I have a 5 K ruin on sunday. How can I prepare for it?

Question

I have a 5 K run on sunday at 9:00 am. How can I prepare for it? WHat do I eat and what time should I eat it? I was planning on just drinking gatorade 3 hours before the run.

Also tomorrow should I go for a run? Maybe for 30 mins?

Answer 1

I am a regular 5K racer and I too worry about vomiting / over eating.

Here's my general rule for eating before a race:

Assuming a race starts at 8AM, I get up three hours before hand. I eat a very small breakfast. Perhaps 1 cup cooked oatmeal or some cream of wheat. Just enough to satisfy my hunger, but definitely not completely full.

I'll also drink 8 - 16 ounces of Gatorade or sports drink at this point. I want to be urinating clearly by the race's start.

After that point, I do not eat anything. If I am hungry, I might have a very very small piece of fruit or a small bit of an energy bar. I'll sip on gatorade as well or some diet green tea (but not too much).

I prefer to race with a near empty stomach. I've come close to getting sick at the finish line if I've had too much food. You do need to eat something before a race, though, particularly if you are concerned about performance as your body will run on the glucose you eat for breakfast. Gatorade may not be enough -- you know your body best however. Mine definitely needs some sort of food.

If you are simply running to train (but you aren't going to push it), you can eat a small amount 30 minutes before working out or go without food (just don't expect top performance since your body will be depleted of glucose).

Also, if you are concerned about performance, I would NOT run the day before a race. However, it depends upon how well you recover. Generally, I don't like to run the day before a race because 1) any training you do the day before a race will NOT have a positive impact on your race the following day and 2) it might leave you tired.

So many a race has been LOST by training the day before a race. If you feel you must get some exercise, keep it extremely mild and maybe no more than 10 - 20 minutes.

Also, be sure you warm up before the start of the race. You want to have broken a light sweat and be loose.

Also you do not need to carbo load the night before a 5K. It's a race that lasts about 20 - 30 minutes and carbo loading won't make any difference unless you were planning on taking an hour or more.

Good luck.

Answer 2

As long as you're not hungover and dehydrated, there really isn't any need to prepare for a 5k. You won't be running long enough to really need to do anything other than eat normally.

Just a glass or two of gatorade will be fine. You don't want to get bloated before the thing or you'll be throwing up about a mile into it.

Be sure to warm up and stretch a bit before you start, nothing major, perhaps a 1/2 mile and a good stretch.

Answer 3

Yes, that's what I would do, maybe keeping myself hydrated with water right up to race time.

The main thing I would add is carbo loading the night before - spaghetti with butter, and lots of it (not sauce, butter much easier on your digestive system the night before a race).

Make sure to wear a hat if it is sunny and/or warm (I used to use a painter's cap, very lightweight), stretch before and after, and have fun!!! Good luck!

Answer 4

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