Last Thursday, my gym was putting on a free running nutrition clinic. The speaker was Mary Coordt. She really knows her running. She is a coach, a nutrition consultant and a four times Olympic trails qualifier. She's super fast! She has also won the Napa Marathon four times. She talked about a lot of stuff I already knew, but I also learned a lot!
Who ever registered and attended the clinic, got a free entry into a local 10 mile race in a week! I've been training for it and am ready!
The clinic was held on the gyms basketball courts. There were a lot of slides and Mary kept it very entertaining. The hour flew by! This picture was taken before all the people arrived (it wasn't empty).
Some of the points that she discussed were:
Searching good information online. Most websites ending in .org or .edu are usually the best info. This is a really good site to check out. So much info here!
Sugar: On average, people should only take in 6-9 tablespoons of sugar a day. Most Americans take in 30 tablespoons a day. I know I take in more than 6-9 tablespoons. I love my sweets!
If you wait about 20 minutes, once you finish a meal, you can tell if you're really hungry still. Some people (I know I'm one of them), have dessert right after dinner, instead of waiting to see if they really need (aka: still hungry for it) it.
Iron: necessary for using energy. It's odd, if you don't have enough iron, you may be fatigued. But, if you have too much, you may be fatigued. I guess it's always a good hing not to self diagnose. You should see a doctor if you think you may have any iron deficiency. Most women only take in 24% of their daily iron. As for men, hey take 224% of their daily iron intake. Strange.
Up to 81% of high endurance athletes have GI problems. I'm, not by any means, an endurance athlete, but I do get GI problems when I go for long runs. Mary suggests that in taking very small amounts of water (or liquid) at a time, will help your GI when it's time to take in a larger amount (when you're thirsty). There have been many ideas going around saying that if you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Mary suggests just to drink when you're thirsty, because that's when you need it.
Post workout: Water is water. No need to hype it up with additional vitamins. The water that comes from your tap is just fine (or you can buy bottle if you prefer). After a long workout, you should take in some type of carb within 10 minutes and some protein (40g carbs & 10g protein) within 30 minutes after your high intensity workout. Chocolate milk if the perfect ratio. PB & bread or a smoothie is a good choice too.
When it comes to what to take in, it's all about what works for you. I know that I can't drink sports drinks while running and can only take in small amounts of water at a time. I announced on Twitter that I was eating a hard boiled egg before my long run time last week. Some people were shocked about that. I've never had a problem with eggs before a high intensity workout (knock on wood). Everyones stomachs are different. What works for me, may not work for you (and vice versa). Most of the time, as long as I have my compression shorts and socks and a glass of chocolate milk, I'm pretty good the next day.
What are some of your tricks for recovery after a high intensity workout?
There's definitely a lot to be said about when to drink water and when it's too late and so on. But like you said, it's really about knowing and listening to your body... I'm of the belief that when you're thirsty it's too late. But listening to your body is more important than what you think. If I go for a long run and I have alot going on around me(not a boring run) I don't even think about drinking water; conversely, when I'm bored and my mind is reeling I think about stopping at every fountain. I don't, if I'm still sweating I'm probably well hydrated. If by chance I've stopped, it's probably too late. So ya, the only one that probably knows is you. :D Thanks for the great read!
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