I've got a CFT coming up soon and it's bound to be in the morning, but, I'm rubbish for eating on a morning.

I've done plenty of CFT's in my time, but we only do about 1 per year unless you have a course with one incorporated. You'd think by now, being an adult I'd have figured out a morning meal that's well balanced enough to get me through and I usually snack to keep going through to lunch, but I don't think this will cut it for a CFT.

Last time I had the standard Army breakfast and I felt like it was coming back up the whole way round!

Anyone got any good healthy ideas?

2 tabs and a brew. It's only 8 mile.

Sensible suggestion - toast and cereal or porridge

and fluids the night before, hydration...

Anyone got any good healthy ideas?


Yes! Don't eat.

Just drink some tea, fruit juice, water or milk. I often avoided any serious food before a proper run etc. Worked well for me. Was never stuck for energy. Stick some of those ceral bars in your Bergen for mornings with PT early doors. Or just have small amount of ceral or beans on toast.

Alot of people used to hack up the canteen breakfast stuff. Dont see how a belly full of hastily chewed heavy food could help at all if you are doing bends and stretches and sprinting. If you have the constitution/size of a horse or plan to do nothing more than shuffle about as slowly as possible then go ahead!

Everyone is different, what works for one won't work for another.. fried breaky makes me barf on a good day.
Try muesli/granola type cereal with yoghurt instead of milk, or cereal bars. It works for me. Also think about your Hydration. In the past I've used the maximuscle Viper active before and during exercise..

Preparation is essential:

A skin full of Guinness and a kebab the night before, making sure you get to bed several hours after you intended to having just "popped out for a quick pint".

In the morning of the event, make sure you get up late, slashing your throat with your razor as you shave bleary eyed. Gulp down a full fry (exta beans) and several mugs of stewed sweet tea for hydration. Search desperately for the crushed, white, flaky Mars Bar that you know is hidden somewhere in your kit ready to gulp down at a water stop.

Then take a very large dose of man the fuck up and enjoy your nice walk in the countryside.

Notwithstanding that some showboaters on this site thinks she's a wimp, the fastest female runner on the planet over 26 miles swears by porridge with a dab of honey in it as preparation. ( a number of the wimpy Arrse Marathon/Ultra runners on this site have also tried it - and it works) .

The science behind this revolves around slow-release energy rather than fast burn sugary foods

q.v 'Glycaemic Index and Exercise ' Compeat: Carbohydrates? They aren't that simple!

there is insufficient evidence to support the statement that all athletes will benefit from eating low GI carbohydrate meals prior to prolonged exercise. The idea is that a more sustained glucose response might sustain fuel and performance. In fact, in sports events where carbohydrate stores can become depleted, the typical way to sustain the carbohydrate supply during exercise is to consume carbohydrate during the event.....Some athletes show an exaggerated and negative response when they eat carbohydrate foods in the hour before exercise. About 5% of the population experience a rebound hypoglycemia or blood sugar drop - and they feel terrible. Why this response occurs in some people is unknown.

years ago, I was told that when the Royal Marines complete their '30 miler' across Dartmoor in <8 hrs, they are made to eat an Oggie half way round.....not sure if this is true or not but it makes sense .

Anecdotal: On a shorter distance I' ve run 10K (6 miles ) having snarfed a Sausage and Egg McMuffin (550 cal) an hour beforehand - and felt terrible ....and done the same race on a bowl of porridge and a banana and been fine ....whatever works for you I guess.

Nice to see the 'all you need is testosterone and a positive mental attitude ' brigade having their two pennyworth....they'll be the ones climbing on the biff wagon half way round
( and going down with heat stroke on Ops and short-touring because they are A) legendary hardmen B) haven't taken onboard what they've been told....)

Bananas,
and a fag at the half way point,
never failed

Duke do you know me?? I've done that before. For some reason that knocks at least a minute off my PFT time, but a CFT in that situation is never enjoyable.

I think I'll give a few practise runs this week with some of these suggestions, but there's no way I'd get through it without eating. My civvie job is in an Office and sometimes I'll get stuck fixing a fault and before I know it the clock says 1400 and I'll have clean forgotten about lunch. I'll stand up and fall like a girl all dizzy back in my chair. It runs in my family, I've been checked for Diabetes etc... they don't know what causes it.

To add into the mix - it is supposed to be a representative Combat Fitness Test, not a stand alone sporting event.

Why not go crazy and make sure you can do it after a gently wamed boil in the bag of beans and sausages, a couple of biscuits brown and a brew of ration pack tea? Or are you planning on putting an indent in to the CQMS for special dietary requirements before you are willing to pick up your kit and move by foot on exercise or operations?