Not eating before a half-marathon - anyone else manage?

[Meggymoodle]

Hi there

I have a half marathon on Sunday. It's been years (literally about 8 years) since I've done one. My training is OK, the only thing that concerns me is that I can't eat before a run in the morning. I always end up with horrendous stitch which does for me by about mile 3.

I've done 12 miles without eating anything in training but am slightly concerned about running a half with nothing. Any advice?

Too late to trial anything new unfortunately as it's on Sunday!

If thats what you are used to, then you'll be fine. Maybe take some sweets in your pocket so you can have them as you go round? I find it passes the time as well!

Good luck and have fun

I can never eat breakfast so often run "empty" I take a sugary drink (lucozade/Ribeana) with me instead. Not for everyone but works for me!

Good luck!

I was thinking sweets too but I've given up sugar for Lent! Ah well, maybe I'll make an exception on Sunday. I don't want to try and sugary drink new for a race, but it's certainly something to think about for future runs.

Thank you :)

I think the adage in regard to glycogen loading is ' train low, race high'

Eating more the previous day should help...provided you have good glycogen storage capacity

That you will happily run twelve miles fasted suggests that you do😎👍🏃

Maybe I'll have a large bowl of porridge before going to bed.

"Happily" might be stretching it but I didn't die!

That's what I do when I run
Eat about 1500 calories, mostly carbs right before bed and then run around 12 miles fasted the next morning

To optimize glycogen storage you probably need to train your body by frequently loading up and depleting

suzanne I generally fast twice a week anyway so I might be OK on that basis. That's a big calorie intake before bed - do you eat normally the day before as well or is that most of your calories for that day.

I eat around 2500 cals per day, most of it right before bed, then exercise fasted (lifting or running) the next day
Thats my daily routine (kind of 16:8 schedule)
I appreciate it's unorthodox and I don't do any racing, so feel free to disregard my advice 🙉😉

But yes if you regularly fast I imagine that would upregulate your glycogen storage capacity?

I often run fasted - distances such as a HM without a problem. I agree if you eat plenty the day before (lunch not just evening meal) then you will be fine. Breakfast is just a top up, most of the glycogen used will come from that which is stored. If you were running a marathon I'm not sure it is quite such a good idea, although there are those who do. Make sure you drink plenty of water in the 2 preceding days too, not the morning of he race.
One thing - are you sure that your stitch is due to eating and not breathing? I thought it was more associated with not being used to breathing when running.
Good luck for Sunday in any case!

I think I'm going to try a banana tomorrow morning and then a gentle 2 miles 2 hours later and if that works OK with no stitch, I'll try a banana 3 hours before the HM and should be OK. If it doesn't work tomorrow I'll sack it off and just run fasted.

I think I got scared with eating as it happened a couple of times but I'm not at all sure it was related as I manage to eat 2 hours prior to an afternoon or evening run with no bother so I suspect it's superstition on my part.

Thanks all. I'll report back.

Hope the HM went well Meggy. If you get the chance to listen to the podcast of the Radio 4 Food Programme, Eat to Run 2, they talk about how running in a fasted state is very good for building endurance. A lot of top runners use this training technique.

Oh thanks Anglaise - I'll have a listen, that's interesting.

I didn't eat in the end, was too scared it would back-fire never having done it before. I did it in 1:58 so was really pleased with that (although v frustratingly it was about 300 metres short of a full half-marathon as it had to be rerouted due to a crime scene!!) so would probably have been just over the 2 hours but still a good PB for me so happy with that.