Every runner has specific rituals they perform before a long run or race. We try different things the night before/morning of running so we know what to expect come race day! I thought it would be kind of fun to tell you about what I do to prepare for a long run/long race.
The day/night before
Avoid dairy! I don’t avoid it 100% the day before I run long or race, but for dinner I try to limit my dairy consumption. For example, I won’t eat a meal with loads of cheese or ice cream for dessert. I know when I do this I never have deal with stomach problems during my run!
Eat a sugary sweet! Okay, so, I think I have a superstition now because whenever I eat a slice of cake or cupcake before I go on a long run, my run tends to be awesome. Case in point: I ate a vegan cupcake the night before the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Race and had an awesome run, I’ve eaten carrot cake the night before running an awesome 11 miler, and had birthday cake Friday before Saturday’s long run. 
The morning of
Eat a bagel or waffles with peanut butter and jam. This has been my go-to breakfast for long runs for awhile. I’ve also eaten waffles as well, both work great at fueling my body for many miles! I also put a little bit of real maple syrup on the waffles and I think the sugar helps push me through the miles.
Drink green tea. I usually drink a few glasses of water when I wake up and then after breakfast drink a cup of green tea. I don’t know if its the caffeine in the tea, but for some reason this also really works to make me feel energized!
During the run
Eat Gu or Clif Shots when running 7 or more miles. Am I weird for really liking the taste of Gu? My favorite is chocolate mint! But when I’m feeling tired at mile 6 I know I have a Gu waiting for me to get me through the remaining miles. Some versions even have caffeine in them and I swear I can feel the burst of energy.
Take water/gatorade breaks. I just started drinking Gatorade during my runs. I ran a half marathon that was giving out cups of Gatorade and I just went for it. It really helped replenish my fluids and didn’t bother me at all!
So there you have it, my running rituals! Please share with me, what are some of your “rituals” before a long run or race?
I love your sweet treat ritual.
My rituals are eating raisins, craisins, nuts and some chocolate chips for fuel. Can’t do the regular fuel.
Also I have two shirts picked out just in case I change my mind last minute.
Cynthia (It All Changes) recently posted..Enjoy Sweet Freedom
Hmmm. No dairy. I wouldn’t have thought of that. I’m leaning towards eating vegan all the time. But, I wouldn’t have thought to specifically cut dairy out the day prior.
My night before ritual – Big bowl of pasta (It’s a classic!)
Morning before – Banana PB sandwich (cut a banana in 1/2 lengthwise, spread some PB in there and eat like a sandwich) & coconut water
AFTER A LONG RACE – eat anything & everything I can get my hands on!!
I think it’s so fun reading about other people’s rituals – it’s so neat to see the random things people do before long runs or races!
I used to be the queen of rituals when I swam in college. It was borderline obsessive, which probably wasn’t healthy. Right now though, I’m actually semi- anti-ritual. I think it’s going along with my no-plan training plan. Sort of teaching my mind to perform well no matter what the circumstances, I guess. The only thing I stay true to is making sure I drink LOTS of water the day before.
BTW – I ran with shot blocks instead of Gu yesterday – so good!!
Liz (Little Bitty Bakes) recently posted..Hurricane (Irene) Smoothie
Great post! I enjoyed reading everyone’s rituals.
I always start the morning of with two slices of wholegrain toast with almond butter and two glasses of water. A trip (or two) to the bathroom for my nervous bladder and I’m off.
Anything over 5K and I like to bring along a Larabar to eat at the 4K mark and onward and some watered down coconut water (so tasty!).
Afterwards I love to dig into an icy green monster, my remaining coconut water and pancakes with strawberries, coconut, and maple syrup.
It seems it’s really all about the food
Lorinda @ Waisting Away recently posted..Week In Review
Nothing in particular beforehand, but nothing too greasy the night before. The other week before a 16 miler I had a mini cinnamon raisin bagel just to have something in my stomach. If I go super early I’m still full from dinner the night before. I bring a different running food for every hour I’m out – vanilla Powerbar energy gel (tastes like pudding to me), multi-flavor Sport Beans, and Gu Chomps in blueberry-pomegranate. I take 2 out of those 3 on most long runs these days with a fuel belt of 3 water bottles and 1 gatorade/water mix.
Cap2Cap recently posted..Little Anthony’s
how do you like running with the fuelbelt? I’m thinking of investing in one next year when I *gasp* possibly train for a marathon!
The Fuelbelt is a pain in the ass. When I’m trying to breathe well and not drink in any air bubbles in my effort to avoid cramps and side stitches, something squeezing at my abdomen doesn’t really help, nor does the extra weight of the water. But I sweat a lot, and I need to replenish. Carrying a water bottle also sucks. When it’s snowy I’ll stick a water bottle in the snow somewhere and do loops to get to it. Ideally, there would be water stops ever couple miles
What do you do about the 10 mile runs? I even stop at my known water fountains (Washington Park, the pharmacy school, Jim’s Tastee Freez) on morning runs because I know I need it. Good for you about the marathon. It took me a long time to even fathom running a full, and now I’m just trying to train adequately without injuring myself.
Cap2Cap recently posted..Little Anthony’s
oh jeeze! well, i do them at a bike path where i can leave a water bottle in my car and make a stop and get water and gu, and then run on the path in the opposite direction to finish my run..that seems to be working. i’ve considered my camelback but its not the right kind for running, so i might get another one eventually.