Eating Properly for Training and Racing - by Andy Baldwin

I want each of you to touch your body. Touch your arms. Touch your legs. Put your hand on your head. Now put your hand over your heart and feel that heartbeat. That’s your body folks. The ONE and ONLY body you will ever have. Why do we neglect it, let it get sunburned, expose it to smoke, put bad processed food inside it, not keep it tuned up, and not give it the TLC it deserves?? This type of abuse leads to irreversible damage and there’s no turning back. Think about that for a moment. IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE. Why would we ever treat something so precious in such a neglectful way? Let’s START treating our bodies better today!

I hope you have been following your training plan for the race you have signed up for in 2010. The past two weeks, I have set up camp in San Antonio, Texas attending a Global Health/Infectious Disease Course at Brooks Air Force Base. The days have been long, and I’ve spent much of that time sitting on my bum which gets me charged to go running after class. My training plan for the Comrades Ultramarathon at this point consists of upping my weekly running mileage to about 60 miles per week, and dropping as much excess weight (upper body muscle and fat) as possible. This translates to more long easy runs on the trails and treadmill, NO lifting weights, LOTS of water, and most importantly timing my eating properly to my workout schedule and making sure that the foods are QUALITY “fuel”.

So here is my eating plan which has become fairly routine. The most important meal of the day is breakfast. So I take in some coffee, orange juice, a banana, yogurt, oatmeal, and down a multivitamin. Throughout class all morning I sip on water and stretch frequently. I also drink coffee to stay awake (some of the lectures are kind of boring). For lunch I go to the grocery store and purchase carrots, almonds, a turkey sandwich wrap, cottage cheese (good protein and calcium source), and a big water. I don’t feel completely full after lunch, but that is ok. I resist the urge to eat more, or to get a piece of cake. I have properly fueled my body with the nutrition I need. Anyway, why would my body need an excess of fuel right now? I am going to be sitting on my bum in a classroom for the next four and a half hours. That is the way you need to think. Does my body need extra calories right now? Am I going to be running for the next 3 hours? Yes? -> Ok feed.  NO? -> Put down the candy bar!

When 5 o’clock finally comes, I am ready to be active. I have been sitting all day, and now is the time I need to fuel my body with carbohydrates in preparation for movement and exercise. I eat a POWERBAR Performance Bar (Cookies and Cream is my favorite), drink another bottle of water, and head to the gym to take on the treadmill for a long run. When we use our muscles to move continuously in aerobic exercise we use slow-twitch muscles fibers, powered by oxygen in our lungs, and the glucose in our bloodstream. The glucose in your body is what keeps you moving during your high intensity workouts. When we are training and racing for an extended period of time (over an hour) it is crucial to take in calories and liquids. Hydration is key to optimal performance. For my long runs I like PowerBar carbohydrate gel packs, and some of their Endurance energy drink, but basically anything that has calories is fine. I have a habit of eating Snickers during long runs. Give me some energy!

After an hour and a half of blood, sweat, tears and Rage Against the Machine (literally) on the treadmill I do some post-run stretching, take a deep breath, and hit the showers. I’ve done it. Phew that felt good. A post-run weigh in shows that I have lost six lbs in sweat during the training effort. This tells me that I have to drink a few bottles of water, take some electrolytes AND put healthy food back in my body to rebuild the muscles. What you do AFTER a training workout is equally important. In order to realize the gains from your effort, one must refurbish the muscles with proper protein and complex carbohydrates so that they can grow back stronger. So for dinner I have fish, a baked potato, a salad with lots of different veggies (I love broccoli), and a cold beer (after a big glass of water of course).  Again, I resist the urge to overeat, because it is nighttime now and the body will be at rest soon and not in need of excess fuel. I don’t eat anything for the two hours prior to going to bed. Just imagine that whatever you consume in those two hours before bed will go right to your stomach, your bum, and your thighs. Have water instead, or some fruit. The next day when you wake up you will feel hungry, light on your feet, and ready to put some good breakfast food in that healthy body of yours. Ready for another day!

Smile and keep up the great training!

Andy Baldwin is a Nautica sponsored athlete