One of the most hotly debated and oft-discussed topics among runners is that of diet. I'm not talking about diet-ING, which makes me think of the fad diets that promise quick results without any real effort. (In my experience, there are no quick fixes.) What I mean is how we as wanna-be athletes get our daily stores of the calories we need to fuel workouts and maximize recovery. There's an old adage that "a hot furnace burns any fuel", and I know a number of folks who adhere to this philosophy. It seems to make sense. Calories in, calories out, right?
I don't subscribe to this idea any more because it wasn't until I ditched it that I started to see real progress - in weight loss, muscle tone and race performance. For much of my life I had been a carb-heavy eater. Pasta, bread, and grains always represented a sizeable percentage of my daily calories. And to make matters worse, much of that was processed, white flour pasta and bread. Not good. When my activity began to drop off between 2007-2011 (when I effectively stopped running altogether), I quickly gained weight despite my attempts to reduce my calories.
The tide turned when, with the help of my coach back in 2013, I learned about the value of "quality" calories and what it meant to eat clean. Gone were the dairy, grains, and sugary drinks, and in were fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and oils, and water. Between the mileage I was logging to prepare for my various races and events, coupled with a greatly modified diet, the pounds melted away. It was a gradual process but over 3 years I lost over 40 pounds. The change was evident in my race performances as well, with PR's falling in every distance I would enter. Running became easier, faster, and a lot more fun.
An important thing to mention as well is that my running is also pain-free. I'm going on 3 years now without a significant injury (which I would consider anything that's kept me down for more than a few days). I was forced to stop running back in 2007 due to a string of chronic injuries that had me hobbling around the house and wincing in pain whenever I would climb a staircase. I'm convinced that there's something to my diet that plays a part in this as well, whether it's the inflammation brought on by those processed carbs and sugars or simply carrying less extra weight around (not to mention changes in my shoes, stride and running form).
These days I keep it simple. I am not quite as hard-core as some others I know, but there are some rules I follow pretty closely. I rarely eat cheese and dairy, and when I do it is only as an additive (half and half in my coffee, or cheese crumbles in a salad) or as a treat. I am not anti-grains, but I have greatly reduced the amount of grain that I do eat and have all but eliminated those that come from processed white flour. I make sure that rice, pasta and bread are brown (in the case of rice) or whole wheat. I've dabbled with the idea of becoming a full blown vegetarian, but instead have chosen a more gradual reduction of animal products in my diet, opting instead what I call a "fish & fowl" approach. (I think that's pretty self-explanatory.) I eat a salad every day - and by salad, I mean a mixture of 8-10 different fruits and vegetables with a base of spinach and kale (no iceberg lettuce) with a light dressing. I'm pretty partial to asian food at the moment: sushi, tofu, stir fry, pho, and vegetable spring rolls are regulars. Eggs and oatmeal are the norm for breakfast. And coffee. I have learned to LOVE coffee.
That's about it! I try to not obsess over whether I'm being a faithful follower of this-or-that diet. I just make the best decision I can in whatever situation I am in. I allow myself to slack off every once in a while and just try my best to keep it "clean". That being said, I could still stand to knock more sugar out of my diet and maybe work a little harder to incorporate more vegetables and plant-based protein into my daily regimen. I could still very easily see myself going full veg someday (a-la, the No Meat Athlete). That seems like a great fit for me, but I'm just not quite there yet. For now, I'm happy, I feel great, and I think I've found a good balance that works for me.
One that doesn't involve eating tons of Twinkies or bananas!
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