A former athlete asked me a few questions on behalf of her roommate via text. Edited for clarity.
Pre-race and post-race meals.
Cori: So you’re supposed to have pasta the night before a race, what meal is good for post race?
Rich: Protein and carbs. Good time to cheat with the simple sugars is right after a race. It’s a little more complicated than that, but that’s about it.
Cori: So if my roomie is running a half on Sunday morning and will be back in Lawrence for dinner, what would I make for her?
Rich: Probably just her favorite entrée and desert.
Cori: That’s what I told her and she asked what was good for after a race. She’s running in Des Moines next weekend.
Rich: Ok. How soon after she runs will she be eating your meal? It would make a difference if it was right away or later that night.
Cori: It would be later that night, like probably 6 or 7 hours ’cause she has to drive back.
Rich: Ok, so hopefully she already ate before that and you could shift the focus to restoring depleted carbs just like pre-race. And best day for pre-race carbs is actually two days before.
Cori: Sweet! Thanks! And she wants to know what she should eat the day before her race.
Rich: Whatever the opposite of pizza is. Basically, just don’t experiment with new foods, avoid saturate fat or anything hard to digest. Good time for veggies, protein, and more carbs. Don’t stress too much. There’s no magic meal.
Cori: Alrighty. Thanks a bunch! I’ll let her know.
End conversation.
Here are my biggest points of emphasis from this:
1) Don’t experiment around race time. We are creatures of habit and while, hopefully, your routine includes plenty of variety, throwing a variable in at the last minute is only asking for trouble.
2) Don’t stress out. It’s sounds a little like Cori’s roommate is trying to over-think it. Worrying too much about making the wrong decision can lead to no decision which is the worst decision. 🙂
3) Replace what you spent. After any athletic exertion, especially a half marathon, your body is primed for replenishment. Protein is essential to repair and strengthen damaged tissue, both simple and complex carbohydrates are essential to counter the massive expenditure during a 13.1 mile race. Hydration, of course, is another factor everyone knows about, but can still be neglected.