Rick is right...It doesn't really matter what time of day you eat as long as you are burning off more than you take in overall. Before a morning run, I often grab a Luna Bar or maybe a peanut butter & honey sandwich, but nothing milk based (like cereal) because it gives me stomach cramps. I don't have trouble with eating before a run, but I don't overdo it and have some huge meal or something. I take water with me (love that Amphipod belt), but I use Gatorade if I'm going more than about 10-12 miles.

If you're trying to lose weight too, check out these websites...They have helped me lose over 40 lbs.

www.fitday.com helps you balance calories in vs. calories out. You log both your food and your exercise. Free.

www.ediets.com is great for meal planning, but if you're still living at home you may not have all that much control over what meals are prepared. Small fee with this site, but it's worth it.

Good luck,
Amy

I agree with the banana; also a tablespoon or two of honey washed down with a glass of water works for me. Honey is pure and simple carb so is readily available for fuel, and is cheaper than gels or bars. This was recommended by Liz Applegate, a well-known nutritionist/fitness enthusiast.

I still think a sports drink is fine, because there isn't much acidity that could cause stomach disruption, which has happened with athletes who I've had that have drank orange juice or some other fruit juices. Since its early in the morning, the sports drink should absorb pretty quickly (its formulated to absorb quickly). Most athletes I've had who've had this problem with working out in the morning on an empty stomach, the 8-12 oz. of a sports drink does the job, and gets very quickly digested. A bagel or sandwich might take longer and cause stomach upset, especially with the up & down motions of running.

Just my experiences,

Rick Karboviak, CSCS
www.thetipedge.com

Well, this is turning into a debate of sorts! I hope we help Flyfeet too! With all due respect to deadocmike, I think he is missing the point. What Flyfeet is seeking in her question is readily available fuel for her early a.m. run, not a balanced meal.
(S)he can't get up 2 hours earlier to eat something which needs time to digest and become available to the muscles. Peanut butter is high fat,and fat is slow to break down. I have the same issue, and I too feel "flat" if I work out after an 8-10 hour fast. You eat the protein with some carb [i]afterwards[/i] to help muscle recover. That's why so many athletes eat post-workout breakfasts of egg whites and oatmeal. The balanced diet with the right mix of lean protein and complex carbs from grains and vegetables is the diet to follow for each regular meal. 4-5 smaller meals are better than 3 larger ones for both athletic energy AND weight loss. The night-before carb loading, in my opinion, is what you do before competition (actually, days before). I say, forget that, Flyfeet. It's not called for in the case of the everyday workout. But, as Rick says, for immediate pre-workout fuel, simple sugar is what you want because it's readily available. That's why Applegate recommends honey (see previous reply). Sports drinks work for me too. Buy the powdered form to mix yourself and it's cheaper. It's misleading to say that sports drinks SHOULDN'T be used for sub 1-hour workouts; the thing is, they are not usually NECESSARY for sub 1-hour workouts because you are probably not going to sweat enough to require potassium or sodium replacement (read the label; it's not merely simple liquid carb!). And that's just MY experiences (and a little bit of research!) Michelle AKA Fast 45

Amy's new favorite pre-run breakfast:

Thick, Belgian-style waffle with reduced fat peanut butter and lite syrup.

FIL gave us a very sexy professional waffle maker for our wedding. I buy waffle mix that lets me add my own milk, eggs, and oil. I use skim milk, Egg Beaters, and applesauce instead of oil. I make a big batch at once and freeze the leftovers.

Even my food fussy husband loves these things. I had one this morning before heading out for 18 miles, and I was fine. BTW...There's a reason why Runner's World voted Minneapolis the 6th best runner friendly city in the country...This place has awesome trails!

Amy

In my experience, the more you practice running on an empty stomach, the more efficient your body becomes at using glycogen stored in muscles or stored fat for energy. While the 1st few runs on an empty stomach might leave you feeling "flat", after 2-3 of these you will start to feel more energetic on these runs. Fit people can run well even while fasting. Don't be afraid to run without food in your tummy.
The exception to this idea is that a decent speed workout (intervals, strides, drills, etc.) requires some carbs in your bloodstream.

However, everyone's different, so experiment and do what works for you.

Good luck!

I think you're already doing the right thing and it seems to work for you. You won't have to worry about weight gain if you keep running. However, I eat 100% whole wheat for carbs before bed time. I found that eating regular carbs late at night caused me to get a faster burst of energy and I wound up sleeping less.

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