What to Know about Marathon Pace Before Your Race
April 10, 2024
Regular readers will know that I love to talk about food and nutrition just as much as I love to eat. I am a firm believer in no-fuss nutrition that includes both unproccessed foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds, lean meats, etc.) and the occasional indulgence. I am not a proponent of restrictive diets or eliminating food groups unless in the case of an allergy/intolerance.
On the Rise.Run.Retreat, we had the privilege of discussing nutrition for female runners with a registered dietitian and marathoner, Jamie Sheahan. Jamie’s conversation with us affirmed many of my ideas about nutrition for runners and taught me new, valuable information. Along with getting to know the other women and running the Leaf Peeper Half Marathon, her talk was a highlight of the weekend for me.
Fatigue, Irritability, and Runger are NOT Normal
If you are exhausted from training, hungry all of the time, or irritable – you need to look at your nutrition. The first thing Jamie emphasized was that training should not leave you completely drained, yet most female runners expect to feel this way because they often do feel this way when training.
According to the nutritionist, the most common culprit is undereating both in terms of overall calories and carbohydrates. Low calorie and low carbohydrate diets are not for runners. While you should always speak to your doctor or a nutritionist if you feel exhausted or hungry all of the time, the simple solution is to eat more nutrient-dense food such as whole grains, lean meats, and fruits/vegetables. Don’t be afraid of calories or carbs.
Since I deal with PCOS and endometriosis, which impact estrogen levels and thus can affect bone density, it is extra important that I include calcium- and vitamin D-rich foods in my diet for bone health. Regardless of your hormonal health, female runners need to prioritize calcium and vitamin D in their diets.
I am minorly sensitive to lactose, which means that high-lactose foods such as milk, certain cheeses, and cream do not sit well with my stomach. Jamie even covered this in her talk and discussed how fermented dairy (hooray for yogurt!) and dark green vegetables provide calcium for everyone – especially anyone who doesn’t want to or can’t drink milk.
I try to eat a yogurt every day for the calcium, protein, and probiotics. The retreat was no exception! I ate Stonyfield organic whole milk yogurt each morning (except race day morning), which is what I swear saved my stomach from rebelling against me after long flights and eating ice cream the day before a race.
After the retreat, I decided to reincorporate roasted broccoli and massaged or cooked kale to my diet for more calcium. Too much cruciferous vegetables in the past have wrecked havoc my stomach, but cauliflower seems to be the main culprit (as does portion size because I can eat my roasted vegetables by the bowl full).
Healthy fat plays an important role in the runner’s diet, but did you know that the type of healthy fat matters? Jamie discussed with us the importance of the proper ratio of omega-3 to omega-3 fatty acids and how eating fish 1-3 times per week can help us achieve this balance.
Interestingly enough, I set my half marathon PR during Lent this year – which means I was eating fish at least once a week (on the day of my long runs and then the night before the race). Yes, my training, mindset, and Ryan’s support most certainly contributed to breaking 1:40 in the half marathon, but nutrition matters as well. Correlation does not indicate causation, but I can’t help but wonder if fish as part of my regular diet contributed to better recovery after my long runs.
In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, fish is also rich in vitamin D. My goal is to include fish at least once a week in our meal plan and choose fatty fishes such as trout, steelhead, tuna, or salmon.
Jamie began her presentation with an icebreaker: what’s your favorite “vice” food? (Burgers and beer here!) Her point was that a diet aimed towards overall health and optimal athletic performance should include treats in moderation. Food is for pleasure and companionship just as much as for fuel.
From a nutritionist and a runner’s perspective, Jamie strongly discouraged eating a gluten-free diet unless you have celiacs disease or a diagnosed gluten intolerance. Trendy diets are often focused on weight loss through restriction of a food group, but restricting an entire food group unless you have an allergy can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Plus, let’s be honest: bread, pasta, baked goods, beer – all of those gluten-filled foods taste good!
