My husband ran out of fuel, 15 kilometers into what was to be a 20-kilometer long run this morning. Although I was feeling great and was running like I was just a few minutes into the run, I immediately empathized with him. I have been in that situation several times already. And the worst part of that usually is your knees start to wobble and exhaustion starts to creep in, even half a kilometer would feel like forever.
I had no intention of stopping since we normally don't really allow ourselves to get distracted with each other's pains and discomforts (unless it's a life-threatening situation of course). Being competitive with each other during training pushes us beyond our comfort zone and is usually a test of endurance for us both so being left behind was never an issue. This morning though, I heard him shout for me from far behind. Turns out, he was asking if I had some power gels left. I unfortunately only packed enough for myself. When it comes to things like this, I come more prepared than him.
All that was left with me then was half a container of Gatorade. I handed it to him and plodded on. I only had about 2.5kms more to go so I kept at it. I wanted to maintain my pace at 7min/km as much as possible because I also wanted to see if the dreaded cramps would still come back to haunt me. I went past 17kms and I still felt great. I now feel validated and ready for the big challenge we are to face in the coming days. It was also at this point when my thoughts started flying again. I thought of how significant the role of good nourishment is for people like us. And how the husband has been taking that for granted lately. I thought, maybe as a sort of reminder, I better write down my current pre and post training go foods. And maybe, as a reminder to the husband too. (hehe)
Let me just reiterate that I am no nutritionist and that I'm just listing what works for me currently. This might change as we go on with our marathon training.
Pre-training/race favorites:
- Pasta - I usually try to whip out any one of our solid, household favorites a day before a race or a long run so we can load up on carbs and since I'm trying to avoid being tempted and ending up over-consuming on rice, pasta is my next best thing.
- Water - I make sure I consume at least 3 liters daily, a week before a race or a long run to stay hydrated.
- Bananas - whenever I crave for sweets, I force myself to gobble up a piece. Works well!
- PB Sandwich - wheat bread and a generous amount of peanut butter. Yum!
- Muesli + Soya Milk - my go-to breakfast on the go!
Post-training favorites:
- Chocolate milk - Chuckie is a big favorite. We try to drink up at least 30 mins after finishing our run.
- A cup of yogurt or soya milk
- Bananas - this morning, we came home to freshly cooked plantains (boiled). Instant energy boost.
- Protein-loaded breakfast and coffee - ahhh there's nothing like eating your favorites right after finishing a race or a long run. No guilt whatsoever. (but sometimes, I get tempted to count the calories right after. i really just love to inflict pain on myself)
Nutrition is indeed a big part of a runner's (oh yeah, I've been dodging the use of the term but I ran out of terms now) training regimen. But since I also do meal planning at home, I try to just incorporate what we need into our daily meals. Luckily for us, most of our meals are eaten at home (and I pack baon as much as I can). I just make sure I eat my meals on time because again, especially when your muscles are recovering it's important to have the proper amount of protein in your diet (it doesn't give you an excuse to eat a bucket full of Chicken Joy though no matter how tempting).
Now let me just send a link of this post to my husband so he remembers to eat lunch today.
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