The REAL Reason We All Run…

Well, it’s to stuff our runner faces of course!

runner math

Legit.


I jest, I jest…well, at least to a degree. I bring this up not because my stomach is alerting me it’s definitely lunch time but because I’d like to direct you to a fun new cartoon that will be periodically featured over at Skinny Runner. Yea, that’s right, when in doubt outsource your work to the REAL blogs out there, the heavy hitters. 😉

Just kidding, actually her blog’s hilarious so go check it out if you haven’t yet. And today you’ll see the first Skinny Runner Comic being featured. Go now, I’ll pause for just a minute…

…so in keeping with the theme there, what do you run for, when your mind starts to stray to the salivary glands among those miles? When some sweat drips over you lips do you pretend that it’s really some pizza salt?? I’m more of a sweets person myself.
cake runner
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Runner nutrition is very important, and while of COURSE we all love to stuff our faces we do need to remember that fueling our body right is directly linked to our performances. Moderation and balance and all that. Here are some past articles tackling running nutrition more seriously:
Going Gluten Free
Is It Really That Bad?
30 Minute Post-Run Refuel Window
Timing Your Fuel and Limiting the Running Variables

I LOVED to see how many of you really connected with yesterday’s post; I got more comments, messages, and tweets than I typically do which goes to show just how much EVERYONE thinks about body image. And the men too…I didn’t mean to disclude them at all, because runnerdudes have the hang-ups just like the runnerchicks. But the bottom line is that running has helped us all gain perspective and while it’s probably impossible to ignore them completely, remembering that if you’re blitzing by someone, as you run past who cares if you’re calfs are skinny, your thighs have a dimple or two, your waist is a box, you’re AAAAA or DD, or your man-pecs are on the tinier side? I’m pretty sure you just kicked some runner @$$. 😉
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1) When the mind wanders to foodage during those runs, where does it go?

2) How do you balance the good stuff with the GOOD stuff in your diet? Haha…I think you know what I mean.
I do eat healthy, not just Pop-Tarts and ice cream, my little brainworkings are: 1) aim to reach my protein goal for the day (the carbo’s are way easy for me to fill that quota) 2) get my fruits and veggies 3) then whatever is ‘left’ can be the ‘fun’ foods or make sure I get enough of the calories.

3) That said I know some foods cause a LOT of GI distress and can make your body feel like total crap. What are some foods, even if you may like the taste, do you avoid?
I thank the heavens above that I’m not gluten-intolerant…that’s all I have to say.

15 Replies to “The REAL Reason We All Run…”

  1. i have been thinking about this a lot lately! because while i could not wait to just eat what i wanted and do nothing for a week after being so focused all summer. it lasted about 2 days and now im back to craving my normal routine…i feel more energized and balanced! but no worries there was some qdoba, 4 days in a row of ice cream and french fries indulging:)

  2. Lol – sweat doe make me want salty foods – I’m either disgusting, or really in tune with my body 😛

    When running, it’s about the only time I’m not hungry (until I hit about 25km and my body is screaming FOOOOOOOOOOOOD. Please. Now.)

    I’m hopeless at balance – I try to treat myself, by I often feel guilty. cupcakes and chocolate for sure though! And I love ice-cream…but that’s my question number 3 food. Strictly off limits unless I have a totally free day!

    BTW – I thought of you today when I went to the shops without wearing a bra. That sounds really creepy, but you know what I mean. I hope. Small busted women unite!

  3. Oh man! I really hate when I don’t fuel my body right! More specifically when it comes to run days. There is nothing worse then not eating right and then trying to do some form of a workout. In most cases, with myself, it ain’t happening.
    That is something that I want to get better at. Eating to fuel my body, not fueling my body to eat… does that makes sense?? 🙂 What’s that old saying, “you are what you eat”. I can’t expect to fuel my body with junk all day and then have a productive workout.
    That said, I LOVE chocolate and could eat it in large consumptions……um, and rarely say no to it. It is about moderation though.
    One of the coolest things that I have learned about runners, in my short time, is that it’s our differences that make us really really really cool. 🙂

  4. Maybe I’m weird, but I don’t think about food during my running. But when it’s over, all I can think about is icecream! (I guess that’s where my blog name came from!) Seriously, I’m addicted! But I have cut way back, and now only have some once a week. I used to eat a lot of cereal, but hated the way I would feel afterwards. So I never eat any cereal at all anymore, although I would love to.

