What to Eat and Drink Before a Race

So you have heard a lot of ideas about what you should eat before a race and what you should not eat before a race. You have looked up a website or two but nothing really seemed to cover the bases. Now you have a race coming up and you're not sure what your diet should be like. Well, here are a few tips and pointers.

Water, water, water! If you know anything about running or hydration, then you know that water is essential for any exercise that your body takes part in. Do not drink gallons upon gallons right before the race or even the days leading up to the race. Drink water and Gatorade like you regularly would just to stay hydrated. On the day of the race drink a bottle or two of water about 3 hours before the race. This will keep you from getting bloated or having too much liquid in your stomach while you run.

Now you are hydrated but we still need to work out that diet. Loading up on cards can be good but eating too much will slow you down on race day. Eat normal portions of carbs but do not go crazy and increase the amount of food you are actually taking in. Only eat until you are full, eating more than that can give you indigestion or even mess with your sleeping pattern.

Consume your fruits and vegetables like normal. Fruits and vegetables give you the vitamins and energy you need to run the race. Cutting back on these before a race can seriously hurt your run, especially if your body is used to having them on a regular bases (which it should be if you are a runner).

Do not experiment before a race. If you know which foods work for you then eat those. If you do not know what works with you, then try it out before race day. Try new foods a couple weeks in advance when you practice. That way there will not be any surprises on race day.

Last but not least, try not to skip breakfast on race day. If you are like me then you prefer not eat before a race. Breakfast does provide energy throughout a race though. So, if you need to, wake up early and eat slowly. Some racers still cannot manage to eat breakfast before a race, and that is fine. Just do what is best for your body and your run.

Good luck with your race! Stay healthy and I will see you at the finish line.