5 Common Fueling Mistakes Runners Made in Fall Races

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Fall racing season is one of the most exciting times of year for runners, but race day is also when fueling mistakes tend to show up the loudest. 

This year, I heard from many runners who trained consistently, hit their mileage and still walked away from their half marathon or marathon feeling frustrated, flat or surprised by how hard the race felt.

In most cases, it wasn’t the training that was the problem, it was their fueling.

Below are the top 5 fueling mistakes I saw runners make this year during their Fall half marathons and marathons, how it can directly impact energy, pacing and performance and how you can fix these mistakes before your next race. 

Mistake #1: Taking 1 standard gel/hour without any other source of carb

I put this at #1 for a reason.. because this is one of the most common fueling mistakes I see runners make all the time!

Your standard gels have 21-25 g of carbs/packet and while that may feel like enough, it’s really not for long distance running.

Intra-run carbohydrate targets:

• For races 1-2.5 hours: 30-60 g/hr of carbs 
• For races >2.5 hours: 60-90 g/hr of carbs 

So if you’re taking 1 standard gel per hour of running and only hitting 21-25 g/hr of carbs, you’re underfueling.

Underfueling will increase your risk of early fatigue, hitting the wall or bonking, slowing your pace in the later stages of the race. Proper fueling isn’t negotiable, it’s necessary for performance.

Mistake #2: Failing to fuel well during long training runs and then actually fueling well on race day 

Here’s why this doesn’t go well for most runners on race day. They haven’t trained their gut to take in that much fuel during training. Then, here they are on race day, increasing their fueling and oftentimes that results in intolerance and GI issues. 

It’s not the fuel itself that caused the GI issues, it’s the fact that they failed to train their gut so it can’t handle that much nutrition. 

So during your next training block, you should not only focus on training your body to handle the mileage, you should also focus on training your gut and building up to your fueling goal over time.

Take advantage of all of your long training runs to trial different energy gels, chews and sports drinks, identify the ones that work the best for you, figure out your fueling and hydration goals and work your way up to those goal during training, well before race day.

Mistake #3: Drinking plain water during the race and falling short of sodium needs

While fluid and electrolyte losses vary from runner to runner, sodium is the electrolyte that we tend to lose the most of in our sweat. When we’re not replacing some of that during running, we can run into issues like GI problems, headaches and even cramping.

The general recommendation for long distance running is 300-600+ mg of sodium/hr of running. I am going to reemphasize here that this is *per hour* of running, starting in hour 1. 

For individual guidance on sweat rate and sweat electrolyte composition, take a sweat test. This insight can guide you in tailoring your hydration strategy, helping you know how much fluid and electrolytes to consume before, during and after running.

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Mistake #4: Eating ½ bagel before your race

Eating half a bagel before a race is a great example of how to underfuel before a race. Your race day breakfast and eating adequate carbohydrates at this breakfast is an essential part of race day success.

When we eat enough carbohydrates pre-race (in addition to carb loading the 2-3 days leading up to the race), we can start our race with fuller glycogen stores, reduce the risk of hitting the wall, improve performance and feel stronger, more capable throughout the race.

Half of a large bagel has ~35 g of carbs. I generally recommend at least 1.5-2 g/kg carb (grams of carb per kilogram of bodyweight) pre-race and if we can optimize even further, great! 

A 180lb (82kg) runner would want to aim for 123-164+ g of carbs pre-race. A 130 lb (59kg) runner would want to aim for at least 89-118+ g of carbs. So can you see now how half a bagel would be underfueling? 

Mistake #5: Calling a big plate of pasta the night before the race “carb loading”

I remember my high school field hockey and lacrosse days when we used to get together as a team the night before a game and eat lots of pasta to “carb load” for our game.. But in reality that’s not carb loading at all! 

When done right, carb loading will help you maximize your glycogen stores and when paired with smart race day fueling, reduces your risk of hitting the wall, boosts your performance and can help you shave minutes off your race finish time.

Carb loading has these performance benefits for races that are >90 mins, so for most of us that’s our half and full marathons. 

For your half marathons, carb load for 2-3 days leading up to your race. For marathons and beyond, carb load for a full 3 days. During your carb loading days, aim for 8-12 g/kg/day of carbs (grams of carb per kilogram of body weight per day) and spread you carb intake out between 3 meals and 2 snacks each day. 

Summary

If your Fall race didn’t go as planned, chances are, it was your fueling.

Across half marathons and marathons this season, I saw and heard of runners consistently underfuel during their race, underfuel the morning of, fail to include sodium in their hydration plan and fall short of a proper carb load. 

These mistakes can lead to early race fatigue, GI issues and missing race day goals, even if the fitness and training were there.

The good news? You can fix your fueling for next time! 

When you fuel with enough carbs, take the time during training to train your gut, hydrate properly and carb load correctly, you give your body the energy it needs to perform the way you trained to perform. 

Fueling isn’t negotiable. Make it a vital part of your racing strategy so you can race strong and go the distance!

Work with me 1:1 to get personalized guidance and support for your running, strength training and nutrition.

• 1:1 Nutrition Coaching: Fuel your body for peak performance, optimize recovery and create a sustainable plan that fits your needs and preferences.
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