Marathon Training and Clean Eating

I'm in the middle of training for the Country Music Half Marathon on April 26th. I ran 10 miles yesterday and then ate baked sweet potato fries and greek yogurt tzatziki.   I am trying to be prepare for how I will train AND what I'm going to eat while training for my 8th full marathon this fall.

I've run the Akron Marathon for the past 5 years to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in honor of my younger sister. I really am not a marathon runner but I feel that as long as I can run a marathon - I'd like to so I can continue to raise awareness and money for MS.   This year she won't be in town the weekend of the Akron Marathon - so I have been trying to figure out where else to run my fall marathon.  I haven't picked one yet.

BUT I am already thinking about the training and the nutrition.  One of the reasons I don't think I'm a marathon runner even though I've run 7 marathons already - is that I get sick after I run.  ***TMI warning!*** I've had runners trots, needed to throw up while running and my body feels achy for hours after I run.  I had a colonoscopy in 2010 to see if there was something wrong with me but I have a healthy colon.  So each year I work on what I eat while I'm training and then specifically what to eat the week of the marathon.  Last year I made it through the entire marathon without feeling badly and then I one light beer.  And almost immediately felt horrible.  I made my own protein bites to eat instead of nutrition filled with artificial ingredients.  I only drink water and take Hammer Endurolytes.  Those three things seemed to work pretty well for me last year.  Until the beer...

I'm also working on cleaning up all of my eating.  I've been following a cleaner eating plan since the beginning of January with Niki G's Fitness - my boot camp community that I joined when I moved to Nashville. But I know that once I start into my full marathon training - I will have to add foods to my current eating plan.  I crave protein when I am in full marathon training mode - last year I ate a lot of hard boiled eggs and salads with avocado.  Yummy!

All of this to say - I haven't found a lot of info online for marathon runners and clean eating. That doesn't mean it isn't out there - send me links if you'd like!  But because I'm not finding a lot of it - I am going to document some of what I am going to be eating over the next year.

I have found a lot of information on Instagram about cleaner eating by people who are training for bikini competitions or are into Crossfit type fitness. I am so thankful for that info!  But I want to use as much whole foods as possible and if I use any kind of protein powders then I want to know exactly what is in them.  I don't want to gain weight while training this year.  I want to fuel my body efficiently and still enjoy what I'm eating!

Healthy.  Strong.  Cleaner. Here goes...

I passed my dad last year at the Akron Marathon. Akron, 2013

3 oz Flank steak, sautéed zucchini, yellow squash, mushroom & sweet onion on a fresh salad!