Happy Healthy RD

Living a happy healthy life

Nutrition for a Half Marathon + Running Playlist

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This weekend I’m running the Borgess Run for the Health of It Half Marathon.  I’ve been training since early February with run camp and I’m really excited for the race.  This will be my 3rd time running the Borgess half so I hope to at least beat my previous times and maybe get under the 2:00 hr mark.

A big part of running is good nutrition!  Not just before and after but during for longer races (I would say any race over 1 hr requires some sort of fuel).  Fueling during running is a very individual thing.  It takes some major trial and error to see what works for you.  I’m going to share what works for me but know that everyone is different with what their stomach’s can handle while running.  Practice your fueling strategy during your training runs!

I remember before my first half when I was a running newbie I carbo loaded the morning of (rookie mistake!).  I think I ate oatmeal and a bagel??  Such a bad idea and I had some major GI distress during that race.  Nowadays I stick to my typical breakfast of a smoothie.  I’ve been drinking smoothies before all my long runs with no problems so I know I should be safe.  I might also have a handful of pretzels for some extra salt since it looks like it is going to be warm.  The night before I like to eat a sweet potato and some lean protein (probably chicken or fish) and lots of water!

During the race, I am going with Gu.  I’ve used Gu frequently in the past and it works for me.  Some people are not a fan of the texture but I don’t mind it.  My favorite flavor is Salted Caramel (dessert while running – win-win!).  My plan is to carry 3 Gu with me for the race.  I may take one about 10 minutes before the race starts if I’m feeling hungry and then two during.  If I don’t take one before, it’s good to have an extra since I have dropped them without realizing it before.  I also know that this race typically hands out Gu so I also have that backup.  The typical recommendation is to take in some nutrition every 40-45 minutes or so.

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So my tentative plan is:

1 Gu at mile 4, 2nd Gu at mile 8

I will also try to drink water at every stop for the first half and then switch to a sports drink for the 2nd half of the race.  If it is super hot, I might drink sports drink a little earlier.

After the race, I’ll eat whatever they give out, usually chocolate milk and fruit, plus I’ll bring along some Gatorade.  I find that if I don’t drink Gatorade after a long run I get the worst running hangover with a pounding headache so that’s a must for me.

I’m going to old school and plan on using my iPod during the run so I don’t have to carry my phone.   I only have about 1.5 hours worth of music since I usually like to wait until at least 5-6 miles into the race before turning it on.  The first couple songs are sort of slow so I might skip those or they are useful if I think I’m going out too fast.

playlist

Good luck to all those fellow runners out there!  It looks like it is going to be a great day for a run!

Be Happy, Be Healthy!

 

 

Winter Running – 20 degree wind chill

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This weekend was my first week attending Borgess Run Camp which is a 13-week training program for a half marathon. (It started last week but I had to miss due to work)   I’ve done Run Camp for the past 3 years and I keep going back for more.  It’s a great way to force myself to get outside in run during the winter and it’s always fun to meet fellow runners.  The way it works is you sign up for a pace group and are matched up with two coaches and a team of runners of similar pace.

The biggest struggle I find is figuring out what to wear on winter runs.  It seems like I’m either overdressed or underdressed so I thought I would start to keep track of the conditions, what I wore, and how it worked to hopefully get a better handle on what to wear each week.

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It was in the 20’s with not a lot of wind or precipitation.

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What I wore:

I ended up being on the warm side.  Mostly just my head was overheating.  Next time I think I’ll either go for a lighter hat, headband, or I could just wear a jacket with a hood.  I was pretty sweaty after the 5 mile run and wonder if I could get away with just one long sleeve layer with this jacket at this temp.

Next weekend looks even colder and snowy so I might add another layer on the bottom and stay the same on top.

Be Happy, Be Healthy!

Surviving the Treadmill

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The poor treadmill gets such a bad rap.  I’ve learned to actually enjoy some treadmill time.  Here are some of the ways I beat the ‘dread’mill boredom.

1.  Entertainment!!!  If I don’t have some sort of entertainment, you will not find me on the treadmill.  We have a mill in our basement and luckily we were able to rig a TV up right in front of it.  So TV is my first choice.  My favorite shows to watch while running are Biggest Loser (how can you not be motivated to run!?!?) or Bachelor/Bachelorette type shows.  I figure I can justify watching those shows if I’m working out.

2.  Sometimes if there isn’t anything on TV, I’ll watch YouTube videos on our Ipad.  You know I love beauty guru videos but I also like to watch music videos.   I’ll put on an upbeat music video and then do a sprint or up the incline for the length of the song.

3. Use the treadmill presets.  I know most treadmills have some sort of built in programs.  It might take a little time to figure them out but I really like using the cardio setting on our mill.  It is about a 20 minute program that has intervals and hills throughout and then I don’t have to think about changing the speed/incline.

Also, I recommend searching for treadmill workouts on Pinterest, you’ll find tons.  (Check out my workout board, !)

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4. Mix in weights or other exercises.  If I want to switch it up a bit, I’ll run for 5 minutes and then do some push-ups, bicep curls, or squats.  The idea is just to break up the treadmill running.  Plus,  I tend to push myself to run a little bit faster since I know it will just be for short spurts.

5.  Find a challenge that excites you.  My go to’s are intervals (I like to sprint a minute, walk a minute, repeat) or seeing how fast I can run a mile.  Then I can keep track and try to beat myself the next time I hit the treadmill.

Dexter lays right by the treadmill wishing we were running outside every single time…. poor pup.

Be Happy, Be Healthy!