Month: September 2020

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Run better by adding these three simple meals

Not sure what to eat before a run? What foods should you eat after a run to boost recovery time? And is eating mid-run beneficial?

Good questions! Here’s the skinny on running nutrition, and the three essential meals that can improve your overall performance.

No, we’re not here to talk about breakfast, lunch and dinner. This series is tailored for runners, so we need to look at meals specific to running nutrition. For beginning runners, this is essential.

The big three are:

  • Pre-run fuel (what you consume ahead of a race or long run to prepare your body and boost your energy),
  • Intra-run fuel (the snack that gets you through to the end and at the top of your game), and
  • Post-run fuel (the meal or snack that kickstarts your recovery).

If you’ve never considered these essential meals, add them to your meal planner. These can seriously help runners, especially beginners, increase speed and endurance.

Fueling pre-run: What to eat before a run

This should be simple, well-rounded, and eaten about three hours before you lace up and head out.

Oatmeal and fruit, paired with a healthy dose of H20, is a great meal to have a few hours before your run. The carbs will boost energy, and the fruit will provide key nutrients and electrolytes.

To get the most out of this meal, think about what your body will need during your run. Obviously you’ll need calories to burn, but not all calories are created equal.

Avoid fat: Generally, our bodies have a hard time utilizing fat for fuel via digestion. (*See note at bottom on keto/low-carb diets.)

Focus on healthy carbs: Non-starchy, non-sugary carbs are your best option to boost energy without crashing mid-race. (*See note at bottom on keto/low-carb diets.)

Boost electrolytes & get hydrated: This is a great time to sneak in electrolytes. Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, then taper off before your run so you won’t need to stop for a bathroom break.

Avoid heavy food: Fats and fiber sit heavier in your stomach and can be stressful to your digestive system.

Add a last minute snack (depending): Long distance runners and those pushing a difficult pace should grab a light snack shortly before starting. If you’ll be running less than an hour, this won’t be as critical.

A good pre-run meal would be a banana and oatmeal, or an apple and an English muffin. For the optional last-minute snack, consider a granola bar.

[Note on keto/low-carb diets: For those on a low-carb diet running short durations, you probably won’t need carbs pre-run. For endurance athletes on a low-carb diet, one option is dual fueling carbs and fat, which involves a partial carb load prior to a long duration run. Leave a comment if you’d like more information.]

Fueling Intra-Run: What to eat during a run

This can be a little tricky (eating while running is rarely graceful), but it’s a must-have for long distance runners.

Female athlete running with an orange sunset in background.
How do you eat while running while keeping your speed (and dignity)? The answer – keep it simple.

(Note: If your run is shorter than an hour and a half, this probably isn’t necessary; focus on your pre-nutrition instead.)

Your body has an energy reserve of muscle and liver glycogen. How far that stored fuel will get you is only discovered through trial and error.

If you often crash mid-run that means your body is running out of glycogen reserves. Try adding an intra-run snack. Options include:

1) Sports fuels

These include race gels, blocks, gummies, and more. These work great, are widely available online, and come in a TON of different flavors.

One downside: this option can be more expensive.

Six flavors of racing gel for sale by GU Energy: salted caramel, chocolate outrage, vanilla bean, strawberry banana, tri-berry, and jet blackberry. Sports fuels are an excellent option of what to eat during a race.
Racing gels, like these from GU Energy, simplify the nutrition you need mid-race, and are available in different flavors.
2) Whole foods:

Whole foods can be more of a challenge to eat mid-race, but they’re doable and can save you some money. Just keep a few things in mind:

  • Is it easy to eat? It shouldn’t give you dry mouth, be too chewy, too hard, or fall apart easily.
  • Is it easy to open? You’ll need to open it while running.
  • Is it high in calories? Shoot for 100-300 calories per hour depending on the type of race, overall duration, and intensity.
  • What are the macros? You want mostly carbs with a little protein.
  • Will it stand up to different temperatures? You don’t want it melting in the heat or becoming too hard to eat in the cold.

Personally, I like oatmeal, mashed potatoes, granola bars, or rice cereal added to an electrolyte drink.

Stay hydrated. All. Day. Long.

Regardless if you chose sports fuels, whole foods, or skip the intra-run meal, remember to stay hydrated!

The more you sweat, the more critical this becomes. You should constantly replenish your water and electrolyte intake during your runs.

Female athlete drinks from a water bottle. Staying hydrated is critical for mid-race nutrition.
Hydration is critical during a run. Water works great to replenish fluids, but you can also use sports drinks to boost electrolytes too.

Fueling Post-Run: What to eat after a run

This is the time to replace what your body spent during the run, and can jumpstart your recovery. Your body worked hard – reward it.

