Structuring eating the day before a half marathon

stu1970

I know about the types of food to eat but am curious about how others structure their eating. I know some people say have your main meal at lunchtime to allow the food plenty of time to work through your system.

readyeddiego

I'm no expert but I would suggest it's best to plan what times your meals are going to be based around what the planned race start time is?

And as with everything in life it's a case of personal preference and what works best for you. How much time have you been leaving prior to any training runs for example?

Ive heard that something like fish chips and peas as your evening meal is best for an endurance run the night before! What more excuse does anyone need to train for a half mara

Little M.iss Happy

There isn't really any need to eat any differently the day before a half though if you have an early start on race day you might want to eat your last meal a little earlier than usual.

Sol2

Agree with MLH. There's no need to worry about the day before - just keep it normal. Breakfast before the race, however, is important. I always have porridge, as oats are a slow-release carbohydrate. You don't need a quick spike in blood sugar followed by a crash. Make sure to eat at least 2, preferably 3 hours before the start time. 

Good luck! 

Cal Jones

I usually have my main meal at lunchtime anyway. It takes me hours to digest food so I don't like to eat late. Lunch is typically baked potato with salad and a protein (usually tuna as it's cheaper than chicken). I put cheese on the potato. Fats do slow down digestion but that far before a race, it's not really an issue.
Evening meal is usually oats mixed with whey protein and topped with some sort of fruit and walnuts.
I don't eat breakfast before a half - just black coffee. If I ate before (even 4 hours earlier) I'd have a burning oesophagus and stomach for the entire run. But fortunately I've trained myself to run on empty so it's not really an issue, energy-wise.