Search Results for: nutrition

Runger: How runners can tame the beast and eat to perform

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There’s a little beast that lives inside every runner. He gets really irritable after long runs. He’ll yell, he’ll scream, he’ll kick, he’ll throw a full on Toddlers and Tiaras style tantrum until you give him what he wants. He’s screaming, “FEEEEED ME!!!!” Yup, that’s your Runger talking. Shut him up. Feed the beast! 😉 Runger’s an interesting thing, as is sports nutrition. It’s a tricky topic because running burns tons of calories so naturally runners need to EAT more. At the same time, what we fuel our bodies with has a direct correlation to its performance. Add in that every runner’s metabolism and body type is different and things can get kinda hairy, scary monstrous. So getting back to Runger? Here are some more quick facts about our little belly-dwelling man: * Running and Appetite: Exercise requires more energy, so duh, runners need more calories [energy] than the sofa-surfers of the world. Input versus output. Ideally everyone could eat intuitively, but food is such a cultural/emotional/past-time, growing up people tend to lose touch with their ‘intuition’ when it comes to hunger and fullness. * Feeding Runger ASAP: The key to speeding up your muscle recovery, and to help quell the Runger beast from yelling at you so loud later that you over-eat, is to refuel RIGHT after you finish a run or workout. That 30 minute recovery window is critical! Get your protein and carbs in before you even shower! * Marathon Weight Gain? Lots of new runners jump straight to a marathon and think, “Hey, I bet I’ll lose weight!” The irony is that a good portion of those runners notice they GAIN weight and are puzzled. Why? Runger, Baby, Runer. Easy runs and long runs especially kick up the appetite of a person, incidentally the body doesn’t Continue Reading →

Got Legs? Run…because being stuck with fins would suck

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Sorry, Ariel, nothing quite compares to running. Nope, nothing like the special kind of endorphins only running can supply!! Motivation lulls happen to the best of us so in those times, take these thoughts as reason to put those two legs of your to work think of this: 1) I ALWAYS feel better when I’m done. 2) Is the runner guilt of skipping my run worth it? 3) I’ve got goals I’m working towards…consistency is the ‘secret’ to getting better and faster! 4) I’m lucky I’m not injured and ABLE to run!! Don’t take your running for granted. 5) If I start, I can dream about the cake and chocolate chip pancakes I’ll come back to. 😉 Now, if you’re injured and need some motivation to plug away at your rehab and cross-training: * I WILL heal. And when I do I won’t take my running for granted. I’m going to do the work now so my transition back to running will that much better! Unless you are stuck with fins, My Friends, take advantage of those runner legs! 😉 1) What is something you tell yourself to give you a kick of motivation when you need it? 2) What is your go-to cross-training when you cant run? The elliptical 3) Do you like to swim? Nope, hate the water. If I’m injured and in the pool it’s like the double-dipping of p*ssed-off runner ‘tude. 😉

Runner’s Strip Cartoon Movie Shorts: “Recess Snack Swap”

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Children with runner parents put up with a lot. Mom and Dad head out early for their weekend long runs. Dinnertime table talk could err on the side of TMI compared to other families… “God, I have the WORST chaffage right HERE…” And then there are the runner foods that consume the cupboards. Enter my latest Runner’s Strip Cartoon Movie Shorts: “Recess Snack Swap” Don’t get me wrong, kids that have runner parents are INSANELY lucky. They have role models that show just how much fun exercise and fitness can be, that adopting healthy habits will make you happier and more productive in other areas of life. Kids that watch their parents set and strive for running goals witness first had how powerful hard work and dedication are. But, Mom and Dad, try to keep in mind Chocolate flavored GU’s don’t go for very much on the playground black market. Kids with runner parents are much more likely to become self-motivated and persistent individuals themselves. And hey, if they wind up runners themselves…even better!! #spreadtheaddiction 😉 ——– For more Runner’s Strip Cartoons…go HERE! Posts on runner nutrition…go HERE. ——– 1) What was your favorite snack growing up? Anyone remember Dunkaroos??? 2) what is a go-to snack for you now? 3) If you have kids, do they like any ‘runner foods’?

