If you are going to run a marathon, you need to know how to survive. The course, how to pace, how to train.
However, without a doubt the most important thing is how to fuel properly.
By fuel I mean carbs, healthy fats, and loads of calories. Working out fasted and not fueled is a thing of the past. It is not ideal, it is something that will only hurt you.
I learned this the hard way during this past summer training for my first ever marathon. Throughout my first month of training, I wouldn’t pay close attention to my fueling(eating). If I had a run to do, I would simply just go out and run. I wouldn’t hydrate properly or eat beforehand. This left me feeling way more fatigued than I should have throughout my daily run and especially during my long run.
After explaining this to my coach, he stressed the importance of fueling before, during, and after my run. An hour out from whatever the workout would be for that specific day. I would eat only carbs for the most part. My go to diet before the run would be an everything bagel with peanut butter, honey, and granola sprinkled across. This what I found out worked for me which is something I should stress. This quick meal was easy to digest and wasn’t hard on my stomach at all.
Now, during the run I would carry a bottle of water filled with electrolytes. I found out that sodium would become my best friend as it would help me from any cramps during the run. Along with a handheld bottle, I also carried these gels during the run. Depending on how long the run was I would only carry a certain amount. Say the run for the day was eight miles, I would take one before the run then one during the halfway point. So, for this example I would take one at mile four as the handheld bottle will get me through the rest of the run no problem. I should also stress that I wasn’t chugging this handheld bottle. I was sipping it throughout the run, as chugging could make the stomach turn and flip on you.
These gels that I carry on my runs, would contain 24 grams of carbs and 100-110 mg of sodium along with only being 100 calories. So, it was a low calorie fuel that helped fuel my performance greatly. It is also a huge plus that these gels are very tasteful I may add. However, the one downside is that using so many gels throughout a week of training could be expensive. Eight of them in a package could cost you around $25 dollars. So, after four days I would say I would have to go out and get a new pack of gels. However, I could either not use them for a day or eat more beforehand. With that being said any training for a race most definitely comes with an expense.
Lastly, after the run I would have a meal that was protein focused along with carbs and fats. My go to after run meal would be a pound of ground beef, white rice, and sweet potato. Now, before you call me crazy for eating a pound of ground beef, the main reason for eating so much is to keep any muscle or size I have built over the past couple years. Running and lifting every single day of the week almost is going to cause you to burn lots of calories. Which is good in many aspects as you can shred a lot of fat off your muscle to have your physique be more defined. However, if you do not eat properly throughout the day you can lose a lot of pounds. Especially running in the summer heat, causing your body to sweat a lot. So, if you want to keep the muscle you have built you must eat a lot of calories as you are burning a lot as well.
After, using this daily fueling plan to my advantage throughout my marathon training. I only saw improvement to how I felt mentally and physically during my runs. This small yet drastic change was a huge reason why I only improved my running progress. This choice is something I encourage others to do as well as it can only help your performance when you lace em up.
Next time you go for a run. Don’t run on empty, fuel the tank before leaving.