Recover Better with Turmeric
Indian food tastes delicious, but did you know that it can also improve your recovery during hard training cycles? Turmeric is a spice commonly used in Indian cuisines and is anti-inflammatory – meaning that it naturally reduces inflammation in your muscles and boosts recovery.
Try this pumpkin curry or this lentil curry and add turmeric in as one of the spices (while turmeric is part of Garam Masala, there is not quite enough in Garam for the full benefits of the spice). And don’t skimp on the black pepper – pepper increases the bioavailability of turmeric’s anti-inflammatory compounds.
Jamie spoke at the Rise.Run.Retreat. If you are interested in learning more, you can contact her here: http://edgevt.com/nutrition/.
[Tweet “What I learned about #nutrition for #runners from the @riserunretreat via @thisrunrecipes #riserunretreat16 #marathontraining”]
What’s your “vice” food?
Do you feel hungry all the time when training hard?
What’s your favorite type of fish to eat?
28 Responses
Very interesting! I try to eat fish once a week, (usually salmon) but we don’t always have great options around here. I also make burgers pretty often but I don’t really think of them as a vice because I just use organic, grass-fed beef, we don’t use buns when we make them at home just because its one less thing to buy, and make our own sweet potato fries and veggies. I guess my vice would be wine, and dessert!
At the retreat (and in Shalane Flanagan’s cookbook), sardines and sustainably-caught canned tuna are included in good fatty fish to eat. Grass-fed homemade burgers are definitely a good healthy meal – it’s the ones at breweries that always tempt me! I think also that every “vice” food/drink has its benefits and should be part of a healthy diet.
I was so impressed with Jamie that I contacted her about doing a private consult. As you saw on Sunday, I’ve been dealing with muscle cramping during races for years. I want to get to the root of it and find something that works for good. Excited to figure it out!
She was so impressive – how exciting that you will be working with her! I really hope you are able to figure out the cause of those cramps and overcome them. She was so knowledgeable that I have no doubt she will help!
I agree that Jamie was a highlight of the retreat! She affirmed a lot of my beliefs and was just a very “common sense” nutritionist and I loved that about her.
It’s good to know we both took away a lot of the same points on this one!
I agree! Affirmed is how I felt as well – you read so much about gluten free, Paleo, vegan, etc. that is was refreshing to hear a practical approach (and made me feel better about my own eating habits).
you know I am all about indulgences and balance of nutrient dense foods and the favorite stuff that may not be so nutrient dense :). I am definitely a sweet tooth so cake and desserts are a must on a regular basis. I sort of just believe one should eat what they feel like because if you really tune in to what you want, you will see it balances out nicely to give you the healthy stuff you need plus some of the foods your soul craves. I don’t know, it works for me.
I do think that intuitive eating is good, but I also think there’s a benefit to paying attention to making sure you get enough foods – especially for us women who are more prone to deficiencies. Jamie said that women need almost 80% more iron in our diets then men! But definitely should be balanced out with what you want to eat.
I don’t have vice foods–they are all necessary! I’m glad to hear all of these tidbits–means I am doing something right, with the exception of turmeric. I like curry, but I don’t have it that much.
YES! Hence the scare quotes. I’ve seen turmeric smoothies/golden milk all over the place and it is SO good on roasted squash/sweet potatoes/veggies that it’s pretty easy to sneak in! The only downside is it can dye your hands orange and then you look like he-who-must-not-be-named.
Great post. It honestly drives me batty when people give up gluten for no reason. It’s become such a fad! I want to start encorporating more turmeric in my diet!!
Thank you! I agree – it is such a fad and some people who take it up don’t even realize exactly what gluten is or why some people truly need to avoid every trace of it.
