Body & Mind

The eating schedule for your marathon

(or competition, that works too)

When you walk through Vondelpark in the morning (or afternoon or evening) het Vondelpark door loopt, you can definitely notice that a number of running competitions are coming up again. You can see it from the Nikes, Asics, and Sauconys. For example, this coming weekend Maastricht will be filled with strong Iron Man participants (count on me being at the front at seven o'clock in the morning, yes), in September half of Amsterdam runs the Dam to Damloop, and in November NYC will be packed again with enthusiasts. A marathon/running training demands a lot from you. Physically, mentally, and socially. Staying up late is not an option if you want to get up early for a long run, and alcohol is also not done, so your social life might take a hit. The training requires a lot of energy that you don't just get from the maximum number of hours under the covers, but also from the right nutrition.

 
That's why it's important to eat the right meals around your training and leading up to your competition. It's logical that you choose a hefty portion of carbohydrates to ensure you don't crash during that long run on Saturday morning. And it's equally logical that after a 32-kilometer run, you think you've earned that whole bag of nachos. It's not strange that you eat too much during this period, because you're probably training almost every day, constantly feeling hungry, and thinking you can and should keep eating infinitely. If you have a fun competition planned but aren't quite sure what the best things to eat are to have as much energy as possible for your run, then these tips are for you. And besides the right meals, it's of course important to keep drinking well. So filling, that water bottle.

Breakfast

Lunch

  • Sourdough bread or spelt/multigrain crackers (try this once; you'll never want anything else) topped with chicken breast, cottage cheese, and cress
  • Smashed avocado, coarse sea salt, and arugula
  • Hummus, grilled vegetables, and lamb's lettuce
  • Cottage cheese, smoked salmon, and cucumber
  • A well-filled omelet

Dinner

In principle, you can go many ways with dinner. Try to fill your plate with enough vegetables and proteins (extra proteins for a competition/training, like a piece of chicken, fish, or tofu/tempeh) and whole grain products like pasta, brown rice, or buckwheat noodles. A well-filled (homemade) pasta sauce with plenty of vegetables, noodles with lots of green vegetables and a tuna steak, or a delicious casserole with sweet potato, grilled vegetables, and for example a piece of chicken always works well.

Snacks

  • A rice cake with homemade nut butter and banana slices
  • A handful of unsalted nuts
  • A date filled with nut butter and a piece of dark chocolate
  • A banana or apple
  • Raw vegetables with hummus
  • A bowl of low-fat yogurt with some blueberries or a seed/nut mix
  • A homemade granola bar
  • A protein bar
  • A boiled egg