Q: What is good to eat the night before and during the day before a XC meet?
A: I'm sure you've heard that it's wise to "carbo-load" the night before a run. And, if you look at the answers provided to you, most everyone is pretty much suggesting pasta, breads, etc--which are rich in carbs. The reasoning is that carbo loading will give you a burst of energy for the following day's event. I've always done that very thing. Of course, weeks prior to the run, I focused on eating better, drinking more water, etc. But, on the eve of my event I would shovel down pasta, bread, etc. I've discovered, however, after doing this for years, I'd wake up the morning of my run and my stomach is a tad upset and I'm somewhat "gassy". I always assumed it was nerves, but what I figured out, is that eating all these carbs the night before causes an uncessary blood-sugar spike and a digetive inbalance overall; and though I don't think my dietary habits hurt my performance, I don't think it helped it to the extent that everyone seems to think carbo-loading does. My advice is to lay off caffeine for a week or two prior to the meet, and as others have said, eat healthy in general. The night before the meet, have a conservative, relatively small helping of pasta; but more importantly, have some protein with the meal, such as a small steak or buger, with a side of fresh or steamed vegies. Don't make it too spicey--stay on the bland side. Don't eat anything that's going to take forever to digest. Drink TONS of water the day before. This will help oxygenate / hydrate your system. The day of the meet, eat very light, but eat frequently. Like another poster advised, some toast is good, some fruit, peanut butter, energy bars, a little bit of oatmeal--but "half" the portions that you usually would have, and keep eating every couple of hours. Don't eat anything within two hours of the meet, let up on the water (that's what the day before was for), but do stay hydrated--and yes!--have a little caffeine that day! Your body will respond much more abuptbly to caffiene if it hasn't been in your system for a while, and it will give you a nice engery boost--but don't overdo it. Too much caffiene all at once, after a long period without it, might not respond so hot either. Dark chocolate is good to have, and I agree with avoiding dairy.