You can follow a great training program, not miss a workout, and increase your mileage gradually, but if you eat a crappy diet day in and day out, your leaving opportunity for greater improvement on the figurative training table! Nutrition is not just something for race day, rather its something that should be considered everyday. You should be just as intentional with your daily diet as you are with your training schedule. Runners who leave their diet to chance are missing the opportunity to further capitalize on their training and they’re also setting themselves up for a higher risk of injury.
Here’s Why a Healthy Diet is Your Secret Weapon
Consider this: we put a lot of focus on what we will eat the day before and on race day. And if we’re running a marathon we’ve most likely even practiced a hydration and nutrition strategy. These tactics help insure we are properly fueled to run our race and finish strong. Similarly, we should put the same nutritional emphasis on preparing for our daily training runs.
Training runs are designed to help our bodies adapt to increased speed and to build endurance. You want to set yourself up for success in your workouts and get the most benefit from them that you can. If you’re running on empty, that won’t happen. However, being adequately fueled ensures that your body will have what it needs to perform.
Recovery is another reason to be intentional with your daily diet. When you eat a balanced diet of whole foods, it supplies your body with nutrients you need to recover quicker and get stronger from your workouts. You may not realize it, but running puts a lot of stress on your body. When you are training hard it is more important that ever to eat foods that allow your body to repair and to heal. The soreness you may feel after a hard workout or a long run will dissipate much quicker. Say good bye to ibuprofen!
Understand this: if your body does not get the nutrients it needs, its first obligation is to keep your vital organs functioning. Recovering from running will come second. Throw in a little stress from your work day and you’re setting yourself up for injury or a weakened immune system. You’ll be much more likely to catch the latest cold or virus! I’m pretty sure you don’t want that set back when you are training for your next race!
Next week I’ll be talking about how to be intentional with your diet so that you consistently meet your nutritional needs. However if you don’t want to wait until next week, I created this free guide to help you get started. Click Here to download your guide to Meals on the Run: How to Make Eating Healthy Simple and Easy.
Hi Beverly! I too have dealt with issues that caused me to develop an auto-immune disease back in 2001. After moving to Arkansas 9 years ago I often found myself feeling really alone because I didn’t know anyone, but then made some local friends. Even after moving over to Little Rock, all of my friends were health coaches. I thank social media for helping me to have people to talk to (friends and family back in Michigan and here in Arkansas) That connection is invaluable. It wasn’t until about a year ago that I realized that if I am under stress I don’t even know it. I don’t really feel it physically. This dumbfounded me because my stress hormone was high, but I didn’t feel bad. Anxiety also acts similarly like fear towards me, but I do feel the butterflies of anxiety now. Working out on a regular basis has helped me to squash stress and anxiety. Plus now, cbd oil has been the biggest and most fantastic way I have been able to cope after being homebound and stuck on the couch since April with a severely sprained ankle. Even getting on a plane (which I hate to do) I had no anxiety at all. I feel super relaxed these days, and finally I am able to begin working out….not running at this time, but I can move and walk a few miles a day now. It has been so helpful to connect with other coaches like yourself and speak more about this. In not speaking about it more diseases can pop up unexpectedly and we never want this to happen. It is time to Heal. Love ya Beverly!!
Great points Heidi! Like you, I didn’t even know I was suffering from anxiety until I sought help sorting through all the craziness in my life. Hmm…CBD oil…who knew! I agree, we need to speak out more. I think too many people put up a front and suffer in silence!
Thank you for sharing your story. You are so brave. If you ever want to compare notes on fear, anxiety, grief, not being able to get out of bed, coping with and without running as your crutch, reinventing yourself, truly finding your faith in Christ; my heart always has time and a place for you and your twin!!! ❤️ Conlin.cathy@gmail.com
Oh I bet you could Cathy! Thank you so much for sharing. I don’t think we talk about mental health enough. I am so proud of you for finding your faith and strength in the Lord. He is ever present, evening our worst storms!
Hi Beverly,
I so miss connecting with you all! I too have very much shared your journey. I’m on the other side of it now but am changing many things in my life wich as you know comes with its own grieving as we leave the old behind. It’s lovely to see you share your story as I know it helps many of us.
Would love to get together again.
Hugs,
Kelley
Kelley I miss you too! Thank you for your kind words and your support. We need to get the Soul Sisters together again!