The quality of your diet really is your secret weapon when it comes to improving your running performance. So many runners focus on every thing else but leave their diet up to chance. Being intentional with your diet doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. Here are 4 strategies you can use to become more intentional with your diet.

#1 Plan in advance and know what you will eat each day.

Don’t leave it up to chance. Without a plan you may inclined to eat meals without much nutritional value or just snack instead of having an actual meal. I have found that when I don’t plan I’m more likely to skip dinner and just graze all evening on random foods and some of it may not be helping me recover or fueling me for my next workout. Poor quality foods can also affect your ability to sleep well.

#2 Treat nutrition like it is part of your training plan.

This tactic really helps me to stay on track. When I’m tempted to eat junk food I will often stop and ask myself “Will this give me the energy and nutrients I need to perform well on my next run?” Or I’ll ask myself, “If it were the night before a race would I still chose to eat or drink this?”

#3 Find a Method that Works for You

There are several methods you can use to plan ahead and stay on track. You can plan detailed meals for each day, make a grocery list and buy only those items and prepare each meal individually. You can cook enough at dinner to take in your lunch the next day. You can prep several meals in advance and keep them in the freezer until you are ready for them. You can cook large quantities of a variety of foods to keep in the fridge and eat throughout the week.

The key is to find a method that works for you and be consistent. It took me a lot of trial and error to come up with a winning strategy that worked for me. Now it’s so simple and easy for me to stay on track or hop back on when I’ve fallen off. I’ve put together a guide to help show you exactly how to do it.

#4 Your diet doesn’t have to be perfect 100% of the time.

Say no to deprivation! Aim to eat healthy 80% of the time and give yourself some grace the other 20%. Enjoy those special occasions out with friends. Have an occasional piece of pie or cake, just don’t eat the entire thing. Consistently take a high quality multi-vitamin supplement to ensure you fill the gaps. I’m a big believer and take them not just when in a hard training cycle, but during my base running phases as well. Here is a link to the supplements I take and recommend to all my clients.

I want you to start to look at running from a holistic perspective. It’s not just your training runs that are important. It’s also how you hydrate, getting enough sleep and eating to fuel your workouts.

If this post has given you any aha moments, please share them in the comment below.