David Pellerin/Caller-Times

While your first impulse might be to grab a cheeseburger, fitness instructors say eating such fare could prove to be a real problem for runners.

Experts say eating high-carb meals such as pasta and drinking plenty of water will help runners get off to a good start

May 16, 2003
By Matt Young
Caller-Times

Scripps Howard News Service

Fitness instructors recommend eating high-carb meals such as pasta the night before running a race.

If you’re running in Saturday’s Beach to Bay Relay Marathon, your legs should be in shape by now. With that taken care of, the only thing left to worry about is your stomach — specifically, what should or shouldn’t be deposited there before the race.

Fitness instructors encourage runners to eat a fairly large meal, full of carbohydrates, on the night before the run and a small breakfast before leaving home the next morning.

"The night before the race, you should get lots of carbohydrates," said Rachelle Wesselski, Corpus Christi Athletic Club’s fitness director. "Pasta would be a good meal. Also, drink lots of water — as much as you can — and maybe a banana or two. That will help prevent muscle cramps the next morning."

Don’t starve yourself

The good news for runners is that you shouldn’t starve yourself or even go light on the meal the night before the race.

"I would say load up," Wesselski said. "It’s a longer race, so you shouldn’t be worried about weighing yourself down. Don’t eat until you puke, but you can eat a lot of pasta, and you’ll be fine."

Of course, the bad news is you can’t necessarily eat whatever you want.

Pasta and water: good.

Double cheeseburger and beer: bad.

"I know a lot of people that run like to get together for like a little party on Friday night," said Mark Dozier, 43, who will be running in his second Beach to Bay. "They don’t stay out late or anything, but they get together and go out to dinner and maybe have a few drinks. To me, that’s crazy, or maybe I’m just too old. If I’m going to run almost five miles the next morning, I’m not having any drinks or going out and stuffing myself the night before."

Another problem could be the pre-run breakfast. Fitness instructors insist that getting something in your stomach at least an hour before the race is a must.

The first leg of Beach to Bay goes off at 7 a.m., which means you’d better be up and ready to go before 6.

"That’s early, but you’re getting up to run anyway," Dozier said. "I usually just have a quick bowl of cereal, and that’s enough to hold me over until after the race."

Although you may have trouble getting yourself raring to go so early, stay away from coffee as a pick-me-up.

"No coffee or caffeine, because that will just dehydrate you more," Wesselski said. "Go ahead and set your alarm early and give yourself plenty of time to eat something small. Don’t go to IHOP and stuff yourself, but a light breakfast — maybe some bananas, a bowl of cereal and some toast or something like that."

Contact Matt Young at 886-3702 or youngm@caller.com