Racing Series: Question #1

Over the course of my time blogging I will inevitably have questions that pertain to a subject, or have a multi-part post about products or races.  So I thought it was a good idea to start a "series" so that it can continue on without lots of background to catch up.  Sound good?  Well onward then!


My first question has to deal with late day racing.  Saturday is the Seafair Torchilight 8K race that I will be participating in and the start time is at 1830hrs (that is 6:30pm for all the non-military timers).  I'm used to being up at the crack of dawn and fueling up on my normal pre-race breakfast of wheat toast with almond butter, fig spread and sliced banana on top.  So good and great fuel for my body!

My concern is with eating the right things during the day to fuel me properly and not upset my stomach.  I have never done a late afternoon/evening race where there are many hours in the day between when I wake up and the start of the race.  Giving many oppotunities to eat something that may not agree with me and sideline me with stomach issues!  I've been told the following things to do:

- Eat normally up until 4 hours prior then have your normal pre-race meal just before the race.

- Have a big meal about 3 hours before the race and you should be good to go.

- Stay away from fiber during the day, then have some just before the race.

- Eat items with plenty of sodium to keep you hydrated throughout the day.

See the different opinions I've been given and why I'm so confused?  I know that most things with this sport is about trial and error and about finding what is best for you, as it can vary person to person.  However with this being my first late day race, I really don't want to put this up to chance as much as possible!

So my question to all of you is, how/what do you eat during the day leading up to an evening race to avoid having stomach issues?  I'm not prone to them (knocking on wood), but I don't want to start! 

Regardless, I am excited for the race on Saturday.  It's going to be hot and a bit grueling (a steep hill at the end of the run, seriously! Seriously? Seattle you make your races tough!), but I hear it's such a great experience and I'm excited to be a part of it!