Eat a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet and Rock Your Next Marathon!
What This Vegan Ate While Training for a Marathon - Part 9
As I get deeper into training for the Chicago Marathonย the scarier it gets. This morning I ran five and a half miles. It started with a one mile warm up at an easy pace, then one mile at a 9:30 pace, then two miles at an 8:35 pace, then back to a 9:30 pace for a mile, and a half mile cool down at an easy pace. I couldn't get to the 8:35 pace. There was an air quality alert in the Chicago area, the temperature was 70ยฐ when I started and 76ยฐ when I finished, and the humidity made it feel like I was being wrapped in a steamy wet blanket. No matter how much I pushed myself to sustain that 8:35 pace, my body said, no thank you, I'm not going faster than a 9:00 pace.
Of course, not being able to maintain the faster pace for two measly miles made me start doubting whether or not I could actually run 26.2 miles.
When I finished that run I made a protein smoothie, stretched, and meditated in the shower. When I was finished I felt a sense of calm, and I realized that the only thing (short of an injury, God forbid) that would prevent me from finishing the marathon was me, myself, and I.
The mind is such a tricky thing. It can be your best friend, your cheerleader, and your worst enemy. Learning to kick the negative thoughts out of your head isn't easy, it's a process, and it takes practice. I'm learning to do it every time my ASICSย and I hit the pavement.
When my legs get heavy and my hip flexors start yelping, I tell myself that it's just part of the journey and I'll survive. When my heart is pounding during hill or speed training, I tell myself that it's a short distance and I WILL finish. If the self-defeating voices in my head start to win, I think of my dad.
If my dad could fight to keep his memory for as long as he did, then I can certainly run a marathon. And run I will. I just pray that it's not hot and humid on race day.
What I Ate in a Day While Training for a Marathon
Breakfast
A glass of lemon water, a cup of coffee with almond milk, a banana before my run, and a protein smoothie and two pieces of seven grain bread with almond butter, banana, and strawberries after my run.
Lunch
A salad with chickpeas, baby spinach, tomatoes, blueberries, and chia seeds. I put an entire 16 ounce can of chickpeas in the salad and about 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and ate two-thirds of the salad. It was a BIG salad!
Afternoon snacks
A large piece of watermelon, a handful of salted almonds, and a bowl of strawberries.
Dinner
A big bowl of pasta with tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, garlic, onion, and basil, sprinkled with Miyoko's Kitchen mozzarella cashew cheese, and a glass of white wine.
I've been posting pictures of how much water I drank throughout the day, but it takes up too much space. Instead of showing you when I drank water I'm going to show you how many glasses I drank in one day. Cool?
On this day I consumed approximately sixty grams of protein. That's perfect for the amount of activity that I did throughout the day.
Activity for the week:ย
Friday - Active rest day. I took the dogs on a 2ย mile walk and rested my left knee because it was giving me trouble.
Saturday - 14 mile run and a 2 mile dog walk.
Sunday - Two ย singles matches that lasted approximately 2ย hours each. I won both and our team won and will play in the district championships on Sunday!
Monday - 5 mile run, 2 hours of doubles tennis, 2 mile walk.
Tuesday - 6 mile run and a 4 mile walk.
Wednesday - 2 mile walk.
Thursday - 6 mile run and a 2 mile walk.
Friday - 2 hours of doubles tennis and a 2 mile walk.
Total Miles Run: 31 miles
Total Miles Walked: 16 miles
Total Hours of Tennis Played: 8 hours.
Tomorrow I have a sixteen mile run to look forward to. Things are getting real!
Do us a favor, we want to show the world that plant-based foods are delicious and exciting. So let's connect and share all of this awesomeness with the world. Hop on over to our Facebook page and give it a like, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and follow us and share this and other Veganosity recipes on Pinterest. We'd be so grateful if you did. If you like this recipe and can't wait to see what we're going to share next, subscribe to Veganosity. Just fill in the subscription box above our picture in the top right corner of the page. And, Alex and I love hearing from you, please leave a comment and let us know what you think of our recipes.
Have a fabulous weekend!ย
Strength and Sunshine says
Wishing you good running vibes on that 16 mile run ๐
Linda Meyer says
Thanks, lady! I'm going to need them. ๐
harrietemilys says
Wow, loving all of this delicious food Linda!!! I want to eat all of it! The salad with blueberries looks so beautiful!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks, Harriet! I love fruit in salads, especially blueberries.
Uma Srinivas says
After reading your article, I feel like I need to do same thing. But after walking 2 miles I will be tired everyday! Good luck with your 16 miles goal!! Nice job!
Linda Meyer says
Haha! It's all about building up to your goals, Uma. After you get used to walking two miles, then you can walk four, and so on. Thank you so much, I'll keep you posted as to how my 16 miler went in next week's article.
Sandy says
Can't run a marathon, in fact run anymore at all but do you have diet recommendations for the elderly that still just want to stay fit and healthy?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Sandy! Running isn't for everyone, and I'm pretty sure this will be my one and only marathon-haha!
My suggestion in regards to diet is to eat clean. Whole foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds is the best way to stay fit and healthy, in my opinion. It's working for me and many other people that I know. If you have any specific questions that you'd like me to answer please email me at alvegans@gmail.com. Have a great weekend!
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
I've had tough runs the last few weeks too that ended up being a slower pace. I try to just roll with it and not push myself when the weather is off. That's tough about training for a fall race, longs runs in the summer will always be slower in the heat and I find I'm much faster in the cool, crisp air on race morning and I bet you'll be fine. Great eats!
Linda Meyer says
True! The more conditioned we are to hot and humid weather, the better we'll be in cool and crisp weather. Thanks for that! ๐