I also think it's possible to overcome any aversion to eating too close to a run. Sure, if you're doing a fast 10k, you wouldn't want anything substantial within two hours of racing, maybe more.
But if I'm doing my weekly long slow endurance run, I find it perfectly doable to have big bowl of porridge & banana and set off 60-90 mins later.
And if you're aiming for ultras then you have to get used to digesting on the move anyway.
Bah ! thats nowt.
Fish supper, bottle of Bru and a smoothie - 5 minutes later I ran up the Ben,
and on over the Corries.
If it a long slow run there's really no problem (with a little practise) to eating immediately before.
At a slow run you have enough blood to supply muscles and digestive system at the same time.
Just to add to what Nicklas said
No - need to train with out food to develop your fat metabolism
A train of physiological theory says
You need energy for muscles,
which can be locally stored as glycogen (sugars) in muscles, or glycogen stored in liver and tranfered to muscles via the blood, or fat, stored in various places and transferred to muscles via the blood.
You also need energy for your brain
your brain only uses sugars, it can't store any locally and so relies on importing it via the blood. If your blood sugar drops too low (because your muscles have burned it all) then you experience "the knock", "a bonk"
You lose it - when your brain goes your legs go ("central governor theory" maintains that the brain says "Legs stop nicking my sugar" and switches them off).
eat some sugar and you'll recover.
sweets / glucose = quick supply, but unstable ( quickly in, soon gone)
complex carbs (sandwich, spuds) = slow and steady supply.
I find cold sausages work on the run if you're after something savoury.
Geoff Clarke
having said all that I think I only ate one mule bar round Duddon ...
To be honest I've never struggled for food in organised long distance events like the HPM or the Fellsman where there are food stations and, in the fellsmans case especially, copious amounts of really fantastic, easy to eat food. I do struggle in races like Edale Skyline or Borrowdale though - I think its because I have trouble breathing and eating at the same time(due to a broken nose playing rugby at school way back in the last century) which makes trying to eat on the move nire on impossible.
But you have to also work with what your body can cope with. Some things or too much will give me stomach ache or make me feel sick.Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak
Little and often for me would be alternating what I eat: a couple of jelly babies, a fig roll, a ride shot, a cereal bar; mini peparami or whatever. Depends on the length of the run. I've experimented over the years. Any more and I'll feel ill and any less I'll bonk and some things I just can't stomach while running.
That's why I said that everyone has to figure out what works for them. The main tip I was giving was to set an alarm every 20-30 mins to remind you to eat a little bit of whatever suits your body.
I'd agree with others that drinking more often is better and I usually would. If I've forgotten to drink more reguarly the alarm for food makes sure that I also don't go beyond 20-30 mins for drinking.
Re drink
I've said this before but if you work on 70-75% of you body wieght converted to ml as an hourly quantity you won't be going far wrong. Hotter days drink a little more.
So 80kgs you should be thinking or around 600ml. once you are dehydrated it's a long way back
yeah I just work off 500-600 ml an hour but am very careful not to go above that on long days out unless I'm drinking specialised solutions...
Re drink
I've said this before but if you work on 70-75% of you body wieght converted to ml as an hourly quantity you won't be going far wrong. Hotter days drink a little more.
So 80kgs you should be thinking or around 600ml. once you are dehydrated it's a long way back
On long days out I think more complex food is essential for me. Seems to help my guts. Sweets/coke and gels are fine for up to 6 hrs but then leaves my stomach in a mess...
Surley part of the training is to find the best food combination for the time out.
We are all different and some of the comments of what and when to eat are excellent.
Each person is different and part of the training should be what solids and fluids (not just water) can be consumed at what intervals by the individual.
Notes should be taken and used for reference in regards to what, when, how much, terrain, climb, weather etc etc
All the best and hope some of this helps.
Beans on toast work for me as a pre race/run breakfast, especially for a mid morning start.
For fluid during the run I take a smallish bottle - I can keep track of how much I actually drink that way and refill it easily at streams.l have found it easy to lose track with bladders and either run out unexpectedly (drinking more than I thought) or have too much left at the end (drinking less than I thought) plus I have never thought it a good idea to carry all the water I need around the route unless there is nowhere to top up.
For food on the go Jelly babies, cereal bars, fig rolls etc - I have side pockets in my bum bag and light sack and I find if the food is there I eat it, if its somewhere harder to get at lethargy sets in and I dont eat as often as I should.
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