It's snack time: Tips from my sister, a future nutritionist

62 days until the Chicago Marathon

What should you eat before and after running?

It’s no secret that the best part of running is eating lots of pasta.

At least, that’s my favorite part.

When you look more closely into nutrition advice for long distance running, though, it’s pretty overwhelming. A lot of the advice is contradictory. I’m nearly finished with The Runner’s Diet by Madelyn H. Fernstrom, which I actually don’t recommend because the book is riddled with problematic diet culture and fat shaming. The nuts and bolts of her program is good, though: eat a pre-run snack, eat within an hour of finishing a workout and, in general, eat nutritious foods that cover all of your carb, protein and fat bases. She recommends a daily intake of 50% carbohydrates, 25% protein and 25% fat.

But I’d rather take advice from my little sister, Mollie, who just turned 23 last week and is getting her master’s degree in nutrition. She’s a runner, too.

Here’s what Mollie says about eating healthy and getting the right nutrients for running performance:

• Use trial and error to see what combinations of macros (carbs, proteins and fats) your body responds well to. The 50-25-25 philosophy “isn’t necessarily going to work for everybody,” Mollie says. There’s really a range of recommended macros, which could be between 40-65% carbs. That’s a lot of wiggle room! It just depends on your body.

• That said, Mollie does suggest runners might perform better with more carbs — especially eating slow-digesting carbs the night before a long run and fast-digesting carbs right before running and during long runs. Oats, rice, pasta and starchy vegetables are complex, slow-digesting carbs rich with fiber. These keep you satiated for longer. Doughnuts, candy and other sugary treats are fast-digesting carbs that are quickly absorbed into your bloodstream and can give you an extra boost during workouts. “A lot of gym rats will use a Rice Krispies Treat, weirdly, as their pre-workout treat,” Mollie says. “It’s a great pre-workout because it’s going to digest really fast, it’s going to settle easy on your stomach.”

• As you run more and more, you’re going to be hungrier. That’s OK! Slowly, throughout your training process, gauge your hunger and be sure to “focus on eating whole, nutrient-dense foods that are going to satiate that.” Running long distance expends a lot of energy, so your food intake should mirror that. As Mollie says: “You can afford the extra cookie.”

• Don’t worry too much about tracking your macros, Mollie says. Just try to eat healthy. When I told her I didn’t think I was getting enough protein, she told me that actually most Americans get more protein than they need. Add some Greek yogurt or a hard-boiled egg to your breakfast, she told me, and cottage cheese later in the day. But know that you’re probably getting enough of everything you need if you keep a healthy, balanced diet.

• Don’t forget your post-run meal! A lot of runners don’t feel hungry after working out, Mollie says, because intense cardio is hard on your internal organs and reduces your appetite. But it’s important to eat something within an hour and a half of running, even if it’s not a big meal.

• If you’re on social media, Mollie says to find runners and running accounts that offer tips and recipes. Follow several of them so you get a plethora of advice, and again, use trial and error to see what works best for you and your body.

It’s nice to have an expert in the family. Thanks, Mollie!

Here are my personal favorite pre-run snacks:

• Bagel and (light on the) cream cheese.

• A bowl of cereal and milk.

• An apple or banana.

• Oatmeal with fruit and honey.

• A granola bar.

I’m always sure to give myself at least 45 minutes, and usually a full hour, in between eating and running to avoid feeling sick or needing to hit the bathroom once I’m already on my run. What am I missing? Add your favorite pre-run snacks in the comments below.

Runner’s log

I ran four times last week. I ran for an hour on Monday, ran a speedy 4 miles on Tuesday, ran a little longer than a 5K on Thursday and then put in 12 miles for my Saturday long run.

I was tired on Thursday. My training plan told me to run for an hour plus hills, but about halfway through the workout (and halfway up one of the steepest hills of Mount Adams), I stopped. I hadn’t felt great going into the workout that morning, and found myself dragging for those first 35 minutes. I wasn’t having fun and didn’t want to spend the rest of my day feeling depleted of energy. So, I decided to change my goal for the day and walked the rest of my workout. Almost immediately, I felt better. My energy bounced back.

Before I got more serious about running, I used to walk a lot — 5 or so miles a day, sometimes 10 miles at a time on the weekends. Walking is good for you! Hal Higdon’s marathon training plan says: “Don’t be embarrassed to take walking breaks. Walking is a perfectly acceptable strategy in trying to finish a marathon. It works during training runs too.”

Most importantly, his program warns: “It’s best to walk when you want to, not when your (fatigued) body forces you to.”

And another piece of advice from The Runner’s Diet: “For all runners, whether you’re beginners or elite, you’re certain to experience mental fatigue. To fight it, step back and consider your goal for the day. First, consider your overall fitness level and the day-to-day variability in how you feel, based on your level of stress, fatigue, or physical illness. Do not confuse your level of enthusiasm with your level of fitness or physical health. It’s great to push yourself to more challenging goals, but you need to identify whether you need to adjust the goal on a particular day. If you can eliminate physical fatigue from the equation, then the best resolution of mental fatigue is to just complete your task. It simply means resetting your goal just a little — move the finish line or change how you want to reach your original goal. This is your reality check that will help you finish up strong and continue to be positive about your efforts. Your sense of mental fatigue really builds when you feel you simply cannot reach any of your goals. You must fight that feeling, because you always can do something, which, when it comes to activity, is always better than nothing.”

Listening to my body on Thursday paid off big time on Saturday’s long run, which featured a beautiful sunrise as I made my way through Eden Park. It was the best long run I’ve had in weeks.

It was 58 degrees Saturday morning, I had new running shoes (still Mizuno Wave Rider 27s, just in a different color), I slept well the night before and ate a bagel an hour before I took off. All of those conditions made for an easy 12-miler that left me feeling like, you know what? Maybe I can run a marathon! I felt like I could keep going for another 12. It was exactly the confidence boost I needed.

Fundraising update

I am so close to meeting my fundraising goal for Big Brothers Big Sisters! I’m so happy to be running for an organization that’s so special to me.

I’m at $1,075 of my $1,250 goal right now and would appreciate any donation, big or small, that can help me reach this goal by the end of the month. Click here to get to my donation page.

And a huge thank-you to everyone who has already contributed! I’m so grateful for the support.

Have a good week and enjoy the sunshine, friends.

xoxo,

mad mitch