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A lot of people have interesting, even weird rituals when it comes to eating before a run.  I knew a runner who would chow down on a huge breakfast before her race as her race ritual. However, another runner couldn’t eat within 4hrs of her run without feeling nauseous and/or vomiting. It really comes down to what you are comfortable with in your stomach before that first step.

While this is true, ask yourself these questions:

What kind of run are you about to do?

If it is just a nice easy run, your stomach will be less likely to be disturbed as it digests its food and wont be bothered so much. However if your run is a pound-into-the-ground speed workout/race its needless to say your stomach wont be so appreciative.

What kind of food are you eating?

Light foods such as grains and fruits will be easier to digest while you run than lactose and meat products and bananas. Fruits tend to be able to be absorbed into the system easily and grains will absorb water and not slosh around as much.

On the other hand, lactose products are already hard on your digestive system and meats will sit in your stomach like a rock that grinds your stomach walls. I throw bananas in that mix because they take up to 12 hours to digest. Also, In the past before a major workout I ate two bananas at the same time I would eat any other meal before a workout. However, halfway through the workout it was VERY clear they were still in my stomach and utilizing a lot of blood for digestion. Bad idea.

How long is it before you run?

This factor plays in last because it directly depends on 1) What your run is and 2) What your eating. For example, I knew that I was running a hard workout and had to eat appropriately. But the food (bananas) I chose to eat changed the length of time that it was ok for me to run.

Here are two general rules to follow:

A) Water takes 30 min on average to move through your stomach (this is why fruits with high water content digest, go through, and are easier to run on)

B) Foods take 3 hrs on average to digest through your stomach

In short, running, like any activity is about finding your personal balance. Most likely this will take a few attempts and will change with the run you run, the food you eat and the time before you run. Using these guidelines will hopefully help to maximize your run while limiting the number of times you see your food AFTER you’ve swallowed.