Runner's Diet

Far from the infamous Michael Phelps 12,000 calorie diet, runners eat much healthier. Training for a marathon also allows me to eat whatever I want, because my eyes can never be bigger than my stomach when I know I’ll burn off those calories with a long run. Personally, I like to attack two different food triangles. First of course being the unhealthy, high-calorie, and foods not beneficial to running. And then as tough as it is sometimes, I go to getting a proper intake of proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Here’s how I make up for burning 2400 calories on an 18 mile run. Post run I go for either a bagel and cream cheese or an egg breakfast sandwich. If every DFMC group run was held at Mt. Auburn Club in Watertown, then I would be able to treat myself to a few bagels, cookies (switching it up between chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin), fruits, and yogurt.

Also, very important post-run, aside from showering to get out the stink, I need to load up on protein and fluids. I take in water and orange juice, as well as eggs.

“One egg fulfills about 10 percent of your daily protein needs. Eggs contain all the crucial amino acids your hard-working muscles need to promote recovery. Eat just one of these nutritional powerhouses and you'll also get about 30 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin K, which is vital for healthy bones.”

“If you don’t replace electrolytes, particularly sodium, you won’t be able to absorb the fluid you’re drinking. This means that you could be drinking plenty, but not re-hydrating.”

It is definitely nice that as a DFMC runner we get treated to massages after the marathon, but how about also getting treated to an omelet bar? After the marathon last year I didn’t even have the stomach for half a beer, so this year I have made sure to incorporate beer into my training. I certainly don’t recommend finishing a run with alcohol, but it is enjoyable. And with all the weight loss involved after a long run, whether it be 9 miles or 20 miles, it’ll take fewer carbs and calories to get a buzz from bud light.

I do stay healthy during training; please don’t get confused about all my indulgences from running. I put a lot of focus on carbo-loading prior to my long runs with the help of barilla plus multi-grain pasta. For any run longer than 16 miles, I’ll start increasing my intake of pasta and carbs two days prior to run. It definitely helped with my first 20 mile run.

“Pasta has long been a runner's best friend because it contains easily digestible carbs that help you restock spent glycogen (energy) stores. Whole-grain versions are a must over refined pastas because they contain more fiber to fill you up, additional B vitamins that are crucial to energy metabolism, and disease-fighting compounds such as lignans. And even better, pastas such as Barilla Plus offer whole-grain goodness along with heart-healthy omega-3 fats from ground flaxseed and added protein from a special formula of ground lentils, multigrains, and egg whites to help with muscle repair and recovery.”

Post-run and pre-run nutrition is pretty much self explainable, but the other component is eating during the run. If I don’t hydrate during a run, I will start losing my strength and endurance just about at mile 8. And if I plan on going more than 8 miles, I’m creating a bad situation for myself. Thankfully, the wonderful DFMC volunteers have peanut M&M’s stocked at the water stops. I start with 4-6 peanut M&M’s 6 miles into a run, and then will have roughly the same amount at 3 mile increments. These treats give me a small amount of protein, some good sugar, sodium, and just a tasty and enjoyable snack. I’ll also add 1 – 2 GU’s to give me some energy and a boost from caffeine. GU’s give me my great break-away speed, which is very similar to Randy Moss’ capability.

All this talk about food makes me look forward to the long runs so I can put the calories back on with a burrito from chipotle, buffalo chicken slice from the Brookline Spa, cheeseburger from R.F. O’Sullivan’s. But after my most recent long run, going to Sunset for nachos and beer was a great treat.

Mile_4/Day_178

Not even ice, stretching, and CVS brand extra strength pain relievers have eased the aches on my body. Following a 23 mile run that should be expected, but I think if I get back to the gym tomorrow night for more stretching and some cross-training then my muscles will recover. Today I realized that I'm so happy the marathon is only 3 weeks away. I won't have to deal with this pain again until 4/21.

3/28 Running Diary--Transcript of the day

6:00am – Wake up. I just stared at my alarm—summoning enough will power to not hit snooze.

6:10am – Jump into a hot shower to try and ease some of the muscle pains.

6:43am – Light breakfast that consists of a Natty Valley bar and an English muffin.

7:10am – Left the apartment to walk up to the B Line to catch a T to BC.

7:11am – Quickly felt compelled to walk the mile to BC, so that one day I could say I traveled from Brookline to Natick and then back. “See in my day we didn’t have any of these fancy hover crafts to transport us from place to place.”

