Guest Blog: Fueling up for the LONG Run
Hello bloggers! My name is Amy from Ottawa, Ontario. I write my daily thoughts and musings over at www.amysquestoskinny.blogspot.com
The combination of running and a healthy diet has helped me lose almost 100lbs. When I started running, I weighed 263lbs and it was a struggle to run for even 30 seconds. 8 years later, I’ve run every distance from 5k to a Marathon and will be running Half Marathon #9 in Ottawa, on May 24, 2009.
The half marathon is by far my favorite distance. Although the training is intense, it’s manageable (read: it doesn’t consume your life) With so many people in blogland training for a half marathon, I thought it would be a great opportunity to write about a very important topic that sometimes many runners neglect. FUEL!
The Night Before:
I have a very sensitive stomach; therefore I need to watch what I eat the day before a long run – well at least 12 hours before the run. For dinner, I have a few staple ‘go-to’ meals that are relatively ‘safe’ in terms of ingredients. Try to keep carb count high, the fibre content relatively low and to use ingredients that you know will not upset your stomach.
Whole wheat pasta, alfredo sauce, chicken, mushrooms and the best part: BREAD!
Whole wheat pasta with basic tomato sauce, with ground turkey added. One of my favorite recipes is a pasta bake by Kraft. You can find the recipe here.
Homemade pizza with minimal toppings, nothing too outrageous.
Be sure to drink lots of water to hydrate too!
Breakfast:
The morning of the run, I wake up at least 1.5 hours prior to eat to allow some digestion time.
My breakfast of champions: Whole wheat toast, peanut butter and a sliced banana with a big glass of water. It may take some time to find the perfect fuel, but after many years of experimentation, this is THE breakfast for me. Other suggestions that many other runners use: Oatmeal, Cereal, Protein Bars.
Keep in mind that coffee and dairy tend to induce cramping and GI distress, commonly known as the ‘runners trots’.
During:
Again, this is a personal preference…. you have to find what works for you. I only use nutrition for runs over 14k. My favorite product is “Sport Beans” by Jelly Belly. I eat 4-5 beans at 50 mins, and then every 30 mins after that.
In my fuel belt I carry 4 bottles: 2 are all water, and the other 2 are a mixture of diluted Gatorade. Of late, I’ve really been enjoying the G2 Grape Flavor. Straight Gatorade wreaks HAVOC on my stomach. I try to drink something every 10 mins… usually just a little swig.
After:
Nothing tastes better after a run, then a treat from Starbucks…. My choice is usually a Cinnamon Dolce Latté. Not only is this tasty, but it also provides the carbohydrates/protein that is essential for recovery. Read here for more details.
Upon my arrival home, I usually whip up another breakfast. My personal favorite: Cottage Cheese pancakes with tons of fruit.
I wish all the runners nothing but the best in your upcoming events. I hope I was able to shed some light on a topic that is not only important, but one that I am very passionate about.Stop by and visit me sometime!
A big thanks to Tina for allowing me the chance to do a guest post on her blog!
Happy trails!
Posted by: Tina 15 comments
Posted in: guest blogger
on May 22nd, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Thanks for the advice. I can’t wait to read your blog now. I find that I often need to eat a large meal shortly before a 10+ mile run in order to make it through and then eat lots of carbs afterward. This isn’t probably the best idea – cancels out the calorie burn. I need to find a better way to handle it.
on May 22nd, 2009 at 3:47 pm
yum! how do you make the cottage cheese pancakes?
on May 22nd, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Congrats on your weight loss and passion for running, Amy! I too eat PB on wheat toast with banana before a race, that must be a “runner thing” haha. Great post!
on May 22nd, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Hi Amy (and Tina) I second (or third) the PB and banana before a long run! My weight loss journey went hand in hand with running too! I love my PB and banana on Alvarado St. Sprouted Wheat bagels—full of great healthy carbs!
For post-run recovery my fav is Huevos Rancheros—a whole wheat tortilla topped with veggie refried beans, egg, salsa, and reduced-fat cheddar. I stick it in the broiler for 10 minutes and it’s delicious!
on May 22nd, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Great info, I agree with a ton of it!
on May 22nd, 2009 at 8:18 pm
what a fantastic guest post! thank you for sharing! i will definitely be checking out your blog!
on May 22nd, 2009 at 9:18 pm
This was a great post! And I’ll jump on and add my LOVE for PB and banana for fuel! Congrats on your achievements and kick ass at your 1/2 marathon!! (you too Tina)
Oh yeah-I also would like to know the recipe for the cottage cheese pancakes!
on May 22nd, 2009 at 11:06 pm
I really enjoyed this guest post. Great information and great food!
on May 23rd, 2009 at 12:34 am
Great tips! I am hoping to increase my distance this summer, so this will come in handy.
on May 23rd, 2009 at 8:55 am
Thanks everyone! I’ve posted the recipe on my blog,
Enjoy!
on May 23rd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Yaaaaieeee….the Canadian contingent is making guests posts on the big US blogs!
on May 27th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Thanks so much for the advice! I’ve signed up to run a half marathon in the not too distant future and it’ll be my first real race. I was definitely kind of worried about what/when to eat. This is great!
on Nov 15th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Thank you for this useful article. But I had trouble navigating past your web site because I kept getting 502 bad gateway error. Just thought to let you know.
on Nov 19th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
,..] carrotsncake.com is another useful source on this issue,..]
on Nov 19th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
,..] carrotsncake.com is other interesting source of tips on this subject,..]