Ask a Dietitian

The Vancouver 2015 Sun Run is this weekend. All those rainy nights of run clinics have paid off and you are ready for the big day. Now for the big question…what to eat before the race? What you eat just before the race is only a small part of fueling. What really makes a difference is what you do the day before. Taking the day off from funning is a good place to start.

1. Aim to drink 8-10 cups of water the day before. Be sure to consume enough carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Carbohydrates will be broken down and stored as glycogen which will be used as fuel during your run. Each molecule of glycogen is stored with 3 molecules of water. As you use up the glycogen during the run you will release water, aiding in hydrating your tissues during your run. There is no need to carbohydrate load, just eat what you normally would and skip your training run. Active rest such as yoga is great.
2. Fuelling the day before. Aim to eat every 3-4 hours. Be sure to include carbohydrates and protein at each meal. For example oatmeal and walnuts with blueberries for breakfast and a turkey sandwich with vegetables for lunch. Dinner the night before is very important. You may even want a bedtime snack, especially if you can’t eat much the morning of the run. 

3. Dinner the night before: This should be high in carbohydrates (vegetables and whole grains) but don’t carbo load with a massive pasta meal. If you overeat at dinner you may feel sluggish the next morning. Keep this meal close to normal portions but be sure to include some sort of grain product such as brown rice, barley, quinoa or whole grain bread or wraps.

-grilled sesame soy salmon with brown rice, bok choy and broccolini

-Chicken kebobs, roasted potatoes with lemon and Greek salad

-Homemade pizza with peppers, tomatoes and feta and a green salad

4. Bedtime Snack: This should be carbohydrate based. It will not only top up your glycogen stores (muscle energy), but it will also help you sleep.

Cereal, milk and banana

Peanut butter and banana wrap

Fruit salad topped with yogurt and granola

5. Breakfast the morning of: Be sure to allow at least 1-2 hours to digest your breakfast before the race starts. Breakfast should be mostly carbs with a small amount of protein for staying power. Be mindful that if you are an early riser and eat 3-4 hours before the race you will need a small snack at the race venue before you start.   This might be a box of raisins, half a bagel, or a banana around 8 or 8:15am. For a 9am race time try to eat breakfast at 7am. Start with a glass of water.

My favourite pre-run meal: oatmeal, 2 Tbsp walnuts, ¼ c raisins, milk and a glass of water.

Ex: fruit and yogurt smoothie and a piece of toast, water, or berries, yogurt and granola or toasted whole grain bagel, peanut butter and banana, water. Good Luck!