Fuel for your workous...when and what!!

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My goodness it feels horrible to not have enough fuel for your workout! I was sick last week and hadn't eaten enough food 4 days before I was to run long on Saturday. What on earth is worse than puttering around and feeling like your gas tank is empty? I don't know!!

I came across an article that my Idol Olympic Marathoner, Kara Goucher shared about how she fuels properly to be able to run hard. I know that most definitely all of us are not an Olympic Marathon runner or even a fraction of her caliber. But I love what she chooses to put into her body that gives her the energy to do what he does so well.

Below Kara describes what food combinations work for her in the morning before a run, 

between workouts, her recovery meal, lunch, and her typical dinner. 

One of my favorite things she says is that she isn't afraid to indulge in a few of the "good things" at the end of the day.... after she has filled her body with nutritional food of course.  That's my kind of gal. I am sure she has worked plenty hard to afford those indulgences.

When training for an upcoming race, it's important to pay attention to your nutrition. What you eat will be what fuels your performance, so you want to make sure that you are putting good fuel in your body.

Since I think it's important to eat as healthfully as possible, whenever possible, I like to make all of my meals so l know exactly what is going into my body. I enjoy making meals and eating foods that I know are high-quality and good for my training. That being said, very little is off-limits to me. Wine, ice cream, and chocolate are foods that find their way into my diet; they just come after I have filled myself with good, complete meals throughout the day and week.

I never just get up and run. I always have at least 200 calories before I head out the door. When you wake up, your body needs fuel/food to kick-start your metabolism, so your body has something to work with as work out. If I'm not too hungry I might just have a whole-wheat English muffin with Laughing Cow cheese and a handful of blueberries. If I'm really hungry I might have a big bowl of oatmeal with Greek yogurt and berries mixed in. I'm really just making sure I have some carbs in my body to fuel my run.

On days where I will be lifting weights after my run, I'll eat a piece of fruit or a little sports bar along with some Nuun between the end of my run and my lift. When I'm finished with a hard training session I like to drink a protein/carbohydrate shake within 15 minutes because it aids in the recovery process after a hard session.

I have lunch when I get home from my first workout. I find that lunch is a great time to get in veggies. Typical lunches include salads loaded with veggies, diced chicken, and hard-boiled eggs, sandwiches with veggies, hummus, pesto, and turkey, or leftovers from my meal the night before.

Before my second run I usually have a quick snack: some crackers dipped in hummus, a piece of fruit, or a quick sports bar.



   Dinner is always my biggest meal of the day. I am done training and no longer worried about having an upset stomach or feeling too full. Frequent meals in the Goucher household are quinoa salads with grilled fish or chicken; whole-wheat pasta combinations; or homemade pizzas. Once again, this is a place where I load the meal with veggies and I always have a lean protein along with it. After dinner, if my sweet tooth is kicking, I'll indulge in something like cookies or chocolate. Since I've made sure to eat highly nutritious meals all day, I feel no guilt in treating myself at the end of the day.

 Proper nutrition is key to help a body achieve big things. It will power you through your toughest workouts, and help you to recover after it's all said and done. 

   Here are a few Pre-workout snacks of mine...

Dressed up oats: Load up on carbohydrates for a longer workout with ½ cup cooked steel-cut oats topped with 1 tablespoon dried fruit and 1 tablespoon shaved almonds.

Perfect yogurt parfait: Feeling fancy, huh? Top ¼ cup nonfat yogurt with ½ cup whole grain cereal and ½ cup fresh strawberries.

PB Apple: For a quick carb fuel-up, slice 1 medium apple and serve with 2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter.

 Wafflewich: Spruce up this classic by combining 1 frozen Kashi waffle with 2 teaspoons of almond butter and 1 teaspoon of jam.

Fruit and Cottage: Top ½ cup cottage cheese — a low calorie and higher protein option — with ½ cup fresh pineapple, berries, or melon.

 

Now for Post-workout snacks....

Tuna crackers: Mix up a batch of light tuna salad for a quick bite. Add two heaping spoonfuls to a handful of whole grain crackers, and chomp away.

Bagel with egg whites: Half a medium-sized whole grain bagel with 2 eggs whites makes a great post-workout sandwich.

Green Monster smoothie: Blend 4 cups spinach, ½ cup vanilla bean yogurt, 1 cup almond milk, 1 banana, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter with ice.

Apples and cheese:  Tease your taste buds with 1 medium sliced apple and 1 stick of low-fat string cheese.

Egg scramble: Veg out after a hard training session with 2-3 whole eggs scrambled with a handful of chopped onion, spinach, and bell peppers.

 

 

Here's a sample daily menu guaranteed to empower your workout:

Breakfast:
1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice
2 cups Cheerios with 1/2 cup milk and sliced peaches
Morning Snack:
1 banana and a small bag of peanuts
Lunch:
Turkey Sandwich, with provolone cheese, romaine lettuce, tomato, onion on whole grain bread.
Pretzels
Cup of milk or fruit juice
Afternoon Snack:
Energy bar with water or Smoothie
Post-run Snack:
Half a tuna-fish sandwich and Gatorade/Nuun
Dinner:
Spaghetti and sauce (hamburger meat or turkey)
Salad with peppers and onions
Cup of milk or fruit juice
Ice cream or yogurt

What meals/snacks are you eating during the day?

What is your favorite meal/snack and why? 

EAT WELL.

DRINK WELL.

PREFORM WELL.