Eating to Run or Running to Eat??

I saw a great t-shirt while running a race that said, “I run so I can eat.”  It is nice to be able to have that extra slice of pizza because I ran 10 miles that day, but I frequently grab more than just one extra slice.  It is a vicious cycle…I increase my weekly running miles to burn a few more calories, the next thing I know I am ravaged with hunger.  When I trained for the Marine Corps Marathon last year, I thought to myself, “just think of the weight I will lose!”  I looked ahead in the training schedule, and saw the 40+ mile weeks, “that’s over 4,000 calories for one week…I’ll be super skinny by the end of training!!”  Boy was I wrong.  With every week of increased mileage, I got hungrier and hungrier and hungrier.  Remember the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar?  Yup, this was me last summer/early fall…

  I was usually hungriest in the mornings the day after a run.  I would usually have two breakfasts…sometimes three.  One of my favorite breakfasts was breakfast potatoes with two strips of bacon crumbled on top…BACON!!!  So needless to say I didn’t lose any weight.  I was actually really lucky that I didn’t gain.  A lot of people gain weight during the last two months of training for a marathon.  The body thinks that you are burning way more calories than you actually are and starts sending hunger messages all.of.the.time.  The extra eating combined with muscle gain translates to upping the number on the scale…my thighs are MUCH larger than they were a year ago.  Luckily after the marathon was over, and I decreased my weekly mileage, the hunger went away.  I haven’t had a potato/bacon breakfast since.

Well, now I am gearing up for training this summer.  As I’ve added miles and speed, I’ve noticed those nasty hungries that I used to get.  Here are some tips for eating before, during, or after a run.

1)      I usually run after work, so I’ve eaten plenty by this time to fuel my run, but I run in the mornings on the weekends.  I try to wake up at least an hour before my run.  The first thing I do is eat so that I have time to digest (nothing like throwing up your breakfast on your run to really scare the neighbors).  A mix of carbs and protein that won’t upset your stomach is best.  Usually two pieces of toast and either a banana or yogurt works well for me.  A high protein cereal works well too.  Make sure to drink a tall glass of water to rehydrate after sleeping and to help digest the breakfast.

2)      If I run more than 7 miles, I fuel while I run.  My favorite tasting fuel is Sports Beans, but my favorite fuel for eating speed and staying down ability are the Clif Shot Bloks.  They dissolve faster.  Always alternate drinking water with each bite of food.  Sometimes I stop running and walk while I fuel…other times I keep going…depends on how I feel.

3)      Sports drinks can also be used to fuel while running.  They don’t have as many calories but have good amounts of potassium and sodium.  The first time I tried drinking a sport drink while running I barfed it all back up…here’s a tip: don’t try to eat or drink while running up a steep hill.  On long runs, I fill one of my four 10 oz bottles on my belt with a sports drink.  Normally I am very picky about what flavor I have (as I am with everything), but when I am running, it all tastes AMAZING!  I’ve found that everything tastes sweeter while running…and stuff that usually tastes sweet tastes too sweet.  I’ve had better luck with fuels and drinks that are sourer tasting and less sweet tasting.

4)      After running a long run, you need to fuel within the hour…otherwise the hungries will attack with a greater force.  One of my favorites is a peanut butter and honey sandwich with a banana.  In general bananas are the perfect pre/post running food…hence why they are given out after most races.  If I drive to the trail to run a long run, I pack a sandwich, bottle of water, and a bottle of sports drink in the car for after the run.  Sometimes I am nauseous after a run of more than 15 miles, but that usually goes away after 20 minutes and then I can chow down.

I’ve received my fair share of strange looks from people (more than usual) while running and eating…though this is usually when I am running through the city and not on the trail…the trail people know my kind of crazy…