Running my first 1/2 marathon on Sunday 6/10 - diet advice?

[Romann]

What should I be eating this week and on Sunday morning (the start is 10.30am)? I don't usually eat any sugar or refined carbs (apart from fruit) and actually few carbs at all, just porridge for breakfast and I snack on nuts, but I never have bread/pasta/rice/potatoes etc. Should I be eating those things?

I've also never tried those gels etc, but I'm not sure whether I'll need one. I've never actually run more than about 15 or 16k before.

The main thing that worries me is that there's a long uphill stretch around the 18k mark on the course - I think it climbs for around 1km, then descends to the end. I'm a bit worried about conking out!

Oooh good luck!! I'm half marathon training too.

I stick to protein. Don't do carbs really, and they aren't essential

Hi I did my first half marathon earlier this year.
My furthest prior to that was 16k.

It was hard but I finished it & now I have a place in the London marathon.. So I'm sitting here reading training schedules for that.

The night before the half I ate pasta & that morning I had porridge with banana.
I carried jelly babies with me & had an energy gel an hour before the run & one half way round.

Lots of people say don't eat anything the morning of the run but I personally don't think that's a good plan.

Have you got an estimated finish time?

Before I ran my one and only marathon I ate peanut butter sandwiches and bananas, I would not vary your diet too much as you don't want anything repeating on you, steer clear of the gel!! As for the hill, don't worry take it nice and slowly and break it up into little sections, its much easier to keep on running, even if you have to go slower then to restart if you have to walk (very painful). And most importantly enjoy it, you may never do it again! :)

I think you need to stick with what you have been doing, don't try anything different on race day unless you can test it out 1st!

If you want to try a gel do it this week, they contain quite a bit of caffeine and take about 15 minutes to kick in. If you aren't used to caffeine it could give you the shakes and feel horrible, but it could give you the boost you need. If you want to try having pasta before a training run, try early in the day before, so lunch time ideally, it usually gives a bit more speed to the run the next day.

Just make sure you take something to eat for afterwards, ideally 15 grams of protein, some sugar and some carbs. What you eat afterwards is in some ways more important than what you eat before! Good luck! :)

I'm also wondering whether carbs are really necessary. I never notice a problem when I run 8-10km.

I'd like to do it under 2 hours, but I haven't trained much as hurt my knee over the summer, and I also plan to run with my friend, so really as long as we run the whole way, start to finish, we will be happy! I want to see how it goes this first time and then I'll plan something more specific for the next one.

I generally run short runs at 6am at the moment, as it's the only time I can really fit it in around work and kids. But I think just getting up and going on an empty stomach makes it harder (I need to think about something small and digestible to have as I go - maybe 1/2 of one of those bars for runners or something). I definitely wouldn't do a half marathon without eating.

I bet jelly babies are actually the same thing as energy gel, just 1/10 the price!

Congratulations on the marathon place girls that will be very exciting.

xposted with lots of good advice - thanks! cath you have made me feel much better about the hill

Hi is it the Glasgow one?

My DH is signed up to do it. He's got a leg problem so not sure if he will be able to. It's his first half marathon but if his le is ok he will do it no problem, he went out on his first training run and did 15 miles he's a regular runner and trains in several sports though!

He would eat a blow of porridge when he gets up on the morning, then a banana about half an hour before the race, then have a carb blow out when he finishes. He seems to have a cast iron stomach though, I spew if I eat before I do any training at all!

And jelly babies taste nice whereas the gels taste horrid!

Very exciting about the place on the marathon especially since it was my first try entering & three people I know didn't get on and this was their 4-6th time trying.

It's very daunting though..

I did the half in 2.22 so I am a plodder but I never stop

It is Brussels. I will probably plod, but will be happy to run the whole way!

Good luck. I used to live in Brussels

I finished, running all the way, in 2 hours 16. Not a special time, but good for the first one! I'm going to plan a whole marathon about 6 months from now and work on my speed. Thanks for the advice everyone.

Excellent well done!

My DH did it too, he managed 1 hour 39 which is a really good time especially as his leg was bothering him and I am very very proud of him.

Wow, that's great!

I had only trained since 14 September as have had knee problems over the whole summer, but my knee hardly bothered me at all today, so I'm very pleased about that too.

I on the other hand went for my first run since tearing a calf muscle in June yesterday. I did two miles walk/jog and it almost killed me!

Quite fancy a 10k next year but I will need to get serious about training, good luck for your marathon you should go for it.