How To Fuel For A Half Marathon

Three great tips on carbo-loading and fuelling so you don’t hit the wall during your next 21.1. – By Pamela Nisevich Bede

Glen Montgomery

Brian asks: I’m getting ready to run a half marathon this weekend. If I need to carbo-load, what should I consume before the start of the race, and how do I fuel to avoid hitting the wall mid-race?

So first things first – the carbo-load. You might wonder if it’s as necessary for 21.1 as it is for 42.2. Honestly, I think it can’t hurt. A carbo-load before a half-marathon needn’t last as long or be as intense, but it is still important and will have a positive impact on your race performance.

Technically speaking, carbo-loading really comes into play any time you are out on the road for more than 90 minutes. Carbo-loading tends to lead to a bit of stiffness (because your muscles are fully stocked with glycogen) and weight gain (water retention), so for shorter events, it’s really not recommended.

Since most of us take longer than 90 minutes to complete a half-marathon, my recommendation is that you carbo-load in the days before the race. You can carbo-load in as little as one day, but to prevent carb fatigue and the worry of “Am I taking in enough?” aim to start two to three days before the half-marathon. You don’t necessarily need to increase your calories – just make sure most of those calories come from carbs, especially at lunch and dinner the day before race day.

Given time, your body can digest, absorb, and store the nutrients, and you can rely on those fuel stores on the next day’s run. The day before race day, have your main meal at midday and a smaller meal for dinner so you have plenty of time to digest.

The pre-race meal is also very important, as you want to toe the starting line with a tank that’s primed but neither empty nor overflowing. For more ideas on what to consume pre-race, check out this past lesson on how to fuel for an early morning run (since most races are held in the early a.m. hours).

Now that we’ve covered carbo-loading and what to eat before the race, it’s time to tackle your final question: “How do I avoid running on empty in those last few kilometres of the race?” As you may have noticed during your training, when you’re on the road for fewer than 75 minutes, you can usually rely on water, sports drinks, and your body’s own glycogen stores to carry you along. Any longer, and you begin to deplete those stores. Your muscles run out of fuel, and your body — not to mention your attitude — starts to drag. Consuming carbs mid-run can keep your blood sugar steady so you don’t crash and burn.

Instead of recommending something new on race day, here are some common techniques for fuelling which should help you blow by that late-race wall. Since every runner is different, you may want to try one or more of the following tips during training. Maybe all of them will work, and you’ll have plenty of options to thwart the feelings of weakness in those last few kays.

Tip #1:

Make sure to take in adequate fuel the day before your long run. While you are at rest, your body will have adequate time and energy to absorb and store those nutrients you ate, and then you can rely on this fuel for the following day. And don’t forget to eat a carb-rich, low-fibre, easy-to-digest, familiar breakfast the morning of the race!

Tip #2: Fuel at regular intervals and before you need to.

Wait until you’re out of gas, and you won’t be able to recover from feeling hungry or weak. Your muscles will be forced to play catch-up, and you won’t be able to bounce back and finish the run feeling strong. If you’ve ever had a long run that started strong and then got slower and slower, it may be time to consider what you did during the first few miles of the long runs you didn’t do during the last few kilometres. Many runners head out the door with a full tank, but feeling great, they neglect to re-fuel over the next few kays.

If you don’t start fuelling within that first hour, your empty-tank will likely catch up with you, and you’ll bonk. Not only will you hit the wall, but once your muscle glycogen stores are depleted, it can be very difficult to adequately recover during your run (and you may have to walk or crawl the last few kays). My advice is to avoid this whole mess? Aim for 30-60 grams of carbs per hour (and start using your chews, gels, or sports drinks early and often).

Tip #3: Don’t be afraid of fuel.

Maybe you’ve tried a product in the past and didn’t care for it, or it didn’t sit well with you. If that’s the case, know that there are always new products coming out. Try a variety of products and brands. For ideas on the many different fuel options available, check out this post on energy gels and alternatives to energy gels. Don’t be afraid to experiment with a few different products and see what works for you. Whatever concentrated fuel you are taking in, remember to dilute it with adequate water (or else it won’t be absorbed, and you will get nauseous). Lastly, find out what gel/product your race will hand out.

If you can tolerate or like the brand that the race is handing out, you’ll know that you won’t need to pack your own on race day. But if their chosen brand doesn’t work for you, you must plan ahead. In addition, you might try to find out at what kilometres the race will be handing out products and mimic that in your training to practice for race day.

Source: Runners World