Post Long Run Meals

Today I am running my last long run (20k) before race day. So far I have been more than happy with the training. I have managed to get in 4 days a week of running and never missed any important training days such as speed, hill and long runs.

In my last post I talked about free radicals and the importance of getting high antioxidant foods in your diet to reduce their harmful effects. In this post I wanted to address the importance of the post long run meal.

Because the long run really depletes your muscles, for optimal recovery it is essential to replenish your muscles post run. A combination of both carbohydrates and protein is recommended.

Scientific research has suggested that 3 to 19g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight, 1.2 to 2g of protein per kilogram of body weight and 0.8 to 3 grams of fat per kilogram of body weight are good ranges for endurance athletes. The ranges vary because so does one’s training regime, as your mileage increases so do the body's needs.

In addition to getting a good combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat and choosing foods which are rich in antioxidants, choosing foods that contain omega-3 is also good. Running creates an inflammatory response to your muscles and joints. To reduce inflammation it is beneficial to eat omega-3 polyunsaturated fat. Omega-3 can be found in salmon, walnuts and flaxseed oil.

Consuming a post meal 30 minutes after endurance exercise is a key window to optimally replenish the muscles glycogen stores, which can enhance performance. Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruits and vegetables are good carbohydrates to have post run to replenish depleted glycogen stores. Bananas and oranges are good to replenish electrolytes. Lean protein eating with carbohydrates help stimulate glycogen replacement and help repair damaged muscles.

My post run meals have varied over the years. My last 1/2 marathon I was addicted to my Mediterranean Pesto Pasta. This also makes a good pre-run meal (the night before a race or long run) and it is good cold or hot which makes it good if you are traveling for a race and have no place to cook up a good meal.

This year my post run meals have been heavily protein based. I seem to crave red meat a lot and a mouth watering thick grilled sirloin steak, baked potato with asparagus seems to satisfy me post run.

Here are some of my favorite post run meals:

Pasta & Pizza Recipes

Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Mediterranean Pesto Pasta(with Chicken)

Meat Sauce for Pasta

Grilled Mediterranean Pizza

Beef & Burger Recipes

Try topping the burgers with lettuce, tomato, avocado and pickles.

Beef Burgers

Turkey Burgers

Grainy Mustard Steak Kebabs

Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Salmon Recipes

Grilled Salmon with Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze

Sesame Ginger Salmon


Grilled Salmon with Honey Mustard Glaze

Chicken Recipes

Spinach & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Red Pepper Tomato Sauce

Vegetarian Recipes

Black Bean & Rice Stuffed Peppers

Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

See many more recipes at Vanilla Bean Cafe

Antioxidants & Free Radicals

Free radicals accumulate during intense training. Without getting into the chemistry of free radicals it is important to know that they disrupt normal living cells and hence cause damage to one’s health. Antioxidants are required to neutralize and combat excessive amounts of free radicals. Antioxidants include vitamins C, vitamin E, beta carotene and zinc support the immune system and reduce the accumulation and production of free radicals.

Beta-carotene – carrots, sweet potatoes, liver, egg yolk, milk, spinach...
Vitamin C – oranges, strawberries, grapefruit, blueberries, squash

Vitamin E – nuts, green leafy vegetables, fortified cereals, wheat germ...

Zinc – oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains and dairy products...

Here are a few recipes that are loaded with antioxidants:

Breakfast

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Blueberry Bran Muffins

Cranberry Blueberry Flaxseed Muffins

Salads & Sides

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Coucous Salad with Grilled Vegetables

Grilled Acorn Squash

Sweet Potato Fries

Entrees

Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Spaghetti Meat Sauce

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Sauce with Sausage

Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Mediterranean Pesto Pasta

Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas

Speed Training

Purpose: these sessions are important to improve obviously speed. This occurs by improving neuromuscular adaptations in your muscles. You will improve your arm drive, stride, speed and stamina, enabling you to run faster with less effort and allowing you to reach your race pace goal.

