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If you can, pick up your race bib the day before the race. Pull out your race-day outfit and make sure you’re not missing a sock. Pack your bag with all your must-haves. Confirm your transportation details. The more you do now, the less you’ll have to stress about later.
If you are running first thing in the morning—for shorter runs—you may not even need to eat at all. Running on an empty stomach for runs less than an hour is pretty simple for most. However, if you are running later in the day, then it becomes increasingly important to watch your food intake.
To prepare for running, drink at least 8 ounces of water or a sports drink before your run, which will help prevent dehydration. You should also fuel up with a healthy snack that contains both protein and carbohydrates, like nuts and dried fruit or yogurt with honey and granola.
1 Walk gently for 3-5 minutes before a run. 2 This will stretch and move your muscles, tendons and joints and transition your body into a workout. 3 This activity will enhance blood flow to the muscles you need to use for running. 4 This initial warm up is very low-intensity and can be essential for runners coming back from an injury.
Why is it important to eat before running?
Your body doesn’t just need water and sodium to fuel itself. It is important that you have a balanced snack with protein and carbohydrates before a run. Pairing a protein and carbs can help you prevent a sudden drop in blood sugar while running. Protein intake can help you to burn fat during exercise.
Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. While there is no specific amount of water that is recommended by fitness experts before a run, you will want to hydrate before and during your run.
Add strides to your walking. Do five or six 100 meter strides. These are also called “pick-ups” and will help to increase blood flow to the muscles and help your body transition from walking to running. Jog slowly for at least 2 minutes or more. Gradually accelerate over the course of 60 to 100 meters, then decelerate.
2. Try a sports drink instead of water. This is especially important if your sodium levels tend to be low. Sodium is a very important nutrient for your body. You sweat out sodium when you exercise, so it is important to replace it. If your skin is very salty after a run, you are losing sodium.
1. Start warming up for a run by walking. You always want to warm up before running to get your muscles toned and ready for exercise. Walk gently for 3-5 minutes before a run. This will stretch and move your muscles, tendons and joints and transition your body into a workout.
2. Dress warmly in cold weather. In the cold you will want to make sure any exposed skin is protected. Most runners suggest dressing as if it is 20-30 degrees warmer than it is outside. For example, if it is 30 degrees outside you can get by comfortably with a thin thermal and a light jacket.
Carb loading is a good thing to pick up on for endurance running. A good meal to eat on the night before a race is pasta noodles. Starvation before a race is one of the worst ways to run, as you won’t have the needed energy. A big thing to focus on is breathing.
How to keep blood sugar up during a run?
Eating small meals or snacks throughout the day is one strategy to keep nutrition up and blood sugar levels stable. Keep your food choices simple when you know a run is ahead, like lean protein and moderate carbohydrate content. These foods tend to be best because they are easily digestible.
For longer weekend morning runs, get up earlier and allow about 30 to 60 minutes digestion time before running. A small, easy-to-digest, pre-long run meal will help supply needed energy with a piece of toast with peanut butter and water. (Here is more on how to fuel those early-morning long runs .) Everyone’s GI system is different, so be prepared …
Stop drinking fluids about 30 minutes before your run and always make one last bathroom stop before heading out. And, if you have bladder issues or you aren’t sure of how things will go, it’s not a bad idea to plan your running route around a bathroom stop.
Depending upon your age and health history, you may be wise to incorporate cross-training into your routine to supplement your running. Fitness and running are a lifetime commitment. Take your time and figure out what works best for you.
Running on an empty stomach for runs less than an hour is pretty simple for most. However, if you are running later in the day, then it becomes increasingly important to watch your food intake. Allow at least one hour to pass after eating lunch or dinner before running (two hours may be better).
This varies based on your size, activity level, weather, and sweat rate, but, for a general rule of thumb, we should take in about two liters of fluid a day. Watching the color of your urine as an indicator of hydration levels can help you determine where you stand. If it’s dark yellow, better drink up.
The digestive process slows down while we run and is unable to operate as usual because the normal blood flow to our gastro-intestinal (GI) system is diverted during exercise. (The diverted blood flow is redirected toward working muscles.)
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