Here is what I know. I am a breakfast girl. Love pancakes. Love the 2 Eggs combo. Love French toast. Nothing wrong with oatmeal. It tends to be my largest meal of the day, and I need it. My brain doesn’t function well without it. I don’t, however, love breakfast in those early morning hours before the sun and most sane people are up when I am maybe a little nervous about the big workout I’m about to do. This makes fueling before the run a bit of a challenge for me.
On race days I’ve got it down. Most don’t start until 8:30 or so. That means I’m having my half a peanut butter sandwich at 6:30. Totally doable! But this summer, long training runs started at *gasp!* 6:30am! That meant I had to be awake BEFORE 4:30 so I could start eating at 4:30. I’m afraid of my kitchen at 4:30. It’s dark in there! But I approached this like I approach every food challenge; with lots of experimenting.
First I started fiddling with the time. Maybe I really didn’t need to eat so early. I got up at 5:00 and waited 15 minutes for my tummy to be ready to accept food. At 5:50, when I was supposed to be in my car and on my way to the run, I was in the bathroom instead.
Next, I tried waking up at 4:45 and eating at 5:00. This time, I was not late getting into my car. But ½ a sandwich wasn’t quite enough for a longer run. 3 miles in I was deflating and nibbling at my Shot Bloks like a starved raccoon.
Next, I tried a whole peanut butter sandwich at 5:00. Half way through with a wad of sandwich stuck to the top of my mouth and not budging, the sight of the rest of it made me heave out the first half.
I went back to smaller portions but tried to find other foods that might have more energy in them. It went like this:
½ a bowl of Oatmeal (BONK!), cold cereal (BONK!), eggo with honey stinger gel (BONK!), cereal with yogurt (BONK with massive bloating!)
It was pretty clear. I needed to embrace the 4:30 wakeup and give my stomach enough time to be ready for a full sandwich. I would eat it and be on time to the run and feel awesome!!
The morning I put this plan into motion the alarm went off at 4:15 and I hit the snooze button. 8 times. Until I managed to force myself onto my feet at 4:50.
And then it happened.
On the way to the kitchen, my one open eye spotted it. There, on the table. In one of those round, Rubbermaid snack containers. A leftover Boston Cream donut. All ready for eating!
Now, I have just spent approximately 400 words describing to you my difficulty with consuming breakfast foods first thing in the morning. So what happened next will appear to make absolutely no sense whatsoever. Except that I am a creature of habit. And what happened when my eye spied that puffy pillow of chocolate iced, cream filled perfection regardless of time of day is what happens EVERY TIME I encounter such gloriousness. Involuntarily, my lips parted and the words “Ooooooooo! Donut!!!” came rushing out of them. And the blood rushed up to my head and popped open the other eye and then it rushed down through my stomach to my feet where I started feeling the beat of the “Donut Time!” song (which is the theme song I made up for Donut Day which is every Saturday which of course everybody knows so I didn’t need to bother with this parentheses, did I?) that was starting to play in my head. And not only did I totally consume that donut, but I had it with coffee. More coffee than I usually permit myself before running because we aren’t talking about a glazed donut here. Or a cinnamon. We are talking about a Boston Cream and that thing needs to be savored.
I do not endorse this as a pre-run meal. I fully support finding something healthier, with actual nutrients, that is going to fortify you without clogging your arteries. But I won’t lie either. That was my best 12 miles to date. If you leave the house at 5:50am singing a donut song, chances are you are going to have a happy run. And the extra coffee is going to get the factory that is your digestive system moving nice and quick, so you can get all your pre-run business taken care of and get out the door. And then that coffee is going to keep working so you run extra fast from the caffeine, and because you will really need to pee and none of the porta potties will be open and your route will end up being a hyper crazed weaving along the mall to find one that is actually unlocked. And the sugar – have I mentioned the sugar?!?!!!
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