Food question

[safin_protege]

For soccer tryouts I have to run two miles in 12:15. What is the best pre-run meal or snack, and when should I eat it? (I have to run on Monday morning)

[scotus]

Marathon runners and cyclists like to eat pasta before the event, and you want to give yourself enough time to digest it, at least an hour.

But 2 miles is such a short distance you don't need to worry too much about fuel. Just make sure you have digested your food. You don't want to get an ache in the stomach or liver when you run.

If you are in solid running shape, try running tomorrow to see if you can make the time. But if you're not in running shape, just wait until Monday. Better to take your chance then and give it all you have than to try to run now and get held back by all the lactic acid buildup.

[Craig Sheppard]

I heard on the Tour de France coverage that some cyclists eat some eggs, some rice (brown favorably), and some fruit before they start their day. Of course that's consumed at least 2 hours before the event. You might try something like that. Basically they're trying to get a good mix of simple carbs, complex carbs, protein, and some fat in their stomach before the day. Whole, unprocessed foods are best.

[Type40]

12:15 is a *FAST* time for 2 miles. when I was running regularly a couple of years ago, it took me some considerable effort to run a 6:57 mile, and I could run 2 in around 14:45.

If you can run 2 miles in 12 minutes and 15 seconds then you must be pretty damn fit.

[ShooterMcMarco]

anything with carbs for sure, rice and pasta come to mind.

[dakels]

a 2 mile run is not that big of a deal as for what you should eat. Worrying about what you should eat is more of the concern of long endurance training. In endurance runs our body breaks down most of the quickly accessible sugars in our blood to break down complex carbs into simple sugars. In 12 minutes you aren't going to have to worry about that.

For such a short intense workout, you should not be overly concerend about what to eat, more like what not to eat. Caffeine, high sugar products and such should be avoided. Having a candy bar and 2 cans of coke or coffee an hour before the run is probably the worst thing you could do. Like scotus said, just make sure you have fuel in you, digested. You normally do not want to eat too early or too close to the time you need to run. I would make sure you have been eating steadily (as in multiple small meals and not 1 giant meal) and had something light an hour before the run. Complex carbs are of no real concern on short runs. Even simple carbs like cane sugar/sucrose isn't all that bad for a <15 min run. Sugar "highs" often last you about 20-45 minutes before you "crash". There were times I have seen athletes eat a bit of a chocolate candy bar a few minutes before a sprint type workout. I used to eat like half a snickers bar for short term energy as well. Now with all these energy/sports products though I doubt that is the best idea. I'm sure a little fruit juice/sugary sport drink is also fine a few minutes before a sprint.

I would avoid heavy foods like meats, especially beef and overeating before a run and also with the sugars and caffiene, if you want to try that, I would do it within 5-15 minutes before the run no longer or you may crash during the run.

[safin_protege]

Thanks for all the info. I'll take your advice and eat a pasta dinner the night before, and then eat a light breakfast with some carbs and some fruit about one and a half hours before the run. I'm in good running shape, and running alone have cracked around 12:20; I hope that by following a friend who can run a 12:00, I can push myself down to a 12:15. Again, thanks for the advice.

[forehander]

If you are in good running shape already, then you must have developed a "feel" for how soon you can eat before a run. My advice is, eat a good meal the night before. Don't eat anything before morning run of 12 minutes. Maybe one piece of fruit. It's not a marathon you're talking about. It's a fairly fast 2 mile run. You won't run out of fuel in that time. My son prefers to eat about 2.5 to 3 hours before a workout, otherwise his stomach bothers him. So for most morning workouts he just skips breakfast.

[Marius_Hancu]

check:

How to prepare for a time trial: Lance Armstrong
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=60562

also check the nutrition links
Tennis: Tips for the Nutrition Advantage
in my signature here:

[goober]

12:15 is a *FAST* time for 2 miles. when I was running regularly a couple of years ago, it took me some considerable effort to run a 6:57 mile, and I could run 2 in around 14:45.

If you can run 2 miles in 12 minutes and 15 seconds then you must be pretty damn fit.

IT's all relative. I assume he is a high schooler and for soccer you have to run alot so 12:15 is a reasonable time. The coach I am sure has done this before and is not setting unreailistic goals. Of course when I ran cross country in high school you pretty much would be in last place by a long margin if you ran two miles in 12:15.

[safin_protege]

This summer, I ran maybe five times a week, and really didn't care when I ate; I usually ran either early in the morning (after eating a light breakfast) or right before dinner. I was wondering what would help maximize my performance, and all the responses have helped. I'll be sure to check out the Armstrong link; I'm sure he knows what he's talking about :)

IT's all relative. I assume he is a high schooler and for soccer you have to run alot so 12:15 is a reasonable time. The coach I am sure has done this before and is not setting unreailistic goals. Of course when I ran cross country in high school you pretty much would be in last place by a long margin if you ran two miles in 12:15.

Yes, the coach is being reasonable. In soccer, you have to have enough endurance to give effort the whole game, but soccer is more about sprint, recovery, sprint, recovery, rather than jog the whole game, so that's why our time doesn't have to be as good as someone running cross country.

[Kirko]

I think if you do search in USA Todayyou might still be able to find the recipes Lance Armstrong used for energy and stamina . Looked pretty tasty !

[scotus]

So, how did it go? Did you make the team?

[safin_protege]

The cuts are on Friday. On Monday everybody ran the two miles on the track. Our coach made us practice and run (laps and sprints) for two hours before we actually ran the two miles (I don't know why), so he was lenient with the time. I ran a 12:30 and that was considered 'under time' by the coach because of the workout before. Tryouts are going well so far but I don't know if I'll make it or not; I'll keep you posted :)

[safin_protege]

Eh, missed varsity by a fraction; if the coach took one more player, it would've been me. I'll play JV this year, but the coach said I'd probably be brought up to play games for varsity by the end of the year. Thanks for all the help :)

[Rickson]

For soccer tryouts I have to run two miles in 12:15. What is the best pre-run meal or snack, and when should I eat it? (I have to run on Monday morning)
You have to run a 6:07 mile? That's not an easy task so I recommend you practice the run for several weeks and not focus so much on the diet. I'd drink an Ultra Fuel if I were you and do it no more than half an hour before the run, meaning don't drink it 2 hours before. Ultra Fuel gives you 100 grams of simple and complex carbs so it'll give you quick energy and prolonged energy.