Training Tuesday: Finding My Stride With Nutrition

I have always struggled with nutrition. You would think that because I’ve taken a Sports Nutrition class and general Nutrition class that I’ve got it “down” by now, but honestly I didn’t. I’ve finally STARTED to realize what my body likes while running and what it doesn’t (i.e. loves simple carbs but hates caffeine). I actually don’t do well when I have coffee before a big race because it makes me feel like I constantly have to pee and caffeine during the run is too strong on my GI.

I also really love carbs and my body does too. I used to do “low carb diets” for YEARS, but I’ve finally realized (mainly since my 50 miler) how much better I feel when I have a good amount of them during my training. Thank you to my ultras for helping me discover that one.

Side note: I’ve also learned that going into Trader Joe’s when you’re hungry and in the midst of marathon training is never NEVER a good idea for your wallet… But wow was that bread delicious?!?

I’ve recently tried making my own “gels” while on my long runs and have found it really works for me. I alternate between homemade gels and bananas with some Nuun/Coconut water.

I’ve also started to refuel immediately post-run with something nourishing. I love Chocolate Almond Milk (good split of carbs & proteins), but also really like some chicken broth if I have that available and want something savory.

I wish I could say that I figured out all this nutrition stuff over one or two training cycles, but it’s taken me YEARS. I’ve tried so many various gels/chews during races and pre-race meals (also side note: white pasta the night before the race does NOT work for me). I love steak and a sweet potato the night before a race or cheese pizza. Yes, I know weird and unconventional, but whatever works right?

I’ve love to know what YOUR nutrition hacks are and what works for you/ how you’ve found that out?!? I’ve found mine out mainly through lots of really poorly executed races (ha)….

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-What are your race day nutrition hacks?

-What do you love to “refuel” with post-run?

Training Tuesday: What I Ate The Day Before A Marathon

Happy Tuesday! It’s funny how when you go back to school, you’re immediately thinking (or well… at least I am) ‘ HOW did I ever find the time to do all this and somehow have a social life?!?’ Ha. My classes this summer are shortened, so they are REALLY intense (for the most part), so it seems normal to be a bit well - shocked - , but then I just remind myself that I only have 6 more weeks to go of them ; ) It’s all about perspective right?!

I’ve been wanting to do this post for A WHILE now, but honestly just haven’t had the time ((or internet!)). Eugene feels like a million years ago, but in reality - it was only 3 weeks ago? Crazy how fast time flies ( especially when you move!). So, here we go:

-Went out for a shakeout run

Came back to have a mini bagel, honey, and a banana (I knew it would be at least another hour or more before we were able to get breakfast).

We went to Panera for breakfast (it’s always so hard to know what works for your stomach before a race & I think that Panera is still an OK thing ((even though I had some major GI distress during the second half of the race)).

I grabbed a cinnamon sugar bagel with butter from there as well to have as a snack on the drive to Eugene from Portland

Snacked on pretzels throughout the day!

Chipotle for lunch after visiting the expo. I think this is where my GI distress may have come from. I didn’t get anything with cheese, but it was just heavy. I also think that -generally- I had too many carbs (I don’t normally eat THIS much carb-centered foods), but honestly nutrition is still such a foreign thing to me!

Some pasta with butter for dinner (we ate relatively early - before 6pm - to hopefully let our food settle. Spoiler: mine did not ha. ).

Still got through the marathon and managed even splits and a 1 minute PR. You can find my full race recap here!

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-Anyone else go back to school to get a degree. Tips?!?

-Favorite things to eat before a marathon?! I”M SO CONFUSED ON CARBO-LOADING still. HELP!

Checking In On How I'm Feeling (In Regards To Nutrition)!

Happy Friday-eve! I thought it would be fun to check-in and let you know any differences that I’ve felt thus far when following a vegan diet for the month of February (think of it moreso as an elimination diet of sorts) and what I’m typically eating throughout the day. I’m always super interested to get a sneak-peek into how other runners are fueling, so maybe someone else is too? IDK. I’m really just doing this for selfish reasons to document and write out my thoughts anyways.

