I had no plans to race this weekend until Kay PS generously offered to pick me up at the train station in Jersey, so I am running the Mercerville Mistletoe 5k on Saturday afternoon.
The race is at 2pm, which is a new one for me. I’ve only ever raced first thing in the morning or at night. Does anyone have a suggestion of when to eat and how much? I was thinking of maybe a healthy-type breakfast (oatmeal, maybe a bagel and grapefruit juice) around 10am. Is that too late? Alternatively, I could eat a bigger breakfast at 9ish and then bring a protein bar on the train.
I've never run a 5K at that hour but for the Vegas Marathon, I had lunch (pasta) at 1pm for a 3pm start and that went well. What I would do is either an early breakfast and lunch at 11am or a late breakfast and then have lunch after the race.
Damaris
As part of the 2024 London Marathon, I am fundraising for VICTA, a charity that helps blind and visually impaired children. My mentor while in law school, Jim K (a blind attorney), has been a huge inspiration and an example of courage and perseverance. Please consider donating.
Fundraising Page
Hmm... that's a hard one. I've never raced in the afternoon. Maybe a very light breakfast first thing when you wake up. A light snack around 9:30/10 am (I always have a snack in the morning) and a very light lunch at noon. I like eating.
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Not a dude
I would eat a decent sized breakfast and a very light lunch around 11:30.
I should note that I can’t eat anything that’s not portable after 10:45 or so when I have to run for the train.
PB&J sandwich and an apple or a banana!
Refurbished Hip
It's a 5K. You don't need the food for fuel. Eat a late breakfast, skip lunch, run, eat a late lunch or early dinner. Or that's what I would do...
Running is dumb.
I have raced at that hour and it's a difficult trick. What I did was eat a full breakfast and then just kind of snack easy afterward. You'll be hungry but that's better than having a full belly. It's not like "fueling" is an issue in a 5K.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
delicate flower
I'd just eat what I would normally eat, then not eat two hours before the race. I wouldn't change much of anything for a 5K but I'd rather not run it on a full stomach.
<3
Chairman
I would eat the same thing I eat for an 8 am race, but 6 hours later.
Coalition for a Free and Independent New Jersey
Chief Unicorn Officer
I agree with Babboon, like others have said you don't really need the fuel for a 5K, but I also don't like racing hungry. It makes me nauseous. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably eat breakfast at my usual time, and eat lunch early, like 11-11:30, and just not eat anything crazy. I've done races at 6PM at night and just ate like I normally do during the day of the race.
Mile 5:49 - 5K 19:58 - 10K 43:06 - HM 1:36:54
Are we there, yet?
A regular breakfast, then something between 11 and noon, enough to stave off hunger pangs.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Ditto to what all of the smart people above me said. Everyone's body reacts different to food. You know your normal routine before a race. Do the same thing, just adjust for time. If I were doing a 2 PM 5k, I'd eat a normal breakfast and then have a sandwich around 11.
It's 3.1 miles at 2 pm in the winter time. Eat a light lunch around 10:30 or 11:00 and go for it. It will probably take you 3 miles to get things moving through your system, just in time to go to the bathroom after the race. Leave the iPod, iPhone, fanny pack, water bottles, etc. behind. Good luck on your race.
Uh, thanks, I don't race with that stuff.