Man holds out a shaker bottle with a protein shake inside. Not sure what to eat after a run? Try a protein drink along with fruits and a sports drink.
Protein shakes are a great option after your run because protein is needed for rebuilding muscle. Add some fruit and a sports drink, and you have a perfect post-run meal.

While you run, your body is using stored muscle and liver glycogen (and some fat) for fuel. If you run hard or long enough, your body can use up all reserves. To restore your glycogen levels, add starchy carbs and fruit to your post-run meal.

You’ll also lose water and electrolytes through sweat. Depending on the amount of sweat and how much you drank mid-run, you may be dehydrated post-run (and low on electrolytes). Sports drinks will help with both. Drink up!

Lastly, your muscles take a beating when you run. Your body needs to repair itself. So add protein (a primary building block for muscles) to jumpstart your recovery.

To sum up, your post-run meal should be a good balance of carbs, protein, electrolytes, and fluids.

A good meal could be a banana, a protein shake, and an electrolyte sports drink – just watch out for added sugar in shakes and drinks.

Now it’s time to experiment

Such simple additions to your running routine can make major improvements to your speed, endurance, and recovery. So, get to meal planning!

One last critical tip! Be sure to try out all three meals prior to race day to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Once you find a good system, don’t change it up last minute.

Drop any questions or meal suggestions below!

Ready for the next post? We’re about to round out our nutrition series with a deep dive into hydration and electrolytes. Be sure to subscribe to get an alert as soon as it drops.

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Fuel your body to avoid injury and boost energy

Now that you have your training plan, it’s critical that we dive into nutrition. Nutrition will either help or hurt you as a runner.

Think of it like a road trip. You can have a great roadmap, but without fuel in your car, you won’t go far.

Since running is high impact, you need to be mindful of how you’re fueling your body to handle the added stress.

What to include

Micronutrients: These include all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly. Electrolytes are included too, which we’ll get into in our next post.

The easiest way to get micronutrients: good old fruits and vegetables. Sports drinks with added nutrients will also help.

Grilled chicken is a great go-to for runners. But there is a growing industry of plant-based options, too, for vegans and vegetarians.

Protein: You’ll need an adequate supply of protein to accommodate the repair work after runs and on rest days.

Lean meats, egg whites, and plant-based proteins are excellent options.

Healthy fats: These help to reduce inflammation, which is essential for runners especially in the beginning of your journey.

Healthy fat options include avocados, nuts, and whole eggs.

Omega-3 fats are especially helpful – try salmon, chia seeds, or walnuts.

What to avoid:

Refined sugars and high-fructose corn syrup: These can increase inflammation, and even work against the positive effects of omega-3 fats.

Artificial trans fats: These can significantly increase inflammation. These are often disguised on the nutrition label as “partially hydrogenated oil.”

No one wants run with a hang over. However, quick tip: running is usually a great cure for one.

Alcohol: You knew it was coming. Alcohol in quantities past moderate can increase inflammation, and also be very disruptive to your training schedule.

Fuel your runs, fuel your life

Your overall goal should be to maintain a balanced diet – something nutritious, energizing, and also delicious. Something that doesn’t feel like food deprivation. Something that you actually enjoy.

Having a healthy relationship with food is a game changer. Focus on keeping a well-balanced diet with appropriate portions. Your body and mind will thank you.

And by targeting the foods mentioned above, you’ll also reduce your risk of inflammation, which will help prevent injury as you continue on your running journey.

Up next, we’ll dive into the specifics of what to eat before, during and after your runs. But first, how are you doing so far? Share your story below; we’d love to see how you’re doing and help if we can!

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How to make the perfect training plan to succeed

Now that you’ve picked a goal, it’s time to outline how you’re going to get there. A good training plan will hold you accountable and keep you on track. Steady progression is key.

Your plan should also be tailored toward your goal.

What goes into a training plan?

There are different components that can go into a training plan. What you include will depend on what your goal is.

Here are some of the basic building blocks that are common to training plans (though some may not apply depending on your goal):

RUNNING DAYS

This may seem obvious, but running days will be the foundation of your plan. You need to have established days dedicated to your runs, especially if you want to run 5+ days per week.

Don’t be vague here and say “I’ll run three days a week.” That can set you up for failure when life gets busy early in the week and you’re stuck trying to cram three runs into the last three days of the week.

Prioritize this time. Pick which days will be dedicated to running and get them on your planner or calendar.
Beginners should have at least one or two days dedicated to rest, so that their muscles can recover.
REST DAYS

These are just as important as running days. You need prescribed rest in order to properly recover from the physical stress of running. This is especially important in plans with 5+ running days.

CROSS-TRAINING DAYS

These are days designated to anything other than running, such as swimming, yoga, or strength training.

To be a good runner, you need to be in prime physical health. Cross-training days help you develop an overall better level of fitness, which translates to better running.