The goal during the speed intervals should be to maintain a specific speed while maintaining proper breathing and technique/form.

How: start with a light 10-15 minute warm-up, followed by a series of speed intervals at a specific speed. Run the speed interval at the target speed for about 800 to 1600 meters then recovery between intervals with a 2-3 minutes light jog (or 400m). Repeat until all intervals are done. Cool down with a light jog 10 min. Usually target speed is set at 10-15 seconds faster than your race pace goal.

For the 1/2 marathon the speed training is typically 3-4 weeks prior to race day and consists of speeds higher than race pace and holding it for about 1.6 km or 1 mile.

Hill Training

Running Techniques

There are a variety of training methods and drills that are effective in improving aerobic capacity, endurance, speed, strength, power and help with injury prevention. Most of these training methods are not recommended for beginners due to the risk of injury and are recommended for intermediate to advanced runners with a good mileage, endurance and muscular strength base.

Hill Training

Purpose: Hill training for runners will increase muscle power, muscle strength and speed. It also increased VO2max and increases the lactate threshold.

Target Muscles: strengthens hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, gluteal muscles and Achilles tendon.

How: For longer runs like the half marathon hill runs should be done for 60-90 second intervals at a 5 to 8 percent gradient. First warm up with a 15 min or 3km slow run on flat surface then incorporate a few intervals of hills (First time hill runners should start with a lower grade and do 3 intervals and each week increase the number of intervals until at 9 intervals). Run the hill with proper form for 60-90 seconds, and then slow your run down for 2 minutes on a flat surface to recover. Repeat until all intervals are completed and finish with about 5 to 10 minutes 0r 2-3km of a slow jog cool down to help flush out the lactic acid. This can be accomplished outdoors or on a treadmill.

*I am comfortable and see results when I train at an 7 percent grade for 90 seconds with a 2 minute light jog recovery on flat surface.

Half Marathon: The half marathon hill training begins at week 5 of a 16 week program and is done once a week for about 7 weeks, prior to speed training.

Physiology: hill running improves speed and strength and thereby power (speed x strength = power). This occurs because when running uphill the leg muscles are required to work against resistance and have to recruit more muscle fibres than they would have to when running on a flat surface. The more fibres that are recruited the more muscle will be developed and more muscle means more strength and more strength means more speed and ultimately more power. In addition to recruiting more muscle fibres hill running requires the muscle fibres to contract more rapidly.

Note: Hill training should only be performed by those who already have a good base of leg strength, and therefore not recommended for beginners. This is because hill training puts a lot of stress on the muscles and joints and if not well conditioned can result in injury.

Half Marathon Log 2010

This is my actual half marathon training log, which follows a 16week training plan. I will continue to update it daily/weekly. It indicates distance, duration, pace and details regarding hill and speed training.

Half Marathon Training Program

Me after the May 2008 half marathon (1 hour and 50 minutes)

Well I am currently training for my third half-marathon. After training all summer long for a multi-day trek in the French-Swiss Alps I took a couple months off of running as my muscles and joints were in desperate need of rest and recovery.

By November I was back running and worked at building my mileage up so I had good base (about 10km long runs and 25km total a week) before starting my training for the half-marathon.

I will be logging my training with respect to mileage progression, speed training, hill training, nutrition, motivation, strength training and whatever other topics emerge. I am sure my husband will contribute, as he is also running a half marathon in May 2010.

My first half marathon did not meet my personal goal, clocking over 2 hours. This was due mainly to a lack of proper training (no hill or speed training) and I was struggling with painful abdominal adhesions and hip bursitis. Thanks to Active Release Techniques (ART) treatment from a great massage therapist and chiropractor, and a lot of patience, I overcame those injuries.
The second year I was thankfully injury free and trained extremely hard and followed a regimented training program. I performed intense hill and speed work in order to reach my target goat. I ended up with a personal best (PB) of 1 hour 50 minutes which I was pretty ecstatic about. This year I am aiming to repeat the same time, but there is always that determination and internal competitiveness in me that wants to strive to do better and obtain a new PB.

