Long Run Saturday

September 17th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness

OK baby girl, enough with the bike riding birthday breakfast bonanzas – you’ve got a marathon you’re supposed to be training for.

Steamtown Marathon Letter

Oh shoot, you’re right!  Well, it’s Saturday, so I guess that means we’re running long today, eh?

A few weeks ago I made my own version of Brendan Brazier’s Direct Fuel Bites for long runs. This batch was made much like the one I made last year – with dates, coconut oil and cocoa powder. This time I threw in a little dulse (for electrolytes), hemp seeds (for protein), chia seeds (for kicks) and shredded coconut (for fun).

Direct Fuel Bites Direct Fuel Bites

These keep in the freezer for 3 months or the fridge for 2 weeks. I’ve been keeping them in the freezer and whip them out as needed and it’s been working quite well. They don’t freeze completely solid, so you can eat them straight from the freezer if you like without having to worry a bit about chipping a tooth or snapping off a crown.

I loaded four into a baggie to take along with me today, zipped into the pouch of my hand held water bottle and I set off to run “more than 12” but “less than 20”.

All Packed Up

No camera, just the Garmin and away we went.

Saturday Long Run Stats

There was a bit of walking up a giant hill around Mile 7. A bit of tripping over a tree root and crashing into the ground at Mile 8. A bit of stopping at the library for water bottle refill and some stretching and remembering I have overdue books to return at Mile 10. A bit of wondering how on earth I managed to talk myself into this bright idea at Mile 13.

And a bit of saying Halleluiah!! as I walked up my driveway at Mile 15.65, ready sit the heck down and flip through Thrive for a bit of post-long run nutrition guidance once again.

Using Brendan’s Lemon Lime Recovery Drink recipe for inspiration, a bunch of plant based stuff went into the blender on that same span of green counter top two and a half hours later. Post-Run Nutrition according to Brendan is simple carbohydrates to help speed recovery.

Actually, I’ve made this recovery concoction a couple times now and I have to say – as scary as this combination of ingredients might seem (ummm, hello seaweed in a slushie) – I have to admit this is really good after a run.

A couple of dates, dulse, lemon juice, water, ice, ginger, hemp seeds, EFA Oil and some agave (not pictured).

Post Run Nutrition

It’s the lemon, dates and ice that make this drink drinkable. Just ignore the black things floating around and you’re good to go!

Brendan Brazier Lemon Recovery Drink

Part II of Brendan’s post-run nutrition advice is to eat something high in protein one hour after your workout to repair and rebuild muscle tissue. I’m sure he has plant based nutrition in mind, but I went the animal and chocolate based nutrition route for Post Run Meal #2 this time.

Protein an Hour Later

Bear Naked Chocolate Granola, a generous scoop of 2% greek yogurt and a handful of chocolate chips because it’s Saturday night for crying out loud.

Post Run Chocolate Nutrition

Really?  Chocolate chips are what I call fun on Saturday night these days?

There are people out there in this world wearing sequiny outfits getting ready to hit the club and get their drink on while I’m here at home wearing sweat pants and a stained white tank top getting all excited about chocolate chips on a pile of greek yogurt on a Saturday night.  I think it’s time to go call myself baby girl again and pretend that I’m cool.


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