Food whilst running?

Any suggestions of what or if anything I should eat whilst running. This is my first marathon and I predict a slow time but as a long as i get over the finish line I don't care. I have seen on other posts that people reccomend you get to the start early so what are you guys having for breakfast and do you eat whilst running?

Strange that you should ask about eating whilst running. For the first time, and I have run several marathons previously, I tried this during my long run on Saturday. I took some dried apricots with me, and ate one every 15/20 mins or so. After a couple of hours I developed stomach cramps, not serious enough to stop running, but enough to cause me to lay off the apricots. After my run I felt sick, which I never normally do. Therefore, I don't think I shall try eating again, I shall stick to energy drinks rather than digesting food.
This is just a word of warning, that whatever you decide to do, make sure you try it out first, don't leave it to the day itself.

Try the carbo gel. Get one of the diluted ones and consume it about half way round. It certainly gives energy back to your legs. you dont need to eat it all, but I tried it this weekend and it was ok. Pretty horrid texture. You can get from the london marathon shop.

Oh and breakfast, I have always had couple slices brown toast and honey. that was the advice given me before the london marathon in 1982!

Thanks for all the info. I went to a running shop today and they gave me some carbo gels to try, will make sure that i try them out before the big day. They also suggested a meal supplement for afterwards that you mix with water anyone tried these?

The gel stuff works but is disgusting to take. By far the best I have found are Bloks by a company called CLIF. They also make the best energy bars I have ever found too. Big in the US, not sure about the UK. website is http://www.clifbar.com. [clifbar.com.] Texture is more like jelly babies.

MarkR.

Hiya

Im having a banana and porridge with honey on the morning of the big day.

Usually on my long runs I have an energy drink, dextro tablets or jelly babies.

Anything that releases sugar into the blood quickly. If you cant digest the jelly babies leave one under your top lip to dissolve. One of my running partners swears by kendal mint cake.

I cant stand those gels there horrid! I tried one once and was almost sick its like swallowing snot!! yuk.....

:D :) :D

I am a fan of jelly babies too, I have also discovered Jaffa cake bars they are really easy to eat, soft and melt in the mouth so no effort needed and they are small enough to carry round.

on the day i will be having porridge and honey for breakfats and a slice of toast.

a good peice of advice that was given to me was to get into the routine of eating the breakfast you will eat on the race day a few weeks before so that your body clock can adjust so for example if normally you eat breakfast at 8.00am but on race day you will be eating earlier your body will need to adjust. I normally dont eat breakfast till 09.30 or 10.00 as that is when i finish my morning shift but gradually i have been bringing the time forward.

I did the marathon 2 years ago for the first time and took a couple of mars bars with me under the suggestion of my boyfriend who did a lot of running and had completed 3 marathons. I thought it sounded like a really stupid idea, but at 18 miles my legs suddenly felt so heavy and tired I really thought I couldnt run any further. I shared a Mars bar with my sister and the effect was amazing. The remainder of the marathon we had not troubles at all and legs felt so much better really quickly! I know this probably wouldnt work for everyone, but I will definitely be taking a mars bar with me again this year!

Porridge with honey and banana works for Paula, so im trying that this year! :lol:

One of the best things about the big day is there are lots of people in the last 5 miles or so lining the course handing out jelly babies - fantastic! Be careful what you eat though - I took a fruit gum from some kid and got it stuck in my teeth!

But what I tried for the first time and worked a treat last Saturday was something called Honey Stinger, which I bought in little sachets from a running shop. It's basically ordinary honey, but it's easier to digest than chocolate and far better tasting than those gels - and it gives you loads of energy!

YEH FOR JELLY BABIES! I tried them for the first time and they worked a treat! I split them in half and ate half straight away, then put the remaining half with a quarter in each cheek for a continuous enery boost for a further 10/15 mins! Made me quite thursty tho!

Jess. xx

Does anyone know where I can vegetarian jelly babies???

on the run i eat a quarter of a power bar every 10km.
j