Runners Tell All: I Eat Cupcakes Before I Run

You can probably use your common sense and realize pretty quickly that I'm in no position to offer any advice on how to properly fuel your runs.

Example: I've eaten a cupcake before I've run.  Like as I'm walking out of the locker room into cross country practice.

Example 2: I ate a few bites of a sub about five minutes before my 4X100 race last year in track.  Granted, I didn't realize that my race was so soon, but I still ate it.  And my coach still will not let go of it - Subway is my new middle name.

Example 3: Once I ate a granola bar while I was running.  I wasn't even hungry, I just kind of felt the need to eat, so I took my granola bar with me.

You may be gasping in horror right now, sure that the following runs were disasters with consequences such as throwing up all over the person in front of me or having to run 0.5 miles per hour because I felt so sick.  Don't fear though! I was completely and perfectly fine all three times! In fact, I'm pretty sure that I PR'd in my leg of the 4x100 that day. (Thanks, Subway!)

My apparent superpower of having an iron stomach does have an Achille's heel, however.  I do not want to eat/taste/see/smell/hear food within the first five minutes after a run.  At one cross country meet where I had run particularly hard in the last 400 meters, there was a team that was having a COOKOUT right next to the finish line.

When the aroma of hotdogs and burgers drifted over to me, I was breathing hard (duh.) and as soon as I smelled it, my stomach just flipped. I literally gagged and had to keep running to get away from it.  Here's the kicker: it was like 9 AM.  Who wants 'burgs and dogs before most people are even awake on a Saturday morning?

Anyway, the point of all that was to show what a bad example I am when it comes to running fuel and how you should never, ever come to me because my advice would be:

because it's what I do and I haven't died yet so it must be working.  

I do have some favorite things that I eat in relation to running though.  

Before: 

Obviously, I have no time restraints on when I eat before a run.  For important races though, I do like to keep my last meal at least 45 minutes before start time.  Cereal, bagels with peanut butter, protein bars, and bananas are my favorite pre-race breakfasts. Lots and lots of water throughout the day (if I race in the afternoon) is key to not having to decide between dehydrating and having a full bladder while running. 

During:

Well, I'm not too experienced in this category, but Kashi Chocolate Almond Sea Salt with Chia Bars (longest name ever) seem to do the trick! :) 

After: 

I'm a smoothie girl! One of the first things I crave after a run is a fruity, cold smoothie! If those aren't readily available, then fruit, Gatorade, and protein bars will have to do the trick.  Of course I chug about a gallon and a half of water a few minutes after I run when I'm done gasping for air, but I try to keep up a steady water intake for a couple hours. 

When I do get smoothies post-run, I like to make my smoothies protein-packed so it can be a one-and-done sort of ordeal. I use CrioSport Vanilla Whey Protein powder and I think it's pretty good.  I'm not very educated in the realm of protein powders though, so if you have any suggestions, let me know! 

Last night I made a delicious fruity smoothie that I want everyone to know about because I love it so much! 

Here's what you need:

- frozen pineapple chunks (I didn't measure, but about 3/4 cup? Maybe?)

-blueberries (Fresh or frozen. Mine were frozen. ½ cup?)

-1 frozen banana

-1/4 cup of oats

-water

-1 scoop of vanilla protein powder

Blend up the oats by themselves first to avoid having oat chunks.  It's not as gross as it sounds though.  Next, blend everything else until it's nice and smooth.  

Enjoy!

I linked-up today with Amanda and Beka! If you want some real running fuel advice, you should probably check out some of those links over there.  You know, maybe you'll find some people who don't eat cupcakes right before they run.  

What are some of your running food rituals? Any protein powder suggestions? 

{LINK-UP} Runners Tell All: Proudest Running Moment

Hey, hey! I'm linking up again today with Amanda and Beka for the monthly Runners Tell All.  This month, we're talking about our proudest/most favorite running moment that we've had.
For me, competing in the state final cross country meet last season was an incredible honor.  On a chilly, and extremely muddy November day, I ran my final meet of the season around & inside the Michigan International Speedway. 
Due to the torturous last close-to-a-mile where the course led us around the muddymuddymuddy inside of MIS, I didn't quite get the PR that I was looking for, although I was just a few seconds off.  However, to be involved in a race of that magnitude was beyond exciting.  My name was even on the scrolling scoreboard in the center of the field and on the back of the state finals shirt that was totally overpriced but I bought anyway.
My finish was less than glamorous as at that point I was probably moving slower I do when I move from the dinner table to the couch after Thanksgiving dinner. Butttt, overall, I had a great race.  Once I found my family at the finish (a lot harder said than done), lots of congratulations, hugs, and pictures ensued.  
I don't think I've ever been more proud to call myself a runner than I was at that time.  

The amount of squint in this picture is unreal.  

A shower couldn't come fast enough.

What's your proudest running moment? Let me know in the comments, or better yet(!) link it up! 

36 Miles and Counting

I found a new addiction.

But don't worry! It's not like that one addiction when I wanted to legitimately search to find a way to legally keep one of these cat-ish creatures that I saw at the Lincoln Park Zoo as a pet.  (I don't even know what species it is anymore . . . ) 

But you have to admit that you want one too. 

Nor is it like those few months where I took one decent looking photo and was sure that I was destined to be a photographer.  

Nope, not like that at all.  This time, the addiction is nothing like either of those fleeting notions.  Instead, my new found love is beneficial, fun, and definitely attainable.  I mean, it's not like keeping a wild animal as a pet isn't attainable though . . .

Sweat & Sweets

Last night, I did something that I haven't done in a long time.

I went to the gym.

I know, I know.  Shocking, right?  I would have convinced myself out of last night's expedition if the left hand turn lane that led to the gym had not had a shorter line than the right hand turn line that led to my house.  That's my reasoning in a nutshell right there.  But I'm so glad that I went, even if I only had 25 minutes.

I started out with a quick run: only 1.5 miles.  But here's the exciting part.  I finally got my mile time back under 8 min/mile! I haven't been able to do that since cross country season ended in November. Maybe all it took was having limited time and having to get in and out of the gym quickly?  I don't know, but it makes me happy!

Then I turned to the app that I love to hate: Nike Training Club.  It kills me.every.single.time.  But I just keep going back for more, and I haven't died yet, so our relationship is working out pretty well.  I did a fifteen minute legs workout that has me wincing (in a good way, because our relationship is so great! Remember?) every time I go to sit down.

Now all that working out and healthiness (okay, it was like 25 minutes.  I spend more time than that picking out what to wear in the morning some days) was good and fine for yesterday.  But today is today and what today needed was something extra sweet.