The Role of Fueling and Hydration
Before diving into the specifics, it’s important to understand why fueling and hydration matter:
• Energy Provision: Carbohydrates are your muscles’ main fuel source. Proper fueling ensures that your glycogen stores are topped off, delaying fatigue and helping you maintain your pace.
• Hydration: Even mild dehydration can affect performance. Staying properly hydrated helps regulate body temperature, lubricates joints, and supports overall endurance.
• Mental Focus: A consistent nutrition strategy can help keep energy levels steady, warding off the “bonk” and keeping you mentally sharp during the race.
Pre-Race Fueling: Building a Solid Foundation
Your race nutrition journey starts days before the event, but the critical window is the final meal or snack you have before you take on the course.
Carbohydrate Loading:
In the days leading up to your race, aim to increase your carbohydrate intake. This doesn’t mean loading up on sugar alone, but incorporating whole-grain pasta, rice, quinoa, fruits, and vegetables to maximize your muscle glycogen stores.
Pre-Race Meal:
Plan to eat a carbohydrate-rich, low-fiber, and moderate-protein meal 2-3 hours before the race. This might look like:
• A bowl of oatmeal with bananas and a drizzle of honey
• A bagel with a light spread of peanut butter and jam
• A smoothie with fruit, a scoop of protein, and a bit of yogurt for digestion
These choices are designed to provide energy without weighing you down.
Hydrate Early and Often:
In the hours before your start, sip water or an electrolyte-enhanced beverage steadily. Avoid chugging large amounts right before the race to prevent discomfort. A gradual approach helps your body optimize fluid absorption, ensuring that you start strong and hydrated.
During the Race: On-The-Go Fueling and Hydration
Once the race begins, sustaining your energy levels and staying hydrated can keep fatigue at bay. Here’s how to manage it during the run:
Fuel at Regular Intervals:
For races lasting over an hour, plan to consume quick, easily digestible carbohydrates. Energy gels, chews, or small snacks like bananas work well. Many runners find that taking in fuel every 30-45 minutes stabilizes energy levels and prevents hitting the wall. Coach Rosie consumes 75-80g of carbohydrates per hour.
Hydrate Consistently:
Most races offer water or sports drink stations along the course. Aim for small, consistent sips rather than large gulps. This steady hydration helps maintain your electrolyte balance and prevents cramping.
Adjust to Race Conditions:
Be mindful of the weather and your exertion level. On hot days or during faster race paces, you might need to take in fluids and fuel a bit more frequently. Having a flexible plan allows you to adjust on the fly.
Post-Race Recovery: Replenish and Restore
After crossing the finish line, recovery is critical for putting the pieces back together and preparing for your next run:
Rehydrate Wisely:
Continue to replace fluids lost during the race. An electrolyte drink can be especially helpful if it’s been a long or particularly sweaty effort.
Refuel:
Within 30-60 minutes post-race, aim to get a balance of carbohydrates and protein to jump-start your recovery. This could be a balanced meal or a snack, such as a smoothie with fruit and protein powder or a hearty sandwich with lean protein.
Listen to Your Body:
Recovery is an individualized process. Notice how your body responds—if you’re sore or fatigued, give yourself the extra time to recover and rehydrate properly before hitting the next run.
Practice Makes Perfect
Fueling and hydration strategies are best honed during your long training runs. Use your workouts to experiment with:
• Timing and amounts of fuel
• Different combinations of solid and liquid carbohydrates
• Alternative hydration plans based on temperature and intensity
Finding the right balance during training will build confidence and ensure your race day plan isn’t a surprise.
Final Thoughts
Your race day. . .When we plan ahead with proper carbohydrate load, choose the right pre-race meal, stay hydrated and practice fueling strategies in our long runs, we set up for a strong successful race.
Remember, every runner’s needs are unique. Use your training as a testing ground to refine what works best for your body so that when race day arrives, you’re not only physically prepared but also strategically fueled and hydrated to cross the finish line feeling your best.
Happy racing, and may your fuel and hydration strategy propel you to new PRs!
Major milestone:
Ran first Marathon at age 66!! Finished 4th in my age group and ran much faster than I expected.
What is the secret to your success?
Set a goal, secured a good coach (Runcoach Cally Macumber), followed a solid training program, stayed persistent.... AND FAMILY SUPPORT was critical! It was also helpful to have a purpose bigger than myself--running as part of the American Cancer Society "DETERMINATION" Team.
What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it?
Lack of confidence. How to overcome: Begin early, take each day as it comes, be aware of your body, be disciplined in training and celebrate your strength and endurance improving every day.
What is the most rewarding part of training?
Enjoying each run, being outside, celebrating as my strength and endurance improved.
What advice would you give to other members of the Runcoach community?
Begin early, take each day as it comes, set realistic goals, be aware of your body, be disciplined in training and celebrate your strength and endurance improving every day. Also, RunCoach was very helpful.
Anything else you would like to share?
If you're at all interested, JUST DO IT!! When working full time and raising a family, I never felt I could dedicate the time needed to train for a full marathon. So its a miracle at my age that I was able to finish, with no injuries!
After an easy jog (according to your schedule) and light stretch, these drills will help prevent injuries, improve your running form, and increase speed. Please review the 7 videos below for descriptions of each.
After each drill you should run the remaining distance to cover 100 meters so that when the 7 drills are complete you will have run 7×100 meters (exercises included). Then finish up your warmup with 3×100 meter strides. The 100 meters should be at your 1500 meter pace. Give yourself at least 30 seconds recovery (feel free to take up to 1 minute if desirable). Please review the video below for a description of a stride.
We suggest you perform these drills and strides prior to all track workouts or tempo runs.
High knee lift isn’t just for sprinters, distance runners need it too. The rhythm skip drill is a good way to strengthen your hip flexors and improve coordination. By combining lift with forward motion, this drill encourages better flexibility and helps lengthen your stride over time. Watch on YouTube.
Carioca is a dynamic drill that trains your body to move powerfully. By crossing one leg over the other while moving laterally, this drill challenges coordination, improves hip mobility, and enhances balance. For runners, Carioca is especially useful for engaging the core and activating the muscles around the hips and glutes, key for maintaining stability and efficiency on every stride when fatigue sets in. Watch on YouTube.
Butt kicks do more than just stretch your quads, they help prepare them to stay strong and active throughout your run. This drill targets the front of the thigh, which plays a key role in knee lift and running speed. Quads often fatigue late in long races, making it harder to lift your feet and maintain form. Butt kicks help keep these muscles flexible, engaged, and ready to power you through the finish line, without the shuffle! Watch on YouTube.
Your run stride should feel strong and springy - that’s where bounding comes in. This explosive drill focuses on developing power through your stride by exaggerating your running motion. Bounding strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, and calves while improving coordination. It teaches your body to push off the ground with more power, translating into a more efficient, faster, and stronger running stride. Watch on YouTube.
Think quick and high: “As high as you can, as fast as you can.” That’s the rhythm behind the high knees drill. This dynamic movement fires up your hip flexors, activates your core, and improves leg turnover - all while reinforcing powerful knee drive. When done consistently, high knees help translate speed and efficiency directly into your running form, making your stride more explosive and controlled. Watch on YouTube.
Just like toe walking strengthens your calves and feet, heel walking shifts the focus to the front of the lower leg - specifically the shin muscles. This drill activates the tibialis anterior, a key muscle for foot control and stability during running. Regularly practicing heel walking can help improve ankle mobility, reinforce proper foot mechanics, and play an important role in preventing shin splints, a common issue among distance runners logging serious miles. Watch on YouTube.
