Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

I've read so many different articles and stories online about eating/drinking for long distances runs (right now training for half marathon, so I am talking about 8-13 mile runs). I cannot eat anything less than 4 hours before a run. I get an upset stomach or cramps in my intestines. During the run, I am OK with taking a few sips of water while running, but 4 oz at a time will not happen. I am not handling the gels or "sharkies" gummy snacks well either. I can eat 2 of those "sharkies" and thats it.
Can anyone please help me. What is the minimum I would NEED to eat/drink during an 8 mile run? What about a 13 mile run? Anyone with IBS able to complete in longer distances?

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

Have you experimented with different types of food?

If I eat a bagel/toast/banana/clif bar 2 hours before I don't need to fuel for an 8-10 miler.

I usually eat a couple of shotblocks 1/2 way through a half, but I know plenty of people that don't take fuel for halfs. Maybe try gatorade?

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

i'm just like you. i can't eat or really drink more than a few sips before long runs. for me, long runs are 5-6 miles (still working on running further) and i get cramps and just feel so heavy that i can't run either.

before races though, i usually eat half a banana and very little water. i get thirsty but just take a sip of water at the water spots throughout the race. idk what the minimum is for 8 mile races though. i would like to know as well.

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

Before a half I usually eat a banana or plain bagel two hours before, and then a power bar about an hour before. I only sip gatorade during those two hours and stop about a half hour before. I try to only drink gatorade during the race and I usually have one pack of the sports jellybeans about half way through. I feel they give me that extra push.

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

If I run in the morning (and I almost always do long runs in the morning) I do not eat beforehand (unless it's a race, I have a piece of toast with pb), nor do I drink while running. I'm sure it's not the "right" thing to do, but I have trained for several halves and a full marathon this way. So I'm not sure if you need to eat/drink a certain amount. I guess it depends on how you feel, you know?

DH is training for a full, and he wears a hydration belt for long runs. He just takes a few sips every 3 miles-ish. He doesn't eat before or during his runs either.

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

I have a friend who doesn't drink during long runs. She also runs 1/2 marathons and on a 13 mile run will maybe drink 4oz total...maybe. On an 8 mile run, she drinks nothing. Weird to me!

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

Luckily, I am able to eat fairly close to my runs. I typically have a bowl of cereal about 1 hour before my run and it holds me over. I typically do not eat during my runs and I rarely drink during my runs unless it is extremely hot. The longest run I have done is 13 miles.

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

Really depends on your physical condition and the weather. I have done plenty of 8 mile runs where I drank no water. However I don't think you're doing your body any good by not drinking water during a run longer than that, especially in warmer weather. For more than 8 miles I always drink water or gatorade. What happens if you drink more than 4oz at a time?

My logic during a long race is that I'll lose less time by stopping and walking thru a water station and rehydrating my body versus not drinking anything and potentially cramping up and having to stop altogether due to poor hydration.

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

Can you handle candy? I know a marathoner who ate hersheys kisses, tootsie rolls and starbursts.

I take a gu or sports beans every 4 miles.

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

Posted by jerseychick
My thinking (and let me preface this by saying I have not done ANY research on this, this is just my way of thinking about it...in other words, I made it up ) is that I have energy built up in my body, even if I don't eat right before I run. So maybe I run and deplete those energy stores, and create a deficit, but then I eat again and replenish it, kwim?

Message edited 8/23/2011 11:04:38 PM.

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

Posted by Erica

Posted by sarahbelle

Can you handle candy? I know a marathoner who ate hersheys kisses, tootsie rolls and starbursts.

ITA with candy. I'm going to test tootsie rolls now for the glucose possibilities! Although, they are hard to chew...chewing while running isn't as easy as it might seem.


You are fine not drinking or fueling for 8 miles (although you should drink a little on humid/hot days)...13 starts getting trickier. I'm happy with just sports drinks, but I have occasionally sucked on hard candy - jolly ranchers/life savers during HMs, but a sports drink will be enough to give you the carbs you need for 13.

You can also do sports beans (I use these for marathons - but rarely in training), raisins, gummy bears...but if you can do sports drinks, I think that's enough for HM. If you don't have a pocket, you can safety pin them to your shirt and tuck into your shorts.

One thing that I started last summer was to freeze the Gatorade G1 pouches and drink the slushy on my first mile.

Posted by jerseychick
My thinking (and let me preface this by saying I have not done ANY research on this, this is just my way of thinking about it...in other words, I made it up ) is that I have energy built up in my body, even if I don't eat right before I run. So maybe I run and deplete those energy stores, and create a deficit, but then I eat again and replenish it, kwim?

You are right on - The body stores glucose to run for about 20 miles. That's why ~20 miles is a typical wall distance for people.

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

I would eat shotblocks if I was running longer than an hour, however during races I never ate anything and barely drank. In the two half marathons I ran I probably drank around 4oz. The only thing is that AFTER I ran I'd have to seriously rehydrate or Id get sick.

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

I eat a chobani plain yogurt with berries about an hour before any long run or half! As far as water I tend to always be thirsty to I always carry water and drink about 16 ounces during a half sometimes more! Also i love jelly beans and they are easy to chew and give me a little boost!

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

I do not fuel or drink too much at all while running. I've done many halfs and a full. During the full I drank water, but no more than one or two ounces at a time, had gatorade at one stop, and tried to eat a gel but wasn't very successful.

I don't eat anything on race day until after it is over and eat very light the day before.

THis is how I have to eat/fuel/hydrate or I will be ill while running.

Everybody is different. If it is hurting more than helping try to push through the distance without it. Of course, try this in a safe area and not on race day.

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

before all my halfs, i wake up 3 hours before the race and eat a clif bar (white chocolate macadamia is delish!) and drink about 2 glasses of water.

during the race i usually stop after mile 8, and have water mixed with gatorade.

i'm now training for a full, and have noticed that my energy totally tanks after 10 miles. so, i'm going to start trying out gels or jellies.

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

I eat a protein bar 1 hour before a long run and then once in my run, I use nutrition every 45 minutes I run. After the first 45 minutes, I usually take one Gu (followed by water) and take GU chomps after an hour and a half running. It keeps me going and I don't feel full or that I'm in trouble.

Re: Distance runners - need help with eating/drinking during runs

I ran 10 miles yesterday. I walked for 0.1 miles at mile 7 and ate my Sharkies. It definitely helped with energy and my stomach was OK. Training to eat/drink is worse than the running part.