to get up and have a leisurely 300-500 calorie breakfast, have time to let your stomach settle, and then go run. I sucked down an otter pop (20 calories of sugar), went for my run, eating some sport beans if it was over an hour, and then eating breakfast once I’d gotten to work (about 150 calories). What I learned during half training was that you need to eat WAY more than you think you do. I plan on doing one in Jan/Feb and I am still sort of doing a post-mortem on what I liked and didn’t like. Definitely want to make sure to eat enough to fuel my body and not even THINK about trying to lose weight, just maintain.

I’m looking forward to hearing what works for you since I’ll start up my training about the time you finish yours. Good luck!

Great post. I am about to read the LA Times article now, I read the Time one the other day. Thanks for posting the response.

I can’t eat before I run — scratch that — I can’t run at any time other than first thing in the morning — because if there is any food in my belly at all i get the most intense cramps that don’t stop. So I only fuel with water and maybe a green juice (also can cause a cramp but not as bad) before my run. I don’t run long enough yet to have to re-fuel, but I am impressed that Clif shot blocks have no corn or soy, so I’d use those.

Starburst and Twizzlers = BAD idea!

Other excercises I try to just eat normally throughout the day and have a small snack an hour or so before the workout so I don’t get starving during it.

And I do tend to be ravenous all day if I have an intense AM workout…

I am starving on days that I run!!! But I think it is a good thing…I take it as my metabolism kicking into high gear. I used to think the only way I could be thin/lose weight was to subsist on 1200 calories. I finally realized that I would never survive my 6 mile runs this way.

The way I look at it now is the running DOES allow me to eat more, as long as I choose healthy foods.

Congrats on signing up for the half!!!!!!!!! I actually can’t eat very much on long run days. Not sure why. I try to add a few extra calories because I don’t want my body to freak out, but typically the next day I’m stuffing my face. My body must register that it burnt all those calories the day before and the “shock” of a run is over. It kind of annoys me but I guess it evens out

I’m glad to see this counter-article. The Times one was pissing me off big time.

I don’t eat tons on days that I do super-workouts (I walk, rather than run, but my “walks” are 12-18 mile endurance hikes in prep for walking the Susan G Komen 3-day, 60 mile walk in October) but I find I eat a bit more the day AFTER a walk.

I’ve been working closely with a nutritionist and his recommendations have been a high protien, milkfats, and tons of vegetables (seriously, I’m going to sprout bunny ears!) to keep me refueled.

I do tend to hit the candy bars more often now then I did when I was actively *losing* weight (I am currently working on my third month of maintaining an 86 pound loss) having perhaps 1 a week, whereas I used to eschew them entirely. But I don’t generally think “I deserve a candy bar after 20 minutes of walking” but “I need some quick sugar after 6 HOURS of walking.” And sometimes I eat a few pieces of cheese and some sliced peaches instead. Depends what I want… but I’ve learned in the last 20 months or so to listen to what my *body* wants, not what my emotions THINK I need…

I prefer not to eat extra on days when I exercise. I don’t think it’s necessary.

Thanks for the good info! I love milk after going for a running. A piece of fruit with peanut butter is also great.

I still have not attempted the eat before you run trick. I usually just pop a shot blok about 15 minutes before hand and that’s it. After that it’s Gu’s or sports beans til the run is over and then I’ll slam a Clif Bar to tide me over til I’m cleaned up and can make it to breakfast. My after long run breakfast is almost always either 2 over easy eggs with 2 slices of french toast and fresh fruit OR I get a lox bagel at Einstein’s. Just depends on if I have the time to make breakfast or not. After that I’m always hungry the rest of the day and I try my best to snack on healthy stuff but we all know that doesn’t always happen… especially if carrot cake is around!!!

Great links today and I can’t believe that Times article and how much controversy it’s cooked up! I swear everyone is going nuts over it!

I actually *did* read the article in Time yesterday. I had to kill some time before my training session, and I had seen the magazine on my bosses desk, and was curious about the article. Needless to say, I had a good laugh about it. I was sitting there reading, thinking “Seriously? Are you kidding me?” I thought we were past this whole load of crap that exercise is bad. Apparently not.

I don’t really eat more on the days that I work out. I eat 2,000 calories a day, regardless of exercise or not. That works pretty well for me, and I am still losing weight that way.

I never work out on a completely empty stomach. I always try to eat something a hour or so before. So it’s digested, but it’s not like a rock sitting in my stomach. I usally eat a Clif bar, those seem to work pretty well. After a workout, I usually go home and about an hour or so later, eat dinner, since I exercise at night.

Good luck on the training!

Hmmm, so much to comment on – heehee .

