QT: How to Eat Well When Traveling for a Race


One of the biggest race day fears for many runners is an unexpected bout of GI distress.

Because, seriously, no one wants to be this guy.

When we are at home, it’s easy to control the food we eat because (hopefully!) we are preparing it ourselves!

When traveling for a race, you may find yourself eating more restaurant meals during race weekend than you do in the entire training cycle leading up to the race.

Joining me on today’s quick tip episode are two folks that know a thing or two about traveling to races and eating well while doing so.

Tom Leddy and Carol Valls are the co-writers of the book The Ultimate Travel Guide for Runners.

If you have a destination race on your horizon, you definitely want to check out their book full of tips and tricks that will help you save some money and improve your traveling/racing experience.

Common Sense Ways to Eat Well When Traveling

When it comes to making sure you eat well when traveling for your next race, common sense reigns supreme.

Can you make some food in your hotel?

Sure, you may not have a full kitchen. But can you swing by a grocery store and pick up the kind of food you’d normally eat that you can prepare in the microwave and/or keep in the fridge for the next couple of days?

Before you hit the road for your race, maybe try having a “pre-race meal” this way at home before a long run in order to help you figure out what kind of foods you can/should seek out when you make it to your destination in order to help you keep your diet/nutrition in check.

Plan ahead when it comes to restaurants.

If you’re going to head to a restaurant the before your race, do a bit of homework before you go.

Check what restaurants are in the area so you’re not tempted to stop at the first place you stumble across.

And if you want the silver star of planning ahead, do your homework before you book your hotel reservations.

Check out what food options are in the area, and plan your hotel choice accordingly.

You may spend a few extra dollars on a hotel, but if it makes it easier for you to eat well and avoid any GI issues those dollars would be well spent!

Bring food with you.

An easily overlooked option, but perhaps the best option, is to simply bring some food with you.

The is especially true if you’re looking at a long day of flights and are worried about the possibility of not finding healthy options in the airport.

Pack some food in a tupperware container and bring it with you from home.

As long as it’s solid food, you should have no issues with TSA. And then you don’t have to stand in line to get some overpriced, and poor in quality, airport food.

And then you don’t have to stand in line to get some overpriced, and poor in quality, airport food.

This Series Continues Next Week

Tom and Carol will be back next week to talk more about traveling smarter when it comes to destination races.

And you should definitely check out their book, The Ultimate Travel Guide for Runners, for more tips and tricks you can use before signing up for your next destination race.

If you’d like Carol to help you make travel plans for your next destination race, check out her website at 2LTravel.com!


How do you make sure you eat well when traveling to a race? It's an area I've struggled with in the past, so I'm asking some travel experts for tips to help you keep your nutrition on track! #running #runchat Click To Tweet

Do You Have a Go To Strategy to Help You Continue to Eat Well When Travling?

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