pre-workout meals

for an average, untalented person to run past the 15 mile mark and still hit 7-8 minute miles on hilly trails, nutrition starts to matter even more. -this is me at mile 16 during the CRUD 8-hour relay. due to the faster paces during a relay, carbs can deplete even sooner.

old school runners will tell you that you should eat carbs before you run 'becasue your body needs to start the workout with full glycogen(stored sugar) stores.' the problem with this is that by eating a high carb(and therefore high GI) snack/meal before your workout, your starting your workout with too much glucose (blood sugar). that sounds ridiculous to most people because when you run low on glucose, you hit the wall and feel like crap. so how can you have too much glucose? -assuming your not diabetic.
the old school runners will tell you that when you hit the wall you have to slow down because your body has to switch to fat as its primary fuel source. however, if you could burn more fat (and therefore less glucose) from the start of the race/run, then youd never hit the wall in the first place.*
during training this is just as important. starting each workout with a stable blood sugar will help your body learn to metabolize fat faster.
so pre-workout meals need to be well-rounded with plenty of fat and protein along with carbohydrates. your stomach will need time to get used to eating like this and you will have to wait longer after the meal to workout/run, but your blood sugar will be under control and your energy levels will be much more stable.
a sample meal, 2 or 3 hours before a workout:
>12-16 ounces water
>mixed raw nuts (brazils, cashews, and almonds. my trifecta)
>meat raviolis with tomato sauce and pesto
then a bit more water (only if your thirsty) leading up to the workout

*another thing to note (in case you have a mild interest in some brief science)is that your body cannot be anabolic and catabolic at the same time. in plain english: you cant store energy and use it at the same time, your body wont let you. so if your blood sugar gets really high before a workout, it releases insulin to stop you from getting too hyperglycemic and causing brain damage. once insulin is present, its impossible to burn fat because your body is trying to store it.