7:28am – That plan fell apart, as the T showed up one stop before BC. We’ll get to my angst with the T and the B Line again later.

7:40am – Arrive on campus and really hoping to see BC’s finest partaking in the walk of shame. No luck.

7:45am – Announcements from Jan and Jack, light stretching, and going over my GU strategy. The plan calls for GU at miles 5, 10.5, and 17.

8:06am – Start out from the “Johnny” Flynn recreation center at BC. I would have liked to see BC have a better run in the tournament, same goes for Cuse.

8:55am – Get to the second water stop, at the Gulf station right before Woodland T Station. 5 miles into the run in 49 minutes is fine with me. This run somewhat simulates the changes of elevation on race day, so starting out slow going down heartbreak and the second hill is the right way to go about it. Looking forward to seeing the DFMC cheering section here on 4/20!

9:18am – Getting questions from other DFMC runners about when the next water stop is coming up. I’ve appointed myself as the official tour guide for the team. But I give the worst tours ever, because I’m not interested in talking, or going into the history of Wellesley, 7 miles into a run.

9:24am – Water stop #3 right by the Wellesley fields and tennis courts that I got my ass handed to in every tennis match in high school.

9:35am – Pass by the Bank of America in Wellesley that got held-up this week. This state has got a serial bank robber with some serious balls. I don’t think it will be pulled off a third time. Dude is going down soon.

9:49am – Arrive to the fourth water stop which is 10.5 miles out. Welcome to Natick! My running partner Julie decides she is turning around here. 2 weeks ago I forced her to do 20, but I could see the look in her face, no persuading needed—she was turning around. Check out her website http://www.juliedoesbeantown.tumblr.com. Sorry bro’s not what you’re thinking, just an entertaining blog.

10:10am – After leaving Julie, continuing through Natick and thankfully noticing the Dana-Farber cones chilling on the sidewalk marking the turn-around point, I’m 10.5 miles away from BC. Thanks so much to the amazing DFMC volunteers! Best out there today!

10:12am – Pass by Kay and Katy, DFMC teammates and event extraordinariness’, as I come up to the Wellesley College fields.

10:22am – All the elite runners from the other charities have passed and are passing me now. I want to know if running 22 miles is easier from Hopkinton to BC or BC to Natick and back.

10:30am – I realize that the last 8.1 miles are going to be a battle.

10:34am – Not feeling as strong as I would like to, but at least had something nice to look at in front of me in pink shorts. But she was running too fast therefore I was back to thinking about the pain.

10:55am – I hear 2 runners approaching behind me. One says, “What a nice day, we are so blessed.” I don’t think this was a religious interpretation of his running or just a comment on the nice weather, but at that moment I looked up and it was just a perfect day. It took my mind off the running and I was just able to reflect. Yes, I really am blessed for this opportunity, this weather, the city, the amazing people I have come to know, and the money I have been able to fundraise over the past 2 years. $14,000 raised for cancer research over the past two years is something to be proud of, but still got a lot more work to do. Of course I wish the circumstances were different, but the support from so many has helped immensely. I’m blessed and grateful for that as well.

11:25am – Woohoo just 2.5 miles to BC!

11:40am – The moment we’ve been waiting for, heartbreak hill. Let the inner monologue begin. I kept saying to myself; do not crap out on this hill like you did last year. Intense, I know, but my mind and body battle so much on these long runs. I’ve heard from a lot of people that when you come up to this point, just look down and focus on the road. Well, quite the contrary to my plan of attack for the hill today. Head up, eyes directly on the end of the hill, and don’t give in. So a few minutes later I conquered heartbreak and was onto my final descent back to BC. Going downhill at this point is just killing my quads, but I was still pushing and exerting all my energy to finish strong.

11:52am – Finish what you have started! Run around the BC campus, along the same route I started to get back to the Flynn rec center.

Stats: 22.7 miles in 3:46:00. Average pace – 9:56 per mile. Have to be better prepared for the Marathon in 3 weeks.

12:04pm – While everyone was stretching I decided a shoot-around on the basketball court would be a good way to loosen up. I also racked up 2 wins in PIG, over Julie Nielsen, who had the highest free-throw percentage and 3-pt percentage in Iowa during high school. I will conduct a fact check on that later.

