Hi everyone, how are you today?
Remember when I posted nutrition advice for runners almost two years ago? I mentioned that I want to start running regularly, but I didn’t. And I did write about this again when I admitted that I’m as a dietitian, don’t move as I should. I really did increase walking times, going to the park with my son, and playing some fitness games on Xbox, but it wasn’t enough either.
So not to bore you more with my past, while I’m in Jordan now, my sister encouraged me to go running with her.I started to make excuses as usual, but I finally decided ” I’ll give it a try”.
I went last Friday morning to the running road withthe group RunJordan in a special program: Run Jordan, Road Runners . Run Jordan is a non-governmental organization with a mission to promote running long distance for people of all ages for leisure and use its events to promote cause matters to Jordanian people. My sister introduced my to the group, they were very friendly, even I didn’t talk to each one of them, but welcoming beginners, and other newbies was evident.
This is our coach: Ahmad Al-Masree
And this is one of the youngest runners
We started by doing stretching exercises and warm up, then running for an hour. Some run by themselves only ( like me, because I was so slow) or side by side with anyone who match his/her speed. The group members encouraged each other while running.
I ran almost two rounds, then I couldn’t continue, it wasn’t easy. My heart started pacing heavily, I had to reduce my speed, and I continued walking all the remaining hour. Even it wasn’t a great workout for me, but I burned lots of calories. That’s a good thing to start with! Unfortunately, the screenshots from my running app are messes up :S Maybe I can post them next time.
My legs were sore for days, and I slept it more than usual, but its all worth it. This is is my photo with my sister after running, I look silly I know!
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Now for fueling for the run and recovery, I’ll give you some options you can eat before, and after running.
Before running:
Now that depends mainly on you:
- How long is the distance you want to run.
- Time, is it more than tow hours?
- How do you handle eating before running.
In most cases you may need a small size snack which can be a:
- A banana
- A granola bar, but make sure it has good amounts of carbs not only protein, and avoid high fiber ones.
- Small bowl of oatmeal, but preferably if you can’t handle eating before 15-20 minutes, so eat it a 60-90 minutes before running.
A medium snacks for longer runs:
- A toast with peanut butter, labneh or cream cheese
- Yogurt with granola.
- low fiber cereal with a 1/2 cup skim milk
In general: Avoid high fatty food like donuts, high fiber food like some grains, since they stay in the stomach for a long time.
For early morning (like what I did with the group) runners, you will have less glycogen stores in your body, but again, if you have a short run, you don’t have to worry much about eating.
Caffeine:
Yes, it is good for you before running, it boosts your performance. However, no more than a 12 ounce of a strong coffee, an hour before your run.
And can you run on an empty stomach? Yes, if it a 60 minute run or less (you will run stronger if you eat). But make sure to hydrate yourself, 1 cup of water before 20 minutes of running.
After running:
First you need to hydrate yourself, and restore your fuel store. Cool down before you eat, after 20-30 minutes you need to eat to recover your energy loss. Aim for rich and carbohydrate and protein meal, make sure the ratio is 4:1 carbs to protein.
Here are some options:
- You can make a smoothie, contains carbs and protein, like this Peach green smoothie bowl , and this very green smoothie bowl.
- Pita bread and hummus, or simply fattet hummus or mashed fava beans (foul)
- A salad with protein, like this Spinach salad with halloumi cheese
- Arabic mashed potato (mudammas potato)
- This Arabic semolina pudding.
- Yogurt with oatmeal and fruits like berries, or peanut butter.
What I aiming to, is to commit to running or at least exercise. I want to stay in shape, strengthen my body, build my muscles and burn fats and calories. I’ll keep you updated in the next few weeks, see you soon!
Disclaimer: I’m not a sports dietitian. These are general guidelines. If you are an athlete or a professional runner, please seek help from a sport dietitian or a certified trainer.
