Race season is here and every detail counts. R&R Run Club Coach Lara is sharing her top tips on fueling and footwear, the two things that can make or break your race day performance.
Nutrition and Fueling
Pre, during and post-run nutrition are key components to a successful training program.
Before all training sessions and racing, aim to eat high-carbohydrate food with a bit of protein, such as nut butter on sourdough toast or a bagel, oatmeal with nut butter and fruit 1.5-2 hours beforehand. Add a faster acting carb to top up fueling 15-30 minutes prior to a run for an extra boost. Great options are an energy gel, candy or fruit gummies.
For runs under 60-minutes, drinking just water and/or electrolyte is sufficient. For runs 60-minutes and longer runners need to replace carbohydrates and fluids. Your mantra should be ‘early and often’. A general guideline for how much carbohydrate you need is 1g of carb/kg of body weight/hour. So, if you are a 50kg person, you need 50g of carbs per hour. This is about two energy gels per hour.
Sample fuel plan:
- 15 min 8oz electrolyte drink or capsule – 8oz is about 3-5 big sips
- 30 min gel + 8oz of water
- 45 min 8oz electrolyte drink or capsule – 8oz is about 3-5 big sips
- 60 min gel + 8oz of water
Carry on like this for the whole run…
After your training, refuel as soon as possible, ideally within 15-30 minutes. Recovery drinks or 16oz of chocolate milk work great. Look for a ratio of 3:1 carbs to protein and then eat a healthy meal within one hour.
Continue to drink water for the rest of the day and nibble on snacks. Food is fuel and if you eat well before, during and after your runs, this will set you up to feel great and recover quickly for your next training session.
Secondary Running Shoes
Secondary running shoes for speed sessions and race day.
If possible, it’s always healthy for a runner to have a rotation of shoes for a variety of needs. A stable, workhorse shoe for long runs and lower intensity days and then a lighter weight speed shoe for faster, higher intensity workouts and racing. Alternating shoes not only increases the lifespan of a shoes, but also makes for healthier feet and reduces injuries because the runners’ body is more adaptable to different shoe mechanics.
The Spring Fling R&R Run Club starts May 5, 2026. Learn more.
B.Sc. Exercise Science, 15+ Marathons, countless half marathons, 5-10K’s, trail races, xc races, ultras, triathlons, adventures races and more!
Marathon PB 3:08hrs
