Marathon Diet

A lot of people ask me how and what I eat when training for a marathon.  I figured I'd share my philosophy, which is in no way scientific or even a proven diet designed to make you thinner or faster.  I should probably have put a little asterisk next to the title and a footnote that says *created by a chubby marathoner that LOVES her ice cream!

I have 7 rules on eating while training.  They are as follows...

1. I ran 30+ miles this week, but that doesn't mean I can eat whatever I want in any quantity available.

It is easy fall into the trap of "I worked out today, I deserve this Big Mac and Super Sized fries".  Especially because the training will make you more hungry than usual.  In fact, the only time in my life that I felt a stronger hunger as consistently was when I was pregnant.  If I'm feeling hunger pangs come on I usually try to start with a glass of water.  Sometimes I'm actually dehydrated and my body interprets that as hunger.  If that doesn't work its best to eat raw fruit or veggies.  I am often guilty for going for a piece of cheese to snack on.  I can't seem to get enough cheese while I'm training.  Whether its an apple or cheese (or even fries) try to only eat small portions until you feel full.

2. Don't stock your house with craving food.

For me craving food is anything sweet or chocolate.  For my husband it salty stuff like pork rinds and potato chips.  In our house the only time we have pork rinds (probably the most unhealthy food you could possibly eat) available is when Sam does the grocery shopping.  If its not readily available you are less likely to eat it.  If you make a special trip for pork rinds than I don't have any advice for you.

3.Don't fear carbs.

We've all fallen into the low-carb fad at one point or another.  It is not time to start the South Beach diet while training for a race.  When we were kids my Dad used to ask my Mom to make us spaghetti or some other pasta before a sporting event.  He said it would give us energy.  He was right.  Your body stores carbs to be used as fuel when you're running or doing other cardiovascular activities.  Carbs are more easily converted to energy than fat or protein.  It is definitely necessary to get your carbs in before a long run, but you should probably opt for whole grain if available and take it easy on the cheese. Except of course if you're eating a bagel, which is also a good source of carbs.  It would be shameful to eat a bagel without cream cheese.

4. Green is good.

I seem to crave spinach while I'm training, which is a good thing.  It is good to eat green foods and even better to eat them raw.  I try to eat as many salads as I can bear during this time, though some sort of cheese always seems to sneak into the salad bowl.  I'm not a fan of white salad dressings but if its your favorite and the only way you can stand a salad I say a few drizzles can't hurt.

5. Save room for ice cream.

There really isn't any good reason to have this rule.  But I figure that for once in my life I don't have to feel guilty about my love of ice cream so I treat myself.  Sometimes I need my husband to give me a friendly reminder of Rule #1 if I start to treat myself too frequently.

6. Eat banana boats.

My mouth is actually watering thinking about eating a banana boat.  There is little that will satisfy your hunger after a long run like a banana boat.  It's very easy to make.  Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:
banana
1/2 c peanut butter
1 tbs honey
1/4 c granola

1. Soften the peanut butter and honey in the microwave. 20-30 seconds should be sufficient.
2. Stir to combine.
3. Peel the banana and coat it with the peanut butter mixture.
4. Sprinkle granola on all sides of the banana.
5. Set on wax paper and put in the fridge.
6. Eat immediately after running and be totally satisfied.

It's as good as it sounds and looks!

7. Eat right away.

Some studies show it is best to eat no more than 30 minutes after running to help replenish your body with energy and nutrients. If you've made a banana boat you have likely been thinking about it for the last five miles of your run and timing shouldn't be an issue.

Most races have a post-race party with food for the runners.  After we ran the Delaware marathon the pizza was cold, the ice cream sandwiches were melting and the beer was a bit watered down but my Dad, Sam and I all agreed that it might have been the best meal we've ever eaten.

These are the marathon diet rules I live by.  I used to try to diet to try to lose weight while running but it made me feel tired and hungry.  Now my primary goal with my nutrition is to make me feel strong and full of energy. Bon appetit!

