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Eating, Morning of Race (Read 85 times)

Rylee


       This past Saturday was my conference track meet, I ran the 4x800m Relay, and the 3200m Run. Now I am a very very competitive runner, I run to win and nothing less, and doing that, I found myself puking out most of my poor choices 15 minutes after my anchoring leg of the 4x800(We where conference champions in the 4x8 ). That morning I had eaten 15+ chocolate chip pancakes(These where larger then the average pancakes). It was a good idea at first, filling my body and not needing to eat for the rest of the day. Turned out wrong. I normally eat only 1 or 2 peanut-butter sandwiches before the meet, but I never find them filling enough. And eventually I get sick of the taste. But they seem to do me well. I run my fastest times doing it. I'm still looking for my right eating pattern for before a meet. The 3200m run is my primary event, the relay is to score the total team some points! But I ended up with a sad 10:12 on my 3200m which was enough to get my conference runner-up but puking was a major part of that. I am just looking for some advice with my food issues and what I should do, when I should do it! Specifically something that is filling, but doesn't fill me to the point where I feel it. I always think there should be a little hunger. If it helps any I am 15 years old, 155 lbs, and 6 ft tall.  Thanks for the help! It truly really helps a lot!

    GinnyinPA


      I like oatmeal on race day.  Others do a bagel and peanut butter.

      LedLincoln


      not bad for mile 25

        Maybe instead of a full meal, try nibbling on granola bars or power bars through the morning.

         

        MTA: Congrats on winning the 4x800!


        some call me Tim

          It doesn't matter if you're hungry- for that distance a special diet on race morning will make no difference so eat light. If you like, you might try a couple of pop tarts. It's not what hippies would eat, but it works for me.

          BeeRunB


            I've done the pancake too close to the race mistake.

            What works for me is to eat no closer than 3-4 hours before race, which

            sometimes means I eat nothing. Just some coffee on the way to the race.

            Everyone is different in this regard.

            joescott


                  If it helps any I am 15 years old, 155 lbs, and 6 ft tall.  Thanks for the help! It truly really helps a lot!

               

              You sound like the spitting image of my middle son, except you are a tiny bit faster maybe (but not a lot!)  Here's what I tell both of my high school track sons:  Eat NORMALLY on the day of a track meet, at least breakfast and lunch.  Depending on what events they are running, we take may take a different strategy for the evening.  If they are in the 4x8 or mile (early in our track schedules in these parts) they usually eat something light maybe an hour or two before the race.  E.g., If the finals start at 6:00, then maybe eat half a sandwich at 4:00 or 4:30 if they are hungry.  Then, if doubling in the 3200 as you do, maybe eat the other half of the sandwich after cooling down from the 4x8, and that gives plenty of time for the stomach to be well settled by the time the 2-mile rolls around at 9:00 or 10:00.  This approach seems to work pretty well for them.  They race pretty well usually and they've neither one ever thrown up during or after a high school race (although my older one has done when he was younger).

              - Joe

              We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.