You’re here because you’re probably weeks away from your upcoming trail running event. You’ve trained and put in months and months of legwork, just doing the hard and soft workout routines. You’ve pushed yourself beyond the limit you thought you had just so you can be at your best possible form. You’ve made it this far without sustaining any serious injuries, and for sure, you feel incredible because of what you’ve achieved.
But that is just the first phase. You’re up for the second act. The succeeding weeks will be crucial for your body as you are about to rip it wide open for the race of your life.
Everything that you’ve done up to this point will not mean anything if your training doesn’t coincide with your food intake. These are common questions that most first-timers ask: “What should I be eating the week before the trail run?” “What about the morning before the race?” Here are a few tips on what to eat, including best practices that you can follow hours before your race day.
Seven Days before the Run
At this point, you shouldn’t be trying anything new in terms of diet or changing any of your already established routines. Though it is tempting to change up things as you feel the nerves leading up to the race rising, you must do whatever you can to take control—like you’ve successfully done so in the past few months.
Your shoes, your training schedule, your running mate, your race outfit, your coach even—they need to remain the same as they are days before the race. Even your preferred comforts like lucky headbands for most men or convertible mittens for women. The same principle applies to food.
Around this time, you should figure out what you should be eating two days or a day before the run. While you’re doing that, make sure you’re already familiar with your stomach moods at this point and know what works best for you.
Remember that trail running is entirely different from marathons. You’ll be running on high-altitude terrains, and the ground may vary in water and soil density. This means that you need to be smart about when and what you eat and decide days before the race.
As you still have seven days to kill, try to experiment with the quantity and timing of your food intake. You need to know how long it takes for you to digest what you eat so you won’t get an upset stomach on race day.
It’s also the best time to increase your carbohydrate intake. Get more pasta in your daily meals all throughout the week in preparation for the race. For as long as you don’t go way over your usual daily carbohydrate consumption, you should be fine.
You need not worry about putting on extra pounds or anything like that. Throw in a couple of good carbohydrate sources like sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole grains, and bagels, and you should be fine.
48 Hours before the Run
Two nights before the race is when you should consume your last big meal. It’s not uncommon for racers to get rattled by pressure. As a response, they tend to push down the anxiety buildup by stuffing themselves with loads of carbs.
If you do this, you’ll end up feeling sluggish and bloated, and you won’t be able to race at your optimum level. Just imagine the morning after Christmas Eve, that overwhelming heaviness brought by food coma. There’s no way you can run stuffed to bits like that, and you won’t be able to do your last round of training workouts as well.
24 Hours before the Run
You made it! You’re nearly there. Just a few hours more, and you’ll be out in the field, waiting for the gun start.
No need to deviate from your usual morning intake at this point. Eat what you usually do during your training days. Drink loads of liquids all day. Choose beverages that are rich in electrolytes—they will keep you from being dehydrated during the race. Energy bars, cereals, and meaty sandwiches are the best food you can eat during this time.
2 Hours before the Run
It’s finally here. You are moments away from hearing the gun start. Make sure you pack a few energy gels on your belt bag; you’re going to need them as you run your course.
Also, try not to finish your water supply by chugging it down in one go. If the day is hot, remember to only take in small gulps, around 6 to 10 ounces every hour.
Some racers eat their usual breakfast at this time, but if you are one of those who have a weaker stomach, try not to eat as much before the race. Oatmeal and coffee with two bananas are the usual breakfast of the champions. You can also improvise a little with toast and peanut butter or honey.
Either way, you’re as ready as you can be at this point. There’s no turning back now. So go out there and have fun running those trails. Exciting times ahead!
Shift Frequency © 2019 – Nutrition Tips for Trail Running