Why hello there!
I am so happy Wednesday is here. We have a quick trip planned this weekend to the beach and it is long overdue. You know when those trips come at just the right time? This is one of them. It also helps that I finally have my husband back on the weekends!
I started off with 9 miles outside this week. I refused to have another non-running start to the week.
I’ve had a pretty busy week so-far. Work has gotten pretty crazy (in a good way) recently, which I hope to share more about with you soon! In the small 4-4.5 hours after I get home from work and before I go to bed I have been trying to pack as much in as possible.
I am pretty excited about this gem though! We finally splurged a bit and bought a desktop computer for me! I have a laptop, but we’ve been looking into getting me a desktop for a while and finally got to the point where we could pull the trigger.
All in all I’d say it has been a pretty good start to the week!
I have gotten a couple emails lately about how I fuel for my running. Most of you may notice that I don’t talk much about food on the blog. Mostly because I am not an expert in that field, so I’ll leave that to those that really know what they are talking about! However, I felt like it was time to give you all a bit of an update so I’ll share a little bit of what has been working for me (disclosure).
Since my original post (almost a year and a half ago) when I opened up about the struggles I have had with food, I have made some pretty large strides. I’m not always perfect (who is!?) but my mindset has changed and that has been the biggest thing for me!
In total I’ve gained about 10 lbs. since then. While I won’t say that has always been easy for me to swallow, I’ve come to accept it. I still want to tone up more than I am now, but I am happy with how far I have come in my running and my body is in a much better place!
I’m in a bit of a tricky time where I want my body to be at an optimal place for running performance while also getting it slowly ready to be in a good place to have children one day. Those don’t always go hand in hand but I’ve been working towards it.
Here are some of the things I’ve been focusing on when it comes to fueling:
Fats
When I examined my diet a while back I realized I wasn’t getting enough healthy fats. It wasn’t on purpose, I just wasn’t paying as close attention as I probably should have been to the exact nutrition I was putting into my body.
I have made it a focus to make sure I am getting a source of healthy fats and every single meal I eat. It varies depending on what I feel like on what exactly that fat is, but every meal needs to have some portion of healthy fats in it.
I really think this has made a huge impact on how my body feels and how I perform.
Protein/Carbs
Obviously we all know that protein and carbohydrates are important for running. I eat them every day, but I change around the amounts depending on the type of run I have.
For example, Tuesday after my workout I focused on getting a breakfast that had a bit more protein but still included carbohydrates and fats. I up my protein intake slightly on the days I do a workout in the morning.
On the days where I run easy, my breakfast is about the same but I try to focus on getting more carbs in during lunch and dinner to prepare for my workout the following day.
Timing
Timing is something that I am still playing around with. I don’t think there is a set answer for when you should eat what. I change things up if I feel it’s not working. I think this is something we all have to experiment with until we learn what works.
I do know that since I go to bed earlier to get up at 4:00, I have to make sure a majority of my food is in early enough so that it has digested and doesn’t cause stomach issues for my run.
Sticking With What Works
During the week I eat a lot of the same things. The main reason for this is I know that it works. If I have a workout coming up the next morning, my go to dinner is always pasta (anywhere from 1-2 servings depending on the workout) with tons of vegetables and avocado for fats. If I feel I need a little something more I will throw in some protein, usually chicken, on top.
My stomach is notorious for messing up on me, so I have to be very careful. If I try to throw something different at it, it usually doesn’t end up well.
Nothing is Off Limits
I believe that the moment I put limitations on our food, is the moment that I begin to fall back into a mindset I don’t want. While I try to eat 80% clean and whole foods, if I want some candy or frozen yogurt then I am going to have it.
I’ve worked hard to get to where I am today and I am not going to let any foods set me back to where I use to be. I allow myself to eat what I want, in moderation.
If we can’t enjoy ourselves, then what’s the point?
Judging Off Performance
For years I judged my progress off what the scale said. It was a never ending battle and most of the time left me feeling depressed and frustrated.
I now judge myself off of my running performance. If I am not getting the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that my body needs then my running performance is going to suffer. I fuel my body with what it needs to perform at its best. Of course I pay attention to my weight some still based on how my clothes fit. Eventually if I did gain too much weight, it would begin to hinder my performance.
I’m running faster and staying healthy and that is what matters to me. I was 10 lbs lighter but I was unhealthy, much slower and lacked energy all the time. To me, every pound was worth it!
So there you have it. Just a little update on how I try to view fueling my body for running. I’m in a much better place than I have ever been. We all have our days, but I’ve begun to focus on the important things in life and now the number on a scale.
What do you judge your progress by?.
For me actually it seems performance isn’t the best thing to go off of. All of my PRs to date were when I was running too much and less healthy overall. I think my own progress is to make my running healthier and not the ONLY thing I do for stress relief.
I guess back when I was restricting running was such a struggle. As I have fixed my fueling it has become so much better! It’s nice to finally find your happy place with mileage but sometimes its hard to get there! I love that last comment – I need to also find something besides running that I do for stress relief! Great point!
All of this is great info! I really believe fueling/eating is extremely individualized. It takes experimentation and listening to your body to find out what uniquely works for you.
Agreed 100%! That is why I never give specific meals plans or talk much about it. What works for me, or works for you might not work for someone else. It takes a lot of trial and error!
Hey! I’m so glad you addressed this – I went through a major life change last year and had to re-evaluate how and what I ate and in a similar way I gained weight. I struggle with seeing that number on the scale, but I feel so much better, less moody and more CAPABLE of getting through the day and my workouts. Really being aware of what nutrients we eat as runners makes such a difference – even when we don’t have the tone for our bodies we would like. I was so glad to read this and realize – hey it’s ok and you can dislike the number but focus on the positive: feeling so capable when I run!
Thank you so much for sharing Kelcy! It is so true that focusing on fueling right and getting the proper nutrients in your body can be night and day when it comes to running!
I put on some weight this last training cycle, and I’m not quite sure why. This can really bother me, so I try to pay attention to how my clothes fit – which is still fine, so there’s no reason for me to be upset. When it comes to eating I try to listen to my hunger cues. Even if it feels like “too much” food, I figure if my body is asking for it, I need it!
Very true! I often put on weight in the beginning of a training cycle, but it usually levels out. I think this past one I stayed pretty consistent because my weight gain had come before that. If your body is telling you its hungry, then eat! That is my motto. I too try to go off hunger cues as much as possible.
hi i’m a fan of your blog, and this post really hit home with me personally. i’ve struggled with food and performance in the past as well. i used to be much lighter but my diet was horrible. when i started eating more health-fully because i was training for an ironoman, i got heavier. this was so uncomfortable to me at first, but i decided being healthy and feeling good is more important than a size or number. i love what you said here and you are an outstanding role model for anyone that has changed physically when starting to eat more healthy foods and improve their fitness. thank you!
Oh Danielle, thank you so much for sharing! I love your views and seeing how your mindset has changed. An ironman!???! You are a ROCKSTAR! I knew I had gained 10 lbs, the scale doesn’t lie, but I also knew that I was still in a very healthy weight for my height and that there is so much more to it than a number on a scale! Food shouldn’t be feared, it is such a powerful tool for performance! Love that you too have made awesome changes!