What do you eat leading up to race day?

This remains a skill I have not mastered. Out of 3 20 milers, I've only made it through 1 without having to stop for code brown. Part of this will be alleviated by getting up earlier and moving around more on the actual race day. I know I do myself no favors with my diet. I've decided to go with no spicy food (at all) and no alcohol for at least 3 days before the race. I've also been hungry on the last 2 (very hungry on the second one until I stopped and ate a cookie, less hungry on the last one) LSDs. What do you eat leading up to race day and then on the morning of?

2-3 days before, brown rice, potatoes, turkey meat balls that I make myself and don't have anything spicy, apples, almost any fruit.

Day of :oatmeal , banana, coffee

3-2-day before: no booze whatsoever. Regular mornings (coffee, oatmeal w/ banana + flax + blueberries), normal lunches (2 meals @ around 500kcal), 400kcal pasta + 100kcal sauce, normal dinner (500kcal).
Day of: Normal breakfast 2-3hrs pre-race.

I think the biggest thing I did that helped me on race morning was to do my last big pre-race carb-focused meal to lunchtime the day before. I follow that with a lighter dinner, coffee and oatmeal in the morning.

For a Sunday run or race, I'll start carbo-loading on Wednesday evening with non-whole grain pasta or white rice, then continue that for lunch and dinner until Friday evening. Saturday is maintenance eating.

Friday and Saturday, I should have really normal #2's and even Sunday morning. If I have that, then I know I won't have any issues. I also try to limit water intake after Saturday lunch, even before. That helps me not pee during the race.

On race morning, I'll have a bowl of Special K and milk as soon as I get out of bed. Then, an hour before the run or race, I'll eat a banana.

For you, I might recommend getting your timing on your #2's to occur in the evening about a week before your race/run. Eat something heavy (or a whole lot of something) for dinner to stimulate the movement after dinner.

What works for me is to not really change my eating and toilet routines. I try to eat healthy all the time, but the days before a race I will do my best to eliminate any sweets, spicy food and fried foods. I do up my water intake the day before to top of the tank. The morning of I usually have either oatmeal or a bagle along with gatorade. I have my meal at least 1.5-2 hours before so it will pass through my system, which it always does. I think when you try doing something special or different the few days before a race your system may not adjust and you can have problems. Just my 2 cents worth.

Jeff F wrote:What works for me is to not really change my eating and toilet routines. I try to eat healthy all the time, but the days before a race I will do my best to eliminate any sweets, spicy food and fried foods. I do up my water intake the day before to top of the tank. The morning of I usually have either oatmeal or a bagle along with gatorade. I have my meal at least 1.5-2 hours before so it will pass through my system, which it always does. I think when you try doing something special or different the few days before a race your system may not adjust and you can have problems. Just my 2 cents worth.

My problem is that what I have been doing isn't working. I appreciate the input from everybody.

I have the same problem, almost always for my morning runs. If I have a race, I jog really slowly for a mile or two, take care of business, and then I'm good to go. A trick I picked up somewhere (Hal maybe?) is to drink a glass of warm water, then go for a little jog. I don't know why it works, but it seems to make things happen even better. Sounds like your problem might not even be eating, but the aftereffects? Anyway, just an idea that works with me. The day of a race I always eat a bowl of cereal, but I eat a bowl of cereal every morning anyway. For longer workouts I usually choke down a cliff bar as well. Good luck!