It’s officially April and I’m 4 weeks out from my second half marathon. I think I’m going to do another month of “no fun” just to make sure I’m fueling my body for those 13.1 miles and all the training leading up to it. This past weekend I ran a very slow 8 miles outside because it was beautiful out. I wish I had done a little better on speed, but my training isn’t perfect and I still have time to improve! Lately I’ve been focusing on making sure I am eating properly for training, because last year I definitely was not. I would literally eat like a salad 6 hours before a 10 mile run and then I would wonder “Why am I so tired?” or “Why couldn’t I run as far?” Ugh. I definitely learned my lesson. Diet is one of the most important aspects of training! My biggest thing: Carbs are your friends!
A lot of people will try to cut out carbs when they’re trying to lose weight, but carbs are what you want to focus on when you’re training for a half marathon. The same way that people who lift heavy weights need protein to help their muscles, runners need carbohydrates to burn for energy.
Healthy Carbs:
- Sweet Potatoes
- Quinoa
- Oats
- Bananas
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Oranges
- Spinach
- Chickpeas
Training: No joke, I literally just googled “healthy carbs” and am making my diet really focused on these foods on days when I’m running. I used to think of carbs as mainly bread and pasta but eating only those during the next few weeks will get boring (and unhealthy). I’m focusing on eating a lot more quinoa and sweet potatoes in the next few weeks, especially on the nights before I do my long runs. Bananas and energy bars are also great for right before a run (just give your body time to digest it).
Night before: Pasta party! Carb loading night. Last year I threw a pasta party with some friends just for fun, but also because I wanted to make sure I was getting a ton of carbs before my race. Here’s a good article on carb loading (since I’m not an expert, I just like pasta parties). Also DRINK A TON OF WATER!
Morning of: Don’t eat anything too heavy 2 hours before your race. Here’s a good article about overall eating before and during the race. Last year I ate a banana and half a peanut butter sandwich 2 hours before the race. (If you go with this option, opt for bread that isn’t high in fiber because then you will probably have to go during the race.) You could also do some oatmeal, an energy bar, or some fruit in the morning too. Just make sure its nothing thats high-fiber or high-fat. I would also say stop chugging water around 30 minutes before the race.
During: Usually at big races like this, they have volunteers handing out water and Gatorade at certain points. Personally I don’t think you need to take every single one but they are beneficial! I also carried Starbursts with me last year to give me short bursts of carbs and sugar for energy. You can also get real energy gels/chews like these.
I’m going to reiterate that I’m not an expert, but I am experiencing all of these right now and did last year too. So these are the things I’ve researched and done. I’m also not that great of a runner, but the fact that I do force myself to run (and am forcing myself to run 13.1 miles in 4 weeks) makes me a runner, even if I’m not that good at it.
Hope you find this helpful! If you’re running a half marathon soon, I would love to hear about it! Comment below!
Thanks for reading! xx