Carb Questions for a 1/2 Marathon

Hi,
I kinda lurk on this forum periodically and glad you all are here.  I am trying (keyword = trying) to run a half marathon in June and have been training since February.  I still am not quite sure about carb-loading the night before the race.  Being a post-op DS patient (7 years post-op) carbs are not that great for me.  Yet my coaches suggest having extra carbs the night before the race.  What do you all do?  What seems to work for you?

I am experimenting with different food combinations before my runs.  I definitely know that I cannot eat 1 1/2 to 2 hours in the morning before a long run, which means I have to get up earlier.  I am also finding that I need to eat something (usually a protein bar) immediately after.  It helps the recovery.  I just can't figure out what really helps the night before.  Suggestions? 

Thanks,
Sharon

Carb-loading the night before a race is a myth anyway. Even for the unaltered. I know everyone does it, but scientifically they aren't doing what they need to in order to maximize their performance.

What you really want to do is eat more carbs than normal for 3-4 days before the race. If you are going to carb-load, do it two nights before the race. Note: this doesn't mean going nuts with carbs. Just increasing them enough that your glycogen stores are topped off.

The day before a race, you should eat like you do normally only on the lighter-side so it's all digested as much as possible the next day. I.E., have some soup for lunch instead of steak.

Based on what my experiences have been so far, this makes sense.  I ate pasta one night before a long run and just felt tired and lethargic the whole run.  Thank you!

 although I have only run 1 official half, I have done lots of 10+ experimenting with different nutrition, and so far, I think for me anyway, the best plan is doing nothing out of the ordinary before hand, other than making sure I am not running a huge calorie deficit the couple days before, and using hammer gels every 45 minutes during the race, and of course sippping water every  time its offered.  Unfortunately, I think you have to experiment yourself to find the best answer, and that might mean sub-optimal results a couple times before you get it right.  Definitely practice your nutrition plan before the official race in June if you can.

I'm with Andrew.

I do nothing hugely different the days before. I eat balanced and make sure my protein is up, as usual. My carbs are from fresh fruits and veggies and a portion of my protein bar.

I have not done a half yet (Aug. 7th). However, on my 10.5  mile runs, as well as my 8.8 mile route, I have started using power bar gels. I think I sluped three my last 10.5 run. I'm going to add a 4th this weekend as I up  my distance to 12.

Afterwards, carbs and lots of protein for recovery works well for me.

As suggested, experiment at home before your race. If you are going to have problems or intolerances to some  products, best to do so in the privacy of your own bathroom as opposed ot a porta potty

Good luck!
Kathy

What MacMady said... Carb loading  is a process, not JUST one huge carb heavy meal the night before. For the first three days of race week, I protein load... 200G+... then on th ethird day switch to a carb load... (COMPLEX CARBS) and that does the trick. Best of luck!!!

Thanks to all of you!    I still have 4 weeks until the race and 3 longer runs on the weekends before race day, so plenty of time to try your suggestions.  I have tried to follow the coaches recommendations for the team, but this night before a long run  'carb load'  thing was not working for me.  Glad you all are here.  Thanks again! 

Sharon