It’s the night before your half-marathon and you’re a hungry man, but what to eat?
Firstly, it’s important you don’t eat too much, as well as not too late in the evening. The last thing you want to do is over-stress your body with food and digesting. Secondly, as well as your meal being slightly smaller, it should also be heavily carb focused. And if you’ve got the time, storing up on carbs a couple of weeks before is a great way of topping up your glycogen stores and therefore boosting your energy for long distances.
Option 1
Stir-fry vegetables and brown rice (serves 2)
2 Cup brown rice, courgette, baby corn, broccoli, red peppers, green beans, chesnut mushrooms
It’s not always best to eat a high-protein meal before a race, as protein can take a while to digest and the last thing you want is an unsettled stomach come race day. Brown rice will give you plenty of carbs to store away ready for the morning, and lots of fibre too. All the vegetables, as well as being healthy, will keep the meal relatively light, while still filling you up.
Option 2
Baked sweet potato with chilli (serves 4)
1 sweet potato, 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 500g lean minced beef, 1 beef stock cube, 400g can chopped tomatoes, 410g can kidney beans, 1tbsp of mild chilli powder, 1tsp paprika, 2tbsp tomato puree
The only thing better than a baked potato, is a baked sweet potato. This is something, however, that should already be integrated into your running diet. Surplus to vitamins, nutrients and other goodness, sweet potato is essentially a super food. Add a bit of chili on top and you’ve got a great high-carb meal. Just be mindful with how hot you make the chilli though – again, think of the stomach!
Option 3
Spaghetti Bolognese (serves 2-3)
500g minced beef, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 400g can chopped tomatoes, 3 bacon rashers, beef stock
A wholesome spag’ bog’ will always set you right. With nutrients, fibre and carbohydrates a plenty, it’s probably our tastiest dish of the bunch. One cup of spaghetti can contain up to 43 grams of carbohydrates, while the vegetables contain anti-oxidents to help cleanse your body for a pure race. It’s easy to over-eat this dish so make sure you keep to a conservative portion; your body will need a good night’s sleep tonight!
