Everyday Systems

Any runners out there? I'm not yet, but it is on my bucket list to one day run a half marathon.

The over thinker in me is already having anxiety about breaking my three meals a day. How do you properly fuel for long distance running (up to 13.1 miles) without snacking?

I run and am training for a half marathon in two weeks. I do it without needing more than 3 meals a day. A local college coach who is headed to London to coach Olympic runners gave advice to drink gatorade during the race every other mile and to pour the water down your back on the other miles. You need to eat sensibly during the three meals. Be sure to refuel your body with good stuff so that it has what it needs to run. I have run marathons on a basic three meal a day diet without any problems.

My longer runs are always done on Saturday or Sunday morning, and those are S day's so it's not an issue For a half marathon I don't think your weekday runs will be so long that you'd have to worry about breaking No S rules.

I did my first half marathon in May, but they closed it down due to heat and too many heat casualties. I made it 11 miles before they shut down the course. I walked back to the start finish area after the course was shut down but it was not official and not the full race. I plan to do at least one more but mostly stick to shorter distances.

I eat a banana before I run long and then skip the banana I usually have for breakfast. Works for me!

Hello, runner and half marathon fanatic here! Like rungirl96, my long runs are on Saturdays or Sundays, so I don't worry about breaking No S. During the week, just keep your meals sensible and healthy and you'll be fine. Best of luck in your training!

I do a lot of hiking walking and biking but craving running lately. Maybe cause it's so popular and I see it everywhere. Maybe cause it's so natural? Think i'll start running when I get closer to ideal weight so there is less stress on joints. Just went for a swim (maybe it's olympic fever, maybe it's the heat)

I used to run a bit, having the intention to participate in a running event of some sort. I later realised I didn't like running and stopped, but that's by the by. I never found I needed to eat anything extra outside mealtimes to facilitate exercise; just ensure your meals are balanced and providing adequate nutrition (which should be the case anyway).

If it does turn out to be a problem, allowing a scheduled mini-meal may help.

I jog occassionally. Seven years ago (?) I jogged up to 8 miles a day 3-4 days a week. Then it got tremendously boring. Western culture seems to have a romance with running that I feel I need to date, but have a hard time sticking with.

I really prefer the exercycle, more convenient, and less painful physically.

Most of your training time won't be spent running 13.1 miles. In fact, you will probably do the longer distances just on the weekends or S days. During the week, you will run 3- 6 miles, which can be done in about an hour. If you run more than an hour then a glass of chocolate milk is enough for post-workout replenishment. Technically, chocolate milk is a sweet, but if you drink it ONLY after working out - hard - for an hour then I wouldn't call it a fail.

I'm a runner, on pause at the moment after having a baby. I was about 5 weeks away from my first marathon when I found out I was pregnant, and have run several half-marathons.

Every runner is different, but I found I needed to drink water every 20 minutes or so, and didn't need any additional sugar (drinks, banana etc) unless I was going to run for more than 90 minutes. Otherwise, a meal when I got home was fine. When marathon training, I did need to snack on the run, but that was for runs that were 10 to 20 miles. When training for a half marathon, it is unlikely your plan will call for many runs of 10 miles or more.

When I get back to running, I hope my No-S habits will be firmly in place, and I will save snacking for long runs only. I usually do long runs on the weekend anyway, so they would be on S-days. I'm hoping most of my midweek runs will fit in to the meal plan - e.g. breakfast beforehand, lunch afterwards.

I started out with the Couch 2 5k program (online) and built from there to marathon training. For anyone who finds running painful, or just starting out, I'd also recommend checking out ChiRunning.

Another runner here, training for my first half marathon in September!

I run first thing and eat when i get back during the week.

For longer runs these are normally at the weekend. For doing a half you don't need gels and Gatorade and things like that. (assuming you are a back of the packer here!) I just drink water on a run. If i am out for longer then I take a healthy snack. (often nuts and dates because they are easy to carry)

After my long saturday run my hubby and I indulge in pancakes with honey, fruit and cream!