First, I completely agree with you on that “just” exercise or “just” diet will not make you thin, you need both in a healthy balance. But … for me, diet is key. I’ve always been a fairly regular exerciser, but if I’m not on top of my diet I either won’t lose weight, or I’ll gain.

I started training for a half marathon earlier this year and actually have ran the full distance twice now in about 2:15 (which I wasn’t supposed to do until fall, but it felt right). I scaled back a bit on my distance the last 2 weeks, but am picking it up again.

So far I haven’t felt a need to “fuel” my runs in the sense of consuming some type of calories during a run. I’ve found that anything other than plain water during a run makes me want to gag. I don’t like the taste of anything in my mouth.

Also after my runs I have a hard time re-fueling because I have zippo appetite. Hard exercise seems to make me eat less, and healthier. I have no desire for fatty or sweet foods at all. I have to wait probably about an hour before I get any type of appetite. I quite like to have eggs & toast after a long run in the morning.

Though pretty much everything I’ve read says that I do need to refuel after a run, and during for long runs – so I probably should be making more of an effort there.

Pre-run I used to eat nothing. My stomach would get upset during the run and I felt sluggish. But I played around with that a bit and if I have something light and carby at least an hour before a run then it does actually help. In the mornings I like to have Red River Cereal (I don’t think it’s sold in the US??) or any whole grain cooked typed cereal would be good. And english muffin with almond butter is pretty good too.

NYT tried to be controversial but it kind of blew up in thier face. You’re absolutely right; exercise alone isn’t going to do anything for you but instead, the combination of many components working together plays a huge role in the success of your training.

Nancy Clark says, “I always tell my clients fuel by day and diet by night.” I like this concept a lot because the feeling you get after consuming a strong and healthy breakfast is a perfect way to start your day. The positive start also prepares you well for the training for that day.

-Nehal

Nancy Clark is an amazing resource with sports nutrition

Running is always a struggle for me, but I find I HAVE to eat something prior because halfway through I’m starving. I get up early (around 3:30 a.m. and yes…have coffee and a power crunch) and then leave around 4:15 a.m. By the time I get home, I usually have something light…cottage cheese and blueberries and then continue to eat small snacks throughout the day. The harder I work out, the hungrier I am.

As far as that article goes … rubbish. And not only is it “healthy” diet and exercise, but healthy mind as well. You really have to believe in what you’re doing….just push positive energy into your brain the minute you take the first step. As I mentioned earlier, I really do not like to run and it’s always a struggle…but a trainer once said to me “you have to really believe in what you’re doing or it doesn’t work” — “imagine you are a deer in the woods, running in and out of trees”…okay corny as that sounds, I put myself in that place (and it’s a lot easier running with four legs!). )

Typically I eat a very light breakfast, if any at all. On days I run I make sure to eat a full breakfast of whole grain cereal and a glass of OJ, and I know I eat more on days I run than on days I don’t. I can tell my metabolism is working a little bit harder on those run days.

it is true you might gain weight but is def muscle! running and eating go hand in hand and unless your running more than 6 miles, you dont need to overeat by a ton…just listen to your body and get enough protein so you can run great!

xoxo
Lo

Have just come across your blog while searching out interesting reading for wannabe runners like myself – what a great find, I’ve really enjoyed reading back over some of your posts and will get through some more when I have the time. Have put a link to here from my blog so I can share the great find

my sister always lamented eating waaay more during marathon training but as others have said—she never gained discernible weight.

Im so in awe of you training for the race. I want to —and yet I guess not enough? yet anyway.

I have really good luck letting my hunger be my guide. When I get off track, it’s usually not because exercise is making me hungrier, but because I’m eating recreationally on days I’m not especially hungry.

Glad to see I’m not the only one who found that article infuriating!

At 57 I ran my first marathon last year without doing any long training runs. Although throughout my life I have always been pretty fit. I ran a 3:35. I suffered very badly in the second half slowing badly around 22k. This time round I am doing a proper 14 week build up with a running club and believe I will run a sub 3:30. But I have no doubt that at some point I will suffer again and the only issue is how badly and when. I have been blowing out around the 30k mark in training not taking anything other than water. I run about 80k a week. 10 weeks into the build up I am eating like a horse and my weight fluctuates about 3k each week around a 71k 1.73m frame BMI 23/24. This does not bother me as long as I stay reasonably around that range. I eat heaps of snacks, nut bars, bread, serials, peanuts, fruit during the day and a main meal at night usually of pasta or rice with veg and some but not much meat. My biggest weaknesses are rolls in butter and chocolate biscuits. But that’s life. Although I have not being doing it I have come to the firm conclusion I need to eat and drink carbs during the long runs and the marathon itself. I will try tthis during this week’s long run with a popular gel and a cheap chocolate marsh mallow candy bar! Wish me luck.