Change in eating habits from Half Marathon to 6 mile

Question

For a half marathon I spent the week before carb loading and hydrating. I'm running a 6 mile soon and would like some 5Km races too.

How should I change my diet for different length races?

Should terrain affect my diet? Roar running requires less raw power then undulating gress and mud.

Thanks

Dave

Answer 1

I've personally never altered my diet for anything shorter than a marathon (my current half PR is 1:29). The purpose of increasing carbs for longer distances (runs longer than 2 hours) is to maximize glycogen stores. I would be skeptical that your body would actually need any extra stores for a run lasting less than 2 hours. A sensible diet of 60-70% carbs the week before a long race/run should be sufficient for most. The last thing you'll want to do the day before the race is gourge yourself or eat anything that your body is not used to processing.

Here are some articles that you may find helpful.

• The Science of Carbohydrate Loading
• Carb Loading
• Runner's World Article