Nutrition for Distance Training

When it comes to nutrition, different approaches work for different people. In my studies over the past few years, I have read numerous books and articles and attended several seminars about nutrition for running. There are many different philosophies and unfortunately, nutrition is not an exact science. So the bottom line is that you have to try different approaches to find out what works for you. Great news is that we are only in the beginning stages of this training program and we have plenty of time to learn how to fuel our own unique bodies on training days which will ultimately help us prepare for race day.

Running puts a big demand upon your energy levels and means you must look carefully at the food you eat and when you eat it. Get in tune with your body. If you are struggling to even get out of bed in the mornings, or if you run out of energy during a run, then you are probably not getting enough energy. Food + rest = energy. We want to work toward optimizing our performance, endurance and recovery.

The Building Blocks of Your Diet

Complex carbohydrates provide slow and steady fuel—this is what you will burn on your run. Focus on whole foods with high nutrient content like whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Whole foods take time to digest in your body—you won’t have blood sugar lows and highs and the energy will be released slowly. Include lots of carbs in your diet but stay away from processed foods, refined sugar and flour.

Protein is essential for repairing and building tendons and muscle. It also helps with regulating hormones. Your protein sources should be high quality, such as legumes, tofu, nuts and seeds.

Fats are important too. Your brain is fueled by fat so if you want a clear head while running, be sure to include fat in your diet. It also lubricates your joints and protects your organs. Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, flax seed oil, canola oil, and avocados are the healthiest fats to consume. Try to increase Omega 3 oils (flax seed oil, hemp oil) while reducing the amount of Omega 6 oils (corn, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed).

Water consumption is especially important for runners because of the loss of fluid on the training runs. Beverages without caffeine like herbal teas, sports drinks, and fruit juices can be counted toward your daily fluid goal. Drink throughout the day to keep fluid levels up and your body evenly hydrated.

Vitamins and minerals will play an important factor in your running performance and endurance. You should get almost everything that you need from eating a healthy and well balanced diet of fresh and whole foods. Women should take care to get enough iron in their diets and supplement if your levels are low. Most people are deficient in Vitamin D these days, so I recommend taking 2,000 IU per day (more if you have had blood work that shows you are deficient). B12 gives you an energy boost and vegans and vegetarians must supplement. It is water soluble and your body will use what it needs and the remainder will be eliminated. And finally, I also take iodine. This helps with energy and regulating body temperature and many of us don’t get as much as we need.

Planning Your Meals

The timing of your meals will be crucial to the success of your running performance. Eat too little and you might run out of energy. Eat too much or the wrong thing and you will feel discomfort.

Since we run early in the morning, your meal the night before should be a meal rich in complex carbohydrates (think whole grain pasta, baked potato, rice, and quinoa). Try to avoid spicy foods which can interfere with sleep. Many people cannot tolerate too much fiber the night before (like a salad) but if you have very regular digestion, this should not be a problem. I would suggest that if you are having a salad, pair it with a potato or one of the grains mentioned above so that you will have energy remaining in the tank.

In the morning, try eating something small that is easily digestible like a banana, toast with peanut butter, a small serving of oatmeal or a rice cake. Avoid high acid fruits because you will get indigestion. Many people can go without eating before the morning run. I typically don’t eat anything if the run is less than 6 miles. Over 6 and I have a banana.

After the run have a juice within the first hour. It is good to have something that is easily digestible and also to replace some carbs. (Don’t forget about electrolyte replacement too!) Once an hour has passed, eat a meal of protein and carbohydrates—this will assist with muscle repair.

Try to find the approach that works for your own unique body. It might be helpful to keep a food diary or sign up for a free app to track what you are eating and how it makes you feel.

Base Building Phase of a Distance Program

What is it and why is it important?

At the beginning of a running training program, we need to work on building a base of miles. We are also building our commitment and putting structure in place. We focus on adding volume only; adding volume and speed at the same time increases the risk of injury. These runs should be done at 60-70% effort (maximum heart rate) and at a conversational pace. We increase our mileage slowly (by no more than 10% per week) so that our bodies have the chance to adjust to increased demand. This is especially important at our pace because we take more time to run the distance, which means more contact with the ground, more time in the heat and greater hydration needs.

What is happening to our bodies during this phase and what are the benefits?

