I put it off for a while. I did not do it for my 15K. To be fair, I had not really needed to carb load for my 10Ks, since they were under 90 minutes. But then it was time. Time to rip off the bandaid, go against all modern diet advice, discard my usual whole foods, whole grain, high protein, high produce way of eating, and eat all the carbs. I did it for a day, and it worked! Then I did it for three days, and it really worked! And I was off to the races on carb loading, literally.
I carb loaded for all of my recent longer races, including that first half marathon back. The rule is to carb load for any race over 90 minutes (Featherstun, n.d.). This allows the body to max out its glycogen stores (which should also be somewhat replenished by fueling during the race to avoid bonking). More glycogen means more speed! (Burning fat for fuel is possible, but provides much slower results.) Sports medicine science says to carb load with 10 – 12 grams per kilogram of bodyweight for two days, or 8 grams per kilogram for three days (Thomas et al., 2016). (I have aways gone with the latter.) Some say that only one day is needed for the half marathon (Rosner, n.d.). The Featherstone Nutrition Calculator always tells me to carb load for three days, however. I figure, "What could it hurt?"
Another benefit of carb loading for three days is that it simplifies digestion. Things like fiber take 36-48 hours to pass fully through the body, so carb loading with simpler carbs for three days ensures that any potentially irritating foods have already passed through (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2025). It is also easier to eat simpler carbs in larger amounts (T100 Triatholon, n.d.). I told myself while carb loading that it was not forever, and that an extra few days of eating carbs before the half marathon could only stand to help, not hurt my results. And I definitely carb loaded three days before my marathons.
The problem is that just carb loading was not enough. Endurance sports require enhanced overall nutrition. While I increased that somewhat over the past few years, I apparently did not increase it enough. That, the health professional think, is what caused my recent injury. And so, I set out to eat more.
No science is perfect, but the thought is that energy surplus is best for runners. The current number is 45 calories per kilogram of fat free mass per day (Melin, 2019). For the average American woman weighing 170 pounds and being at about 40% body fat, that is about 2,000 calories a day, and that is without exercise (Borrud et al., 2010; National Center for Health Statistics, n.d.)! With increased energy expenditure due to long-distance running, it is easy to see how a person could get behind. So I ate more.
While recovering from my injury, I ate as much or more than while training for my marathon. Yes, I gained weight. It wasn't fun. But I wanted to return to running, and I knew I had no chance of doing so and not getting hurt again, so I ate. While I was not running, I was eating to run, because that is the commitment that the sport requires.
In a society that says eat less, move more, runners have to eat more to move more—and not just junk, because then they feel like junk. They need lots of carbs, lots of fat, lots of protein--all the things. Sure, I eat simple carbs when carb loading, but that is just for three days. The rest of life is a lot of focus on a lot of nutrition, something I am learning even more about as I progress back to running again*. I am learning anew what it means to eat to run, not run to eat. Regardless of what society may say, eating to run is serious business!
*Note: I am not a dietitian, just sharing what I have studied and learned along my running journey, most recently with a lot of professional dietitian support!
References:
Borrud, L.G., Flegal, K.M., Looker A.C., Everhart, J.E., et al. (2010). Body composition data for
individuals 8 years of age and older: U.S. population, 1999–2004. National
Center for Health Statistics. Vital health stat 11(250). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_11/sr11_250.pdf.
Featherstun, M. (n.d.). Carb loading: What, why, and how-to. Featherstone Nutrition. https://www.featherstonenutrition.com/carb-loading/
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2025, June 6). Digestion: How long does it take? Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/indigestion/expert-answers/digestive-system/faq-20058340
Melin, A. K., Heikura, I. A., Tenforde, A., & Mountjoy, M. (2019). Energy Availability in Athletics: Health, Performance, and Physique. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 29(2), 152-164. Retrieved Jun 27, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0201
National Center for Health Statistics. (n.d.). Body measurements. Center for Disease Control. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/body-measurements.htm
Rosner, J. (n.d.). Carb loading by race distance: Half-marathon and marathon. Science in Sport. https://www.scienceinsport.com/sports-nutrition/carb-loading-by-race-distance/
Thomas, D. T., Erdman, K. A., & Burke, L. M. (2016). American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 48(3), 543–568. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000852
T100 Triatholon. (n.d.). Fuel up right: Best foods for carb loading before a triatholon. https://t100triathlon.com/articles/nutrition/best-foods-for-carb-loading/
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