What do you eat the night before a race?

[andygere]

Getting ready for a 12 miler next week, and I haven't been too scientific about my pre race diet.  What about the morning of the race?  Any foods to absolutely avoid?  Tips and ideas from the experts out there are welcomed.

[headmount]

I'm not an expert but I try to avoid spicy stuff, and anything that might give me indigestion and thus impair my sleep... because sleep is huge.   And don't eat late.  Sleep has priority over  food the night before.  Don't change your diet too much from what you normally do, except more water.

[PonoBill]

Smoothies are good, scrambled eggs, bland stuff. As Bill said--nothing spicy. I generally eat half a tube of Pocket Fuel about 30 minutes before the race with a good amount of tarted up water: In my camelback I add 5 packets of sugar, about 1/2 tsp. Morton's light salt (potassium), and lemon juice or orange juice. I try to remember to drink water before I'm thirsty.

[Chilly]

I haven’t done a 12 mile race on a SUP yet, but I have done other endurance races. I would taper my workout the week before the race, just enough to keep my form and muscles memory.  Starting now test what you’re going to have for dinner and breakfast the day before and the day of the race. Also test the supplement you’re going to take during the race. Dinner would be Pasta (No tomato Sauce) and Chicken. Breakfast would be coffee, oatmeal, and two eggs. During the raced I use Accelerade.

[hbsteve]

Running mags. Have had many articles about this.  You may find a search online helpful.

[stoneaxe]

Coffee and a bran muffin would be on the list of what NOT to eat....

[headmount]

It's obvious what Stoneaxe is talking about and that's a solid reason but stimulants from coffee to cocaine also  drain the adrenals of their natural storehouse of energy you just might need to draw on sometime .... during for instance... a 12 miler.   If they're already tapped from stimulant use, you got nothing.  And don't fool yourself with, "I only do a cup a day"  One cup can be enough to ignite the adrenal kick.

Coffee is a drug that is somehow legal and commonly accepted but if you're pushing the edge, it's really got no place on your program if you're doing endurance exercise.  That goes for any other stimulants as well.

Some sports drinks are stacked with several different kinds of 'jack', from Red Bull's taurine  to those with dimethylamylamine listed in their ingredients.

These are only temporary jacks.  Your body in a natural state knows how to regulate your needs for long distance.

[Chilly]

I think what Stoneaxe is referring to is that too much coffee and bran muffin will give you the shitter’s. That would be a nightmare during a race.
My dinner and breakfast meal is my routine that has worked for me before a race. The coffee in the morning is really not a recommendation.  I drink a cup of coffee every morning regardless if I’m going to race or not.  If you’re not a coffee drinker don’t start now. If you are, DON”T SKIP that cup of coffee the morning of the race!  Like Headmount stated, caffeine is a powerful drug and you don’t want to suffer withdraws the day of the race.

[supdiscobay]

Trained for my first marathon in May, started in January and the best nutrition advice I got was don't change your diet right before a big race or distance.  So I talked to many endurance athletes at my gym during the early part of training (before long runs) Then I started doing the same routine a day or two before a long run.  Also used different energy sources for runs under two hours and runs over two hours.  As training progressed my recovery time shortened and I could maintain faster pace for longer intervals.  Interval training was crucial to making those long runs.  I averaged 9:30 mile pace on a typical long run, but during intervals, pace cold be as fast as 6:45 for 1 mile and then slow it down.
Early in training I had to coordinate my runs so that there was a bathroom between the 4-6 mile mark.  Finally got my body to the point where I was "empty" before I ran.  Coffee was the main source.  A good nights sleep, get up early, drink coffee and whatever else I would eat in the morning and then bathroom break before I ran.  The other thing I got hooked on was the steamers in bag vegetables.  Pop a bag in the micro and 5 minutes later you have great steamed veggies.  I am a lazy cook, so they were great and gave me the right complex carbs for training.
Check out the Hammer nutrition website.  A lot of great information on endurance nutrition.
Good luck on the 12 miler.  I am coming to SC to do the 2 miler fun race on my 12' surf sup, with my son.

[andygere]

Good advice all, keep it coming.  While Stoneaxe's bran muffin example could be a disaster, the opposite problem could ruin a race as well.  Coffee is a regular item for me in the morning, but on paddle or surf days, I limit it to a single cup. 

What are the thoughts on the old standard PBJ before a race?

[Chilly]

PBJ is a good idea. Many athletes have that for breakfast before a race. You should eat it every morning this week so there are no surprises the day of the race.

I’m curious about your race.  I would like to do a 12 miler myself.
 
What board are you using?
What is the expected temperature the day of the race?
How much fluid does your Hydration pack hold?

[hbsteve]

Your question was about eating.  So, we have focused on that subject.
The other question should be about hydration.
START HYDRATING TODAY!  Drink as much liquid as you can for the next few days.  Yep, it will keep you busy.  But, you can empty your hydration pack quickly, if you are not properly hydrated to start with.
I'm sure others can provide more specific details. 

[andygere]

The race is the Jay Moriarity Memorial http://jayrace.surftech.com/, and the weather will be cool and foggy as it always is.  There's a good chance of unfavorable wind this weekend, but we practiced in it last weekend so I'm ready.  My hydration pack holds 2 liters, but I won't use that much, and don't want to carry that much, I'll probably put a liter and a half of really cold water in, and have a packet or two of Gu to add some energy mid way through.

Good call on the trial run for the PBJ, gonna get started with that tomorrow a.m.  Also, I'm big on hydration, and will continue to drink as much water as I can between now and race day--great suggestion.

[Matt Ivey]

Bananas, avocado, coconut water, water is my pre race snack.  But then again it is my everyday breakfast so I don't change much.  Other than I usually drink coffee and no coconut water. 

Andy I hope to make it to the race this weekend to watch and pick up some board from the guys at Angulo.  Hoped to race but it is just not is the cards this year. 

[SUPerstitious]

Wasn't a race, but a good friend of mine shows up at the beach about 3 weeks ago, toting a huge bottle of coconut water. He's going on and on about how this stuff is the next great thing for endurance, and hydration, etc., etc.

Slugs this thing down, gets the wetsuit on, and out we go for some surf.

I swear not more than 10 minutes later I see him bee line for the beach, run up to the public restrooms and he is gone for 15 minutes.

Comes back out telling me how screwed up his stomach is and how he blew it out in the restroom.

Sorry for the thread drift, but this was to funny.