We are slowly building intensity to boost our fitness level without getting burned out by increasing miles too fast. Our bodies are going to adapt in the following ways:

• Left ventricle in the heart expands, the part of the heart that sends blood out to the body (stroke volume increase)
• Resting heart rate will decrease
• Red blood cells increase, which carry more oxygen to the rest of the body
• Blood plasma volume increases, putting more liquid in the blood so that it can move more freely
• More and larger mitochondria are built--this is the power plant of the cell and where the aerobic energy is liberated and builds endurance
• More capillaries, which are the smallest arteries delivering oxygen from the blood to the muscle cell
• Increased storage of fuel in the muscle cells (glycogen storage)
• Insulin sensitivity goes up, the hormone that pushes glucose into the muscle cells
• Muscle fiber alterations--slow twitch are better at handling aerobic performance; fast twitch gain more endurance
• Neuromuscular system is more coordinated
• Stiffening of the connective tissue so we are more springy and have better energy return
• Improved running economy in how oxygen is used, increasing aerobic conditioning
• Muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia get stronger
• Change in perception of discomfort
• Reprogramming of our conscious and subconscious mind
• Stress response decreases
• Increased energy as the weeks progress
• Less accumulation of lactic acid and carbon dioxide
• Lower body fat and less fat under the skin

The most important benefit here is increasing aerobic capacity and conditioning. As we increase distance, our body relies on aerobic energy vs. anaerobic energy. This takes time and discipline and that is why we spend six weeks focusing on the base. Developing our aerobic capacity is what is going to get us through the longer runs. We are also teaching the body and mind to adapt to a specific stress until it is no longer stressful and then moving onto a different stress in the next six weeks. Here is a nifty chart showing the splits of aerobic vs. anaerobic energy contribution for some popular distances.

What else should we focus on during base building?

One of the basics of good form running is cadence. Cadence is the number of times our feet hit the ground per minute—basically leg turnover. We are going to focus on a cadence of 175-185 steps per minute. Now, this may sound really fast, but this has nothing to do with pace. You can run a 6:00 mile and a 12:00 mile at 180—the only thing that changes is that your stride lengthens out the back the faster you go. Why is this important? Because the longer you are in the air, the harder you will hit the ground on landing and that causes landing shock to your arches, ankles, knees and hips. Sticking to a cadence of 180 results in quicker and lighter steps, which equals less injury and better efficiency.

We should also incorporate some cross training during this phase. It is an active rest for the running muscles but we are getting added cardiovascular benefits.

What should we expect on an easy run?

I actually like to think of this run as easy to moderate. Easy because we aren’t gasping for breath, but moderate because we are challenging ourselves to a certain extent. The easy run is a shorter run—our longest easy run will be 7 miles. In a few weeks, we will incorporate some drills into the run.

What should we expect on a long run?

The long run is a steady run at easy conversation pace. The long run should be no more than 1/3 of our total weekly mileage. It helps our bodies adapt to fluid loss, glycogen depletion and we will rely more on fat as fuel (yay!). We build up the long run slowly and the benefit is that it is moderately challenging and our bodies should adapt and recover quickly. We will also increase our emotional and psychological ability to handle discomfort on longer runs.

What about rest and recovery?

Rest is a very important component of base building and is built into the schedule. Our bodies need time to recover. Nutrition plays a huge role in recovery. Eating lots of vegetables will help speed up our recovery. Why is that? For one, blood is drawn to the stomach when we eat foods that are not easily digestible. We want the blood to go to the muscles so eating foods that pass easily through the body is ideal. We need to eat food that easily turns into energy that we can use and is nutrient dense. The best foods for this are raw, high alkaline (green veggies), whole foods and non-stimulating foods.

Final thoughts

We are early in our training program and you may be feeling some fatigue. Hang in there—it will get easier as the weeks progress. Remember that most of us are adding miles to what we had been running and we may experience a little fatigue. It will pass! Just put the time and the miles in and soon a 5 mile run will seem easy.