Friday- DAY ONE: Didn’t really feel any different. I was honestly so busy that I don’t think I noticed! Easy dinner of rice/ brussel sprouts/ potatoes/ sauteed spinach with lemon juice over it all.

Saturday- DAY TWO: Only “craving” that I had was for a meatball sub and that was spurred on by a commercial I saw. Otherwise, no real cravings going on here! Amazing Tempeh Chili for dinner

Sunday- DAY THREE: I did a BUNCH of meal prepping today for the week ahead and it actually got me really excited to eat it all. Some of my favorite recipes came from the Run Fast Cook Fast cookbook series and the roasted chickpeas are seriously amazing. I’ve also cooked with Tempeh a bit (had it in chili the night before) and surprisingly really loving the texture/earthy taste of it. It’s super high in iron/ protein/ magnesium, which is great for any runner’s diet (to repair those muscles!).

Monday- DAY FOUR: Had some cravings for those Utz Cheeseballs that we have at home (we bought one of those ridiculously giant tubs at Wal-Mart like a month ago), but managed to carb my cravings with a handful of chickpeas (seriously they are amazing-> crunchy like chips, a tiny bit of kick to them, salty). I haven’t really noticed whether it’s affecting my sleep or energy levels- I actually have been sleeping pretty crappy (lots of life stress at the moment, so I think that’s a big reason why). Running hasn’t felt different at all, but I have felt (in general) stronger- not sure if that’s the vegetable diet or just training in general taking effect.

Tuesday- DAY FIVE: Really felt strong on my marathon-paced miles this morning and never hit a ‘bonk’ wall that I’m used to. I know it can definitely NOT be contributed to my sleep because it’s still suffering, but I want to believe that my diet has had a huge effect on that. I have also began meditating again (determined to do it the entire month of February also), which I have noticed has really been a huge help in staying present, in the moment, and mentally concurring a run. Still craving those darn cheeseballs or a nice omelet (something I honestly never had when eating meat/dairy/eggs).

Wednesday- DAY SIX:

Some of my favorite meals/snacks thus far:

-Recovery Quinoa Salad from RFES (run fast eat slow cookbook)

- Tempeh Tacos

-This pancake recipe

-Roasted Chickpeas from RFES. Such a good snack option!

-These as a nice little afternoon ‘treat’

-Homemade Ginger Molasses granola and almond milk yogurt from RFES

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Ever experimented with various nutrition lifestyles? Anything you took away?

One meal for the rest of your life? —> All I can think about is those stupid CHEESEBALLS!

Training Tuesday: What I Ate In A Day

Happy Tuesday! How’s your week going? I’m so excited that we’re finally almost into February! January is definitely my least favorite month.

I wanted to share with you what my typical food looks like when training and working a 9-hour day. I documented what I ate last week when I had 30 minutes of strength training & 9 miles on the treadmill (with middle 6 at goal marathon effort- 8:20).

I woke up at 4:15am and had two slices of sourdough bread with almond butter and a drizzle of honey.

Also- a cup of coffee ( a must ).

I replenished & fueled my run with a gel (~40 minutes in) and electrolytes (~every 5-10 minutes while running and then I make sure to drink the remaining after I finish while stretching).

My first ‘real breakfast’ or second breakfast (however you want to look at it) happened at work shortly after 8am with the Can’t Beet Me Oatmeal II from this cookbook (I make a few servings of it at the beginning of the week so I can just pop it in my bag before I leave in the mornings), another cup of coffee that I brought from home (with one scoop of these collagens), and a banana.

I try to snack every 2-3 hours, so I had orange slices and a few handfuls of trail mix (from Natural Grocers) around 11am.

