Nutrition Techniques for Runners

This post is a continuation of a mini-series of vital needs that the general population takes for granted (such as breathing) but are of special attention to runners. Nutrition is important to marathoners-in-training, because we are demanding a lot from our bodies. In order for the body to function at peak performance and not get injured, I need to ensure that I am giving it the proper fuel at the right times.

Each day or series of days has a specific purpose. For instance, on Saturdays I eat to recover from my longest run of the week. The nutrition plan, as a whole, also has a specific purpose: to eat the best that I can to fuel my training. The “best” means quality foods, but it also means that I won’t go out of my way to eat or drink products that are good for me but repulsive. This is why I will probably never drink Accelerade again; Powerade works best for me during long runs, and milk allows me to get protein after runs.

My diet has certain restrictions, both temporary and long-term. A long-term restriction is that I have not eaten meat since my junior year of high school. I started eating fish again when I enrolled at Elon, because the dining services’ vegetarian protein options were not adequate. I also have not eaten French fries in nine or so years. I am not a fan of quite a few fruits, such as melons, and I would rather eat dog poop than banana. (Note: I am not recommending the consumption of dog poop.)

For the purpose of marathon training, I have completely cut out baked goods. This was easy for me to do, because I cannot justify eating a decadent cake on my birthday - a mere 12 days prior to my race - and there’s no occasion more important for baked goods than my birthday. Also, chocolate and other indulgences, like frozen yogurt, are limited to the weekends (except in rare circumstances). This allows me to focus on functional nutrition and also on creatively substituting in new items for dessert.

Monday-Thursday: Focus on complete nutrition.
Breakfast: Smoothie King smoothie once a week, applesauce every other weekday
Snack: Options include nuts (like almonds, cashews, and peanuts; dried edamame), fig newtons, granola bars, grapes
Lunch: Sandwich, such as peanut butter & jelly or a cucumber sandwich (2 slices of bread plus sliced cucumber with Italian dressing on one side and fat-free cream cheese on the other side). If still hungry, I may grab a second lunch from a local eatery. Frequent choices include a tuna sub on wheat with lots of veggies, a salad, a falafel sandwich with Mediterranean veggies and hummus, and more.
Dinner: Varies. My favorite options are fish with green beans, eggplant parmigiana, sweet potatoes and couscous, salad with veggies including avocado and artichoke hearts, and a veggie burger with vegetarian baked beans.
Dessert: Frozen yogurt cup (Yoplait Whips placed in the freezer) or a fruit bar
Drinks during the day: Iced tea, hot water
Drinks at night: Hot tea, iced tea, soda at times, milk at times

Friday: Focus on eating carb-based foods that will not upset my stomach.
Breakfast: Applesauce
Snack: Granola bar
Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly or something else bread-based (bagel, sourdough roll, wheat roll from a local cafe)
Snack: Granola bar
Dinner: Pasta seasoned lightly (such as with garlic salt)
Dessert: Cereal, crackers
Drinks during the day: Iced tea, hot water (in larger quantities)
Drinks at night: Hot tea, iced tea, ginger ale if stomach feels weird

Saturday: Focus on recovery from long run.
Post-long run: Whatever I feel like. Normally applesauce, a granola bar, or some cereal. I crave milk at times but that’s often followed by ginger ale.

Weekend: Continue long run recovery and adjust eating based on weekend activity.
Lunch/snack: Graze on foods like cereal, salad, crackers, frozen yogurt cups, seaweed (the kind you use to wrap sushi... weird, I know), nuts, etc.
Dinner: Same as Monday-Friday. I will normally take the weekend to use a Groupon or meet up with friends, so this will regularly include one meal out.
Dessert: Frozen yogurt cups, fruit bars, dark chocolate, or real frozen yogurt

What has worked: The greatest success of the marathoner-in-training diet is that I am eating considerably healthier, more wholesome foods than previously - even though I already had a pretty good diet. It has helped to focus on getting more fruits and vegetables for muscle recovery, and I don’t really miss baked goods anymore. I also have the impetus to try cooking new dishes, such as eggplant parm and couscous. They are cheap and nutritious, and I probably wouldn’t have gone out of my way to buy the ingredients if I didn’t think they would directly benefit my running. I have also become more of a grazer, as opposed to eating a few large meals. This is better for blood sugar and for maintaining muscle mass.

What has not worked: The greatest downfall to the marathoner-in-training diet is that it is expensive. I spend $5-$10 more on groceries than I had in the past, and I often need to buy a second lunch. Then again, I am not spending money to go to the doctor for inactivity-related illnesses. The other shortcoming in my nutrition plan is the way I feel on Fridays. By dinnertime, I can feel like I am going to become a diabetic - but this feeling always subsides by the end of my Saturday run.

Fellow runners: I would like your seasoned advice. If you can help me out with the following, post a comment:
1. Pre-race/long run dinner that settles well?
2. Favorite healthy snacks for home and the office?
3. Favorite post-race/long run meal?
4. Any other nutrition-related suggestions?