5 Fueling Mistakes Beginners Make

5 Fueling Mistakes Beginners Make (and How to Fix Them Before Race Day)

If you’re training for your first half marathon, you’ve probably heard that fueling matters… but no one really explains how to do it without feeling overwhelmed.

For years, I thought fueling was optional — something only “real runners” had to worry about. I’d grab a Nuun tablet, toss a random gel in my pocket, and hope for the best.

It took seven years, countless mid-run crashes, stomach aches, wrong-fuel combos, and one treadmill disaster for me to finally understand the truth:

👉 Fueling is part of the training.
👉 Your stomach needs training just as much as your legs.

So, here are the 5 biggest fueling mistakes I made — and exactly how to fix them, so your long runs feel so much smoother.

⭐ Mistake #1: Waiting Too Long to Take Your First Fuel

During my first half marathon training cycle, I didn’t take my first gel until I “felt tired.”
Huge mistake.

By the time you feel low energy, your glycogen tank is already running on empty.

The fix:
Start fueling at 30 minutes into your run or around mile 3 — even if you feel fine.

Beginner-friendly rule:

  • Take 1 gel every 30–40 minutes
  • Always drink water with your gel
  • Don’t wait until the crash hits

This one change alone helps you finish your long runs stronger instead of surviving the final miles.

Assorted SIS GO Isotonic Energy Gel packets in various flavors, arranged side by side, used for fueling during long-distance running and half marathon training.

⭐ Mistake #2: Taking Gels Without Water

This was my ultimate downfall.

On a 10-mile treadmill run, I brought only Nuun — no plain water — and took gels exactly as usual.

By mile 8?

  • Sharp stomach cramps
  • Sloshy, nauseous feeling
  • Zero energy
  • Felt like a brick was sitting in my stomach
Running handheld water bottle

The fix:
👉 Gels need water to digest properly.
If you take them with electrolytes, they absorb too slowly and sit like cement in your stomach.

Better approach:

  • Gel → with water
  • Electrolytes → in a separate bottle
  • Sip consistently every 20 minutes

Your stomach will thank you.

⭐ Mistake #3: Mixing Too Many Electrolytes or Trying New Things

I once combined Liquid IV + LMNT thinking:
“More electrolytes = more hydration!”

Wrong.
My stomach absolutely rebelled.

Another mistake: trying new fuels on long-run days (the worst timing possible).

The fix:

  • Choose ONE electrolyte source
  • Stick to it for training
  • Never try new products on long-run day
  • Use short weekday runs to test new fuels

Fueling is chemistry.
Keep it simple and predictable.

⭐ Mistake #4: Not Training Your Gut (Yes, It Needs Practice)

Just like your legs adapt to mileage, your stomach adapts to fuel.

If a gel bothers your stomach, it doesn’t always mean it’s wrong — it might mean your gut needs practice.

Gut training basics:

  • Practice with the fuel you’ll use on race day
  • Use your long runs to rehearse race-day timing
  • Adjust based on taste & texture tolerances
  • Start with thinner gels if you struggle (my fav: SIS gels)

My personal setup:

  • SIS gels → fuel
  • Nuun → hydration
  • Tailwind → carbs + electrolytes for very long runs
  • SaltStick → sodium support

If something upsets your stomach, it’s not failure — it’s data.

⭐ Mistake #5: Not Having a Simple, Repeatable Fueling Plan

I used to “wing it.”
It showed.

Once I finally created a predictable routine, everything changed — my energy, my pace, my confidence.

Here’s a beginner-friendly fueling template you can copy:

During-the-Run Strategy

Start fueling: 30 minutes in

Every 30–40 minutes:
✔ 1 gel
✔ Sip water

Every 45–60 minutes:
✔ electrolytes

My Current Pattern:

  • Mile 3: SIS gel
  • Mile 5–6: SaltStick
  • Mile 8: SIS gel (electrolyte version for 15+ miles)
  • Mile 10: SIS caffeine gel
  • Mile 12–13: SaltStick
  • Mile 15: SIS gel

Hydration:

  • Sip plain water consistently
  • Keep Nuun in a second bottle
  • Use Tailwind for long, sweaty runs

Golden rule:
👉 Don’t wait until you’re tired. Fuel early, fuel often.

⭐ Night-Before & Morning-Of: Keep It Simple

Night Before:

Stick to familiar carbs:

  • pasta
  • rice + chicken
  • breakfast-for-dinner

Avoid:

  • heavy
  • greasy
  • spicy

(Ask me someday about Taco Bell before a 20-miler… it was catastrophic.)

Race Morning:

Choose predictable foods:

  • half plain bagel
  • toast
  • small sips of electrolytes

Nothing new. Nothing fancy.

⭐ The 3 Rules That Change Everything

1️⃣ Fuel Early

Start around 30 minutes - NOT when you feel tired.

2️⃣ Fuel Often

Every 30–40 minutes keeps energy steady.

3️⃣ Train Your Gut

Use long runs to test, adjust, and repeat.

When you do these consistently, long runs feel smoother, race day feels easier, and you finish strong instead of crashing.

⭐ ✨ Freebie: The Dopey Diaries Run Journal Page

Track your:
✨ miles
✨ fueling
✨ electrolytes
✨ what worked
✨ what didn’t

It makes training (and gut training!) so much easier.

👉 Download your free Run Journal Page here

⭐ ✨ Want Running Gear That Makes Fueling Easier?

If you need a place to stash gels, SaltStick, bottles, and your phone… my running bags are made for RunDisney weekends:

👉 Shop Even More Magic fanny packs & bottle bags
Designed by a runner who knows exactly how much stuff we carry on long runs.

⭐ ✨ Coming Soon: The Ultimate Beginner Fueling Guide

Want a full downloadable guide with:
✔ gel timing chart
✔ electrolyte schedule
✔ pre-race meal guide
✔ long-run fueling templates
✔ stomach-issue troubleshooting

Stay tuned — or subscribe to the email list to get it delivered first.

⭐ Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

Tell me your biggest fueling fail — I promise I’ve done them all.
Find me on Instagram: @EvenMoreMagic

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