My training plan is based on running four days per week, however I usually either add an extra short run in or some cross-training, or just do something active that (skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, sports, walking, biking). I also do a combination of general and sport specific weight training.

Here is the training plan I am following, however you can see my actual half marathon log book by clicking here. There is some variance from the program in terms of days and distances.

Inca Trail to Machu Pichhu

Machu Picchu

In 2005 my husband and I traveled to Peru to hike the famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. We found a company called Peru Treks & Adventure to guide us on the Inca Trail 4 day Trek. The Trek itinerary can be found on their website, along with a map of the route and other useful information. We were very pleased with our porters and guides, they were friendly, funny and informative. They aslo showed extreme respect for the landscape, environment, and their people, supporting local orphanages and making sure to tread lightly along this sacred path.

Peru Treks & Adventure

Day 1

We flew from Ottawa to Lima (stayed at Hostal El Patio, a cute little hostal downtown Lima). Then we flew from Lima to Cuzco where we stayed at Hostal Amaru (another cute place). We were in Cuzco for a couple days where explored the local ruins, went horseback riding and visited the market in Pisac. Finally a few days later in the morning after eating srambled eggs with cheese and bread, we were picked up at our hostal by a coach bus and brought to the start of the trail head at km 82.

Sign at the start of Inca Trail Trek

Start of Trek (km 82)

The first day we hiked 12km from Cusco to Wayllabamba, enjoying the historical sites of the Inca ruins along the way along with views of the Cordillera Urubamba mountain range. You can see the snow capped peak of Mt. Veronica in the distance which stands 5860m high. The first day was rather easy allowing the group to find their hiking legs and get into a groove.

The sun was beating down on us by noon.

Day 2

On the second day, which is the hardest of all the four days, we trekked another 12km from Wayllabamba to Pacamayo. The hardest part of this day is making it up and over the highest pass of the trail which is called Abra de Huarmihuanusca or Dead Woman’s Pass at 4200m.

Being an avid and in shape hiker neither of us had trouble with this part of the trek, however there were others that were equally in shape that had a more difficult time as they were feeling the affects of the altitude. We then descended to 3600m where the porters had our tents set up and dinner started where we'd dine in a large dinner tent. These dinners were always elaborate with 3-4 course meals.

In the morning the porters would knock on your tent and bring you coffee or tea... a fantastic way to wake up.

Sleepy me drinking coffee at 5am in the tent.

Hiking up to Dead Woman's Pass

Amazing view from Dead Woman's Pass (4200m)

Day 3

The third day we trekked 15km from Pacamayo to Winay Wayna. We trekked over 2 passes this day one at an elevation of 4000m (Abra de Runkuracay) and the other 3700m. From these passes the views of the Urabamba river and the snow chapped peaks is remarkable. Additionally we came across many more Inca ruin which our guide provided us with folklore stories of the ancient world.

Can see the winding urabumba in the background.

Loved this view of the jagged peaks.

Ruin down below where the group is trekking towards.

Guide (Washington) telling a dramatic historic tale. (Marc is in blue t-shirt, hat and arms crossed).

Best toilet on the trek!

Day 4

The fourth and final day is incredibly short, only 5km from Winay Wayna to Machu Picchu. We woke up super early (4:30am) to be the first group on the trail and to get to Machu Picchu before sunrise. After seeing the sunrise over Machu Picchu and taking photos of the ruins, we were free to spend the day at Machu Picchu learning about the ruins and the culture of the Incas. We then walked down to the little town of Aguas Caliente, where the group met for pizza and beer.

Machu Picchu at sunrise.

The group

Enjoying Pizza and Beer at a local pizza parlor in Aguas Caliente.

There are local hot springs near by, but the day was hot enough that we preferred to cool off with beer and chat with the group about our trek.