Good morning, folks. This post is going to focus on my half marathon nutrition plan, what I plan to eat and drink and tips for you. First I want to talk about my plans for today. It’s a bit different than most days.
First off, the weather right now is in the 50s. I don’t think I’ve seen it that low since the spring! This kind of changes my plans for my day a bit.
I took the day off from my 9 to 5 job today so I could take some time for myself to just have a day off. It seems like every time I take a day off I am sick. BLEH. My plan for today is to catch up on freelancing articles, run 3 miles for my Day 4 workout of my half marathon training, read some library books and prepare some posts for next week.
I was going to go for a run later on in the afternoon, but I might actually go before lunch while the weather is picture perfect!
Wednesday’s Recap – Day 3
Yesterday’s run was 3 mi. After work, instead of walking to the gym and running on the treadmill, I did my run outdoors for some hill training in my neighborhood. The temperature when I went out was in the high 70s, so it wasn’t too hot or humid. The air was actually kind of brisk while I was in the shade.
It wasn’t the easiest run. I felt a bit sluggish with heavy legs again. You might remember that my run from Tuesday felt the same way. I really need to start focusing on nutrition for my training as well as simply following the running plan.
Half Marathon Nutrition Plan *
Maybe having a lot of pumpkin ale isn’t the best choice,
but I can have some in moderation this season!
To hopefully kick start my training, I’ve decided to really focus on what I’m putting into my body. My lunches of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at noon probably are not helping me feel energized during my 6pm run.
Carbohydrates – 50% of total calories
Carbs that are rich in fiber and have a high water content keep you feeling full longer. For my next grocery trip, these are the carbs I will be throwing into my cart.
-
Apples
-
Bananas
-
Grapefruit
-
Berries
- Green beans
-
Green peppers
-
Asparagus
-
Couscous
-
Beans
-
Corn
-
Pasta
-
Oatmeal
Proteins – 25% of total calories
Protein helps maintain muscle integrity. For my training, 25 percent of my calories will be coming from lean protein.
- White fish
- Egg whites
- Tuna fish
- Cottage cheese
- Yogurt
Fats – 25% of total calories
Good fats help slow digestion and also make you feel full.
- Oils
- Avocados
- Pistachios
- Olives
Snacks
I’ll be integrating 3 snacks throughout my day to round out 6 healthy, small meals daily.
I’m not going to have a strict “diet” for my half marathon training, but instead going to use my current lifestyle and make minute changes. For instance, instead of eating sugary cereal late at night I plan to snack on nuts or cottage cheese for a healthy alternative.
* I am not a registered dietitian. Please do not take my advice without consulting your doctor. All information was found via Runner’s World.
Talk to Me
- What types of foods do you like to eat during long distance race training?
- What types of foods have you entirely eliminated during race training?
- Any tips for new half marathoners?
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I haven’t really run long enough distances yet to have to change nutrition plan, but I do always like to have a banana 30-60 minutes before my runs! This looks like a solid plan, and I like that you’re staying flexible rather than too strictly regimented. Good luck!
My weather is almost double yours. And it’s raining. ugh
I’ve never followed a real plan when training. I have always eaten intuitively and stayed away from too much junk food. It seemed to work for me :-p
Good luck in your training!
I’ve never been one to cut anything out during training. I eat what I want, and if I want to indulge in a sweet from time to time then I will. It’s all about balance to me.
I always have some sort of carb (waffle or bread) with pb 30-an hour before any long run. It works great for me :). Also, if you aren’t already.. whenever your runs start getting longer, make sure to packs some gu gels, cliff blocks or jelly sport beans (my favorite).
I’m training for my first half right now, as well. I’m just trying to eat mindfully, but I’m not cutting anything out altogether.
Good luck, Emily! Which race are you doing? Can’t wait to hear all about it!
I went from doing lots of heavy weight training to training for my half-marathon, so increasing the carbs and fats and decreasing the protein was the biggest change that I made. Adding apples, dates, and nuts (also, switching my meat protein sources to legumes – but keeping the fish and eggs in the meal plan) were how I managed this carb/fat-centric shift. I feel 10,000 times better than I did when I started running with my old meal plan.
Ive done one race
a half.
I DID NOT ROCK THE NUTRITION 🙂
Im a mindful eater so I just did…what I always do 🙂
Yeah, I usually don’t focus too much on cutting anything out which wasn’t the point of this point. However, Im just going to try and be more mindful when I eat a lot of simple carbs late at night.