Dates – the Perfect Snack During and After a Run

Runners continuously question what to eat in order to have the best performance. The answer is dates! They are easily digested and primarily glucose so are perfect for the boost of energy that you need during a long run. You can simply slip some seeded dates into a plastic baggy and store in your running belt for easy access. Plus, below is a link to an AMAZING recipe that you can make to eat after the run. But before that, let’s get into the health benefits of dates:

• High in fiber, prevents LDL cholesterol absorption and moves waste through the body. In turn, there are reduced risks of colitis, colon cancer and hemorrhoids
• Anti-inflammatory—helps reduce the risk of arthritis, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s
• Anti-oxidant and offers some protection against colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung and pancreatic cancer
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces stroke risk
• Strengthens bones
• Boosts nervous system health and improves brain activity
• Alleviates seasonal allergies because they contain sulfur
• Perfect supplement for people suffering from anemia--increasing energy and strength
• Contain vitamins thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, riboflavin, folate, A, B6 (improves brain performance) and K
• Contain minerals potassium (controls heart rate and blood pressure), iron (helps carry and balance oxygen in the blood), calcium (required for muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction), manganese, magnesium (anti-inflammatory and required for bone growth), phosphorus, sodium, zinc and copper (required for production of red blood cells)

What is there not to love about dates? Seems like the perfect food to me. Check out my recipes for Date and Nut Balls.

Celery Juice – the Natural Way to Replace Natural Electrolytes

Do you ever reach for your electrolyte replacement drink only to pucker up because the drink is too salty or worse, way too sweet? Have you looked at the list of ingredients and scratched your head, wondering what some of those mystery ingredients might be? As a runner, we are so careful about the food that we put into our bodies…don’t you want to be just as careful with your fluids?

Experienced runners know how important electrolyte replacement is. During a run, you lose sodium and potassium through sweating. You must replace these minerals so that you can replace and retain the fluids that you just lost.

You all know that I am the juicing queen and my go to electrolyte replacement drink is so simple—celery juice! Did you know that every cell in your body is bathed in a salt solution? If there is an imbalance, dehydration can occur.

Celery juice has these amazing health benefits:

• Replaces lost electrolytes and rehydrates the body
• Contains potassium and sodium to stimulate urine production
• Reduces inflammation—an added bonus for runners and for people with chronic anti-inflammatory conditions
• Promotes healthy kidney function to eliminate toxins
• The sodium in celery is very safe for consumption, even for people that are salt sensitive or are on a reduced salt diet
• Lowers blood pressure
• Alkaline so helps balance the pH of the blood
• Contains anti-cancer compounds
• Eliminates and prevents kidney and gall bladder stones
• Has a natural laxative effect
• Natural calming effect—leading to better sleep
• Contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C
• Contains minerals potassium, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and sodium

So now that I have you excited about celery juice…how do you get started? Many stores these days carry fresh squeezed juices. But if you make it at home you are assured of the freshness and get the most nutrients out of it because you are drinking the juice immediately after juicing. If you are new to juicing you might not want to go hard core like me and drink straight celery juice (or maybe you do!). Below are some yummy recipes. Just put all of the ingredients in the juicer and in no time you will have a delicious drink.

Recipe 1

• 8 stalks of celery
• 1 apple
• ¼ inch piece of peeled ginger

Recipe 2

• 6 stalks of celery
• 2 carrots
• ½ peeled lemon
• small bunch of parsley

Breville sells great juicers but if you want the mother of all juicers, check out the Norwalk 280. We bought ours about a month ago and it is everything that I imagined. I read about it in the book The Gerson Therapy--a great book that I will write a review about in my next blog post.

Just try it--you will be amazed how great you feel when you have this immediately after a run. So refreshing and the cells in your body will thank you!

Flavored Popcorn that is Healthy

Let’s face it….it is hard to resist a salty snack. I am a confirmed potato chip addict (is there such a thing as Potato Chip Addicts Anonymous?). I go through periods of time where I eat chips every day and then others when I put myself on restriction. I recently did a juice cleanse for 3 days and decided to make some healthy changes at the end—which means no more potato chips. I have been looking for a healthy savory snack and I have found it!

You all know I love kitchen gadgets. The Cuisinart Easy Pop Popcorn Maker came to the rescue! I know that people love the convenience of microwave popcorn, but did you know that it contains carcinogens? In fact, microwave popcorn is one of the unhealthiest things you can eat. The Cuisinart Easy Pop Popcorn Maker is effortless to use! Simply add two teaspoons of oil (I use peanut), 1/3 cup of organic popcorn kernels, turn it on and wait a few minutes for freshly popped corn. YUM! Did I mention that it is easy to clean? All parts fit in the dishwasher.

