Running Better: Nutrition

"Running Better" is the first project that I've completed for the 2012-13 school year. Over the course of my project, I've researched many aspects of running and even tested a few out on myself.  

One very important aspect of running is knowing what is good to eat. Before I ever researched running nutrition, the extent of my knowledge was about as basic as knowing that it wasn’t a good idea to eat a Big Mac before a 5 mile run. Fortunately we tend to eat pretty healthy in our household and I already had a pretty good sense of which foods were good for me and which weren’t. I also had access to a number of sources including my ex-Olympian ski coach. During our regular practice she’d always ask us what we had for breakfast, and she actually spent almost an hour rattling off nutrition information to me as we roller-skied together down a bike trail. Prior to my project, I had done some self-experimentation regarding sugar and its effects on my training performance. For the month of February (also the height of the XC ski season) I had stopped eating sugar, having heard about athletes who did so during their sports seasons to improve their performance. As a result, it helped me improve at a faster rate in my training. However, my race results were sabotaged when I came down with strep throat the day before sectionals. Naturally, it was extremely interesting to see first-hand how my body performed with significantly less sugar, but I decided that a deeper knowledge of athletic nutrition would benefit me on the road to success the next year.

Although the subject of nutrition is different for different people depending on your weight, height, gender, and lifestyle, I want to share some of the most important things that I learned from my extensive research. First of all, always eat breakfast because it really is the most important meal of the day. Having fuel in the tank first thing in the morning is essential, especially when you’re training or working out, because it gives your body ready access to energy when it needs it the most. You should also be getting substantial amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and healthy fats every time you eat. When you balance your diet, it also helps your brain stay sharper by allowing it to do a better job keeping up with your energy out-put.  Also, try to eat more simple or raw foods. Refined and processed products can sit in your stomach for too long and all that your body eventually obtains from them is fat. It also helps to keep track of what you’re eating. That’s what I did in the last two weeks of my running project when I was trying to incorporate a healthier diet into my training program.

My own personal eating plan was pretty simple. In short, I was trying to eat less red meat, more healthy proteins and carbohydrates, and more fruits and vegetables in order to give my system healthier energy sources. This sounds a little like a regular weight-loss diet. However, mixed into the plan were different so-called athletic “super foods” with anti-toxic and anti-inflammatory properties. These included raw cocoa, ginger, pineapples, turmeric, flaxseed, and quinoa, among other foods. Of course, blending them all into some freakish smoothie won’t exactly give you super powers, but I found that eating some of them as a post-workout snack helped to boost my recovery rate. Actually, I discovered that during the part of my project when I followed my eating plan, I was less moody and generally happier. That’s pretty cool for me, considering that I have mood swings just like any other teenager. As Americans, it has been proven that one of our primary health issues is the lack of nutrition and the overload of extra sugars, fats, and hydrogenated oils in our diets. By applying what I learned about nutrition, I hope to be able to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Running Better Eating Plan:

Week One:

Breakfast:	Oatmeal w/ strawberries, almonds, and flaxseed. Water.	Whole wheat toast w/ PB, fruit, milk.	Toast w/ PB, Keifer w/ fruit, water.	Toast with PB, strawberries, milk/water.	Toast w/ PB, oatmeal w/ strawberries and applesauce, water.
Lunch:	Wrap w/ lettuce, beets, pepper, and dressing. Water.	Wrap w/ lettuce, pepper, chicken, tiger sauce, water.	Whole wheat sandwich w/ hummus, lettuce, peppers, beets, dressing, water.	3 small pieces of light pizza, one orange, water.	Whole wheat pasta w/ red sauce and cheese, salad w/ croutons, peppers, dressing, water.
Supper:	Baguettes, crackers, fruit, salmon dip, water.	Small beef steak, salad, tater tots, small pie piece, milk, water	3 small pieces of light pizza, dried tomatoes, milk.	Whole wheat pasta w/ red sauce and cheese, oranges, water.	1 hot dog, whole wheat pasta w/ red sauce, tomatoes, salad, milk.
Snack:	Cabbage and apricots.	Keifer w/ strawberries.	Cashews, water.	Cashews, water.	Bell peppers.
Snack:	Strawberry/applesauce milkshake.	Cashews.	Energy bar, water.	1 small piece of pizza, orange, water.	Keifer w/ peaches and oranges, cashews.

Week Two:

Breakfast:	2 pieces of whole wheat toast w/ PB, orange, water.	2 pieces of whole wheat toast w/ PB and plum jelly, water.	1 piece of egg-bake w/ mystery veggies, water.	½ of a pasty, oranges, water.	Whole wheat toast w/ PB, pineapple, milk.
Lunch:	2 scrambled eggs w/ peppers and cheese, water.	2 scrambled eggs w/ peppers, mushrooms and cheese, water	Whole wheat Mac and cheese, banana, milk	Whole wheat sandwich w/ veggies and cheese.	Pasty, nectarine, cheese, water.
Supper:	6” sub w/ chicken, veggies, and water.	Baked chicken, white rice, salad, milk.	Piece of fennel & feta quiche, carrots, water.	Whole wheat pasta with red sauce and, salad, water	Chili w/ veggies and beef, salad, water.
Snack:	Keifer w/ strawberries and lingonberries.	Keifer w/ Pineapple.	Blueberry keifer	Cashews, grapes, water.	Peach/pineapple milkshake.
Snack:		Cashews	Cashews