Most runners think that crossing a half or full marathon finish line is just a matter of grit, sweat, and stacking long runs on top of busy days. But as a sports dietitian, I see incredibly dedicated athletes derail even the best training plans because of these mistakes. If you want your first (or next) race to be your best yet, start by uprooting these too-common sticking points:
Using a race as a way to lose weight.
They said “eat less, move more” like a prescription, and now you’re hoping that training for a half or full marathon will do the trick. I will warn you, as a sports dietitian that sees this constantly: using the intense training of a half or a full marathon to cut weight is a one way ticket to disaster. Here’s why:
Training for a marathon expends tons of energy, so it would make sense to expect it to be an easy way to shed pounds.
However, when fuel doesn’t keep up with training demand, bodies will attempt to save energy by moving immediately non-essential processes to the back burner including:
Maintaining healthy hormone levels
Repairing bone and muscle tissue
Replenishing energy stores to prepare for your next run
When this happens, fatigue and soreness plague training and progress becomes stagnant. Programmed easy runs suddenly become difficult. And on top of this, the stress of training is poorly tolerated and you may become sick more easily!
Fellow sports dietitian Abby Olcott of Midwest Performance Nutrition sees the same pattern:
“Some runners may believe that weight loss enhances performance, especially if they notice some improvements in times when dropping a few pounds as a result of underfueling. However, that performance is not sustainable when it comes at the expense of maintaining health and recovery. Long term consequences of this approach tend to include nagging injuries and health struggles. Either way, fueling for performance shouldn’t involve cutting back on what you’re eating!”
-Abby Olcott, RD, CSSD
The fix:
While weight may fluctuate throughout a training cycle, setting it as the goal can quickly undermine recovery, performance, and health.
Shift your mindset. Use training for a marathon to build fitness and show what your body is fully capable of. Fuel the work you’re doing and celebrate consistency instead of changes on the scale.
Assuming that nutrition will “figure itself out”
Many runners expect nutrition to be something they think about later, once they get to a level of performance that warrants it. But you need to know that regardless of your performance goals, fuel matters.
Often, actual energy and carbohydrate demands of training go beyond what feels intuitive or can happen easily without planning. Runners, especially those living an active lifestyle, require purposeful nutrition to ensure they’re getting everything they need and avoid energy and nutrient deficiencies.
I think it’s pretty safe to assume that as a runner, you care about staying healthy.
But not having available fuel can have lasting impact on health that detract from the many positive benefits of running.
One of my biggest concerns for long term health is the result of haphazard eating on hormone and bone health, as both male and female runners are at risk of bone density loss, especially as mileage increases and energy mismatch becomes more likely.
The Fix:
As training volume increases, the fuel coming in must increase as well. This typically happens through increased carbohydrates at meals, snacks, and by introducing fuel before and during training.
Planning and purposeful fueling are key to nailing your training program’s fueling needs.
Adopting a “suffer at all costs” mentality
Don’t get me wrong: running is hard. There are going to be days when it’s unpleasant, even.
But always being exhausted is unnecessary at best, at worst detrimental.
I always joke that the worst part of training is developing conditioning, not necessarily using it. It’s true that we have to go out of our comfort zone to increase fitness, but training at lower intensities is required to drive endurance-specific adaptations.
Athletes who have adopted the suffering mentality will find it hard to ease off and accept that some aspects of training will feel easier. These are the same athletes that resist bringing fuel or hydration on board for long runs.
The truth is that while building fitness is work, a very large chunk of your training should feel good. For the most part, you should feel energized. Constantly feeling zapped is a signal that you are underfueled and failing to recover.
The Fix:
Effort is not an automatic indicator of success. Tap into what makes running meaningful for you, other than grit.
Allow joy, fun, and love of running to infuse your training. Allow yourself to be in the moment.
Fuel that.
Yes, carbs delay fatigue and allow higher levels of intensity, but they also regulate mood, boost motivation, and enhance enjoyment.
Use excess fatigue and low mood as feedback on fueling and recovery instead of a badge of honor.
Want More Fueling Tips?
Having a solid training plan is half the battle of nailing a half or full marathon. It’s also being able to adapt through the demands of life and the fueling that comes along with it.
For more practical, no-nonsense fueling tips for athletes, follow Brick by Brick Sports Nutrition on Instagram.
Em Palmerton, CSSD, RD, CEDS is the sports dietitian behind Brick by Brick Sports Nutrition. She helps athletes fuel with structure that flexes. A former rugby athlete and Type B dietitian, she specializes in REDs, Injury Recovery, and healing your relationship with food and exercise.