12:36pm – Left the gym, and still it is such an amazing day. Hustled as painfully as it was to the T to take that back. I did not want to walk. I was waving to the T-driver, and I know she saw me, but would not open the doors. I let her have it—hopefully she heard me. Would someone print – I hate the MBTA – shirts? So I just walked it home. Don’t worry, I’m over it now.

1:55pm – Sitting outside I see Jesse walking back from playing some ball. Here is how the dialogue transpired. Read on.

Me: You get a game doing at the court?
Jesse: Yeah, some people playing. What have you been up to today?
Me: I ran 23 miles this morning (runners round up distance and round down time)
Jesse: Damn, how was that?
Random Guy: Wait did you just say you ran 23 miles this morning?
Me: Yes I did. I’m a bit of a local celebrity around here.
Random Guy: Wow, I want to shake your hand. That’s impressive.
Random Guy’s wife: He just stopped in his tracks and turned around while we were having a conversation to ask you about your run.
Random Guy: Are you running the marathon? You should win.
Me: Yeah I’ll try that. Nice meeting you.

2:06pm – Big brunch at Johnny’s luncheonette in Newton. The wait was too long at Zaftigs.

The rest of the day is going to be interesting. Walking around is a horrible task, yet I am going to the Cask N Flagon with some runners and for some drinks. Then will be meeting up with my friends later on Boylston St. If I happen to fall asleep in any location, or collapse under my weak legs, I hope that I am not kicked out of the bar. I am going to wear my 2008 marathon jacket, so that way I can at least say I ran 23 miles this morning to train for the 2009 marathon. Tomorrow it is back to the gym to stretch, do some bike and other cardio to get the muscles working again. Just about 3 weeks to go, and I never made it past 14 miles in training last year.

Mile_2/Day_176

Ahhh back to running...Guess how many miles tonight? 9.26 miles--Woodland T stop to Hynes T stop. Tonight during the first half of my run I came to realize that this would be the last time I would be physcially and mentally capable to just take in everything around me during a run on the course. 25 days out from the Boston Marathon I will have one more long run (22 miles) covering parts of Comm Ave and one final push on a Crossroads run. This was my chance to put aside my pace for the first 4.5 miles and think about my training.

Top 5: Places to be Seen Running in Boston

I have had 10 months to live and run in Boston and here are my top 5 calls on the best places to be seen running. I didn’t want to label this as the top 5 places to run in Boston, because it’s all pavement and concrete, sidewalks and streets that can take you anywhere. So limit your running to the cool places to run in the city.

5. Charles St. Beacon Hill – Beacon Hill is one of the nicest areas to run in Boston, but what I really enjoy about Charles St is that it is great path from the Commons to the Charles. I recommend staying on the street while running through Beacon Hill, because the brick sidewalks can put some stress on your feet and legs after a couple miles into a run. Stop in the Starbucks on the right side of the street if you are coming from Beacon St. The baristas will gladly get you a cup of water so you are able to re-hydrate. Maybe you’ll run into someone you know as they are getting a Grande Espresso Frappuccino. That always makes for a good conversation. While you’re in the area, I also recommend running Mt. Vernon St., which is a quiet street with some wicked nice houses. It will take your mind off of the running, just thinking about what it might be like living over here.

4. State St, Boston Harbor side – State St. between Congress and the Surface Rd is nothing special, but on the other side, State St connects into the Long Wharf. If you grew up in any Boston suburb, Framingham to name one, you would probably remember this area from elementary school field trips to the Aquarium. On a nice day, running to end of Long Wharf and looking out onto the Boston Harbor is nice, and a good spot to feel like OK, I can turn around now. It reminds me of the scene in Forrest Gump, when Forest runs to the end of the pier and simply just turns around. And if you don’t mind the smell of Boston Harbor, then I would say make it to this area as often as you can.

3. Huntington Ave. Symphony – I like Huntington Ave between Mass Ave and Exeter or Dartmouth. This a good area to walk on a nice day, so running around here, you’ll know that a lot of people will get to see those cool running sneakers and your smooth strides. What I find is that most people will just be annoyed with you, because it is a busy area with the Prudential and Copley mall. I also consider this area a great place to change up my run from a route that I have become accustomed to. Huntington Ave. is just a few side streets away from either the South End or Back Bay. If you go as far as Dartmouth St, be careful making a move to a different street, because the traffic patterns can be confusing and cars won’t hesitate to honk loudly as you run by.

