I’m gearing up for the LA Marathon next month, and thought i’d find out what people have found to be most effective for pre-race and in-race nutrition and hydration. I did a search, couldn’t find anything, so i started this thread. Here’s what i’ve been experimenting with:
Lead up:
Hydration – lots of water the 2 days prior, far less coffee, i used to do a 28oz “pre-race” drink of maltodextrin and endurolytes, but i forgot the exact formula tbh.
Nutrition – pizza has worked very well for me 2 days before, usually some combo of rice/egg or thai food the late-afternoon the day prior.
Morning:
Coffee a couple of hours before, or red bull an hour before
Toast w/ PB/honey, oatmeal
A gel 20 minutes before
During the race:
3-4oz of liquid every 2 miles
Gel every 35ish minutes
I would love to hear what you all have found to be successful.
I’m interested in this thread as I am racing Wrightsville Beach marathon in March, first marathon in 5 years, and first since I started triathlon in 2012.
For my first 2 marathons, I had a cup of coffee and half a bagel re-race. Triathlon has taught me to have more calories pre-race: my morning now starts with a PB&J bagel and coffee (small cup) about 2-2.5 hours pre-race. I’m thinking of a gel 20 min before start, just like I do before Tri start. I have to trial this soon to make sure my gut is okay with this on the run though.
During run, thinking of a gel every 45ish minutes. Fluids will totally depend on the temp/humidity.
Doing LA as well and what I do in training and races; am Muscle Milk with instant coffee and 1/4 cup oats. Then 1/2 cup oats w/ banana about 30min later.
Sip Tailwind, Take a Gel right before race start. Alternate water/ gatorade every aid station. Gel every 4 miles. At mile 6, 14, 18, 22 I’ll take one Saltstick chewable.
Post race carnitas burrito with lots of chips and pico de gallo, wash it down with a half bottle of Bacardi. Good night.
Lead up: eat normal, just avoid sushi or anything that might make me sick
Pre-race: 2-3 hours before, eat bowl of cereal with milk (normal breakfast)
1.5-1 hour before, eat Poptart pack + banana
hour before race, sip on Gatorade
Race: gel x4 and possibly 5 depending on how I feel in last few miles, plus Gatorade or water depending on how I feel at aid stations
Good enough for multiple sub-3 marys. Don’t over-complicate things.
I don’t do anything special leading up to races - eat normal.
For race day (next weekend for me) I’ll do this:
Breakfast is oatmeal and coffee (just like everyday) about 2.5 HR pre-race. A banana and some water about 45 out.
During the race will be water plus 1.5 gels - half a gel every 5 miles beginning at mile 10.
Pretty much this, but maybe 3 gels over the race (2:50) a lot depends how long you will be out there. I just drink to thirst during the race, which generally means not very much, probably less than 750ml for the race in 10-15 degrees C
I stick with half a gel at a time because I’ve learned that any more starts to cause stomach issues for me, including timing them any closer than about 5 miles.
On a long run a few weeks ago I kind of forgot this and took my normal half gel and was holding the package for a couple of miles. Got tired of holding it so took it without thinking and within 30 seconds there was some activity down below. Still had a good run but it sure was uncomfortable for a few miles.
Hey David,
Check out my blog in the signature. When you get there in the menu click on ARCHIVE. I’ve got 30+ posts all about endurance nutrition.
The last post was an article that was published in the American Medical Athletic Association Journal on use of carbohydrates for improved performance.
Hope this helps. And if you have specifics email me at jmayo1406@gmail.com
I love redbull but cant do it before exercise, especially running. I think its the carbonation. Would love it if they made a non-fizzy version. I also think 80mg of caffeine (the 8oz can) is a quite light for optimal effect, especially if you are a regular caffeine user. I go with 3-4 1st Endurance pre-race caps and then make one of my three in-race gels 25mg caffeinated too (I am 180lb). I try to get down Gatorade at every station unless I just ate a gel, then grab a water or two.
I more or less reiterate what most have said. Stick with the old adage - ‘don’t change anything on race day.’
All of your long training runs should also have been nutritional runs as well - meaning get used to exactly what you will do on race day. If the race offers gatorade only, you better be drinking that for your long runs. I tried to do nothing different on race day except drink more during the actual race itself (normally couldn’t refill at aid stations on my 20 and 22 mile long run like I would have in a race!) I also wouldn’t concentrate on drinking more leading up to the race. That can also cause issues in impacting your ph balance as well.
Over this last month, train like you would be racing (drinking, gels, pre-race meals, etc.) and everything will be just fine.
I did a gel every 4 miles starting at mile 4. I also took water at every aid station to take with the gels (usually every 4 miles had an aid station) and not Gatorade since I was getting calories from the gels and just wanted to make it easier on my stomach.
Mixing gels and Gatorade I feel is taking on too many calories.
If you regularly drink coffee or consume caffeinated drinks, don’t stop doing so just before marathon - caffeine withdrawal symptoms may be quite annoying.
Drinking a lot 2 days before marathon will not help you get better hydrated on the day of marathon - you will excrete any excessive water within few hours of drinking.
Reading all of your posts has been really helpful – so has jmayo’s blog, wow!
Now that i’ve picked up some more info, here’s a question:
If at present i’m a gel every 70ish minutes, along with 16oz of 50% diluted sports drink (per hour)…
that means i’m consuming roughly 50 grams of carbohydrates per hour, which is far below the recommended range i read on jmayo’s blog.
I can’t imagine eating more gel in this time period, but perhaps I need to try going back to a “cocktail” of using maltodextrin, and an all-fluid nutrition plan.
As you can see from the wide range of responses so far there is no one right answer for everyone. You need to play around with it and figure out what works for you. We’ve given you some ideas now go play.
Hard to tell without the HR data. Also LA is going to be quite a bit hillier. Still I’ll personally shoot for 3 gels (mile 10,15,20) given your speeds (I am shooting for about 3:10, so quite a bit slower).
You may need to adjust it up or down based on the weather conditions - might be in the 80s and sunny, or in the 60’s/overcast, or pissing rain in the 50s, or anywhere in between with El Nino being present this year. It will be in the low 50s at the start for sure. Bring something warm to discard at the start.
3:10 is the goal, but I think that I am looking at more like 3:15 since I have been kinda lazy lately.
However, they did remove this one rolling section at around mile 19 and replaced it with 2 flattish straightaways, so I might squeak by.
Which corral are you in? Anything but corral 1 will cost you 2-3 mins at the start due to the crowded exit road out of the Dodgers stadium.