I've openly talked many times about how I used to get myself down to some mythical "race weight" before each marathon.
I would exist on as little as 1500 calories a day while running anywhere from 60-90 miles a week. (That is heartbreaking for me to even type now.)
I got so thin that I was one pound away from being clinically underweight before I finally gave up and ate.
To my surprise, I actually got faster as I gained back weight.
I weighed exactly the same weight for my first marathon and my fastest one.
I am extremely thankful I didn't hurt myself. I am also happy to report that I haven't dieted even once since.
Now at age 50, the last thing I want is to do is starve or shrink in any way. I am building muscle and bone fueled with real food. Lots of it.
In many ways, I am fitter than ever, and certainly MUCH happier.
Here are my non-negotiables:
- I eat a little chocolate every single day.
- I make sure that every plant-based meal has around 25-30g of protein, but I don't track macros or calories.
- I eat before and after every workout
- I don't eat after dinner, because I eat enough at dinner and throughout the day
- Veggies or fruit at every meal
My hope is that one day nothing I have said will seem unusual. It will be completely normal for athletes, especially women, to enjoy a full life and actually feed themselves well.
If you're on board with this, here's a recipe from a few years ago that's perfect for recovery after a run.
from the team
"I don't really run much between marathons."
Anna joined last year planning to train for a fall marathon.
She was running just enough easy miles to feel like she was staying in shape.
But she had no plan or structure for the 8 weeks before actual marathon training started.
She considered this "maintenance mode."
What she didn't realize is that she was slowly giving back fitness she had worked months to build.
She was detraining.
Does that sound familiar?
Anna locked in during marathon training and felt like getting away from structured training in between was the best way to "balance."
And then sure enough, a few months later, she would wonder why the next training cycle felt harder than it should.
She wasn't starting from zero. But she missed a key opportunity.
The off-season is actually the only time of year you can elevate your speed and strength without the pressure and fatigue of marathon training.
You can get stronger. You can get faster. You can fix the things that always get skipped.
All while running fewer miles so you can have that balance we all need.
Instead of just winging it, Anna trained through those eight weeks with intention. She did not do more, but she did the right things at the right time.
When marathon training started, she did not need to get back to where she was.
She had already sped past it.
If this sounds like you, the PR Team is a good fit if you:
- you don't have a training plan right now but you do not want to lose what you built
- you are running, but you know you are mostly maintaining instead of improving
- you want to use this window to actually get stronger and faster
- you are tired of every training cycle feeling like a rebuild
Great races don't just happen from 3 months of great training.
They happen when you are strategic in between them.
ask me anything
Q:
How do I get better at running? I started a few months ago and I'm running about 3 days a week. Should I add a long run or run longer each day?
A:
Welcome to the running club! We're happy you're here.
If you have been comfortably running a few miles (2-3 or about 5k) for 3 days a week for a couple of months, my first suggestion is keep up what you are doing and simply add one more day. The biggest hurdle in getting started is building the habit while getting to the point where running feels fairly comfortable.
Many runners do very well running just 4 days a week and become extremely fit. Others will progress higher than that, but it's definitely not necessary for everyone.
After a few weeks or months, if you'd like to add speed or extra distance to one of your days, choose one, but not both, and start gradually.
With each change you make, spend a couple weeks there allowing your body to adapt to it before changing something else.
During this time, go ahead and set yourself some goals. It could be a race or a distance goal or maybe you just want to see how fast you can run down your block by the end of the year. Adding a time limit for when you want to achieve your goal can give you an extra layer of incentive, but be sure you are not rushing the process.
After all, long distance training by definition takes a long time.
Oh yeah, don't forget to have fun with it!
Have a question? Reply and you could be featured next week.
podcast
Today, we’re doing something a little different.
You’ll be listening in on a coaching call I’m having with one of my athletes. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like, here you go!
On the Planted Runner Podcast, I’m talking to PR Teammate Danny and I’m just going to include the intro he wrote for himself, because it’s awesome.
Danny spent his first four decades avoiding cardio (or any sport for that matter), before hitting a mid-life crisis. After dropping 20 kg, a friend promptly scammed him into running a full marathon as his first-ever race. Plot twist: the friend Did Not Start (DNS) due to injury, leaving him to suffer the 42.2 Km alone. He's been addicted ever since. Now, he's obsessed with the mental grit of the sport and can be found @zidaniey when not busy drenching his kit in Singapore's humidity while battling his shoe-shopping addiction.
Danny is training for both Sydney and Chicago this fall and wants to be sure he's scheduled his tune-up races just right.
We have runners from all over the world on the team and this was such a fun conversation I know you’ll enjoy.
And of course, if you want to get in on the fun, what are you waiting for? Learn more about the PR Team and sign up today at www.theplantedrunner.com/group.
inspo
"If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit."
—Banksy
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Have a great run today,
Coach Claire
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