Welcome back to another post on my blog! If you read last weeks post then you’ll have seen that I did a 50km solo run, which I finished in 4:49:27 to take almost 7 minutes off my previous personal best. One of the areas I think I’ve improved most to find that gain is in my nutrition, and so I wanted to share with you what I ate that day, as well as some of the reasons why.
Pre-run
5am – Breakfast: 2 eggs on 2 slices of wholemeal toast, large bowl of porridge with mixed berries in, glass of apple juice
I very strongly believe that it's important to have routine when it comes to the pre-run process, particularly when you have early starts which are common in ultramarathons. This is my standard breakfast that I have before all long runs (3+ hours). I know that it gives me enough energy, and most importantly I know that I can suitably digest it within 2 hours so that I don't have any problems during the run. Having made a critical error on the morning of my first ever marathon (thankfully a solo 'virtual' one), I learned the hard one of making sure you're confident in your breakfast choice, and also have a specific pre-race dinner the night before as well. Consistency is key!
6am: 2 Pain
au chocolat
I was originally planning to save these for after the run but for once my
breakfast hadn’t left feeling full, probably due to the pre-run nerves. Knowing that it would be foolish to start
an ultramarathon already feeling hungry I quickly had this as a treat, having
warmed them up in the microwave for 30 seconds first. Delicious, and afterwards
I was feeling much more prepared.
Mid-run
During any run of 20+ miles I’ll take a collection of snacks that I choose both because I enjoy them, but also for their nutritional value. The key is carbohydrate as this is the main fuel you’ll burn while running, and you only start a run with enough for approximately 3 hours. Therefore to continue running beyond that point you have to be consuming carbohydrate, or expect to see a rapid deterioration in your pace and mood!
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| Mid-run treats |
I did also
take an energy gel to give me a boost at the 25 mile mark, but unfortunately
that split early on and ended up covering my sweets. Not ideal, but at least I’ve
learned for future races to keep gels separate!
Post-run
Midday – Immediate post-run snack: 60g of oats, 30g of raisins and a chocolate digestive broken into chunks and mixed in, prepared with boiling water and a small amount of oat milk.
As soon as I finish any run one of the first things I’ll do is have a snack. One
of the main nutritional priorities is to start replenishing the carbohydrate
that you have used for fuel, and research has found that the fastest rates of
replenishment occur when you eat within the first hour after finishing a run. My
go-to snack is essentially a cup of porridge. Not only is this filling and
tasty, it gives me a good amount of carbohydrate to start preparing for my next
run, and it’s warm which has been bliss during the cold winter runs.
1:30pm –
Lunch: 2 buttered slices of wholemeal bread, super noodles, and a pear.
I should probably come up with a better lunch than this to be honest, it’s just
that this is roughly what I have on a regular day!
3pm: Cereal
This is another one of my regular post-run snacks, and would probably be my
immediate choice on warmer days where I don’t need the heat of the porridge. I
have what are essentially Tesco own-brand Shreddies, as a 70g portion contains
50g of carbohydrates, which is brilliant for the refuelling process I mentioned
earlier. It’s also important to consider the rehydration benefits that come
from the milk. Milk is one of the best rehydration drinks as it is slower
passing through the body than water, meaning that more is absorbed.
5pm: 2 hot
cross buns, toasted
A simple and tasty snack. Yes I know that it’s nowhere near Easter yet, but they
were on offer when I went shopping and I hadn’t had any since last Easter – don’t
judge me!
7pm –
Dinner: Sausage casserole
This is one of my favourite dinners that I make and is my go-to after a long
run, so was an obvious choice on the day of my first ultramarathon in 2021!
Ingredients: 175g rice, 3 sausages, 2 dumplings, ½ can of tinned tomatoes, ½ can
of oxtail soup, and as many vegetables as you want to put into it (on this
occasion I had courgette, carrot, snap peas and mushrooms). It’s super simple
to make as well – simply fry off the sausages while preparing the other ingredients,
then leave it on a low temperature for 70-90 minutes, stirring occasionally. I
definitely make a big enough portion for 2 people on a non-running day, but
considering the amount of healthy ingredients I don’t mind that. On the days where
I’ve completed a long run and are feeling ravenous, it’s once I’ve eaten this
meal that I finally begin to feel a bit less hungry!
9pm – Final snack:
another portion of my energy bar and 2 chocolate digestives.
I was rather surprised to still be wanting more food in the evening, but I
suppose it makes sense considering how far I’d run. I wanted something that
didn’t require any preparation, and this hit the spot perfectly. Occasionally
in the past after a long run I’ve woken up in the night still feeling hungry
but thankfully I avoided that this time!
Thank you for reading! I’d be curious to hear your thoughts, as well as your go-to foods on long run days. I’ll be doing another edition of this for both my 50 mile and 100 mile runs later this year, and will be interested to see what changes I make for the longer distances, particularly within my mid-race nutrition.
For more regular updates, follow me on Instagram @andrewsultrablog, while to get more detail on my training, follow me on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/5373701
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