Here’s the truth: marathon training turns you into a bottomless pit with running shoes. Your metabolism kicks into overdrive, your appetite doubles, and suddenly you’re wondering if eating four breakfasts is normal (it is). If you’re a morning runner like me, the hunger hits all day.
Let’s start with what to eat before a run. In theory, you're supposed to fuel up with some easily digestible carbs and a bit of protein 2–3 hours ahead of a workout. But in real life? I'm out the door before sunrise, so I usually run fasted.
What does that do? Running fasted can improve your body’s ability to burn fat for fuel—great for long-distance efficiency—but you’ll want to ease into it. If the run is short or easy, no problem. If it’s a hard workout or long run, I’ll sometimes grab a banana, granola, or a few chews to avoid bonking midway through.
Post-run, though, is non-negotiable. You’ve got a 30–60 minute window where your body is basically a sponge—ready to absorb nutrients, restore glycogen, and kick off muscle repair. I aim for a solid carb-to-protein mix, like a smoothie with banana, blueberries, yogurt, and protein powder or almond butter. Or just a big breakfast with eggs, toast, and maybe another piece of toast. Marathon training is no time to fear toast.
Now let’s talk about what happens a few hours later: the delayed runger. That’s “runner hunger,” and it’s real. I can eat a full meal at 8am and still feel ravenous by 10:30. If you’re not careful, this can lead to grabbing whatever’s in the snack room at work—chips, cookies, leftover birthday cake. Nothing is off limits if you aren’t discipline. And here’s the plot twist: you actually can gain weight while marathon training if you’re constantly eating junk to fill the void.
To keep things under control (without walking around hangry all day), I rely on a few tricks:
A cold glass of ice water before I snack, sometimes I’m just dehydrated.
Fruit first: sweet, satisfying, and adds some fiber.
High-protein snacks like Greek yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, or a protein bar to stay full longer.
Smoothies with veggies and healthy fat. Fast to make and filling enough to stop the scavenging.
Also, let’s address the other morning ritual: coffee. It’s great. It helps with energy, performance, even fat metabolism. But it’s also a laxative for many of us. If you’re sipping coffee before your early run, just know you’re playing a risky game unless you’ve mapped out every public restroom on your route. Pro tip: know your Starbucks locations.
Here’s the good news: you can mostly eat what you want and be fine. You’re burning a ton of calories, and your body needs fuel. But if you want to recover better, run stronger, and avoid sugar crashes or the late-night pantry spiral, it’s worth putting the right fuel in the tank. Eat with purpose around your runs, space out your snacks, and don’t be afraid of carbs. You’re training for something big…feed the machine accordingly.
And if you’re wondering whether it’s okay to eat a second lunch… yes. Yes it is. I do it frequently.