Planning Your Nutrition: Training vs. Race Day
Saturday, August 24, 2024. I lined up at the start of the Kelowna Spartan ultra (53 km, 60 obstacles, 3500m elevation gain), having trained for months, feeling great. Except for being hungry. You see, I had planned everything very well. I had premade muffin-sized quiche for breakfast; I had eaten that every morning for 3 weeks to make sure my guts wouldn’t object on race day. I had a large tupperware of beef, veggies, and rice for supper the night before, a few sandwiches for the drive, and I had 20 GU gels and a few granola bars to keep me going through the (planned) 10 hours. I arrived at the race location Friday night at 9:30 pm (an hour away from the nearest store). I planned to get there late, eat a bit quickly, and fall asleep in the back of the car. I have done a lot of car camping and had no issue sleeping that way. I parked the car and was getting ready when I realized the worst thing I could have done..
I left all my food (in the cooler) at home. I would have rather left my shoes at home. All I had was 2 peanut butter jam sandwiches (strawberry jam) to get me through the night and the 53 km race. I had one and went to bed. I woke up at 5:30, ate the second one, and went to the venue to get my stuff and start. It was a cold, rainy day (high of 3 degrees Celsius), and later on the course up the mountain it started snowing. It was colder than I expected, and I was hungry, but I trained well for it so I was confident I could just go slower and get through anyway. I was wrong. I made it 30km and 2000m up when I started stumbling around, tripping over my words and choosing wrong paths. I was done with one lap (the first lap was 33km, the second was a shorter 20km), I had to stop. I knew what the trail was like for that 20 km (up double-black diamond ski runs). I didn’t think it was a good idea to keep going.
That marked my first ultra attempt and my first DNF.
You've spent months building your fitness.
You've logged the kilometres, completed the workouts, and tapered correctly.
Then race day arrives...and many runners unknowingly sabotage their performance with poor nutrition.
One of the biggest mistakes runners make is treating race day nutrition like an afterthought. Your nutrition strategy deserves just as much planning as your training program.
The key is understanding that training nutrition and race day nutrition have different goals.
Training Nutrition:
Training isn't just about making your body stronger. It's also where you train your digestive system.
Many runners have experienced eating something new before a race, only to spend half the event searching for a safe place to drop one. That's completely avoidable.
Every long run is an opportunity to practice your nutrition
During training, you should learn:
What breakfast sits well
How much fluid you need
Which electrolyte products work best
Which gels or chews your stomach tolerates
How often you should eat during a run
Nothing on race day should be a surprise.
Your stomach can actually become better at absorbing carbohydrates with consistent practice, making long training runs the perfect time to nail down your fueling strategy.
Race Day Nutrition:
Race day is not the time to experiment.
If you've never used a particular gel... Don't use it.
If your friend swears by a new electrolyte drink... Don't switch.
If the expo gives away free energy bars... Save them for another day.
Successful endurance athletes eat the same breakfast they've eaten before dozens of training runs because they know exactly how their body responds.
Consistency beats novelty.
Before the Race
Your pre-race meal should feel familiar.
Aim to eat approximately 2–4 hours before the start, depending on your digestion.
Choose foods that are:
High in carbohydrates
Moderate in protein
Low in fat
Low in fibre
Some common examples include:
Oatmeal with banana
Toast with peanut butter and honey
Bagel with jam
Rice with eggs
Pancakes with syrup
Whatever you choose...
Practice it before your long runs first.
My personal favorite: 2 fried eggs on top of 2 slices of peanut butter toast and a coffee, then some Gatorade on my way to the race
During Training Runs
Not every run needs fuel.
A 30-minute easy run usually doesn't require anything other than water. Probably don’t even need that. Leave that extra weight in the car or at home.
As your runs get longer, however, your fueling becomes more important.
General guidelines:
Run Length Fuel Needed
Under 60 minutes Usually water only (should consider electrolytes in there)
60–90 minutes Optional carbohydrates and electrolytes depending on intensity and heat
Over 90 minutes Carbohydrates and electrolytes strongly recommended
For longer runs, many runners aim for approximately:
(1-2hr) 30–60 g carbohydrates/hour for most events
(2+hr) Up to 90 g/hour for experienced endurance athletes who have trained their gut
Again...
These numbers should be practiced during training long before race day.
If you suspect you will be drinking a fair amount of water, you need to have salt either added to the water or an electrolyte drink!
During the Race
Race nutrition should simply repeat what worked during training.
That means:
Eat at the same intervals.
Use the same products.
Drink similarly to what you've practiced.
Don't wait until you're hungry.
A good rule is to begin fueling early rather than trying to catch up after your energy starts to fade.
After the Run
Recovery nutrition is often overlooked but still very important. You likely just put out more effort than in training; that is something that your body needs to recover from!
Aim to eat within the first hour after finishing.
Focus on:
Carbohydrates to replenish your energy
Protein to support muscle repair
Fluids and electrolytes to replace sweat losses
A recovery shake, chocolate milk, rice bowl with chicken, yogurt with fruit, or eggs on toast are all excellent options.
But then again, one of my favorite races is the Hypothermic Half marathon, mainly because they have a full brunch buffet after. I usually can’t stomach much after a long hard run, so I don’t go for big portions, but eggs, bacon, hash browns, and a bit of fruit hit just right! Salt and easy carbs are going to make you feel your best now.
Most people go for a banana after a hard race because of the potassium and carbs, but I prefer French fries.
Potatoes are far superior to bananas:
100 grams of: Potatoes bananas
Carbs 24 g (0.5g sugar) 17 g (12.2g sugar)
Fats 5 g 0 g
Protein 3.5 g 1 g
Sodium 200 mg 1 mg
Potassium 570 mg 350 mg
Magnesium 21 mg 27 mg
Fibre 3 g 2.6g
Though it is worth knowing that potatoes, while lower in sugar levels, are much higher on the glycemic index than bananas. This is due to the type of fibre in each and the type of carbs on a molecular level. If you’re diabetic, this is something to pay attention to. Otherwise, this means you're going to feel an energy hit faster with potatoes than with bananas and likely feel better after a hard effort.
Common Nutrition Mistakes
Many runners make at least one of these mistakes:
❌ Trying new nutrition products on race day
❌ Waiting until they're hungry to eat
❌ Drinking far more (or less) than they've practiced
❌ Skipping breakfast because they're nervous
❌ Assuming what works for another runner will work for them
❌ Not having an electrolyte drink (mainly salt)
Remember:
Every runner's stomach is different.
Your nutrition plan should be personalized through practice—not guesswork.
Final Thoughts
Your training plan prepares your muscles and cardiovascular system.
Your nutrition plan maintains your ability to use that fitness.
Treat every long run like a dress rehearsal. Practice your breakfast, hydration, fueling schedule, and recovery routine until they become second nature.
When race day finally arrives, you shouldn't be making decisions—you should simply be following the plan you've already proven works for you.
Every goal has a starting point, and every successful race starts with a well-practiced nutrition plan.
