Running Shoes - Gear motivated…And it’s becoming more commonplace for runners to target back-to-back races, often as a bucket list item. The most popular, and no doubt you’ve heard people talk about them, are Boston to Big Sur (two weeks in between), Chicago to Marine Corps. (three weeks), and Marine Corps. to New York (three weeks). And then of course, there’s the notorious Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, half marathon, and full marathon over four days).
While training for these types of events is crucial (and challenging), fueling is just as important and can get a little tricky. Tuck these tips in your fuel belt to make sure you’re ready to run, recover, and do it all over again.
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Regardless of diet or fitness, every runner is limited in the number of miles they can cover before muscle glycogen—the body’s major source of carbohydrate (running fuel)—is depleted, causing you to slow down. Blood glucose and liver glycogen stores (secondary sources of energy that fend off mental fatigue and keep blood sugar levels steady) are also depleted during marathon-length efforts, making prerun and midrun fueling absolutely crucial.
Carb loading can nearly double the body’s stores, allowing runners to run much longer before hitting empty. Slowly increase your carb intake in the days (three to five) before your marathon. For example, add an extra dinner roll to your plate, or snack on pretzels in the afternoon.
But carb loading alone won’t carry you to the finish line. Since it only takes a few hours of running to deplete every drop of glycogen, runners should be sure to aim for an intake of 30 to 60 grams of carb per hour (starting about 30 minutes into your run). This helps keep your muscles topped off.
In between your races, don’t stuff yourself. You’ll feel heavy and lethargic before your second race. Instead, in the interim, focus on eating two to three gram of carbs per pound and one gram of protein per pound per hour.
What You Need to Know About Fueling for Back-to-Back Races
Your recovery on race day should be no different than the recovery that follows long runs and hard efforts. If you don’t refuel properly, your muscles break down and aren’t repaired, making back-to-back workouts nearly impossible (and unhealthy).
Within 30 to 60 minutes following your run, get 15 to 25 grams of high-quality protein (turkey, chocolate milk, peanut butter) and 1/2 gram of carbs per pound of body weight (more simply, aim for about two to four times as much carbohydrate as protein).
When you cross that finish line, grab a bagel (45 grams of carb, 9 grams of protein), with a banana (30 grams of carbs, 1 gram of protein), and a healthy smear of peanut butter (6 grams of carb, 8 grams of protein).
Can’t get food down yet? Try a protein shake (or a protein recovery drink often found in post-marathon goodie bags) and sports drink.
Rehydration is another key to proper recovery so aim to drink (non-alcoholic) fluids until your urine returns to being light yellow.
If the calories required for recovery seem high, remember that you’re recovering the glycogen you burned as well as trying to restock these stores to power you through the next run, and ultimately, race. Even if you have a couple of weeks before your next race, recovering with protein right after your workout is crucial to keep those muscles strong.
Heres Exactly What to Eat Before a Half Marathon
Every runner has earned a right to celebrate after crossing the finish line. But if you’ve got your eye on successfully and comfortably completing race number two, avoid over-celebrating. After you eat something, have a beer and a sweet treat (unless your next race is hours away, like in the Dopey Challenge) and then return to postrace recovery and prerace prep.