Three Times a Runner

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It’s safe to say I’m probably a runner more than just three times over, but tonight we’re keeping it at just three. I run because it keeps me sane. If I don’t I get withdrawals and turn into a horrible monster. Does that make me addicted? I also run because, let’s face it, eating like a runner is SOOOO worth it. Running will make you smile…but it will also make you grimace. It’s the sick joy us runners get in pushing ourselves. Pain brings rewards: PR’s. And they’re worth it. We’re runners more than three times over, but see, there are just too many reasons to list why running makes us feel so stinking good. ——– Find more cartoonage HERE. Find nutrition tips for runners HERE. Find racing tips HERE. ——- 1) What’s a caption you could fit to this picture? If you’re a runnerdude, then we’ll pretend there’s no ponytail. 😉 2) What food do you most often dream of during those long runs? 3) If you could describe the face you make heading towards the finish line, what would it be?

How dehydration can be causing your GI problems while running

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Runners get thirsty: drink. Runners get hungry: eat. But, as with most things that seem idiot-proof, the most basic of basics, two of the most rudimentary bodily functions can often turn into a runner’s nightmare. I just finished an article for Competitor providing the perfect example of this: “Got Stomach Issues? You’re Probably Dehydrated”. What’s interesting, and as you will learn from reading the article, it’s often not FOOD wrecking havoc on your stomach and intestines during your hard or long runs. It’s the (not) DRINKING thing that’s giving you a GI nightmare! Talk about a whodathunkit moment, right? 😉 I’ve been a runner for years and years and still, learning that dehydration is the culprit to most GI problems, both the upward and the downward, came as a bit of a surprise. But if you think about it, it really shouldn’t be; let’s look at what happens when you run: * Muscles working: Brain and body prioritize the hard-working muscles as the top-tier function at the moment. * Body delegates: In moving the muscles to priority number one, the stomach, intestines, and anything digestive related gets bumped down. * Blood to muscles: All the major blood-flow gets shunted to the muscles, leaving the stomach and delicate intestinal tissues simultaneously deprived of blood-flow. This lapse in blood causes slight damage. Aww, poor, intestines. 😉 * Dehydration: Now water is INSANELY important to the body, it makes up darn near most of it, so NOT having enough water content in the blood stream exacerbates the damage caused to the already weakened stomach and intestines. * The Backlash: Need I say more? Runners experience those GI disasters, up and down, because the stomach and intestines are already deprived of blood-flow while you’re running and then on top of that if there isn’t Continue Reading →

Running and the Science of Nutrient Timing: WHEN to eat to best fuel your performance

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Running and fueling the machine. In my recent article for Competitor: Nutrient Timing is Everything for Runners I really like the bottom line to everything my go-to sports nutritionist Krista Austin Ph.D. professes, “Food is a performance tool.” She teaches her runners to “eat to perform.” Runners are human, of course, but at the same time it would be naive to ignore the fact that what goes into your body has a direct correlation to what it is able to give you right back. Thankfully, I also like that quick on the heels of that Austin also says, “However, my policy is that at least once a week every athlete should have a ‘fun meal’ where they don’t think too much about what they are eating and just enjoy fun food-the key is to watch the portion sizes.” It’s all a matter of balance. Just as runners and training, balance, consistency, and the law of averages often wins out with their nutrition. That isn’t to say there aren’t times when the PERFORMANCE style of eating trumps the LIFE side of eating. Case in point, the night before a race or the actual day of your race. Here is where, if you’re a runner, ignoring your taste buds and eating with your HEAD is the wiser choice. Austin has explained to me that Dathan Ritzenhein’s top pre-race meal of choice is plain, white rice. Is it his favorite tasting meal? Probably not, but you know what? He knows it sits well in his stomach, it will give him the non-complex carbs he’ll want in his system right before the gun goes off, and he knows it works. His race, his PERFORMANCE, is the priority. Taste buds can wait until after the finish line. I’ve done numerous articles on runners and nutrition, Continue Reading →

Quick!! Outrun the Panis

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Just in case any runners are suffering some a lack of motivation… Who else will join me in the fight to bring the Panis to extinction? I dare say, every mile clocked is just THAT much closer. Get out, go get ‘er done, my runner peeps! 🙂 ——— Want more Cartoons?? My post on Input vs. Output. Tips for combatting motivation lulls…hey, they happen to everyone! Runnerdudes, some more motivation HERE for you. 😉 Some thoughts on childhood obesity. Runner nutrition tips and such. ———- 1) To rid the world of Panises (Pani?!?) more people should… 2) Runners rock and it’s hardly because we are panis-devoid. Name your favorite physical perk of being a runner. Then, name a mental perk. Legs. Without runner endorphins I would turn into something even Godzilla and King Kong wouldn’t want to mess with. 3) Give a shout out to some Tuesday motivation! (ie: quote, tip, mantra, etc.)