Now to add some flavor without any calories….check out my recipe for healthy cheesy popcorn. (Guess what….it is vegan too!)

Be sure to make a generous batch so that you have some on hand when that salty craving hits. Now sit back and enjoy.

Nutrition & Hydration for Runners

Have you ever wondered why you see runners that always seem to have better endurance than you? What is the secret that gives them that extra edge to keep running without running out of fuel? Are you confused about what to eat and drink before a run? After hours of exhaustive research and trial and error these are the secrets I have uncovered.

As an active athlete, refining nutrition helps remove stress from the body and speeds recovery. Optimizing your nutrition will improve your ability to burn fat as energy, reduce your cravings, produce less joint inflammation, improve mental clarity, and enable quick recovery from exercise.

When you go for a run, the blood in your body is being directed toward your muscles and toward your skin in order to cool you off. If you want to be an efficient running machine, it is important to eat foods that are easily digestible so that the blood is not drawn to your digestive system. For optimum performance, you will want to eat food that easily turns into energy that you can use--nutrient dense foods that are easily assimilated.

Nutrition/hydration before the run: With proper nutrition you can work harder and perform better. The body first burns simple carbs before switching to complex carbs. You want your fuel to be simple so that your body will only burn the simple carbs and won't need to covert the complex carbs into energy. Avoid large amounts of acidic protein before a run as it will cause cramping. Protein is for building muscle, not fueling your body.

• For workouts of high intensity over a short period of time (less than 45 minutes), eat simple carbs such as dates, bananas, mangos, papayas or coconut oil.
• For workouts of moderate intensity over a moderate period of time (45 to 90 minutes), take in some alkaline protein such as hemp, flax seeds or almonds. Have you tried hemp or almond milk? Yum!
• For workouts of low intensity over a long time (more than 90 minutes), eat a combination of simple carbs and alkaline protein (3:1 ratio). On these runs you will train your body to use fat as fuel by running at a slower intensity.
• Ensure that you are fully hydrated from the day before. The old standard calls for 8 glasses of water per day, but take into account the size of your body. Smaller bodies might require less, larger bodies might require more. Don’t wait until you experience the signs of dehydration. Keep a bottle of water with you during the day and drink from it regularly. Beverages that are not diuretics count toward hydrating. Things that don’t count—coffee, soda and caffeinated tea.

Nutrition during the run: Prepare for your runs by having the right nutrition and hydration on hand.

• For runs with a duration of less than 30 minutes, nutrition is not needed. You will be burning the glycogen stores and the snack that you had before the run will get you through.
• For runs with a duration of longer than 30 minutes, nutrition should be taken every 15-20 minutes once you hit the 30 minute mark. Some convenient options are energy gels (Gu), energy blocks/chews (Gatorade) and beans (Jelly Belly Sport Beans). They help to keep your blood sugar level steady and include electrolytes. Some even contain caffeine. Always follow gels/blocks/beans with a drink of water.
• You should be hydrating every 15 minutes. A good rule of thumb is to drink 4-6 ounces every 20 minutes. Warmer weather will require more fluids at a higher frequency.
• Do you tend to have salt deposits on your face after a run? If so, you will want a drink with a higher level of electrolytes, so don’t water your drink down. While running, you lose sodium and potassium through sweating. If you don’t replace those, your body won’t retain the fluids that you have consumed and you can experience muscle cramps.
• Do you have to consume a drink containing electrolytes? The answer is a resounding YES! If you don’t sufficiently replace electrolytes during your runs and only use water, you can risk over-hydration. There is a condition called hyponatremia, which is low blood sodium concentration. Drinking too much water can cause the sodium in your body to become diluted. Your body's water levels rise your cells begin to swell. This can cause health problems, from mild to life-threatening. Women should be especially careful because a women's sex hormones affects the body's ability to balance sodium levels.

Nutrition after the run: On your run, you have broken the muscle down and now you must feed it.

• Immediately after the run, eat a simple carb—something with very little fat and no fiber. Have a green juice or a pudding snack, definitely something that is liquid or near liquid.
• 45 minutes to an hour after the run, incorporate a high quality digestible raw protein. The carb/protein ratio should be 3:1. Good protein choices are hemp, quinoa, nut butters or hummus. Pair this with some fresh veggies.

With proper planning, you can enhance your performance and truly enjoy every run!