Running advice

I’m not doing a run Disney event - yet, but never say never - but where better to ask for running advice!

Firstly, I’m doing a 10k race next month and I don’t know what time I’ll be starting yet. I’m worried about what to eat beforehand. It looks like it could be any time between 11.45 and 1, which is the worst possible timing I think. I’ll know for sure 2 weeks before when my race pack arrives. How long before a run or race would you normally eat?

Secondly, any recommendations for socks that won’t bunch up between my toes 10 minutes in?

Thanks!

Yay for 10K!!! Go girl!

I try to eat not less than an hour before. My go to is something very benign to my system - banana and bagel or toast with PB. If I have coffee I have that 60-90 mins before and hope for “activation” before I start my run.

The good thing about 10K is you really don’t need fuel. Make sure to take some carbs and protein right after - chocolate milk is a great choice!

Socks: my go to are Feetures and Balega

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I’m always either starving or feel a bit sick during a run, I can never get the timing right with food. But eating things that are gentler on my stomach would help I expect, and I can definitely eat an hour before.

Thanks for the sock recommendations too!

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My normal pre-race routine is to get up about 3 or 3.5 hours before the race and jog a mile or 8-10 minutes to wake the body and the digestive system up. And by jog, I mean just move. Get the bowels moving so you don’t have to worry about that during the race. I would then usually eat after that jog. Make sure you don’t try anything new. If you are going to try protein bars, make sure you tried it before the race and make sure your stomach agrees with it.

I don’t usually drink caffeine, but I would have a Dr Pepper or Red Bull about an hour before the race. My son is running HS track now and he doesn’t like all the liquid, so we bought him Run Gum, which is a caffeinated gum that can give you that boost.

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I hadn’t even thought about that :see_no_evil: Yes that’s a problem I don’t need. I don’t like a lot of liquid sloshing around either, I’ll look into the gum.

I tried that. It has a weird consistency. Almost like over-chewed gum when it gets a little stiff.

Agree with that. And the flavors aren’t great, either, but when my son would drink something to get caffeine, he always felt like he had a bunch of liquid sloshing in his stomach when he runs. I honestly don’t know if he’s even messing with the the Run Gum anymore, either.

Yeah the fluid slosh is no fun for sure!

Has he - or you - considered Sport Beans or CLIF Bloks?

I haven’t looked into those. I haven’t raced in awhile, but may be something for him. In fact, I’m going to have knee surgery in 2 hours for a torn meniscus. Hoping to be back running and relatively fit by July when we go to Aulani for 12 days. My son is a freshman and will probably be running 40-45 miles per week in July, and I’m hoping to be able to run with him as I’m worried that he is going to have a tough time running there by himself. He isn’t much of a treadmill runner.

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Oh goodness! Good luck with that!

Kind of hate it myself, but do it out of necessity

Good luck with the op, hope you have a speedy recovery.

I wish we had a treadmill. It’s very hilly where I live. The race is in the city centre so it’s relatively flat.

That’s a tough time to start a race! I have many stomach issues if I don’t eat the right foods before a race. Could you have sweet potatoes a few hours before the race? I always eat sweet potatoes the night before a long run/race. On the morning of a race I always eat a Honey Stinger waffle (it’s more like a wafer). They make regular & gluten-free.
For socks, I love Balega’s.

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I could definitely have sweet potatoes. I’m in the UK, we don’t have a lot of waffle options.

That’s the second recommendation for those socks. I looked at them earlier on Amazon but haven’t committed yet.

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I think Balegas are very popular with runners, and the other two brands I hear most often are Feetures and Smartwool

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I looked at the feetures too because you mentioned them.

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I usually don’t eat a lot before any run; even while in training. I just cannot do it on a full stomach. When in training, I try to make sure I have eaten about 3-4 hours before I go out.

2-3 days before a race I would begin your hydration. You want to ensure you are full hydrated by race day. By starting to drink a few days in advance, it will allow you not to have a full belly of liquid at the starting line.

The best advice I can give is to try in advance…practice the eating before race day. This will allow you to figure out what you can tolerate and how close to race time you can do it.

Don’t carb load like this!

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Balegas used to be my favorite, but now I’m really leaning towards SmartWool. They do not slip one bit, keep my feet warm in the winter, and so far are not any hotter during warmer weather. I still like Balegas, but I find I do need to pull them up at my heel occasionally.

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I have thought about hydration because I don’t want to carry a water bottle, thanks for the reminder. If I run after work it is usually 3-4 hours before and sometimes I feel like I’m going to lose my lunch and other times like I haven’t eaten enough. But I can try different foods.

I wasn’t planning to carb load :joy:

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Ooh 10k so exciting! One of the only things I’m into as much as Disney is running. Personally I’m not a morning person, so would love that race time, but I get it can make timing eating tricky.
I typically eat whenever I’m hungry or have time before running which could be anything from a huge meal 15mins before to nothing all day, but I know that strategy is not ideal and definitely doesn’t work for everyone. I try to plan better before races.

Examples of my fueling for races:
8pm 5k:
3pm (5 hrs before): big lunch of salmon, broccoli, and rice
6:00pm (2hrs before): dinner of half turkey sandwich, piece of baguette, and caffeinated chocolate bar.
10:30am 10k:
8:00am (2.5hrs before): breakfast of hummus + pretzels and caffeinated chocolate bar.

My recommendation for a 11:45am-1pm 10k start:
Large Breakfast (3+ hours before): Whatever you typically eat for breakfast at whatever time you typically eat breakfast
Early Lunch (2ish hrs before): light lunch (ideas: turkey sandwich, hummus + pretzels/veggies, bagel, apple or banana + peanut butter)
Snack (20 mins before): banana chocolate chip muffin (or any yummy snack)
Second lunch (any time after the run)

Sock recommendation: feetures elite ultra light (+ skin glide cream if blister prone)

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If I ate that much I don’t think I could walk it, let alone run :joy: but the food suggestions are really helpful.

Thanks for the sock recommendation too. They definitely had those on Amazon. I’m not prone to blisters luckily.