I usually eat more when on a marathon program, which is normal. I don’t eat before my morning runs as it is too early to eat, I would only have a cup of coffee to wake me up and give me some energy to get out of the house. Guidelines include consuming nutrients that would give me the energy I need and allow my body to recover.
Below I have shared my eating plan, to give my followers more insight into how I eat, so that you can better plan your own diets. I believe that everyone’s eating plan should be individualized, so the idea is not to copy what I eat but to rather help you should you need some advise on healthy eating habits.
My advice: Aim for consistent good habits and keep it simple!
Do’s
*Eat lots of vegetables – (mostly steamed) Vegetables contain antioxidants which helps you recover , as well as other nutrients which powers your workouts.
*Eat breakfast everyday- Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A morning meal offers you a chance to replenish your glycogen and recover the muscles from the previous day’s damage , thus I ensure that I consume both protein and carbohydrates.
*Eat atleast 2 fruits a day.
*Try to cut down the sugar, by avoiding sweets, chocolates ect- I try and replace sugar with honey in my tea and when I have oats.
*Snack during the day- usually with nuts, fruits, biltong, protein bars.
*Drink lots of water- Without sufficient water, your brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, nerves cannot work properly.
Dont’s
*I try and stay away from fast foods.
*I try and avoid soda’s
*Don’t drink alcohol when I in season training.
What can I not go a day without?
Coffee. I seriously would not function without it. It’s scary , I think I am addicted to it. I usually drink it before a run , so that I am able to take my iron tablets after my run. Iron does not absorb when you have it with coffee and milk.
My trusted snack for energy boost
Banana
How I stay hydrated during a run
I usually have peptopro on my longruns , where I practice taking it every 5km’s. In my training sessions I woud sip on it during the sets. And then post sessions, I would always have a 500ml of peptopro supplement to aid recovery.
Most challenging
Drinking 3L of water a day. I don’t like drinking water, but I know it is of utmost importance. So I just keep my 500ml bottle of water close to me and remind myself that I have to atleast drink 5-6d of them during the day.
Favourite meal
Pizza or Thai green curry
Favourite Treat
Chocolate cake or Brownie
Favourite fruit
Mango and Pineapple
Eating plan
Breakfast
Option 1:
Bowl of Oats with cinnamon , honey and milk.
2 boiled eggs
Coffee
Option 2
Plain Yogurt with mixed fruits
Hot breakfast- egg , 1 slice of low GI bread , bacon/macon or baked beans.
Lunch
Option 1
Protein (1 serving) Chicken snitzel/any other meat; salad ,
Starch (1 serving): potatoes/sweet potatoe/rice/pasta
Vegetable (2 servings): Beetroot/ greens/ coldslaw
Option 2
Spagetti bolonaise/
Vegetables (2 servings) : Carrots/ any greens
Dinner
More or less the same as lunch, but with a different protein. So if I had chicken at lunch, I would have fish or meat as my protein source. Also with the starch, if I had potatoes the afternoon I would have rice for dinner.
Rooibos Tea with honey and milk.