What to Eat Before & After Your Run! Plus, is Carb Loading Necessary?

No one wants to run out of energy on their run which is why it is very important to eat before heading out the door. Eat foods that are easily digestible and make sure you let your food settle at least 30 minutes before hitting the pavement or trail!

What you should eat BEFORE your run:

Shorter Runs (44 min or less): 50-100 calorie source of fast digesting carbohydrates

Options:

• Rice cake
• Piece of fruit

Longer Runs (45 min +): 100-150 calories of a fast digesting and a slower digesting carbohydrate source

Options:

• Rice cake with a tsp of natural peanut butter + fruit
• Oats with fruit

Is Carb Loading Necessary?

Carb loading...it sounds like fun doesn't it? There are some situations where carb loading is beneficial but if you are just going on a jog around your neighborhood, skip it. Carb loading could be beneficial if you are running a half marathon, marathon, or competing in a triathlon. The best way to ensure your success though is by incorporating strength training (our run builder workout plan is perfect!) and eating a healthy diet leading up to the race.

What about those oh so yummy energy chews and gels? Well, those are oh so yummy because they are basically just sugar! Skip these on your shorter runs and have one of the carbohydrate sources listed above. Save the gummies and gels for your longer runs! Think of it like this, if you burn 250-350 calories running 3 miles (varies based on weight, speed, time spent running, etc) you don't want to take in 150-200 calories of sugar in the form of gummies or gels.

What you should eat AFTER your run:

A 100-200 calorie snack consisting of a lean protein source and a fast digesting carbohydrate source. Try to eat within 30 minutes of finishing your run.

Options:

• Protein shake with fruit (easy to make and easy to customize to your taste buds!)
• Eggs with fruit
• Chicken with rice

As with almost everything in the fitness world, you will have to play around with different foods to find out what works best for you!

Doing more than just cardio? Check out our post on What to Eat Before and After Your Workout!

Strength Training and Running: Why You Absolutely Should Do Them Both!

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If you are a hardcore runner, you probably don't feel right if you miss your workout. But... you might have complaints about your speed, your endurance and most of all, the way your body looks. You might not have been able to shed those last 10 pounds despite your efforts to step up the mileage and really hit the pavement hard. Guess what?!? Running more isn't the answer! The answer is incorporating strength training into your run training. It's as simple as that!

You don't have to give up your running and/or cardio! We repeat! You don't have to give up your running and/or cardio! It's safe to keep reading...

The definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results," right? So why do we think we can do the same exercises day in and day out and expect our bodies to change? We can't! It doesn't work that way. Our bodies become more efficient at the work that it has to do - whether that is running, weight training, dancing etc., and over time, it becomes so efficient that it uses less and less resources (calories, muscle fibers, etc.) to complete a task. You need to change it up and shock it! That's where cross-training - adding strength to your running and cardio comes in!

If you don't believe us, check out one of our She Sweats 12-Week Run Builder Transformation winners who not only lost 16 pounds but drastically decreased her mile time!

4 Tips to Easily Add Strength Training to Your Running Routine

1.  Don’t run every day!

Your body needs a rest from certain physical activities and some days, it needs a rest from all physical activities (except daily tasks, of course). We recommend running at a steady pace no more than 2-3 days per week. 

2. Add a minimum of 2-3 strength training days.

Train in muscle groups (not total body) and space out your lifting days, For example, if you are doing two days, maybe you do Tuesday (upper body) and Friday (lower body). If you are planning to lift three days, you could train Monday (arms and shoulders), Wednesday (lower body) and Friday (chest, back, and core). Our workout plans lay out EXACTLY what you need to do each day and you can even keep your running shoes laced up with our She Sweats 12-Week Run Builder.

3.  Throw in a day or two of cardio that isn't straight running.

Think sprint training or hill training, or stay away from running and have some fun with a dance class or kickboxing. Our favorite thing to do is hit up our favorite hiking trails and climb a mountain!

