Running a half marathon requires a lot of energy. That’s why our partner from High5 has put together a handy guide to help you fuel up before, during and after the big race.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are your high energy fuel. If you deplete your carbohydrate reserves, your performance will drop – especially when running longer distances. You may have already experienced this, so if you want to make sure you have a great race from start to finish, you should:
- Start the race with a full fuel tank. You do this by carb-loading in the days before (carbo-loading)
- Consuming carbohydrates during the race to replenish your carbohydrate stores.
Running coach Nick Anderson of Running With Us says: ”I often used to run half marathons at 64-65 minutes and would take a few mouthfuls of gel around 40 minutes in to help with the final push, especially caffeine gels. For the recreational runner who is out on the course for longer, gels will definitely make their run more enjoyable.”
Follow our half marathon nutrition plan to finish strong and with a smile on your face.
Breakfast on race day
1. On race day, eat a light breakfast that is high in carbohydrates but low in fat and protein. A variety of cereals, toast and oatmeal are all good choices.
2. The maximum amount of carbohydrate you can absorb into your bloodstream is approximately 60g per hour. So if you eat breakfast one hour before your run, it should contain around 60g of carbohydrate. If your breakfast is two hours before the race, increase that to 120 grams – and so on. If you consume more than that, you could risk stomach problems.
3. You can drink 500 ml of HIGH5 Energy Drink to provide 45 g of carbohydrates and hydration.
4. If you have to travel a certain distance for your run, take a HIGH5 Energy Bar with you to eat on the way. It contains 43g of carbohydrate in an easily digestible form.
