Food to go faster! Fuelling for a Half Marathon

The community at HealthUnlocked has been sharing their nutrition tips when training for a Half Marathon. And they’ve given us some delicious suggestions!

Here are just a few…

@roseabi said: “Food is an individual thing, and it’s best to experiment and find what works for you personally.

“I tend not to worry too much about what I’m eating during training, but I do like to time hard runs to finish in time for a meal, and I try to make sure it is a balanced meal. This helps keep me going for the rest of my day, I find, and stops me from snacking so much. I always eat at least an hour or two before a run to give the food a chance to go down, and if I am going a longish way (>15k) I take fluid and some sugar with me (sports drink usually, and a gel and/or jelly babies for the longest runs).

“Around race day it gets a bit more important! In the couple of days leading up to the race I cut down on fibre and avoid chillies, to avoid unpleasant loo breaks during the race! On the night before the race I find that pizza margarita works for me, and for breakfast on the day I find peanut butter on toast or with a bagel is nicely substantial. I have a gel or a few jelly babies roughly halfway through a half marathon. Immediately after a race I like chocolate milk, and always have a bottle of Yazoo in my bag-drop bag – this is the only thing I have ever found palatable after a full marathon! I like it after a half marathon too, though, and it contains enough protein and carbohydrate to top up the reserves.”

@GoGo_Jo said: “I worry less about what to eat before any long run than during and after. Fuelling and hydration on the way round and the right recovery foods are my key components.”

@SlowLoris added: “Healthy balanced diet. Nothing extra and no changes leading up to race day.

“Having said that, I’m just about to tuck into a pork pie but I’ve always been better at giving advice than following it!”

Whether it’s a pork pie or something a little healthier, what are your go-to foods and recipes while training, and before and after a half marathon? Tell us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Bon Appétit!