4.  Rest!

This one is important! Make sure that you rest AT LEAST one day per week, if not two! Your body will thank you. And by the way, rest means NO strength training and NO running! 

Remember, add in that strength training! It will only decrease your mile time and make you stronger!

Need a little extra help with incorporating strength training with your runs? Don't want to think about your workouts? Let us be your personal trainers with our She Sweats 12-week Run Builder and increase your mile time. It guides your workout each day and has everything you need! Find out more!

Don't miss these posts!

• How to Extend the Life of Your Running and Athletic Shoes
• Strength Training and Running: Why You Absolutely Should Do Both!
• What to Eat Before & After Your Run! Plus, Is Carb Loading Necessary?
• Cardio - Explained! Plus, Ways to Mix Up Your Cardio Routine!
• FREE Running Apps You Need to Have On Your Phone
• 4-Mile, 10 Minute Pace Playlist
• Motivation to Go the Extra Mile
• 5 Easy Ways to Prevent Running Injuries
• Stretches You Must Do If You Are A Runner
• The Banana SPRINT (Recipe)
• 6-Mile Motivator Running Playlist
• Tips to Occupy an Older Child During Long Runs
• Lacing Your Running Shoes For Fit and Function

5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Running Shoes

We know that you work hard for your money and we want to help you get the most "bang for your buck" as you can when it comes to anything from groceries, to workouts, to workout wear essentials. We all love athletic shoes, especially some of the beautiful new shoes touted just for running and for triathlons, but WOW! are they expensive!

5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Running Shoes

1. Wear your shoes ONLY for their specified purpose. 

If you are racking up some miles running, save your running shoes for only running. Keeping them on to run errands and play at the park with your kids will cause them to break down faster. If you are headed to the gym for weights and cardio, stick with a cross-trainer shoe or take two pairs of athletic shoes with you - ones for lifting and ones for running. Hold on to your "worn out" running and athletic shoes for running errands and other activities that don't require the same amount of support and structure.

2. Allow your shoes to fully dry before wearing them again.

Don't throw your wet shoes in your gym bag and forget about them (and please, don't leave them to cook in your hot car). Take your shoes out when you get home and let them air dry. Take out the insoles in your shoes to dry separately and stuff newspaper or dry paper towels in your shoes to absorb moisture.

3. Track when you bought the shoes and your mileage in the shoes.

Let's face it, running in a pair of shoes for over a year isn't a smart option for your spinal health! The shoes break down with weight and sweat overtime and can't support your feet and your body in the way they were made as they age. Keeping track of the date of purchase of your shoes and the mileage that you put in while wearing the shoes will be your best bet in ensuring your feet and bones are well supported. NOTE: The rate at which shoes break down over time vary - keeping track of manufacturers and mileage is important so you can rate which are best for you. Typically, you can get about 200-400 miles out of your running shoes, but this will vary depending on you, your running patterns, running/weather conditions, your sweat patterns and how well you take care of your shoes.

4. Alternate 2-3 pair of shoes.

You probably have more than 1 pair of athletic shoes in your closet, right? Take advantage of those shoes and extend the life of them! Wear a different pair each time you run or workout, in a rotation to allow the shoes to fully dry and rest.

5. Don't wash your shoes in your washing machine or dry them in your dryer.

Your shoes will take a major beating in the washing machine - don't do it! If you decided to go all "Singing in the Rain" during your run and jump in puddles, or if you get stuck trail running in the middle of a rainstorm, hose your shoes off and gently brush off the dirt or mud with a brush. Allow them to air dry, with the insoles removed. You can also stuff the shoes with paper towels or newspaper to assist with drying, but don't put them in the dryer! The glue on the shoes will break down in your dryer and your shoe will break down much faster!

Need a little extra help with incorporating strength training with your runs? Don't want to think about your workouts? Let us be your personal trainers with our She Sweats 12-week Run Builder and decrease your mile time. It guides your workout each day and has everything you need! Find out more!