Great. My mouth is watering from that last photo and it’s only 7:30 am. Okay so Laura, you’d be proud to know that I have eaten a giant bowl of roasted broccoli every single day (except for one day) since nearly three weeks ago! And all sorts of other veggies too. I have to say that yes, it does make my tummy a little more…stormy…than usual, but even with just that minor change in my diet (and I drink at least 2L of water every day now too) I have noticed significant changes in my body. My fingernails used to be brittle and bendy. I keep them short so it’s not like I was trying to grow them out; they were just THAT weak. Now they’re like steel! I think my running has improved too, which is an added bonus. I take a blood building vitamin and vitamin D every single day too. LIFE CHANGING. I am a huge believer (now, where I was a skeptic before) in the power of veggies and water. WHO AM I.
I am so proud of you – way to get all those vitamins! Broccoli does have a special affect on the stomach (ahem) but the nutrients in it are so good. that’s awesome how strong your fingernails are! I’ve heard that nails are the first place deficiencies show up, so healthy nails mean overall health. And who are you? A woman who is going to break 3 in the marathon very soon, thanks to the power of veggies and water!
She sounds awesome and so down to earth! I would have loved the nutrition component too. Glad you had some helpful takeaways!
Yes, you would have loved her talk! She was so down to earth and talked so much about using nutrition, not medicine, to boost recovery and avoid injury.
Nutrition kind of fascinates my brain…I should probably read about it more. Thank you for sharing very insightful tidbits from your (amazing) weekend retreat. This year, I made a big change to my “diet”, and that was removing meat. For me, it works (in terms of recovery, etc). But, due to the fact that I do not really “train”, I do not pay as much attention to how my body really feels as you would. What I have noticed (most recently) is that my activity levels have dropped a bit in the past couple of months, but I still feel “lean”. Normally a drop in activity would still make me feel soft…there is probably no correlation, but I wonder, for me, if this has anything to do with not eating meat?! (and I am completely off topic from your questions….sorry!!)
My vice food/drink is beer….and something salty. Like french fries! Oh and ice cream….always ice cream. 🙂
Even without training, it’s important to pay attention to how your body feels – health matters whether you are training for a race or not, and people can overtrain/have nutritional deficiencies without training for a race or following a specific plan. I had problems with iron when I was just running 15 miles per week for health and fitness!
As for the leanness – it’s probably not related to meat, unless it’s a problem with iron (which is a risk with taking meat completely out – but problems with iron show in many ways) – that would be a question to ask a doctor or nutritionist!
I like most vice foods and ben and jerry’s is my fave. I am a former vegetarian who introduced seafood a few years ago and I feel like it helps my performance as well. Not sure if it’s the protein or the Omega 3’s, but I love some salmon and shrimp.
You would have LOVED the Ben and Jerry’s place in Vermont. I had gone years without having it and forgot how amazing their ice cream is.
I’ve started putting turmeric in my morning smoothie, and make sure to take Vitamin D since living in North America means I’m already mildly deficient.
I love how reasonable these tips are.
Thank you – that was the best part of Jamie’s advice, was that it was reasonable and practical. No extreme changes or restrictions, just little additions.
I try to eat fish or seafood at least once a week, though I need to be more diligent about meal planning because if the fish isn’t planned it doesn’t get bought and thus can’t be eaten 😉
While I do get hungrier during more intense training, I’ve never been shy about eating more to compensate – people are often surprised by how much I can eat!
I know exactly what you mean – if I don’t plan fish in, chances are we don’t eat it! Meal planning does more than just save time 🙂
Good post and I agree about what you say about gluten foods- I crave carbs of all sorts as a runner & to avoid them would be simply ignoring what my body is clearly saying it needs for fuel (I also just love em!) I love fish and would happily eat sea bass, bream, salmon or shellfish 3-4 times a week. Vice food would have to be Chinese food and ice-cream!
Thank you! Ignoring your body is never good – there are so many key nutrients in foods that contain gluten, not to mention that they taste good!
Jamie’s session was so great. I loved her tips and guidance and you did a great job highlighting some of the best takeaways. So glad we could all experience this together! xo
I agree – it was one of the highlights of the retreat for me, thank you and Sarah for inviting her!