I had lunch around 1pm. This week, I made a big batch of the GImme Veggies Fried Rice (from this cookbook) and added a few slices of cooked chicken (also prepared on Sunday). Also with the remaining half of Kombucha and carrots/hummus.

Around 3:30pm (right before I leave to go teach skating at the rink), I had this almond butter bar (so tasty!). Normally I love something like PB & apple slices, almonds, or small thing of popcorn for my snacks- today I was craving something a bit chocolatey.

I got home shortly after 5:30pm and arranged our salads for dinner. I had already pre-diced the veggies on Sunday and cooked/sliced the chicken breast (on Sunday as well), so getting them together was super easy. I topped mine with a bit of ranch and Frank’s Red Hot for dressing.

I’m all about an after-dinner snack, so I had a bowl of popcorn and two of Justin’s Dark Chocolate Mini PB cups. Along with a cup of Throat Coat Hot Tea with two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar and a drizzle of Honey (it doesn’t taste the greatest, but I swear that adding Apple Cider Vinegar has helped stave away any colds or sinus infections this year thus far- I’m normally always sick through winter and I haven’t had one niggle since November).

Sometimes I’ll eat more than this or sometimes less, I just really try to listen to my body and go with what it is craving (to an extent). If I’m extra hungry after a run, I’ll grab a Breakfast Sandwich at Starbucks. I almost always try to eat every few hours to keep myself from bonking or making a bad decision later on. I also never cut-out certain food groups because I truly believe that everything in moderation is the healthiest way to live. HOWEVER, I do know that my body feels its best (and mentally I feel my best) when I eat generally well so I keep that in mind as well when reaching for ample sour candy.

I also always drink at least 96 fl ounces of water, plus more if I’m running longer than 6-7 miles.

Here’s a daily cuteness for you. This was taken directly before he turned very naughty.

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What are your favorite snacks throughout the day?

Favorite way to unwind after a long workday?

Weekend Recap & I think I've got my Nutrition Figured Out...

Happy Monday! How was your weekend?!? Our photographer that was going to take our engagement photos on Friday had to reschedule for today, so I think we’ll get our photos done this afternoon at Fishcreek Falls (pending she reschedules again). I’ve got my speedwork on tap this morning since we leave for Powell on Friday (my schedule is all switched around this week to accomodate for the race on Saturday/ travel there) and it’s expected to be NINE DEGREES OUTSIDE?!?!. I’m staying optimistic that it won’t feel too chilly and I’ll be able to get my speed work done outside, but also know that the treadmill is there too. Under 10* normally is my breaking point between outdoor vs indoor...

Let’s catch up on the weekend, shall we?

PS did you check out the Honey Stinger website?!? This was possibly one of the BEST days ever.

I got some new fuel that I tested out on my long run on Friday and I think it REALLY helped. I ate Picky Oats 1 hour before I ran (it’s SOOO tasty!) with some tailwind (I also put some tailwind in my water bottle to carry with me on the run). I tried the Roctane Gu gels in Blueberry Pomegranate flavor and they tasted really good. I was feeling just burnt-out from Honey Stingers and wanted a change of flavor and I really love how the Roctanes have carbs/ sodium/ caffeine in them too.

I wasn’t quite able to take both gels every 45 minutes (I took the first one after 1 hour since I forgot the gels/waterbottle in my car and the next one 30 minutes after that), so I think it will work out even better when I can consistently take them. I’m trying to work on my fueling strategy before my next marathon!

We took a short walk by the lake on Saturday before the weather turned not-so-great

​Took an Epsom Salt Bath then cuddled with the furry ones for awhile. 

Tacos, an IPA, and watching the Red Sox for our Saturday night  

Snowy walk for our Sunday morning  

Cuteness overload Sunday afternoon before heading out to teach skating!  

Three things you did this weekend?

Gels- what do YOU love?

Ever tried Tailwind?

Ever been in a photoshoot?

Whats your “must run indoor “ temperature?!?