Now that you are two weeks into your marathon training, you may have begun to notice your body craving and wanting more food during the day. Naturally, the more energy you use during your runs, especially your long distance runs, the more energy your body will need to carry on throughout the day. Fueling up with the right foods can make all the difference in your training. Old-school training suggests eating a lot of simple, refined carbohydrates, such as pasta before long runs. While these foods will give you a burst of energy to get you through your run, they often will result in an energy crash post-run (and offer very little in the way of vitamins and nutrients.) Whole, complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, beans, legumes and starchy vegetables can give you a big energy boost before your runs and throughout the day along with a dose of vitamins and minerals. One of the best ways to get in a big, pre-run meal without weighing you down is with smoothies. Green smoothies, in particular can give you all the fuel you need to blast through 10 miles and leave you feeling great afterwards. Here is a basic runner’s green smoothie recipe that can be altered in many ways according to your taste:
Photo Credit: Claire Harris
Runner’s Green Smoothie
makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
1 banana, frozen
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
2 cups of frozen berries
1/4 cup of silken tofu
1 big bunch of greens (kale, chard, spinach)
1 handful of sprouts or micro greens
2 cups of coconut water
2 cups of soymilk or other non-dairy milk
Combine everything in the blender and blend until smooth. This recipe can easily be altered with different types of greens, non-dairy milks, berries (or other frozen fruit) and seeds. For an extra indulgent post-run treat, cut out the greens and sprouts and sub the berries for a 1/2 cup of peanut butter and a few tablespoons of cocoa powder- vegan Snickers smoothie!
Here is the second week of recommended workouts:
Monday: 10 minute warm up, 35 minute easy run, 5 minute cool down
Tuesday: 10 minute warm up, 60 minute easy run, 5 minute cool down
Wednesday: 10 minute warm up, 45 minute easy run, 5 minute cool down
Thursday: 10 minute warm up, 55 minute easy run, 5 minute cool down
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 1 mile warm up, 14 miles @ race pace+2-3 minutes, 5-10 minute cool down
Sunday: Cross train 30-60 minutes
Note: Your Saturday long run should be at a very slow pace. This pace can be determined by taking your race goal per mile and adding 2-3 minutes (for an overall 4:40 goal time, your Saturday mile pace should be around 12 minutes.) This will feel SLOW but stick with it and allow your body to train up gently.
Keep up with your weekly marathon training and find running tips every Monday on Peaceful Dumpling!
Previously: Week 0 (finding out the right distance for you) and Week 1 (Training Safety)!
Next: Week 3 – Natural Remedies for Running Blisters
