It’s simple mathematics:
Running + Weights + Hormones = HUNGER!
Yikes! I am one hungry girl. Seriously. If it’s not nailed down, I might eat it. Ok…that’s not entirely true. I am trying to make good decisions about the foods I choose. I just have to choose more of everything.
I’m fine with eating more. My body needs fuel to handle marathon training. I need to give the body what it needs, if I want it work for me. This is quite a transition for me. Formerly overweight, I spent months…years…getting to where I am today. The transformation of my body required significant dietary changes. Here’s a few of the biggest changes I had to make:
- Drink more water.
- Avoid mindless snacking.
- Increase intake of fruits and vegetables.
- Transition from highly-processed, refined carbohydrates to whole grain, complex carbohydrates.
- Stop frequenting local chain restaurants 3-4x/week.
- Eat smaller portions.
It took a long time to make these changes and reach the point where I could embark on a marathon journey. My body is stronger. I have more energy. Most importantly, I feel happy.
Here’s where it gets tricky…the habits I formed were great for sustaining my average weekly workout schedule of spinning/short runs, Pilates, and yoga. As marathon training intensifies, my body has different needs. I need more protein. I need more complex carbohydrates. I need more fluids and electrolytes. I’m on a learning curve. Since I’m a food lover, I’m quite enjoying the ride. My main goal is the fuel properly throughout training, allowing me to run a successful race.
For more info on fueling for a marathon, check out Caitlin’s post. She gives great tips and a healthy perspective!
On that note, here’s some good old-fashioned Wednesday eats!
A bowl of oats to start the day. This bowl contained the works:
- 1/2 c. oats
- 1/2 c. almond milk
- 1/2 c. water
- 1 banana – 1/2 cooked into mix, 1/2 sliced on top
- 1 T. ground flaxseed
- Toppings: dried cranberries, dark chocolate chips, almond butter
It was just the breakfast I needed to power me through another weight training circuit:
- plank – 60 seconds
- front arm raises – 15x – 7.5 lbs.
- lateral arm raises – 15x – 5 lbs.
- bicep curls – 15x – 10 lbs.
- tricep dips – 15x on raised step
- straight-legged deadlifts – 15x – 10 lbs.
- squat with overhead shoulder press – 15x – 7.5 lbs.
- “Here Comes the Bride” squat – 15x – 1 10 lb. weight
- abs and obliques moves (still don’t know the name of ‘em) – 15x each – I used that fancy bench thing again!
I repeated this circuit three times. Not bad, not bad! I plugged in the ol’ iPod and got busy. The time went by rather quickly and I felt really proud of finishing the circuit without anyone there to push me. It was just enough for this newbie!
I came home and went for my go-to post-workout snack.
In the bowl, I combined 1/3 c. low-fat cottage cheese, blueberries, and ~1/3 c. Kashi Heart to Heart. It tasted great and satisfied me…but only for about an hour. My stomach started grumbling again, so I reached for an apple. I also grabbed a few almonds.
Fill ‘er up! The apple and almond combo did the trick. I had a happy belly and time to make a yummy lunch – a fun Emily creation! I had all the makings for her lovely Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats, so that’s what I enjoyed.
I paired my zucchini boats with a simple green salad.
The warm, cheesy zucchini boat was hearty and filling, while the salad provided a cool, refreshing crunch. It was a stellar lunch! I’ve been taking advantage of the lunch hour to experiment with new recipes without the pressure of pleasing a diverse group of diners. I was excited about this one…and it was a winner!
The afternoon was spent on a little DYI project. Wanna peek?
Thanks to my computer-savvy mother, Beck On The Run can now represent! I’ve got my very own stack of business cards – for free! Love ya, Mom!
I just polished off this afternoon yogurt/granola snack…
…and I’m off!
Have you ever trained for an endurance event? What changes did you notice in training? I’d love to learn from you!
I’m training now and I find that I am snacking more but for me I think its my mind playing tricks on me. I have a tendancy to overeat and I think the old habits are using the new ones to find an excuse. To make sure that I am actually legitimately fuelling and not binging for the sake of it I am keeping a closer eye on the quality as well; lots of whole grains, protein and fibre rich fruits and vegetables.
TOO FUNNY. I just ordered cards too!! So proud of you with the weights, girl!!
Marathon training will seriously make you HUNGRY. I am in a training cycle right now and if something isn’t nailed down, it will end up in my mouth! I actually gained about 5 pounds last year running 90 mile weeks. It was intense! I expect the same thing this year.
Trust me, if you gain some weight, it will probably be muscle. It is more important to fuel your body
Marathon training will seriously make you HUNGRY. I am in a training cycle right now and if something isn’t nailed down, it will end up in my mouth! I actually gained about 5 pounds last year running 90 mile weeks. It was intense! I expect the same thing this year.
