Nutrition
Carb loading without the bloat: a 3-day plan
How much carbohydrate you actually need before a half or full marathon, and what to eat.
Nutrition
Food is part of the training plan
Eat enough, time your carbs around hard sessions, and practise race fuelling long before race day. Most of the rest is detail.
A day of eating around a key workout
| When | What | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Oats, milk, banana, coffee | Steady carbs for the day |
| Lunch | Rice bowl with chicken or tofu and vegetables | Carbs + protein, moderate fibre |
| 2 h before run | Toast with honey or a cereal bar | Top up without a full stomach |
| Within 1 h after | Yoghurt, fruit and granola or a smoothie | Start refuelling and repair |
| Dinner | Pasta or potatoes, salmon or beans, greens | Glycogen for tomorrow, protein, micronutrients |
Quick rules we come back to
Eat enough
Chronic under-fuelling is the most common nutrition problem in runners — and the most harmful.
Carbs follow load
More on long-run and workout days, a bit less on rest days. No need to fear them.
Practise fuelling
Use the same gel or drink in training that you plan to use on race day.
Nutrition articles
Nutrition
Gels, chews or real food? Fuelling the long run
How many grams of carbs per hour, how to train your gut, and when water is not enough.
Nutrition
Five recovery breakfasts under 10 minutes
Carbs plus protein after a morning run, without turning on the oven.
The Sunday long run letter
One email a week: a workout, a recipe and one thing we learned. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Thanks! Check your inbox to confirm.