Running Athletes' Insights: Pre-race Breakfast Tips
This topic is always on-going among runners – what is the best dish before a race. Our athletes from trail and ultrarunning reveal what they eat to get in shape before a big race. You might get surprised what is the most popular pre-race snack among our athletes.
Adam Kovacs: “I usually take some bread, energy bars and isotonic drinks. I never eat dairy products because my stomach feels unwell during the race.”
“Always 2 pieces of white bread with honey, because that gives you much energy and I never get any problems through the race”, says Fabian Alraun.
“Three hours before a competition I usually eat some bread with butter and jam and a PowerBar Energize bar; at the same time I’m used to drink a strong coffee and a lot of water”, Gerd Frick tells us.
“Almost nothing - a Clif Bar and a gel”, Ian Sharman.
Marco De Gasperi: Despite I’m a milk lover, the day of the race I prefer to choose a cup of fruit tea with honey, 3-4 toasted bread with marmalade and that’s it. I think my body needs only this to fill up energies necessary to race, because it is more important what you eat the days before. Once in a while, I drink an espresso coffee, one hour before the race.
Normally before a competition kukicha, Japanese breakfast tea, with toasted rye bread with olive oil, and pumpkin seeds, Pablo Villa.
I don’t eat so much, but I never miss my slice of bread with butter, banana and honey, Simona Staicu.
What I usually eat in mornings? Bread and butter with jam, honey or lemon curd, Stephan Wenk.
“The morning of a race, I eat the same thing that I eat before almost all of my morning training sessions. I eat either two pieces of gluten free brown rice bread, toasted with nut butter on top or I eat a Hammer Bar from Hammer Nutrition. It’s just enough food to keep me fueled without being heavy on my stomach.” Ryan Bak explains.
Last but not least Celine Lafaye, reveals that she eats a homemade sport cake 3h before the race. She shares her secret recipe for you to test at home.
Celine's Sport Cake
150g whole-wheat flour
35g almond powder
1/4 the spoon cinnamon
75g sugar
1 pack of baking powder
20 cl of milk
1 egg
Fruit: pieces of banana or apple…what you prefer
Mix flour, almond powder, fruit, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Then, add the mix of milk and egg.
Cook it at 180°c 40 min.“I will eat 4 hours before the start, if it’s an early race I’ll wake up and eat and then go back to bed. I love a big bowl of cereals with whole organic milk. I will mix some gluten free granola type cereals and then add raisins, bananas, chia seeds and break up a Jete Bar into the mix”, explains Kevin Everett.
For more tips read the previous parts of Athletes' Insights