SPEED, HILLS, & LONG RUNS

These are run days that are adapted toward a specific style of training to get different results. They’re a great way to elevate your running based on your specific goal.

For more information, check out these separate posts: speed work training, hill work, and long runs.

Adding hills into your training plan is a good way to add power and strength to your running. It also prepares you for any hills you may encounter on race day.

The right plan to succeed

Now you have a goal and you know the basics of building a training plan. Now what?

I suggest you look at the big picture and break down your goal into manageable chunks.

For example: let’s say your goal is to run a half marathon and your current level of performance is a one-mile walk before tiring. You have eight months to get from here to there.

Breaking up big goals into smaller chunks can make big challenges seem far less intimidating.

Instead of looking down a long 13-mile road, let’s break it up. Let’s shoot for a 5k in two months. Then use the next three months to reach 10k. Then you have three months left to work up to that half marathon.

Same goal, same time frame, but broken down into simpler plans with more accomplishments to celebrate along the way. That half marathon suddenly doesn’t seem so daunting.

Continuing this example, you would now have three separate training plans: an 8-week 5k plan, a 12-week 10k plan, and a 12-week half marathon plan.

Start slow and build up

Start slow with the first 8 weeks of your plan. A good example for beginners would be three running days, one or two rest days, and two days for weights or cross-training. As you progress, tweak your plan to keep it challenging.

If your goal is to maintain your current fitness level, your training plan can be much simpler. Pick your running days and stick to them. “I’m going to run a 5k every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.”

Progressing your plan

When you think of progress, you need to think healthy, steady progress. Those who try to progress too quickly are asking for injury.

So, what does good, healthy progress look like?

There’s an unofficial 10% rule that says, “only increase your base mileage (how many miles you run in a week) by 10% per week.” This would mean going from 10 miles one week to 11 the next.

The problem with this rule is that our bodies and situations are all vastly different. If you’re a new runner that might be too aggressive. If you’re a veteran running returning from a short break, 10% might be slower than you need to bounce back to your previous weekly mileage.

New runners should focus on slow, steady progress. This may mean sticking with the same mileage for two or three weeks while your body adjusts. Once you feel comfortable with your mileage, add one or two more.

Focus on consistent progress over the course of months, not days or weeks. Your body is adapting to new stress and needs time.

Pushing too hard early on can result in injury, which will hit the reset button on any temporary progress made.

Stretching is another good way to avoid injury, especially in the beginning part of your journey.

Pay special attention to your body during this base-building phase. Sharp pain or discomfort lasting more than a couple days are two common warning signs that you need to slow down.

Connective tissues and joints are especially troublesome. If you try to push through an injury here, recovery time can be especially long.

Remember: a healthy runner is a happy runner, and steady progress is key.

Time to get started

You should now have a great idea of where to start, so pick how many days you’ll designate to the different building blocks and put them on your calendar.

It’s time to get started.

It’s critical to budget your training plan into your schedule. Whether you use a planner, a calendar, or your phone – add in your workouts.

In the next post of this series, let’s dive into proper nutrition for runners. And share your game plan with us in a comment below – we’re happy to offer tips and suggestions!

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Amazing Charity For Our Thanksgiving 5k – SeaGate Food Bank!

Our site visit to an AMAZING charity in our own back yard!

Endurance Athletics is hosting another 5k on November 22nd, 2020 and we were searching for a beneficiary. With it being right around the corner from Thanksgiving it got me thinking about the holiday and how stressful this time can be, especially for those in need.

Food banks instantly jumped to mind, and I started looking around in the area. I eventually landed on SeaGate Food Bank and gave them a call. They offered a site visit and since I absolutely love getting out and meeting new people along with seeing what an organization is all about firsthand, I gladly took them up on it.

What I found there blew me away though. Without getting ahead of myself SeaGate Food Bank is a truly amazing operation, and I am so thrilled to have found them. So, what did I find there? Let’s find out!

Meeting with Cheri Dennis

We met with Cheri Dennis – Director of Community Engagement who is one of those people that you truly hope to run in to. She is so pleasant, and you can tell she genuinely loves what she does. Cheri was full of knowledge and while we were talking pre-facility tour in the main break room, she filled us in on some facts about SeaGate Food Bank.

  • SeaGate Food Bank was started by Alice Mosiniak when she saw a need in her local community to feed seniors that couldn’t provide for themselves. She got to work canvasing other neighbors, grocery stores, and markets for food and was distributing what she could to the community right out of her garage. By 1980 she had brought into existence Toledo Ohio’s first regional food collection and distribution center.
  • The food bank under normal conditions is ran by 11 staff members that are supported by over 4,500 volunteers that come from entire states away even as far out as Minnesota!
  • SeaGate Food Bank is the only independently operated food bank in Ohio and only 1 of 5 in the nation.
  • They have been serving the community for over 41 years and have been in their current building for about 30 of those years.
  • The food bank provides aid via their many programs and distribution network to over 120,000 people in need across 8 counties in South East Michigan and North West Ohio.
  • SeaGate Food Bank partners with over 400 local food pantries and organizations to help in the distribution of food and other essentials.
  • Food from SeaGate Food Bank is always 100% free.

