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Before you Run
It is important to pay attention to what you eat and drink. As well as ensuring that your body has enough fuel to enable you to continue with your running programme, more generally a well balanced, nutritious diet is vital for a healthy, active lifestyle.
All the time your body is losing fluid that needs to be replaced, which is even more the case when you exercise. The organs and cells in the body need fluid to be able to carry out their individual functions. If fluid is not replaced then this leads to dehydration.
During hot weather you will sweat more and so will need to drink more to replace the lost fluid.
It’s a good idea to drink regularly every day. Have a bottle of water on your desk throughout the day and refill it each time you get up.
After training many runners take a sports drink which not only replaces fluid but also elements and minerals lost through sweat that water cannot replace. There are many sports drinks available with different tastes. Try a few until you find one that you like.
Most people find out the answer to this question fairly quickly by themselves. If you eat too close to training you may feel “heavy” and experience a discomfort in your stomach. Eat too far away from training and you’ll feel tired and listless.
Try eating a main meal at least three to four hours before you train, then have a light snack if you feel “empty” closer to training. If training in the morning before work, perhaps a cup of tea or coffee before your run will suffice and have breakfast afterwards.
If training in the evening, try having lunch at the usual time, and perhaps a light snack (a piece of fruit or a sandwich, maybe) about two hours before training. Then have a light dinner in the evening after training.
Before too long you will find what works best for you.
