What to eat before a half marathon?
Just make sure you hydrate enough. I could not figure out why I always felt exactly like I had a hangover after half marathons (headache, nausea), but dehydration turned out to be the culprit. I would eat one banana and a Cliff Bar prior to a race. The Cliff Bar guarantees that the race will only be the second most physically challenging part of your day.
Okay, you won’t be needing gel and a few swigs of gatorade at the 7 mile mark of a half-marathon unless you plan on being out on the course for a *very* long time. It won’t do you any good and it could upset your stomach. If you’re used to taking in food during runs and you feel you must (psychologically) then it’s Dumbo’s feather and suit yourself. I will echo what others have said about pre-race eating- don’t over eat the night before and make sure you take in enough fiber and fluids the day/days before to stay nice and, um, regular. You don’t want to feel the urge to carbo unload minutes before the gun goes off (or, horrors! Shortly after). Practice eating some easy to digest foods the mornings before runs and workouts and make note of how they settle. Go with whatever works for you. Hydrate well the night before, do not over-hydrate the morning of the race. I used to sip water slowly over an hour period two hours before half-marathons in hot weather or any marathon. Along with coff
