I just ran a 16.5 km trail race on the weekend and it felt great. Are you planning on doing any races this year? If you're anything like me, you often struggling trying to come up with the perfect pre-run meal. I've done a good deal of races, so I've tried a few different meals in search of the perfect one. Read on for a few helpful suggestion. [caption id="attachment_1539" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Running makes me feel grrrreat!"] [/caption] Pre-race meals The goal is to eat enough so you're fully energized and able to use that fuel during your race, but not too much so that you're weighed down. That is not a nice feeling, trust me! It's important to remember that high fibre and high fat foods can cause too much of a demand on the digestive system before a race. Idea #1 Difficulty: Dead easy (you don't even need to eat it off a plate) 2 slices of whole grain bread + peanut butter + 1 banana = pre-race meal perfection Add a drizzle of honey if you're feeling totally crazy. Idea #2 Difficulty: Moderate (you do need to get out the blender for this) Handful of frozen berries + 1 banana + 2 TBSP yogurt + almond milk + chia seeds = delicious smoothie Those are my two tried and true pre-race meals. If I'm up early enough, I'll have both. I find I need to eat about two hours before a race - anything closer to race time pretty much guarantees stomach cramps. Remember: never try a new eating routine on race day. Test out different foods before some shorter training runs to find something that works for you. What do you like to eat before you exercise?