I am not a doctor, or a nutritionist, but I have taken some tips from friends and family who run, and most importantly from the “Diet Diva,” Tara Gidus on www.rundisney.com. Here’s my routine I try to stick to:
Before My Morning Run
- Eat a good dinner the night before – I don’t have a particular “diet” for dinner, but I love to have two plate-fulls of my mother-in-law’s Adobo-anything and rice!
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate – I’m still a breast-feeding mommy and I need to keep “full”! Before my runs I usually drink 32 ounces the night before, and about 34 ounces at least an hour before I hit the road.
- Simple Sugars – I like to eat a handful of gummies, like Mott’s Medley’s or California Raisins.
During My Morning Run
- Simple Sugars AGAIN – I keep one or two packs of Mott’s Medley’s on me and I ration them out every 2.5-3 miles. Other options are a handful of Mike and Ike’s, Hot Tamales, or California Raisins.
- Water – I usually bring about 8 ounces of water with me to sip and to pour on my head and my chest and back.
After My Morning Run
- I follow Tara Gidus’ advice about refueling after my morning run. You can see the whole article here.
- My favorite snack after a morning run is BREAD, and I usually just grab it out of the bag. However, I have gravitated to Carnation Instant Breakfast with soy milk (again, I found this on the runDisney blog).
- Water, water, and more water – You can never go wrong. However, if I ran more than an hour I reach for a sports drink to replenish lost salt.
- Protein? Peanut butter on graham crackers, granola and chocolate chip bars, My favorite? Two eggs, over easy please!
Throughout the remainder of the day
- Keep hydrating
- Eat in small portions, focusing on proteins to rebuild muscle
- Sometimes I grab a beer or two, especially on football Sundays! Fun carbs!
I hope this routine gives you some inspiration! Don’t be shy to share your routines in the comment section. I’ll try them out too! Happy running!
