By Taylor Sutton, MS, RD
United Supermarkets’ Lifestyle Desk
With summer in full swing and temperatures rising fast, morning runs are a must if you are doing them outside to keep from overheating. By the way, you can totally use training for a half or full marathon as an excuse to eat a few extra carbs!
In fact, it’s actually the preferred way to go about fueling for long runs.
We know, the idea of eating while prepping for a big race seems backwards, but our bodies need carbs to fuel intense exercise like running and to keep us from hitting a wall about an hour after our reserves start to dwindle.
So, get your favorite pasta recipe in the hopper, feel free to dream a little dream about bagels and get ready to cross the finish line—one carb at a time! Here’s a few tips to power your longer cardio days with some carb-ios!
If your run is going to take longer than an hour, plan on fueling up with a banana to soak up 30 grams of fast-digesting carbs on-the-go!
You can determine how much fuel your body needs during a run by dividing your body weight by this formula will give you the number of carbs (in grams) you should plan to consume every hour of your run.
Avoid cramping or upsetting your digestive system by snacking slowly over the course of a mile instead of all at once.
Choose fuel that contains simple carbohydrates and has moderate protein and fat content like bars, bananas or healthy, homemade treats. Choosing these types of food will make your digestive system much happier during the race.
Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
What You Need
2 1/4 c. old-fashioned oats
1 c. oat flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. honey
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup grated carrot, chopped smaller
How It’s Made
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine wet ingredients and carrot
3. Combine dry ingredients
4. Combine them together and form into 1 inch balls
5. Cook for 15 minutes
Makes 24 individual cookies
