I started to train last January for a half-Marathon. Without any previous running experience. I finished in 2:13 last October. Then finished third in my age group on a 10k hill race. (Check my finish line photo in the gallery - do I look like exhausted? I only had a galss of water before start. ) Last weekend I finished another half-Marathon in 1:59 (20th in my age group) - with one minute faster pace than last time. I am running another half-Marthon this Sunday - all these at 46, and without ANY carboload. I had 60 carb/day during my my weightloss from January to October. Since October I keep my carbs between 60-80. Somehow seeing good improvement in both speed and endurance - without any carboload. And no, it is not MY success story, it is an LC success story.

I always run with empty stomach (I mean only a glass of water) if my run is 90 or less minutes. If it is over 90 minutes, I have one cup of Gatorade before run, and 2x1/2 at 60 and 90 minute. But I had only 1 cup before and 2x1/4 cup during my last weekend race.
The carbs from Gatorade is included in the 60-80 daily carb intake I mentioned. (1 cup Gatorade is 14 g carb)

I feel fully energized - despite of all the warning about bonking, energy loss, necessary 200-300-400 carb "mandatory" pre-race carboload, etc.

My experience: start it slowly. Your body need some time to adjust to the fat fuel mode contrary the previous carb fuel mode. I was a total beginner, my body had plenty of time for this adjust (I needed 3 month to be able to run 3 mile:-))) I mean I needed the 3 months not because of the lack of energy/carb, but because of my weak legs...
If you have previous running exercise, be ready to accept that during the first weeks you can run less, or slower than earlier. But this is only temporary. Very soon you will get back not only your previous energy level, but much higher:-)

Something very important, if your training/race more than 2 hours, you need a somehow different approach, but still no need for excessive carboload.
If you do a search for "marathon" you can read - similar - experiences of other long distnace runners.

Good luck for your training, looking forward to read your experiences.