10K Training: How to Run Your Best Fingal 10K

Running is basically an excuse to eat more food, which is great, unless you’re fueling your runs with crisps. 

You see, the right food can power you through a 10K like a well-tuned sports car. The wrong food? Well… let’s just say, nobody wants to spend a race looking for the nearest toilet.

So, let’s talk about what to eat before, during, and after your run, so you can run strong and recover like a champ (without turning into a human dumpster).

Pre-Run Nutrition: Because Running on an Empty Stomach Feels Like Death

🚀 The Goal? Eat the right stuff so you have energy, but not so much that you feel like you’re smuggling a bowling ball in your stomach.

🏃 What to Eat Before a Run

• 30-60 mins before: A small, easily digestible snack. (Think banana, toast with honey, or a handful of pretzels.)
• 2-3 hours before: A proper meal with carbs, protein, and a bit of fat, but nothing too heavy. (Pasta, rice, or a bagel = great. Full English breakfast = please, no.)

🛑 What NOT to Eat Before a Run:
❌ Greasy food (Unless you enjoy pit stops at every portaloo along the route.)
❌ Spicy food (Unless you really like running with stomach cramps.)
❌ High-fibre food (Unless you want an emergency sprint to the bathroom.)

💡 Pro Tip: Experiment with pre-run meals in training, not on race day. The last thing you want is a surprise food disaster mid-race.

During Your Run: Hydration & Snacks (Because No One Likes to Bonk)

🎭 The two types of runners:
1️⃣ Those who drink like a dehydrated camel.
2️⃣ Those who forget water exists until their lips are drier than the Sahara.

💧 Hydration Strategies

• Short runs (under 60 mins)? Water is fine.
• Longer runs? Consider sports drinks or electrolyte tablets (or just chug whatever concoction the race volunteers hand you).
• Sweaty runner? You’re losing sodium, so replacing electrolytes is a must unless you enjoy feeling like a zombie.

🥨 Mid-Run Snacks? Only If You’re Running Long

If your run is under 90 minutes, you probably don’t need food (unless you’re just in it for the snacks).
For longer runs, try:
✔ Energy gels (aka the weirdest-textured snack you’ll ever consume)
✔ Dried fruit (natural sugar boost)
✔ Pretzels (for salty goodness)
✔ Jelly babies (because who doesn’t want an excuse to eat sweets while exercising?)

💡 Pro Tip: For Jesus' sake NEVER try a new snack on race day. Unless you enjoy playing digestive roulette while running.

Post-Run Recovery: Because Your Muscles Are Screaming for Help

🍕 Good news: Running burns calories, which means post-run refueling is actually important, not just an excuse to horse down an entire pizza (although in fairness we’ve all done it).

🍽 What to Eat After a Run

✔ Protein: Helps repair muscles so you’re not walking like a penguin tomorrow. (Chicken, eggs, Greek yogurt, protein shake, etc.)
✔ Carbs: Replaces energy stores so you don’t feel like a lifeless blob for the rest of the day. (Rice, pasta, fruit, or just a massive sandwich.)
✔ Hydration: Because sweat loss is real. (Water is fine, but chocolate milk is elite.)

🛑 What NOT to Do After a Run:
❌ Ignore food completely. Your muscles need fuel. Don’t starve them.
❌ Refuel exclusively with a pint of Guinness. Yes, you deserve a pint. No, that doesn’t count as proper hydration.
❌ Eat like you just ran an ultra-marathon. A 5K doesn’t justify seven big macs. (Six? Maybe.)

💡 Pro Tip: Aim to eat within 30-60 minutes post-run. If you wait too long, your muscles will be as useful as a WiFi signal in a basement.

Final Thought: Eat Smart, Run Strong, Don’t Bonk

If you:
✅ Fuel before a run,
✅ Hydrate properly (without overdoing it),
✅ Eat enough after training,

…you’ll run stronger, recover faster, and actually enjoy training, instead of feeling like a withered husk of a human.

Or, you can ignore this and see what happens when you try to run 10K fueled by coffee and hope. Your call.

See you next Monday for "Mental Strategies for Long-Distance Running" or as I like to call it, "How to Trick Your Brain Into Thinking This Is Fun)."