Racing in a Different Time Zone
Vital preparation for sleep, energy and digestion
Many runners dream of racing somewhere new, perhaps in a different city, a different country, or even a different continent. The buzz of travelling to an iconic race destination is exciting, but if your plans involve flights, hotel stays and a shift in time zone, there is more to think about than your usual race-week preparation.
Flying before a race can “upset your biology”. Have you noticed when travelling for holidays or business that it can take a day or two for your body to catch up? You might be “pooping” at a different time of day, feel bloated and heavy, or find yourself wide awake at 2am. You can’t afford to have those physical symptoms interfering with your big race.
Travel fatigue, altered sleep patterns, digestive changes and even a lowered immune system can all creep in and affect how you feel on race day. With the right planning, you can minimise those risks and arrive at the start line energised, hydrated and ready to run.
Protect Your Immune System Before You Travel
You’ve trained for weeks or months and the last thing you want is a sniffle or stomach bug days before the race. The goal is simple - board your flight in peak condition.
In the three weeks before your event, prioritise rest and quality sleep, keep stress low and fuel yourself with regular, balanced meals rich in colourful vegetables, lean protein and slow-release carbohydrates. Keep alcohol minimal and make hydration an everyday priority.
I also like to support my immune system with vitamin D, a quality multivitamin, probiotics and natural anti-viral supplements such as echinacea and oregano particularly before and during travel. Small steps like these help reduce your vulnerability to infections when you’re on the move.
Plan Your Food Before You Leave Home
When you’re racing abroad, don’t leave food to chance. Think ahead about what you’ll eat while travelling, in the days leading up to your race and on race day itself. The aim is to have the right food available, at the right time, so nothing interferes with your performance.
Before you travel, research the food options at your departure airport and pack something of your own if choices are limited. Decide whether you’ll self-cater or eat out. If you’re staying in a hotel, check the menus, room service options and whether a fridge is available. For big events, book restaurant tables well in advance, you may be competing with hundreds, maybe even thousands of other runners for the same dinner slots.
I recommend creating your race-day nutrition plan two weeks before you travel so you know exactly what you’ll need to bring with you.
Easy-to-Pack Foods for Race Travel
These are my go-to items because they’re portable, long-lasting and can be turned into meals and snacks with a few fresh ingredients at your destination:
☐ Oats or porridge pots or sachets
☐ Nuts and seeds
☐ Dried fruit
☐ Nut butter sachets
☐ Oatcakes or crackers
☐ Flapjack or natural ingredient bars such as Huma, Velaforte or Honey Stinger
☐ Protein powder sachets
☐ Fruit purée pouches
☐ Miso soup sachets
☐ Small tins of beans, tofu or fish (optional, if you have space)
☐ Electrolytes and post-race recovery supplements
☐ Your preferred during-race fuel – don’t rely on local shops to stock your trusted brand
Remember, always pack your essential running kit and nutrition/food in your cabin baggage so that if your checked luggage goes missing, you still have the most important items.
Stay Healthy on the Flight
Flights, whether short or long, can leave you feeling sluggish. Your sleep-wake cycle can be disrupted, digestion unsettled and immune system suppressed. This is why arriving two or more days before your race is a wise move, it gives your body time to adapt.
Before your flight, aim to have a balanced, easy-to-digest meal and skip caffeine or alcohol as both can dehydrate you and disrupt sleep. Pack a few snacks you trust e.g. protein bars, oatcakes, dried fruit or nut sachets, so you’re not reliant on airline food.
During the flight, stick to water, aim to rest and consider bringing an eye mask, noise-cancelling earbuds and a drop of relaxing essential oils. You might also bring your own tea bags, consider your favourite sleep blend or chamomile for relaxation or ginger and mint to support digestion. I always change my watch to local time as soon as I board, which helps my brain start adjusting.
When you land, sync with the local time straight away. If it’s daytime, stay awake until bedtime; if it’s night, go to sleep and set an alarm for morning. Drink plenty of water, eat light fresh meals, and consider magnesium to help prevent travel-related constipation. A short walk or swim can also help loosen muscles and reset your body.
Food Choices at Your Destination
In the days before your race, stick to what your body knows. Eat at your usual times and aim for balanced meals with protein, carbs and vegetables. Drink bottled water if the tap water isn’t safe and avoid high-risk foods such as raw seafood or unpasteurised dairy.
This is not the time to experiment - keep your meals simple, familiar and easy to digest.
Be Realistic and Flexible
No travel plan is perfect. You might need to adapt to what’s available in your hotel, at the airport or with your travelling companions. The key is to be prepared with the basics, choose foods you know your body tolerates and do the best you can with what you have.
If you have a long-haul race in your diary, put a note in your calendar two weeks before you travel to do your food planning and shopping. Arrive well-prepared and you’ll give yourself the best chance to enjoy both the race and the adventure.
Key Takeaways
Protect your immune system in the weeks before you travel with good nutrition, rest and hydration.
Plan all meals for travel, race week and race day before you leave home.
Take portable, reliable foods so you are never caught without fuel.
Arrive at least two days early to adjust to the new time zone.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol before and during flights, and keep hydrated with water.
Change your watch to local time as soon as you board.
Stick to familiar, low-risk foods at your destination.
Be flexible and make the best choices with what is available.
Wherever in the world your love of running takes you, give yourself time to savour the experience. Enjoy exploring the sights, soak in the atmosphere, and celebrate the incredible achievement of running in a new place. You’ve worked hard to get there, make the most of every moment.
Final Thoughts
Plan enough recovery time before you travel home. I learned this the hard way. I once ran the Reykjavik Midnight Sun Half Marathon in Iceland, which starts at 9:30pm. I was probably back at my hotel and in bed by 1am, so I skipped my usual post-race recovery movement, food and hydration. The next day, I caught an early flight home.
A week later, I developed a painful piriformis injury. My physio suggested that sitting on a plane for several hours so soon after racing may have contributed. It took weeks of rehab to recover, and the experience taught me a lasting lesson. I am unlikely to enter another late evening race, but for all other races, I will prioritise post-race recovery and delay travel for at least 24 hours.
I’d love to hear your travel tales of racing in far flung or unusual places - please share your stories in the comments below.
You may like to check out these posts:
Don’t let Muscle Cramps Ruin Your Race
Why Your Gut Needs a Race Plan Too
Great writing, and had a great time enjoying it.