2. The Charles River – It is a bike/walk/run path so if you don’t like to run in cold weather, you’ll have to compete for space around the Charles with others. Therefore I think this rule applies, want to be seen—run in the summer. Want to own the path—run in the winter. I like to start in either of two locations on the south side of the river; by the esplanade or get off the bridge at Mass Ave. On a windy day I do not recommend running by the river, because the temperature can drop 5 to 10 degrees just by the river. I really made up that number, but it is tough to run with wind by the Charles. So why is the Charles River such a great place to run? The path is easy and a great change from a regular route on sidewalks. Stay on the path going east and there is a foot path across Storrow, which will bring you to Boston University. Sometimes it’s not all about being seen running, and I think it is really nice to run the river at night. The Hyatt reflects nicely off the river and on the Cambridge side, as well as on the bridges, there are good views of downtown. So I find that it is always worth the effort to make it to the Charles River.

1. Boylston St – Marathon Monday is the only day that you can go out running and thousands will be cheering you on as you finish a run. This run of course started 26 miles ago in Hopkinton, but definitely a cool place to be seen. A stretch of 385 yards, probably has never been more challenging to me, but something happened when I crossed the finish line. Regardless of the day you go out running, I think Boylston St is a great area to run. The sidewalks are wide enough that you won’t disturb walkers. It is also just under a mile, point-to-point, from Mass Ave. to Arlington. If you want to get off of Boylston St, avoid the temptation to run Newbury St because it is just a bad scene with all the shoppers. Therefore, continue to Comm. Ave. and run in the path that separates the two sides of the streets. But back to the marathon, Boylston is the Mecca for marathon runners. Therefore, some day take advantage of a holy pilgrimage from Hopkinton to Boston and get a space-age aluminum blanket to stay warm.

One final reminder; in these locations be ready to be seen so look sharp.

Mile_1/Day_175

How is today different from any other day? Well tonight I decided to put on a serious number of calories courtesy of bbq pizza and cheese pizza from The Upper Crust. Clearly no run or workout today, but I'll burn off most of those calories with a 9 mile run tomorrow night. I let myself indulge on pizza this evening, but it is back to healthy eating to get ready for my longest training run ever--22 miles Saturday morning.

Although I have gone through a lot of training and fundraising, I consider the official start of training and fundraising to be October 1, 2008. So far I have travelled 480.35 miles on the roads of Boston. I have also raised $3,723.20 to support cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

26 days to go...

Runner's High

You don’t get high the first time, unless…scientifically speaking your body produces enough endorphins to flood your brain producing a sense of euphoria similar to any standard opiate. Endorphins enter the brain and attach to the limbic and prefrontal areas, which are known to activate emotions. You certainly don’t have to run a marathon to achieve this feeling, even shorter runs or strenuous runs can produce the same rush. But I believe that running long distances and going through intense training, increases the amounts of endorphins causing “runner’s high”.

Side affects? I don’t know, but I’m telling you it is true. It has been studied and proven, but I’ll give you my own account. When I tell you I just ran 18.5 miles and I said I enjoyed it, well I’m not giving you the full truth as there is a little more to the run aside from burning loads of calories. Personally, if the run was 18 miles, I’ll get high right around mile 12 and that feeling will most likely carry me through the next 6 miles, or until I hit the proverbial wall.

Suddenly I’ll feel like I’m floating, my strides are so aligned and perfect that it does not seem like I am putting in any work. Next thing I know the sound of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon drowns out the noise of my footsteps and cars driving by. During the day, if the sun is out and there are clear skies, I can see everything move by me very slowly and rhythmically. If I’m running at night I just tilt my head up slightly to gaze at the stars. There is no stress on my legs when I’m running high.

The high is indeed enjoyable, but to furthermore prove its existence, I have to admit that I am addicted. There is no 12 step program for running and certainly no rehab centers, so I have accepted that it is something I’ll have to live with. There are days that my body is calling for a run, especially if I haven’t produced a significant level of endorphins in a few days. There could be some factors that also contribute to the euphoria such as, adrenaline, caffeine, chocolate, and Gatorade. But at the end, coming down is tough. Good thing it is not a serious problem.

Does it come to any surprise that the Boston Marathon is on 4/20 this year?

Created by Crazyprofile.com