Carbo loading - Spring Marathon

simonx98

13/04/2011 at 22:33

does carbo loading start in earnest on Thursday ?

Any sharing of meal/snack plans much appreciated by novices like me suffering from the taper jitters!!

MAD LAD

13/04/2011 at 22:36

I started tonight.

Fruit bread, bagel, porridge, muesli, flapjacks, bread,scones.

enjoy

simonx98

14/04/2011 at 08:21

thanks ML, I take it that was your "tea" rather than a late supper?!

Anyone else on it today?

Just had some porridge, banana and maple syrup - porridge was with milk since my wife got up before me and was making some .... Separate porridge tomorrow! Will have some toast and honeylater.

Brolish

14/04/2011 at 08:40

Starting today as well... although not planning on doing anything drastically different. Cereal with banana for breakfast, jacket potato/ pasta for lunch, pasta/ risotto for dinner (depending on what I had for lunch). It's not like you need to eat more, is it? Just getting most of your calories from carb, which I think I do anyway when I'm training... The nerves are kicking in today a bit.

Happy carbo loading everyone!

Intermanaut

14/04/2011 at 09:18

Is this for VLM? If it is, it's too late. You should have already figured out, and used in training, the foods that might give you longer-lasting energy.

Gilly1709

14/04/2011 at 09:46

I think there's a few schools of thought on that. The other is that you only need to load 3 days before the event and there's not a lot of point doing it earlier. After 3 days you reach you max glycogen store levels so eating carbs for any longer or eating loads of extra carbs won't make any difference.

For me - I keep my diet fairly balance throughout but 3 days before the marathon my main meals tend to be pasta (lasagne last night), risotto, cereals, flapjacks and keeping well hydrated.

As with most advice it entirely depends on what you read or who you listen to. At the end of the day provided you don't drastically change your diet, eating more carbs 3 days before certainly won't do you any harm and with a bit of luck will keep your legs going for longer.

I can certainly recommed the RW muffins, they're lovely http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/recipes/banana-and-peanut-butter-muffins/6107.html

Brolish

14/04/2011 at 10:59

Intermanaut- what do you mean it's too late? Do you mind explaining? Too late for carbo loading?

Intermanaut

14/04/2011 at 11:29

Carbo-loading is pretty much a myth. You should have been eating properly (including appropriate quantities of carbs) during training, especially for LSRs.

Choffing down on a shed-load of pasta three days before a run isn't going to magically boost the glycogen reserves in your system. It could even make the race tougher.

Corin Henderson

14/04/2011 at 11:35

I have been eating porridge, fruit, bagels, brown rice, pasta and mini eggs, and that was just breakfast !!!

Also been trying to drink more (water) and have a bottle of lucozade sport lite every day.

Sorry

14/04/2011 at 12:01

Intermanaut wrote (see)

Carbo-loading is pretty much a myth. You should have been eating properly (including appropriate quantities of carbs) during training, especially for LSRs. Choffing down on a shed-load of pasta three days before a run isn't going to magically boost the glycogen reserves in your system. It could even make the race tougher.

Please explain why it would make the race tougher?

M.ister W

14/04/2011 at 12:50

Because your body isn't used to you shovelling in that much carbs so it reacts to it. It can make you feel sluggish and can cause problems with your digestive system. You should stick to whatever you've been eating during your training and make sure you don't eat anything on Saturday that is likely to cause you problems. I normally go for something like a stir fry with rice or quinoa the evening before a big race.

Corin Henderson

14/04/2011 at 14:36

Hi M.ister W

I saw your reply to my post when I said I was having a lie in as i didn't think the trains would be busy. I was trying to be ironic and hillariously funny, it obviously didn't work !!!

I will be on the platform at 7am panicking if I will be there on time !!!

simonx98

17/04/2011 at 19:56

those who said it was too late were talking rubbish sorry - I took it really seriously, and was feeling rather full but eased up Sat afternoon/evening and absoultely nailed it today

A month ago I was looking at 3:40 - leading up I felt 3:20 was maybe possible but though f*** it and went for 3:15 and had pretty even splits (96:27 / 98:00 and never suffered - I have a lot to be thankful for for the carboload - get in there!

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