Virtual Half-Marathon – Post-Run Recovery

COVID-19. Stay at home. Work from home. All this started in mid-March and here we are in August and we’re in a 2nd wave of this pandemic, or as some would say we’ve never really flattened the curve. Miami’s numbers are at an all time high and the hospitals are at capacity. To say this is a strange ‘unprecendented’ time is an understatement. What’s a girl to do to help maintain her sanity? For me, it’s running. It has and always will be. Running is just a way for me to get out in nature, literally sweat all the stress away, and not have to think about a thing (or think about everything on the run and let go as I run!)

And here’s the thing, I’ve found myself running more now during the pandemic. Normally I’d run 2-3 days out of the week and now I find myself running 4-5 days. Even if it’s just a 2 mile quick run, it’s my time to get out. Normally on a Saturday I’ll do a long run (6-8-10 miles) with my friend Marcela, but with everything going on we haven’t been running together. That has not stopped me from getting out and running in my own neighborhood. And that’s what led to training for a ‘virtual’ half marathon. In the summer. In Miami. Not the smartest idea for sure, but I tend to get out way before the some comes out. I have always wanted to run SeaWheeze – it’s the perfect mix, running and a yoga festival – which is my yin and yang. And while most marathons have been canceled with everything that’s going on some have gotten creative and are doing these virtual runs. While I’m able to go out and run on my own, I wanted to support different running communities (Lululemon, Strava, along with a few local yoga studios, etc.) and in turn get a medal for my efforts…with one day actually making it to Canada – the medal will be my reminder/motivation!

I’ve written before about nutrition and training for a marathon with a few tips to get you going. I’ve even written a general post about hydration. But I’ve never written about my post-run nutrition or hydration. This training for a marathon in summer has been interesting to see what works and what doesn’t work. But that’s the thing, during training, that is the time to see what work! And if you’re not trying different foods/drinks out, you should be. Here’s what I’ve been eating/drinking/experimenting with to see what works best for me! (and yes, this is what works for me, but you should definitely see what works best for you. As is everything when it comes to nutrition, it’s highly individualized!)

Overnight Oats. I normally run in the morning, before the sun comes up. My normal breakfast post-run or non-run days if I’m being honest is 2 slices of toast, nut butter, and a fruit on top with some hemp/chia seed with a glass of milk and my coffee after. I don’t have to think about it, it’s just routine and out of habit what I eat. But during this training that I’ve been doing, I’ve noticed that it just doesn’t seem like enough and/or doesn’t satisfy me as long, and end up hungrier later on in the day. I’ve been trying to rotate and compare how I feel if I eat the toast or if I swap out the toast and do overnight oats. Sure enough, the overnight oats do literally stick with me longer. And it’s not that I didn’t know that (as I’ve had them before) but in all honesty, because I’m a creature of habit, I had been doing the toast just because it was easier. So, I have switched out. I’m back to overnight oats on the days that I run. I linked the original recipe here, but will be updating with a version I started this summer later on in the blog.

A smoothie. That’s right, you heard me right – a smoothie! If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile then you know my opinion/heard my rant on smoothies. And if you haven’t, you can read about it here. The short version is being a diabetes educator, I’m all about people eating and chewing their food. I’m not an advocate of drinking your food. Liquids tend not to stick with you for long and if it’s a post-run, you should really be eating, not just drinking in an ideal world. And seeing as I’ve seen many a patient with diabetes, I know all too well what a sugary beverage does to blood sugar levels – albeit a ‘healthier’ smoothie. (yes, I believe that all foods fit and no I’m not demonizing any particular food here, it’s just me looking at it from the nutrition angle and encouraging people to learn a little more before just going with what might be a trend.)

So what made me have a smoothie post-run you ask? I thought you’d never ask. My runs are normally in the morning. But there was one morning a couple weeks back that it was lightning and thundering up a storm! I’ll run in the rain, but will not run if there’s thunder or lightning. So I couldn’t run that morning. It had been cloudy all day and it was one of my training days where I was supposed to do 10 miles. I didn’t want to miss the mileage of a longer run but wasn’t sure what the weather would be that next morning. Sure enough around 5 pm, it was still cloudy and wasn’t too horribly humid, so I went for it. 1 hour and 45 minutes later I had run my 10 miles. By the time I cleaned up post-run (my clothes were not dry) it was 7:00 pm. I knew I needed to eat, but in all honesty I was so parched and nothing sounded good. At all. I found a recipe for a smoothie that had only blueberries for a fruit added in, almond butter and milk for some protein, and thought I’m going for it. Not only would it help with my hydration but it would also give me a bit of carbs and protein until I was able to eat. It was like magic. I finally got why everyone does a smoothie post-workout. Or did I? Remember, I said nutrition is highly individualized. And it is! But is everyone out there running and doing these type of crazy workouts that they end up only able to tolerate/stomach a smoothie?

It really got me thinking. My situation was extreme. 10 miles in a hot and humid environment. My normal run is in the morning and I had never experienced that kind of late afternoon heat – so maybe for people that train at a different time of day? And also, I’m in Miami. Not everyone has this level of heat and humidity either or do they? All things to consider when choosing a post-workout nutrition regimen. In this case a smoothie is the only thing that sounded good to me. It had been about 30 minutes after I ran and I did want to get something in. Almost 2 hours after my run (and 1 1/2 hours after my smoothie) I was starving. Yes it was 9:00 at night, but dinner time it was.

My takeaway and what I share with you is this – not only does the timing of your workout make a difference but also the weather as well as the intensity of the workout. Quite a few variables if you ask me. All things that I’m sure seem obvious, but my encouragement for you to take away is this: see what works best for you! and don’t just assume a smoothie is the answer. I don’t think every time I see a smoothie recipe there’s the implication it’s to be had after a workout. And the more and more I see the recipes, some are just downright laden with fruit (yes, it’s natural sugar, but do you really need that much in a smoothie to drink vs eat?) not to mention most do not have any protein at all (and use alternative milks that have no protein at all). The key is finding what works for you not out of habit but also what will nourish and help replenish your stores. My encouragement will always and forever be to eat whole food that you have to chew and not just slurp down a liquid smoothie. Sure, the smoothie worked for me in this case (evening post-long-run hot humid night) but are we all doing these type workouts that have this same effect? or can you find something else that works too. Food for thought. Or as I like to say, something to sit and digest.

Last but not least, I tried a Popsicle. I haven’t had another late afternoon/early evening run to simulate a smoothie vs food. I normally run in the morning. So I have tried 2 other smoothies vs the overnight oats and even nut butter toast. It’s something about too much liquid, it’s hard to describe, but I know that it didn’t sit well with me. But then I thought, what if I took the liquid from a smoothie and turned it into a Popsicle? Would that be good for me within the first 30 minutes, I can shower and then eat an actual breakfast shortly after? While it tasted great, I’ve decided, post-run/shower the preferred/best breakfast for me is overnight oats. That’s what works best for me – it keeps me full, satisfied, and is the perfect combo of carbs (to replenish the stores I just used), protein (to help with muscle recovery), and healthy fats.

My ‘virtual’ half marathon is in two weeks. It’s given me something to look forward to during this pandemic, not to mention been my #runtherapy through it all. Along the way, I’ve experimented with food and fluids and have been surprised by even what I’ve learned along the way. Nutrition is individual and what works for one may not work for another. Training for a race (or whatever sport you’re in) is a time to find that golden ticket of what does work. It’s amazing how much better I feel on a day when I’ve nourished myself with the proper nutrition. Now if only this heat and humidity could help me run faster (not slower.)

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