Trust me, if you gain some weight, it will probably be muscle. It is more important to fuel your body
Totally agree that your body can make you think you could eat your desk after hard training. I really try to get a little protein with every single meal, that has made all the difference. I also find that I really try to limit anything that is not-fresh, that too takes away any crazy cravings I may have for a hunk of chocolate.
Keep up the hard work, you’re body is saying “more!”
After days and days without Internet, I’ve resorted to commenting via my iPhone…please forgive any errors!
Anyway, lifting weights alone will make you hungrier. So marathon training + weights makes you ready to chew off your arm!
Whenever I train for an endurance event, I try really hard to be more in tune with my body to make sure it’s getting the fuel it needs. I make sure to keep extra healthy snacks on hand that combine carbs with protein, so I’m not just mindlessly snacking on something like pretzels – which I could eat all day and never get full! But at the same time, I also try to relax a little bit more. If I’m hungry even when I don’t think I SHOULD be (because I just ate or whatever), I listen to that and try to figure out what it is I’m craving – instead of just eating when/what I think I should.
Oh – and the business cards look awesome!
Great advice, Lauren! It’s weird because sometimes I find myself wondering if my hunger is normal. I mean, can I really eat that much? I am trying to choose nutrient-dense, healthy foods because I know that’s what I need right now.
I ran my first marathon last fall and agree, that yes you will definitely get more hungry; however, I learned it’s important to choose smart foods to refuel your body. A little extra protein after hard workouts definitely helps, although I found it hard at first to find a good balance. (After a long run on Sunday once I actually woke up in the middle of the night and had to go make a half a pb and j !) Just listen to your body, it will tell you when it needs more fuel! Also hydration is very important! Another thing to try to do is get a little more sleep than usual, part of the feeling of depletion your body will feel can be helped out with a little more zzzzz’s.
p.s. love your blog and good luck with the training… what marathon are you going to run? I qualified for Boston, so I plan on training for that next, but will probably only do a half in the fall!
I am running the Amica Marathon in Newport. It’s my first one, so I’m no going for a BQ. I just want to finish!
Those cards are too cute!! I was just looking around for some of my own
I’m actually training for my first half marathon right now. I really do feel you on needing more nutrition (though I’m sure will a full training, you need more than me!). Great post!
I’ve really been trying to listen to my body as far as deciding when to feed it. Strangely enough, on long run days, my appetite is severely diminished (I haven’t been hungry at all today even though I ran 12 miles this morning….) following the run yet I end up quite hungry the day afterward. It’s almost as though running that distance shuts off my digestive system for the day, and it doesn’t start back up again till the next day. Strange how that happens…so I don’t sweat it and force myself to eat after my run just for the sake of eating (minus the post-run recovery snack….I always eat that!). I figure my body will let me know once it’s ready for more fuel, and I’ll be happy to oblige it!
I have a similar issue. Long, hard runs totally zap my appetite. On those days, I typically have my post-run fuel and lots of fluids! It catches up to me the next day, when I feel like I “shouldn’t” be overly hungry, but I am. Listening to hunger cues is definitely the way to go…our bodies tell us what they want
Impressive Business Cards!
So, with marathon training my metabolism seems to speed up to the point where I could literally eat all day. Now that I have adopted a clean eating lifestyle I find that the healthier choices of fresh fruits, veggies, whole grain complex carbs have really balanced out my extreme cravings or crazy NEED to eat. Also working with my health coach I have learned the importance of getting the correct amount of calories necessary for peformance and that includes hitting a high protein number.
It sounds like you doing great things for your 1st marathon training. You are going to rock it!
I always eat protein with every meal. If I don’t then I don’t leave satisfied. I also try to incporate some sort of healthy fat with every meal as well. The combination of fat and protein keeps me full!
Love the cards! Yes, when training more the thing I notice the most is my hunger levels.
I wish I could tell you more, but right now all I’ve got for you is the line, “I’m right there with you!”
I’ve been running half marathons for 4 years or so, and nothing has really changed. I’m a pretty slight guy to begin with, so during training season I’m usually around 153lbs. Well, since starting to train for this triathlon I’ve gone up (weird, eh?) to 165lbs. I blame it on the weight training mostly. I never used to weight train while I ran, but now I’ve started. Literally since I began “pushing tin” (as my Kiwi friend likes to call it) I’ve jumped in weight. It’s not making my running much easier, so now I’m looking for a way to lose some weight (back under 160) while maintaining my muscle.
Not to sound cheeky, but I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve had to lose weight, so I don’t really know what to do. I’m basically trying to eat more frequently during the day to cut down on massive meals while also having smaller-sized portions. We’ll see how it all works out =P