Never is it truer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day than marathon morning. The right pre-race chow can leave you feeling comfortably satisfied and energized enough to tackle 26.two miles. The incorrect pick: information technology could atomic number 82 to a mid-course collapse or — worst-case scenario — race-altering GI distress.

With the meat of fall marathon season fast approaching — and my own appearance in NYC's Nov event — I asked three pros to share their best tips for getting a running start on race solar day.

Be an early bird.

Even if your contest has a pre-dawn start time, you'll want to rise early on enough to eat at least three hours before the gun goes off. That timeline ensures y'all'll get acceptable sleep, says running autobus and nutritionist Matt Fitzgerald, "simply notwithstanding gives you lot enough time to digest and blot your breakfast before you lot get-go running."

If you'll be toeing the line later in the day (we're looking at yous, NYC and Boston), you can fuel upward twice, eating over again one-to-two hours before racing. Still, cautions, dietitian Monique Ryan, author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, "Fuel advisedly." Her ideal snack is a bit lighter, roughly thirty-50 grams of carbohydrates in the form of an free energy gel or bar.

What to eat before a marathon

Carb up.

Carbohydrates, which your body stores in muscles and the liver, are going to power y'all through the cease line, notes Fitzgerald. While your trunk also burns fatty during cardio, explains the author of fourscore/20 Running, "you lot kind of take an exhaustible supply while carbs are more limited." When you lot wake up in the morn, he notes, your nervous system has been running on your stored carbs all night, leaving your liver somewhat depleted, "so you lot want to top that off with a carbohydrate-focused breakfast." He suggests aiming for roughly 100 grams — about 400 calories — of carbs. (Smart options include a half a bagel with peanut butter, some jam or an egg, oatmeal with dear, bananas or absurdity.)

Only if that'due south likewise much to breadbasket, it'south okay to cutting back, says dietitian Lauren Antonucci, a lath-certified specialist in sports diet. "If I tell someone they need the full bagel and at a one-half, they're feeling actually full," she says, "I would rather them wait an hour to see if they tin can eat the other half."

Forget cobweb.

Yes, it'due south generally smart for well-balanced diet. But on race day high-fiber foods can lead to GI distress. And because the nutrient, along with fat, can take a long fourth dimension to digest, "it slows the assimilation of carbs into your system," says Antonucci, director of Nutrition Free energy. "And then that ways your muscles won't accept access to those carbs and it delays your energy." She advises filling upward with "bones, easy-to-digest" cereals such as Cheerios, Rice Krispies or Shredded Wheat with almond milk or reaching for pancakes or leftover rice: "We want to go on it low-fatty, depression-fiber."

Drink responsibly.

While you lot definitely want to be hydrated for your run (Antonucci recommends taking in 12-16 ounces of fluid in the four hours leading up to the start), don't overdo it, cautions Fitzgerald. "Humans aren't camels and we can't store extra h2o," he says. "Then if you're already normally hydrated and y'all try to drink more, all you're going to practice is increase the number of bathroom trips you have to accept." A skilful examination he says, "If you have to urinate before you leave your home or hotel, you're in practiced shape."

Practice, practise, exercise.

While Antonucci knows one Olympic triathlete who scarfs down beans with tortillas and eggs pre-race, "for about of u.s.a., that'south not our best selection on race morning." To observe what works for you, she suggests playing around with breakfasts earlier your long training runs: "You desire to go through and say, 'Oh, I ate that one-half a bagel with peanut butter and it saturday really well.' Or, 'You know what, information technology didn't sit that well. I tried the egg and it felt much better to me.' Or, 'The shredded wheat was my best pick of the three.'"

Consider your mid-form nutrition.

While racing, you'll need to take in fluid, carbs and sodium. For most people, says Ryan, owner of Personal Nutrition Designs, you can get all of that through sports drinks only other runners may prefer to stick to h2o and add in some other carb, such as a gel or chew, every 45 minutes. Whatever your choice (this is some other thing yous desire to practice during preparation), you want to aim for 60 grams of carbs per hour and try to hydrate at every aid station. Just accept intendance not to guzzle more than your trunk is telling you it can handle, says Fitzgerald: "A lot of the GI issues that marathoners feel are from trying to force down more fluid than their body is absorbing."

Call up exterior the package.

If gels, chews or other sports foods don't sit well, play effectually to find something that you lot tin can tolerate mid-run. Noting he knows one racer who carries a container of mashed potatoes during a race, Fitzgerald recommends getting creative. "Start with the obvious stuff," he says, "and if that doesn't work, endeavour different products, take in a petty less or play with the schedule."

Go salty.

Sodium is some other of import nutrient to accept in through the course of 26.2 miles. While there is some in sports drinks, Antonucci likes her clients to really consume salt — one packet between miles ten and 12 and another between 18 and xx. "I want them to actually gustatory modality the salt on their tongue," she says. "It kind of gives you that feedback as to, 'Wow, it tasted good, I needed information technology,' or, 'I took it, I'1000 not sure how it tasted, I guess information technology was fine,' Or, if it tasted horrible and metal, then y'all don't demand it, throw it out."

Refuel rapidly.

Once y'all have that medal around your neck, the near crucial activity (besides snapping a victory selfie) is rehydrating, says Antonucci: "You desire to get in some fluid and some table salt." If your post-race purse comes with a recovery drink, try sipping that or care for yourself with your favorite latte or some salt-laced soup. Even if eating is the last thing you feel like doing, says the pro, you should try to stomach it, "because that probably means information technology's the most important thing you can do."