Fueling on long runs... what do you do?

For my first marathon, I kind of missed the boat on fueling. I bought a gel one time and was too grossed out by the texture. I just couldn't even put it in my mouth. Flash forward to mile 10 of the marathon and I was regretting that decision.

This time around, I am really working on fueling properly. I read up on fueling choices and started testing my options early. Here is what I tried and here is what I thought!

1. Water Bottle: LOVE my new Nathan waist pack. This thing has saved my life in the heat and humidity! I don't know that I will race with it, but I love having it for training. For shorter distances, I like this option also.

 

2. Cliff Shot Bloks: These were a no-go. I did not like the texture or the taste. I tried the red ones and didn't even finish the pack. Not good.



3. Jelly Belly Sports Beans: I have used these for a while and like these. I am not sure that they provide the fuel I need for really long runs, but I like the texture and taste, plus they are small enough to just have a quick bite. I have tried a million flavors, but orange is my fav!

 

4. Honey Stinger Waffles: These are really yummy, in my opinion. I love the chocolate one and A likes the vanilla. They are too dry for me to enjoy while running, but I like the pre or post run. A, on the other hand, LOVES these and eats them while he runs. I know, it is weird, but he swears by it.



5. Honey Stinger Energy Chews: These are my favorite! I love these things! My favorite is the Pomegranate Passion flavor, but lime-aid one is yummy too. They make me a little thirsty, so I would recommend having water near when you take them. I do like the fact that they have a soft texture and are easy to chew and swallow while running, which is hard to find.

 

How do you fuel?
Do you carry water while you run?

x0x0

Hannah

Sweet Potato Biscuits

I've been playing with this recipe for a while now. It started as an early morning kitchen adventure one day when I woke up too early. Now, they are A's favorite biscuit, which is saying something (because I bake a lot of biscuits). I bake extra sweet potatoes just for this recipe - that way I am always ready!

 

Sweet Potato Biscuits
Makes: 6-7 biscuits
Adapted from: Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients
1  cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and shaping
3/4 cups whole wheat flour     

2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1  cup mashed sweet potatoes      

1/3 cup buttermilk

 

Heat oven to 425*. In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. With a pastry blender, forks, or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-sized lumps of butter. In another bowl, whisk together sweet potato puree and buttermilk; stir quickly into flour mixture until combined. Be careful not to over mix!

 

Spray a small round pan with olive oil spray. Dump dough out onto a floured surface and gently pat until 1-inch thickness. Cut into biscuits using a cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or drinking glass (that is what I use!). Continue to gently cut out biscuits until all the dough is used.

 

Place biscuits into prepared pan - they will be a little snug. Bake for about 20-24 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy!

 

We like these with butter, jam, and honey - let me know how you enjoy them :)

 

 

Weekend Recap!

Happy Monday! It is a new week, I work up at the crack of dawn and took A to the airport, spent the day in class, and studied all evening. Oh the life of a new law student :)

This weekend was wonderful. Friday evening I made a last minute run to the running store for a new Nathan water bottle pack. I have been using the handheld water bottle, but last weekend I fell twice on my long run (first time, EVER). My doctor suggested I stop carrying the water bottle because it could be making be a little off balance. Check out all the goodies I came out with:

Saturday morning was a beautiful TWENTY MILES! That is right, 2-0 and I am in the home stretch! I have a few more 13-15 milers, one more 20 miler, and then it is marathon time. If you remember, I have had some rough runs in the last few weeks as I attempted to adjust to the hills and humidity of Atlanta. Hopefully I am on a upswing now.

Post run, we went to brunch. After the run I put on my Under Armour compression pants and didn't want to take them off... so I put on a maxi dress and wore them to brunch! A said I was ridiculous, but I was also more comfortable than he was. So there :)

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies - excellent post-brunch sweetness!

We tried an amazing restaurant for dinner called Goin' Coastal. Atlanta friends, this place is a MUST for great seafood and wonderful service. I had miso salmon and a glass of Riesling. A and I also split some flash-fried avocado. Afterwards, we headed to the frozen yogurt shop for some dessert. Eating for 20 miles is rough!

Hope you had an awesome weekend too!

Do you wear anything specific (socks, shoes, pants) post-long run?
What if your favorite frozen yogurt topping? I need to branch out from the oreo crumbs!

x0x0

Hannah

I started hating my long run.

I have been dreading my long runs. When I say dreading, I mean staying in bed for an hour before leaving in the morning because I just did not want to run. The air is so much heavier in Atlanta due to humidity, the hills are ridiculous compared to flat Texas, and it just does not seem as fun.

I have not cut my mileage short. No matter the weather or my personal disposition, I’ve pushed through each run, but it just hasn’t been the same. AL and I discussed it this weekend and we both do not recall this “long-run dread” last marathon training. I think it has a lot to do with the changes I mentioned above, but also the stress of moving, traveling, and starting new jobs/school. I am just mentally and physically exhausted.

In reality, I should be exhausted. I ran 44 miles the first 8 days of law school. This week, I’ll run 55 miles in 7 days, all while trying to finish unpacking and completing school activities. My body should be worn out and I should appreciate this, not complain about feeling tired.

My only goal in running yesterday was getting the miles in. I didn’t worry about pace, only surviving the miles. I started late in the day and was lucky to have nice weather. On the first hill, I was surprised at the strength in my legs and 15 miles later, I was still pushing up the hills. I’ll be honest, by mile 17, I was going pretty slow, but I DID IT!

It felt so good to have a decent long run. I came home feeling successful and relieved. The work I have been putting in IS paying off and my legs are getting stronger.

I spent the rest of the day in compression pants J Aaron made me cheesy grits and scrambled eggs for breakfast and I studied at Starbucks in the afternoon (I even walked there!)! My legs felt strong Monday morning and I am looking forward to my run on Tuesday. I’m confident that I will feel worried on Saturday morning when I start my run, but that is okay. I am getting stronger, even if the process is slow. 

Law School: I Survived the First Week

Hey all, I survived the first week of law school and am now happily starting the second week. The week of orientation was crazy and I was majorly overwhelmed for the first few days (more on that in a bit), but it seems a little bit better now, so I am back!

This week is full of classes, assignments, and meetings. I’m also trying to complete some online training for an interview position I will be working in this fall. To top it off, AL is still flying out on Monday and coming back on Friday – so much for living in the same city! I take him to the airport on Monday mornings, which means I wake up at 4:45am… it is a great start to the week ;)

AL and I had a fabulous weekend filled with yummy meals, long walks, and visits to the farmer’s market (of course!). On Sunday, we pulled 18 miles on our long run- YAY! I honestly didn’t know if I was going to survive the mileage just because the hills in Atlanta have been so rough on my legs. I want to cry when I run some days. Seriously.

This week, I am running:

M- Rest

T-5 miles

W-8 miles

Th-5 miles

F-yoga

S-19 miles

Eats:

M-Stuffed sweet potato with black beans & kale

T- Leftovers from the weekend (chicken, brown rice, okra & tomatoes) + drinks with the girls

W- Tomato soup & grilled cheese

Th- Pasta with veggies & chicken sausage

F - to be decided :) 

Have a fabulous week!

Hannah