Fueling back to back training days
How to fuel when your days are getting busier and the mileage keeps increasing.
I was in the depths of marathon training, my husband was deployed, I was in a stressful job, and it was cereal for dinner night after night after night. Cooking literally felt impossible. Even after hard workouts and long runs, it was a bowl of cereal, maybe two.
Cereal can be a sub-in for dinner some nights, but when it comes down to it being your only source of fuel most nights of the week, is when it becomes a bigger issue. It's a missed recovery window that makes the next day's workout harder than it needs to be. Not specifically the cereal, but because it’s not enough to refuel you.
One mistake I see a lot of athletes making is recovery nutrition is treated as optional. Something they'll get to eventually, usually when they're already exhausted and standing in front of the fridge with no plan.
My recommendation is to eat as soon as feasible. If you know that your next meal won’t be for another hour and a half, a quick snack can help restore muscle glycogen levels and start rebuilding muscle. Zero to two hours post exercise is primetime when your muscles act like a sponge and has the highest rate of glucose uptake. Two hours up to 24 hours post exercise, glucose uptake rate slows down but eating consistent meals will help keep replenishing stores. There is potential your muscles are still recovering from the previous day’s workout when you start your next workout, especially if you have back-to-back hard training days. If you’re running low on time, energy, or brain space, here are a few quick post-workout options that can help kickstart your recovery before a full meal.
· Chocolate milk
· Greek yogurt
· PB & J
· Cheese and crackers
Tips for keeping you fueled when you are on the brink of burning out:
· Plan 4-5 meals to prepare for the week
· Grocery shop on an off day. In my experience shopping during the week gets put off to the next day far more than I’d like to admit.
· For lazy nights, stock the freezer with frozen vegetables, keep some minute rice on hand and buy some quick cooking proteins like canned beans, tofu, canned tuna, and eggs.
→ One of my go-to low-effort weeknight meals is a burrito bowl with black beans, rice, cheese, salsa, sour cream, avocado and an egg or two.
Need some more motivation or additional support on how to meet your weekly mileage? Check out how I can help you get to the finish line stronger here.
