Marathon training and Weight Gain-Say What?!

I'll post a training update from last week tomorrow but today I really wanted to bring up a topic that has been on my mind recently. 

When people hear you are running a marathon they probably think you are going to lose a ton of weight because of those crazy calorie burns. They say, go ahead eat that plate of cheese fries, you ran 15 miles today! True, the typical seasoned or elite runner's physique is pretty lean.  When training for a marathon that is not always the case though. Just because you may be burning 1000-2000 calories on a run doesn't mean you aren't fueling more.  I'm eating a GU/fruit chews/fuel every 45-60 minutes during my run. I'm fueling pre- and post- run.  Besides which, I'm hungry pretty much all the time, especially the day of and after my long run.   In the past 2 months since starting marathon training, I've put on about 4-5 pounds.  It seems to be steady there and I'm getting okay with it, but at first as I mentioned, it was shocking. 

I'm running more and gaining weight?

I wish I was kidding. 

I've seen this topic on many places around the interwebs including Runner's World  here, on Tina's (Carrots 'N' Cake) blog , and more recently mentioned by Carissa from Fit 2 Flex here . Just google "marathon training weight gain" and you'll get a bunch of articles about it.  Besides what I've mentioned about being hungrier in general and fueling for runs, here are the scientific facts I've compiled that may contribute to marathon training weight gain:

1.One reason for gaining a few pounds is from increased muscle mass. Muscle tissue is more dense than fat tissue, so the scale might give a higher number, even though you've probably lost inches due to fat loss.  This is especially true if you are strength training as well!

2. Long distance training requires more carbohydrates, which attract water, along with increased glycogen stores for those longer runs. Your body wants to hold onto extra fuel and water for long runs. See, it's just looking out for you! 

3. This leads me to the fact that carb-loading by binging on plates of pasta and bread is unnecessary.  I think a lot of people over estimate how much carb-loading they actually have to do.  It'd be different for me if I was fueling up for a bigger race a few times a year with some pizza and cupcakes before race night rather than doing some massive carb-loading each Friday night for 5 months before a run the next AM.  

The proper way to carb-load didn't click with me until my training group coach talked to us about nutrition and suggested adding an extra serving of carbs (preferably something more nutritious and less processed) to lunch/dinner 2 days before the run and to breakfast the day before the run. Then your body actually has time to convert the carbs to glycogen. When I first heard that I was like "Duh!" . Also watch how many calories you are intaking in your gatorade or liquid electrolyte drinks if you are trying to watch your weight!

4. After you run 17 miles on a bright and early Saturday morning you probably want to treat yourself to some pizza, a cupcake, and half a bottle of wine when all that rebound hunger kicks in later in the day. No? Just me? Apparently many people gain weight due to simply eating more calories than they are burning.   I can definitely eat a 1500 calorie brunch. If you don't think you can, look at some of the calorie counts of restaurants, um hello, 1140 calories for a medium peanut butter bacon shake from Sonic? It's really important to refuel within 30 minute of exercise but just try to keep treats minimal and lots of good, nutritious food incorporated into your meals!

Is weight gain inevitable with marathon training? Maybe not. In the end, I'm happy that I'm strong and fit and going to have legs that can hopefully take me 26.2 miles, even if they are a little bigger than they used to be. Here's some things I'm doing to keep myself in check and to make sure my body is being properly fueled without binges:

1. Drink lots of water. Water is  awesome for you all around, even if you aren't training for anything. I'm trying to get in at least 90 oz a day. The minimum should be half your body weight in ounces, but upwards to your actual body weight in ounces if you are training or highly active. 

2. Make sure to eat lots of protein. I'm being sure to include a protein and some fat at every meal to keep my macronutrients more balanced and my body more satiated.  I think the golden rule is to have approximately 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day (I googled it to double check and pounds of body weight/2.2=kilograms of body weight!). Some sources will say that runners need even more than this!

3.  Plan meals around long exercise sessions.  I'm pretty good  during the week due to my work structure and breakfast is my favorite so I never skip it. However on the weekends with longs runs, between breakfast and dinner becomes a snacking free-for-all. I'm going to try to do better to actually eat a sit down, protein-packed lunch on the weekends.   

4.  Keep snacking at bay, especially on long run days. I'm getting better at actually making myself a smoothie or preparing a snack, instead of stealing a few handfuls of pita chips, chocolate chips, and cereal every 15 minutes. If I'm actually hungry, I'm going to fuel my body!

Have you gained weight training for a marathon or long distance race? What are your tips for exercise hunger?

Mango Salsa and More Colorful Running Deals!

Well, first of all I have some big news-I was chosen to be a Delta Labs Ambassador! You'll be hearing plenty more about the company and their products but I'm really excited so I just had to mention it. I feel so small time in the blogosphere so I'm really excited for this opportunity,  It's a company owned and operated by women which sells all natural, affordable health and wellness products. I'm all about empowering women so it's a great fit!

Also, if you missed out on the Color Me Rad 5K discount I posted a few weeks ago, here is another chance to do a fun colorful run for a little bit cheaper!  I'm all about getting people excited about running and also love color.  While I found the last color run I participated in a little unorganized, if a group of my friends wants to run a 5K I'm always up for it! 

If you are unfamiliar, the Color Run is the "Happiest 5K on the Planet" and is an un-timed 5K where all the runners are covered in different colored powder by the end of the race.  The race celebrates health, happiness, and community.  The Color run is offering $5 off an entry to any city that is NOT sold out, just enter the promo code "COLOR5OFF" at the registration page.  Check to see if the Color Run is coming to a city near you here.

Also if you are running with a group of friends, registering in a team of 4 or more is automatically $5 cheaper, but if you use the code "COLOR5OFF" on your registration you will be saving $10 total!

