10K Race + Pre-race Eating? Any suggestions?

[RobinLK]

I'm new to this site/forum, and will be tackling my first 10K (6.2miles) race next Sun, Oct 11th. I read lots of running resources cover-to-cover, but not seeing specific info for diabetics in mainstream sources (RW, etc..).

Any suggestions from experienced runners w/ type 2? Just need to know how to maximize eating for the 48 hrs prior and day of? (ample carbs w/out overdoing)

I'm well managed typically, and a1c is usually around 5.8 - 5.9%. I do notice, however, that my BG is higher after my morning run, instead of lower, as most things indicate it should be. ???


Final note: I follow a "mostly" vegetarian diet - fish once a week, and an ounce of chicken 1-2 times/month.

[dbc]

Hi & welcome. It's difficult to comment without knowing a bit more - such as are you on any medication, how often you test your bg...

If you are on medication, it's preferable to do a couple of test runs under controlled conditions beforehand to get an idea of what your bg does when you exercise. By which I mean running with your bg test kit & some form of "instant" glucose at hand and testing frequently while exercising and for an hour or two afterwards. Obviously doesn't help much for your run next weekend. . . .

Oh, and it's not at all unusual for diabetics to have higher bg numbers after exercise. Depends on the person, and depends of the duration & intensity of the exercise.

Hope the run goes well!

[Caravaggio]

Just do what worked best for you during your training. Presumably, you have trained properly and have had at least 1 or 2 long runs equal to, if not exceeding, 10-K.

From racing different distances, I've learned that what works best for me is to not eat differently before the race (ie, eat as I would eat before a training long run). Since I do not carbo-load before training runs, I do not carbo-load before any race, even for marathons.

For 10-Ks, I eat a small breakfast, at least 2-3 hours before the event. During the race, I just drink water, since I find the distance too short for me to bother with anything else.

Good luck to you. My advice:

a. Queue up for the loo as many times as you possibly can before the start.

b. If you intend to imbibe energy drinks during the race and will rely on the race's official energy drink, make sure you have tried the official drink before the race. You want to enjoy your race, and that will be difficult if you end up with an upset stomach.

c. Focus on your own pace and do not (repeat, do not) get carried away by the faster pace of those running beside you.

d. Most important of all, ENJOY!