Hello my beautiful baddies. This article, focusing on proper hydration and nutrition, is the second in a series of Houston Moms articles covering all things marathon training. The self-care tips and sample meal plan herein will benefit not just runners, but all humans in our great, wide, flame-kissed sauna of a city. It’s so dadgum hot *cue sweet southern accent* that we all need to be proactive in our approach to fueling our bodies.
Self-Care During Training
While running is the most obvious component of marathon training, self-care is high on the list of a runner’s needs, including proper hydration and nutrition. There is endless advice, an abundance of theories, and tried-and-tested mathematical formulas for calculating your body’s ideal hydration and nutrition plan. I will share some guidelines and helpful tips but will always refer you back to my favorite self-care philosophy: Listen to your body.
Sometimes our bodies speak to us in a forgotten language or in words we aren’t quite receiving – and that is where a few tips and reminders can help us connect those dots. Our bodies sure talk to us a lot while we’re running, amiright?? Well, they’re mostly asking to be cared for.
Self-Care through Hydration
Every single cell in your body needs water to function, and the number one source of water is food and drink. How much water do you need?
How much water do you need?
Every person has a baseline: the amount of water your body needs on a typical day. You may be familiar with the 8-8 standard: Eight 8-ounce glasses {64 ounces} of water daily.
While I appreciate this as a mnemonic device, I personally use the body weight method: One ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight. In other words, divide your body weight by two. {For example, a 150-lb adult may require 75 ounces of water daily.}
Regardless of how you calculate your daily ounces, keep in mind this figure (1) accounts for water from both food and drink sources, not just plain drinking water and (2) is your baseline – other factors will need to be considered, including age, diet, lifestyle, environment, and overall health.
While I can’t speak to every individual need, I will focus on the impacts of both physical activity and heat. For those with a medical or health concern, please seek advice directly from your doctor.
How much water do I need while training?
When you’re actively sweating through exertion {looking at you, runners} or sweating by simply trying to exist outside in the heat, your body is losing water that you need to replace, ideally with plain drinking water. As a general rule: drink 1 cup of water for every 20 minutes of running {or sweating}.
What are some good water sources?
Plain drinking water is giving main character energy but, milk, coffee, tea, and unsweetened flavored and sparkling waters are all excellent hydrating fluids. As mentioned previously {once or twice}, certain foods also contribute to our water intake. The graphic below shows 16 of the most water-rich fruits and vegetables, so plan to keep your favorites in stock on training days!
How do you drink enough water on training days?
The best plan of action for hydrating on training days is drinking water before, during, and after your workout, following these 8 tips:
- Drink an extra glass of water the evening before a long run.
- Drink a glass of water about an hour before your run.
- Set up “thirst traps.” {Not what you’re thinking, but I cannot resist calling them this because it makes me giggle.} Either carry water with you or leave it in an accessible location along your route and at the end of your route.
- Plan to drink water every 20 minutes during your workout, a few ounces at a time. For reference, Houston Marathon has hydration stations every 1.5 miles, beginning at mile 2, which is a good indicator of how often water might be needed.
- It is perfectly okay to pause your run to drink water. Remember, this is self-care.
- Enjoy a “thirst trap” after your run. As part of my morning run ritual, my husband leaves a glass of ice water out for me in the kitchen. It’s such a simple yet special way to feel both rewarded and supported.
- Drink water throughout the day: with each meal and in between.
- Limit booze and sugary drinks. This is a judgement-free zone. Enjoy yourself, but also be kind to yourself. If you like to imbibe, save it for the night before rest days and chase it with plain drinking water. Cheers!
Self-Care through Nutrition
Nutrition can be a complicated science, with many variables to consider, and the “ideal” diet…what even is that? {Here I use the word “diet” to refer to regular, everyday nutrition, as opposed to a short-term plan.} To uncomplicate the science of nutrition, listen to your body and respond with compassion. Focus on what you are gifting it rather than what you are withholding, and please feel welcome to add my sample meal plan to your registry.
What does a runner’s diet look like?
A healthy diet is a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Ratios and total calories vary from person to person. Runners will want to consume approximately 50-60% of their daily calories from carbohydrates and increase carbohydrates as training progresses to longer distances. {I don’t know how you feel about carbs, but this makes me very excited! Bring on the pasta and potatoes!} Lean proteins and healthy fats combined make up the other 40-50% of daily calories. Fueling up for the marathon itself will be covered in a later article.
Runner’s 7-Day Sample Meal Plan
The graphic below is a sample weekly meal plan for a typical training week, following the ratios mentioned above. Two of the meals listed have recipes linked below. I have included plant-based options because I follow a plant-based diet, not because I am pushing anyone to make that choice. I also utilize repeat meals and leftovers to make life a touch easier. Another useful tip for healthy eating: keep frozen vegetables on hand. They cut out some of the prep-work, retain their nutritional value, and won’t get lost to rot in refrigerator Narnia like their fresh counterparts sometimes do.
Find the chickpea salad recipe here
Find the vegetable lasagna recipe here – this one is more time-consuming, but it is so, so good!
Next Steps: Listen To Your Body As You Train for a Marathon
While the details in this article are meant to help guide your hydration and nutrition choices as you train for your marathon, there is no better source of truth than your own. If you’re hungry, eat. If you’re thirsty, drink. If you’re tired, rest. If you’re needing a treat, treat!
Listen to your body, it is one smart cookie. Ooh, cookies…