    • okay LOVE ur blog title…for me i’ll always be up for spooning with Mr. Ben & Jerry’s of the Half Baked variety. 😉 i used to go through boatloads of cereal too but pretty much cut that out too because 1) sugar mouth syndrome got out of control and 2) cereal NEVER fills me up so going through an entire box takes about T-minus Breakfast 😉

  5. I eat both healthy and bad. What the heck does that mean, right? Well, I have yogurt and fruit for breakfast, eat whole grains, lean meats like chicken and fish, but then again I love to eat pizza, choc chip mint ice cream, chocolate of all varieties really – especially Dark Chocolate these days – you know, those designer bars that cost like 4 bucks. During a run, I’m usually thinking of the cold glass of chocolate milk or recoverite I will drink when I finish. I then eat a healthy meal, followed by the junk stuff to chase it down.

    • sounds kinda similar to my style. i think of the healthy stuff as laying the ‘foundation’ and the the fun stuff is wat i worked my @$$ of for and feel entitled to eat. 🙂

  6. I most of the time eat good, but I do splurge on things I like…Mexican food!! That’s my absolute favorite.
    I do take breaks every once in awhile when I feel like I get in to a bad cycle. Hence my week of good eating. It usually gets me on track. I don’t like dieting per se though…I am just not good at sticking with it and I don’t like depriving myself.
    Honestly though I do think I pay for it in small ways. And my body isn’t exactly what I want because I do eat…a lot 🙂 But it’s a trade off right?

    When I am running I usually think of a mocha…I love coffee and mochas are my go to after long runs!

    • did someone say burrito?? i love mexican food to DEATH! so much so my twitter bestie and i have started a campaign for #BurritoForPresident i invite u to join the cause. 😉

  7. Honestly, I don’t really think about food at all when I run. Maybe sometimes when i’m in the last five minutes or so of a run i’m looking forward to water or chocolate milk. I’ve really never been into sweets or ice cream. I don’t dislike them, I think they taste very good, but I usually don’t go out of my way to buy them.

    My diet isn’t super healthy, but I don’t really eat fast food or drink soda, so I think that helps considerably. I eat a lot of sandwiches, pasta, pizza, etc. So while not loaded with veggies, i’m not eating terrible either. And over my many years of running i’ve learned what upsets my stomach, haha. So i’m usually very careful in those three hours leading up to a run. I steer away from gatorade and dairy before a run, but can usually drink it fine after a run for recovery.

    • oh man, i’m the chronic finicky stomach runner so i always like to run first thing because dealing with ‘wat works and wat doesn’t’ if i’m running later in the day is just not a fun chore….lol. how can u not want to dive into sweets?!?! jk…naw, some people are of the salty variety and go for the pizzas of the world. 🙂

  8. Well, I think we all know that this gal loves her food with a capital hand-me-the-blessed-fork…
    However, truth be told, when I am running I cannot stand the smell of food and sometimes the thought of it turns my stomach too. As soon as I’m finished though, my stomach comes back in with a vengeance. I tend to crave (good) fatty things like avocado, peanut butter, and other nuts, and also dried dates (especially with a roasted almond stuffed inside), any kind of fruit, and after a really long run: tubs and tubs of yoghurt.
    I also feel the freedom of letting myself have some of the GOOD things in my diet on the days I run like chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, m&ms, more chocolate….
    I am gluten-intolerant so I just avoid the foods that make my tummy unhappy and fill my diet with lots of nourishing whole foods like brown rice, quinoa, vegetables, fruit, and homemade gluten free treats every now and then!

    • hahaha…hand-me-the-blessed-fork <= can i steal this phrase and start trying to get it more widely circulated?!?! lol. sometimes the wrong smells can turn my tummy in knots...enter smoking sausages or BBQ stuff. and u have turned GF cooking/baking into an ART! seriously all the things i see makes me want to opt for those over the regular stuff! 🙂

  9. Whenever I workout I am always thinking about ice-cream… I have an issue with dairy so I don’t often answer the cravings but instead make a ice cream like substitute at home like peanut butter and chocolate banana soft serve–my latest obsession!
    I have a sweet tooth like no other so my day must include a treat, I find because I know I get a treat everyday i’m more likely to eat better for you foods the rest of the time, I don’t like to feel like i’m ever restricting myself. If I feel like a full day of treats than I just try and healthify them like I do with my ‘ice cream’ substitute
    I have a gluten intolerance so I avoid gluten, however, I love the taste of raw corn, I could eat raw corn off the cob all day long butttt my tummy thinks differently, it does not like me when I indulge in a cob or two 🙂

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