I thought us runners could compare our best prerun food and our worst!

For me I always run fantastically after a main meal about 4 hours beforehand and a muesli bar just before I go. Today I tackled a 20km run and decided to eat a honey crumpet and a peanut butter crumpet about half an hour before I left and let me tell you I'll never be doing that again! I don't think I can even face peanut butter at all anymore.

Best: well I like to get a load of pasta in with a sauce about 3/4 hours before hand and then a handful of jellybeans about 20 mins before hand(jelly beans make me really hyper though so it adds to run I feel)

Worst: I used to have whey protein just before a run and I sued to get crazy cramps during it....its safe to say I wont be doing it again

Normal run: Banana 30 minutes prior

Race: 5 days of pasta and water overload and a banana before the race without any prior meals.

Worst idea: Eating anything besides above.

I just eat a regular meal like I would any other time. I eat a lot of carbs anyway

Depending on how long/fast I expect to run the next day, I usually try to limit how much I eat the day before. Usually pasta around lunch time, a smaller dinner with solid, bland foods like cereal, veggies, etc., then (sometimes) a banana or powerbar about an hour before the run. I prefer running on an empty stomach, but that is not necessarily advisable.

I used to eat oatmeal before races, but found that it wreaked havoc on my stomach later on. I also try to stay away from too many fluids (at most water) less than an hour before the run, though I'll grab drinks during a race with no adverse effects.

For morning runs (or morning workouts for that matter) I eat .5 cup (before cooking) of oatmeal, 2 tbsp peanut butter,16 oz. skim milk and 12 oz coffee. I highly recommend it

Normally I eat whatever meal I would normally eat anyways, and after the meal chug like 12oz. of water, then two hours later I run. If I eat or drink anything within two hours before my run I get hardcore side aches, I have experimented with different foods to see if I can eat anything closer to when I run and I can't.

Just going running: 200 calories -- 30 minutes prior

During the run: 300-350 calories per hour

Race day: 500-700 calories -- three hours prior, 400 calories per hour during