Runners Eat REAL Carbs: Don’t let me catch you ordering a burrito bowl

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When a runner walks into Chipotle they da**-straight don’t order a burrito bowl! If a runner comes back from a long run and sits down at a burger joint, they aren’t going to be ordering up something that comes wrapped in lettuce…give them a carb-tastic bun for crying out loud! A pizza is not served atop cucumbers, zucchini’s, mushrooms, or any other crust-wanna-be. As runners we are entitled to every kind of warm, doughy, delicious carb-loaded pizza crust in existence. The exception may be those crazies who prefer the thin crust…but you better get some doughy breadsticks too…sorry, I’m all about the soft stuff. 😉 Runners work for it, so don’t deprive us. ——– More cartoonage HERE! Burrito related reading and GI distress for runners HERE. Reasonable nutritional advice and wordage for runners wanting to perform at their best HERE, HERE, and HERE. ——– 1) Do you confess to ordering burrito bowls, bunless junk, or pizza crust knock-offs? 😉 [side-note, leeway is offered to those gluten intolerant runners…but then again there are GI options available…hehe] 2) Thick and doughy crust or thin? 3) Favorite post-long run refuel? Double points if you swear you get it in within 30 minutes after finishing your run.

There Are No ‘Givens’ With Running

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Running is NEVER a given. This is true in a few ways: * ABILTY: You can never get too ‘greedy’ with your running because sooner or later your ability to run will be snatched away in the form of injuries. Injuries STING and though they do heal, it often times feels like an eternity. Injuries come with the territory and they act as reminders to BE SMART. Don’t get overly greedy with miles, don’t forget the value of EASY days, remember to stretch and do the preventative care (icing, core work, etc.) to stay healthy. Injuries also test the fortitude of a runner, you can’t let them suck you into a depressive hole because in order to get through them and back running you have to be both proactive and positive. The worse the injury, the more of those double P’s that you need. * EXPECTATIONS: Running is full of variables; science tries to help us get a read on most of those variables (nutrition, easy/hard days, training cycles, peaking, etc.) but at the end of the day there is always the margin on unknown. When you train like mad for a race, you do all you can to taper right but on any given day there is that margin of just rolling the dice and hoping the ‘right’ legs show up after the gun goes off. * ACHIEVEMENTS: Play the odds all you want, previous PR’s and credits to a racer’s name do NOT guarantee anything between the gun and breaking the tape. Running and racing presents you with a sort of ‘clean slate’ every day in that you must get up and DO the same thing every day, you are tested by the SAME actions, and fight the same MENTAL battles to get what you want and obtain Continue Reading →

Runner’s Strip: The Pre-Run Routine – Get out the door and running before you grow a beard

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Sometimes it feels like it can take an eternity before we actually get out the door for that run. Between taking care of all those creaks and squeaks, making sure the ‘guts’ and bladder are ready to roll, and WHY does that darn Garmin sometimes seem to be looking for that darn satellite by way of hot air balloon?! This doesn’t even take into the account the times where you know you’re purposefully stalling…c’mon, you really don’t need to check Facebook AGAIN. 😉 It’s true, the runner’s pre-run routine may snowball at times, BUT I’ll tell you what, I like to run first thing in the morning and I’m also a total sucker for wanting every ounce of sleep so I’ve pared my routine down to about 10 minutes between eye ball crusty wiping and hitting the road. Here are some of my quick tips: 1) Lay all the gear out the night before. Shoes unlaced and sitting next to my pile of clothes, Garmin sitting (hooked up to the charger because I am petrified of it running out of batteries mid-run) next to my clothes. 2) Hit the bathroom. I give myself about 10 minutes to let my guts wake up (I allow myself this window of email/website/Facebook time…but I look at the clock and stick to just 10 minutes.) and off I go. 3) Start locating. I hit the ‘locate’ button for my Garmin when I go into the bathroom to let that sucker start up. On my way out it’s done 99% percent of the time. BOOM. I’m out…no more farting around for this girl. I will say that I have a finicky stomach so I eat a big snack before going to bed at night and then don’t eat in the morning. If you DO need Continue Reading →