If those facts don’t blow you away, I don’t know what will, and this was all within the first 15 minutes of our meeting with them! She hadn’t even gotten into their various programs and direct community outreach! After the quick history lesson and the general awareness, we then hit the floor, and there was a TON to see.

What’s the National Guard Doing Here?

The first thing I noticed on the tour was that there was National Guard all over the place. These guys and girls were out there in place of the regular volunteers to keep the operation running through Covid-19. HUGE SHOUT OUT to those men and women who were able to step in when they were needed right here in our community!

The Senior Box Program

This was the first stop on the tour. This program provides supplemental food donations to families in need. These boxes go out and are meant to bridge the gap in the pantry. The boxes contain staple food items like pasta, canned food, peanut butter, juice, and milk. 

The program ships out around 6,800 boxes per MONTH, and the distribution is done internally by SeaGate Food Bank and their fleet of vehicles.

The Senior Box Program like almost all of the programs is supported by volunteers, but this program offers a unique team building opportunity for organizations to sign up for. The program works like an assembly line, and the team works to package and prep for shipment all of the boxes of food. By working together the volunteers are able to get a large amount of these boxes packaged and ready for distribution.

Eat Right Academy

The next place we went was the Eat Right Academy. This is where SeaGate Food Bank works with the local community to provide cooking classes. These classes are designed to teach the basics including:

  • How to use kitchen appliances (slow cookers, oven, etc…)
  • How to cook with what you have
  • Kitchen safety
  • How to shop smart

They even offer a mommy & me class and have classes that are designed for children so they can be safe in the kitchen. There is also a nursery available for people who wouldn’t be able to attend due to a childcare conflict.

One of the most amazing parts of this program is that the participants get to keep what they use in the classes. This includes the utensils, pots, pans, and even slowcookers!

The Food Bank has seen great success with this program including helping to teach a 46 year old woman from the streets that didn’t know how to use a measuring cup, and a girl that came back after 2 months of graduating the class to show the staff her very own canned pickles. She later went on to graduate from Owen’s Community College with a degree in Culinary Arts.

The Hi-Rise Garden

This was one of the coolest parts of the tour because I like to see intricate operations and well thought out plans. This garden was just awesome! The site is limited on space being in the city, however that didn’t stop them. When you can’t spread out just go up right?!

The garden was laid out to maximize space by going vertical. On top of that the watering is automated, and with the potted plants weeding is kept to a minimum. So far, they have gathered over 3,000 pounds of produce from the garden. The garden is self-sustaining through the sale of produce to local  restaurants, and whatever they aren’t able to sell goes over to the Eat Right Academy for use in the cooking classes.

Alis’ Mobile Market & the Gleaner’s Program

This is a mobile food pantry that SeaGate will send out with fresh produce to food desert areas. These are areas where the neighborhood doesn’t have access to nutritious and fresh produce. 

The Gleaner’s Program is a coordinated effort with local farmers. When the farmers have an overabundance of produce and can’t harvest, they give the food bank a call. Once the Food Bank gets that call, they mobilize their volunteers to head out into the fields and harvest the available food. Once picked the food is brought back and put into the distribution network.

FIRST – Families In Recovery Sticking Together

FIRST is a program designed to help families that are recovering from substance abuse. Opiates are devastating families everywhere, and by working with the local treatment centers SeaGate can aid those that are actively seeking the road to recovery. Families can come and “grocery shop” free of charge for essential food, baby stuff, toiletries, etc… The program is open on Wednesdays with a referral from one of a handful of local treatment centers

The Rest of the Tour

After going over the various programs we took a tour of the warehouse that supports all these operations. The warehouse has 3 bays used for non-refrigerated food storage. This place is massive. They also have a packaging area that they can use to break down palletized and bulk packed food items. In addition to the warehouse bays they have a large cold storage area, and a huge walk-in freezer.

This was truly an amazing glimpse into their world. The scale of the operation really took me back. To be able to run so many well developed programs and coordinate 4,500 volunteers with only 11 staff members is just incredible. The people we met while on the tour including Rick and Mindy were awesome. You can tell when you’re on site that these people live and breath and love what they do.

I couldn’t be happier with our choice in beneficiary for our next 5k, and I really hope you support us and SeaGate Food Bank by participating!

If you are interested in registering for the 5k you can find the link HERE!