Scioto Audobon...A Running Route Review

I think it was our second or third date when Sam told me he wanted to show me the site of the audobon center that his firm had designed.  I agreed even though it was nearly 10 or 11 at night.  We drove over to the Whittier penisula that was at the time the location of the police impound lot.  After driving past the impound lot we entered a construction zone that was dark, scary and completely isolated.  That was the point where the thought ran past my mind.  "If he were going to kill me this would be the perfect place to dump my body." 

In my defense I had only known him a couple weeks and even though he didn't give the impression of a serial killer I couldn't be sure.  Luckily, I am just super paranoid and Sam gets excited about construction sites, not shallow graves.

This construction site became the location for my favorite park in the Columbus, the Scioto Audobon Metro Park.  I wrote briefly about running through this park in a previous running route review but I feel as though the Audobon deserves a full review. So here goes.



The Good: Where do I begin?  I recommend starting at the docks, just past the park's entrance on the left.  You will run along the river for about 1.5 miles and be able to see a wide range of wildlife.  The last time I ran there I came face to face with two doe, in the city!  There are hundreds of birds that call the Audobon home and if you have a keen eye you are sure to catch a glimpse at several of them.



One of three Blue Heron I saw on my run



The park is impeccably kept by the parks department.  I have yet to see any trash or dumping on the running path.

If you choose to take a short detour from the river you can run through the grassy area that is buzzing with bird life as you run by.  The park also boasts a huge climbing wall, a very cool playground, a lovely view of downtown, a dog park (complete with an obstacle course) and of course the Grange Audobon Center.





The climbing wall



The Bad: The Audobon is a good place for walks or short runs.  If you have a longer run in mind you will need to continue north to downtown.

The Ugly:  While running from the Audobon to downtown you will run under a highway (I-70) and a railroad.  This area is a little nerve wrecking as it would be a perfect place for someone to hide.  I never walk or slow down through there even though I've never seen any sketchy people in the area and there are always other runners, walkers and bikers on the path.



The view of downtown as you head north from the park.



Overall:  A beautiful place to run or just spend an afternoon.  On my last run there I felt my Dad's approval of the scenery, it is exactly the kind of place he would have liked to spend some time outside. Kudos to the Metro Parks for such a fantastic place to play!

No Seriously...Don't Hit the Wall!

The wall is well known to marathoners.  If they haven't experienced it themselves they certainly have heard the stories about hitting the wall.  For those that are unfamilar with the wall I'll do my best to explain it.  The wall is obviously not a real wall that you run into but a metaphor for the feeling that overcomes you late in a marathon that makes you feel as though your body can't move forward because it is pushing against a wall.  It comes at different times for different runners and as I mentioned before it may not even come at all to some lucky runners. 

Lately, I've been feeling as though I have hit a wall in my training.  I have been doing well on my runs and I've been feeling really good about the physical aspect of my training.  But there is something different this time around.  Even though I feel good on my runs I don't have as much confidence as I have had in the past in my physical abilities and I'm worried about the strength of my will power to complete a challenge.  And no matter how positive the support system around me is, I just can't seem to shake this feeling of impending failure. 

At first I was worried about why I was feeling this way.  Was I not training enough?  Was I obsessing over my speed compared to others?  Then it came to me.  I've never done this on my own before and I'm scared that I won't be strong enough to succeed. 

Since I identified the source of my fear I've been thinking a lot about my Dad and the role he played in completing my last marathon.  While we ran I had him on one side of me encouraging me to continue on a little further and my husband on the other side telling me that I was doing great.  How am I supposed to finish Nashville without either and Canton with only half of the formula that worked so well before?

Running a marathon can be a very emotional experience in itself.  There is a lot of time to reflect on life while training and completing the difficult milestones in the training is the catalyst for a new sense of pride.  But nothing compares to crossing the finish line.  It is amazing, exhilerating and inspiring.  Combining these already strong feelings with doing an activity that inspires memories of my Dad has proven to be one of the most difficult things I've ever taken on.