Question for runners or parents of runners

[Only me]

My son is a junior in high school. He is new to track this year. He has been invited to a track invitational this weekend and will be gone from approximately 7 am until 5 pm. He will be running the 3200 relay as well as the 1600 meter run. Even though he has been in baseball most of his life and has had to eat healthy before games and in between games at tournaments, this is new territory for us as no one else in the family runs. This is his 4th meet but the other ones weren't near as long. They were in the evening. He normally eats lunch at 10:30 at school so is starving afterward. He usually eats a turkey sandwich on the bus on the way to the meet. He is still pretty hungry after the sandwich but doesn't want to over do it. He is fairly tall (5-10) but thin (130 lbs) but fairly muscular

 

We are trying to figure out the best kinds of foods for him to eat throughout the day. He will have breakfast before he leaves the house at 7. His first run is at 11:40 and the next one is approximately 3 hours later. He figures it would be best to eat a light lunch in between the two runs. What kinds of food would be good for this? He needs something to give him energy without making him sluggish. Any ideas?

[momofkhm]

I ran track in high school and college and just ate normal foods.  I ran more than 2 races though and people looked at me like I was weird when I pulled out the apple to eat when I had an hour between my last 2 races but I was used to it...

 

But yes, make a regular lunch and eat it as close to the first race as possible.  Then more to eat after the last race.  

 

Keep in mind that just because he is entered in two races now doesn't mean he will run those two, or only those 2 races on Saturday.  My coach did that to me more than once - changed races on the day.

 

 

[stupidusername]

he should eat a good, healthy breakfast at home. Don't go crazy, but he should eat well and make sure his stomach is full. That will get him through his first race. Then as soon as possible after his first race, he should eat a light lunch -- maybe a turkey sandwich if that's what he's used to. Then have something on hand to eat after his second (last) race. Also, he should drink plenty of water throughout the day.

 

[Momof3littles]

I was a distance runner in track, so I know where you are coming from.  All day meets can be tough, particularly because you also need to account for warmup and cooldown time before and after each event.  My total mileage on race day was always quite a bit higher in track than in cross country.  I was not a big sports drink person, but I did use them when we had all day meets at the end of the season when it was often quite hot out.  I think they are overused in general, but depending on conditions, etc. he may or may not find that somewhat helpful.  He should get some shade between events as able, and don't forget sunscreen.

 

Among my teammates and friends in similar positions as long distance runners, some ate basically normally, some ate lighter, it really depends on the person IME.  I'd have a supply of things like bars with a mix of carbs, protein, and fat to have as a supplement or snack as needed.  He could try eating a pretty normal lunch and see how he tolerates it.  Ideally I think he'd experiment a bit before a big meet to see how he does running 2 hrs after a typical meal. 

 

I also agree with PP that races are often tweaked and changed.  I ran 4 events pretty much every meet, and those were a mix of the 4x800m relay, 1600m, 800m, 3200m, and 4x400m relay.  Relay mixes in particular were often changed last minute.

 

Best of luck to him.

[Spring Flower]

I've heard that eating a high carb meal 48 hours before the race can help with energy levels but I've never read the science behind it. The night before and the day of the race should be lighter foods that sit well in his stomach. I had a dietician tell me that white bread, not wheat, is a better option on race day. I recall eating throughout all-day track meets in middle and high school. I can't remember any food in particular, though. 

[MEmama]

My son is a distance runner. He eats a mushroom and cheese omelette and a protein drink (Spirutein with milk) 2-3 hours before he races. It's tougher when there are big breaks between events, but he doesn't tend to eat unless he has at least that much time between to digest. For all day events, he will usually have 1/2 a veggie wrap and a yogurt, spaced out. He knows his body very well and has worked it down to a science.

 

I agree that sports drinks are overused, but they do have a time and place. I don't mind if he has one if it's very hot, or if he doesn't have enough time between races to eat properly.

 

Since your son has 3 hours between events (like others have said, track is notorious for changes), he might plan to have a light sandwich and smoothie in between. It's enough time to digest something gentle so he doesn't cramp up. He should, of course, drink plenty of water in between as well, but not too much.

[MEmama]

Adding...he should be sure to eat well and drink extra (a LOT extra) in the day or two before he races. Hydration makes a huge difference, but you don't want him drinking too much right before he runs. The days leading up are better.

[Critterfixer]

I don't run well if I eat, but I've found that mostly liquid foods seem to be fine. Yogurt and bananas don't bother me. One race I went to served hot soup which was interesting.