For those of you runners out there, you know how physically demanding and tiring running can be. You have to prepare yourself mentally, physically and nutritionally. If any one of these components is missing, then you are setting yourself up for even more of a challenge.
If you support the idea of running on veggies then I would love any messages of encouragement below or your support.
In return, I am going to give you some helpful tips on how to approach your next race powerfully.
Mentally:
You need to prepare yourself. You need to know the details of the race, the course you are running and making sure you take the think out of it so that you can approach each run with pure determination and enthusiasm.
Physically:
You’ve got to TRAIN! I learned this the hard way for my first 1/2 marathon. I figured, I run on a weekly basis a couple of times, do interval training, strength train, yoga – so I am good. If I can run for 45 minutes then I can surely run for two hours!? Well I was wrong. I completed the race but I did not feel like I achieved my goal or ran the way I wanted to, and my recovery after the race was difficult. So I would advise you to take the time and train a couple of times a week. Get involved with a running group and have an action plan to run a certain amount each week. Increase your distance every time you run and add in some hill training. There are various resources online to give guidelines and several local running groups wherever you may be living. So hook up with one and you will see and feel the difference.
My group and I have actually already ran the full 21K. So now I know I can do it again on race day!
Another tip is to make sure that you cross train. Spend time doing other forms of exercise to condition your body in more than one way. Try things like strength training, yoga, cycling or swimming.
Nutritionally:
This is of course the most important one. Most marathoners and runners in general actually focus very little on nutrition or have adopted the old school way of eating which includes lots of white carbohydrates and the mentality of “I run, so I can eat anything”. Not true! Don’t get into this mess because your body will feel it and not perform at it’s optimum. Below I have listed some of the things I choose to eat when training and in my diet in general throughout the week so that I can prepare and recover effectively.
For more recipes and guidelines on this please see my book PURELY FIT!
Here’s what I do:
I have been using the VEGA sport performance line to help with each phase of my run.
Before I run:
- Vega Sport Energizer (Lemon or Acai) – mixed with coconut water and Sun Warrior’s Ormus Supergreens
- If I have enough time I will also have either Vega Vibrancy Bar or Vega Endurance Bar
While I run:
- I like to have water on me in my fuel belt. I do one just plain and one with Vega Electrolytes (especially for long or hot runs)
- Endurance Gel – I carry this on me just in case I need some extra fuel, however I am usually good with just water. (For full marathoners, I would consider keeping a couple of these on you!)
After I run:
- I take some water and sip on the Vega recovery accelerator. I try and finish it but even just having some of it helps. To be honest I am not overly hungry right after I run.
- About 20 minutes later I have the Vega Sport Performance Protein with some rice or almond milk. I love making my smoothies, but after a long run, I just like something simple and easy to digest.
Meals:
Later on in the day (as I usually run in the morning) I will have a healthy veggie lunch consisting of quinoa, beans, salad, sprouts, sweet potatoes – or some variation thereof. For more ideas see some of the recipes resources in my PURELY FIT book to get a better idea of the meals I make to compliment my training.
Sport nutrition or just fitness nutrition is a passion of mine. With a background in Kinesiology, exercise comes easily to me and is a an important part of my lifestyle. I have set myself up to run this race and reach a new personal best.
If you are a runner and you also run on veggies, then you know what it takes and how you feel to perform at your best. If you can share below your experience with running on a plant based diet, please enlighten my readers.