I know I promoted the Color Me Rad and Color Run 5K, but I just really like seeing people running and happy.  Events that bring people out to feel healthy, have fun, and have a big party are good things in my book.  I don't think I can run the next Baltimore one due to the Philadelphia Half Marathon but maybe I'll find another city to run in :)

Post Color Run Baltimore 2013

Lastly in this random post, I have an awesome recipe to share.  I baked some frozen flounder filets for most of my lunches this week. I had some avocados sitting on my counter that were at the perfect ripeness and needed to be used up. I decided to create a topping for my fish, and it came out so delicious that I'm going to share the recipe with you. 

This recipe is super simple and you could substitute or add ingredients, depending on what you have on hand. I used sriarcha for some heat because it's all I had, but you could use some jalapeno peppers if you like your salsa spicy! 

I made a small batch for my lunches, but you could probably double or triple this recipe for a get together as a dip! It's kind of a hybrid salsa and guacamole and was even delicious on some leftover turkey burgers for dinner last night. 

Do you have any great lunches planned this week?  What are your favorite recipes to use up ripened avocados?

MIMM #8 8/5/2013

This weekend was still full of lots of food and some running.  These are some of the mostly marvelous highlights!

Marvelous is spending Saturday morning after a long run refueling to find out Clueless is on TV, and watching the rest of the movie.  It's one of the great movies of the 90s!

Marvelous is spending a drizzly post-run Saturday afternoon having a very early dinner with a cocktail, crab cake, and old bay salted caramel ice cream. Then I took a nap :)

Marvelous is an unexpected Sunday funday dinner (unpictured  crab cake sandwich-I've been craving all things crab!) and craft beer sampler.

Marvelous is sleeping in on Sunday mornings ( I will make it to yoga one morning....maybe.).

Marvelous is eating many many samples of peaches at the Farmer's Market. 

Not so marvelous is not getting all of my to do list done this weekend. 

Marvelous is having my boyfriend bring home the best pumpkin beer ever-Southern Tier's Pumking because a bunch of autumn beers were already on the shelves. 

Not so marvelous is that autumn beers are already out. I STILL HAVE A MONTH OF SUMMER :(

Marvelous is the new Chobani bites flavors I picked up this week. The mint chip flavor is crazy delicious,  especially when you freeze it for a little while before eating.  

from chobani.com

Marvelous is running outside in cooler summer temps and refueling with my coconutty popsicles!

What did you do this weekend? Have a favorite 90s movie

Training Week 6 and Friday Faves 8/2/13

Since I was on a mini vacation to Atlantic City for over half the week, we're already at Friday which is awesome! Here's how my marathon training went last week!

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Week 6

Runs:

Short runs: Week 6 was was so 3x hill repeats for 4 hills. I felt more comfortable doing hill work this week because my legs weren't really tight and I was feeling good before we started running.  I got in a nice tempo run outside and did some intervals inside on a rainy afternoon too.  

Long Run- Week 6 had us upping our miles again so I ended up running 15 miles at the trails near BWI which was cool because planes were flying in and taking off right above us.  There was lots of cyclists so I definitely had to be paying attention about where I was running. Oh and it was my longest distance ever and I felt good. I'm getting the hang of fueling so far and making sure I drink enough water days before the long run!

What was awesome last week:  It was the first time in a while I got all the workouts I wanted to in and it wasn't stressful. I did a little bit of outdoor running, treadmill intervals, and crossfit.  It's nice when things just fall into place and you finally get into a groove!

What I need to work on this week: This week I need to work on getting enough sleep.  I feel so much better when I get adequate sleep so I'm going to work on setting  time to be in bed by so that I'm not be rushing or feeling like a character on the Walking Dead in the morning.  That also means being in bed and not reading things on my phone, checking email, or scrolling through Instagram!

On to some things I've been loving this week!

Favorite dessert: Gelato from the little shop in the casino. It was right outside of the elevator and after passing it about 20 times I had to have some! I tried about 10 samples of flavors before I decided on a little cup of cheesecake and strawberry gelato. It was delicious, of course.

Favorite place to run: The beach,sigh. Why can't I have summers off and just live down the shore? This particular seagull didn't get spooked like all the other birds when I ran by either. It was so serene.

Favorite snack: Siggi's yogurt, particularly this orange ginger flavor

Siggi's is a brand of skyr yogurt that is even thicker and creamier than greek yogurt! Siggi's only has 5 or 6 ingredients and this particular flavor has 9g of sugar, which isn't too bad for flavored yogurt. I normally don't like orange things (besides the actual fruit and the occasional mimosa) but this flavor is so refreshing! It's amazingly delicious, and I've been enjoying it with some granola mixed in as a snack.  I picked this up at Whole Foods but the brand is popping up at supermarkets all over the place. 

Favorite song: Royals by Lorde

This 16 year old from New Zealand is crazy talented, and this song is super catchy.  It's like a stripped down Ke$ha song. It should be the song of the summer for driving with your windows down when the sun shining and you'll soon be drinking a beer.

Oh and btw, it's already August. Where is summer going? 

That's not cool. I think I need to make a summer bucket list. Stat. It's like a challenge now!

What's something you want to do before summer ends?

MIMM #7 7/29/13

I had a pretty busy weekend again with lots of fun and got to catch up on errands and apartment cleaning yesterday along with packing for a mid-week getaway! Here are some of the marvelous highlights!

Marvelous is barbecues with friends on a summer afternoon including lots of watermelon.

Marvelous is Soy Delicious mint chip almond milk ice cream. Having tummy troubles this weekend but still craving real ice cream? No problem with this ice cream I picked up on sale at Whole Foods this weekend. It tastes like real mint chocolate chip ice cream with only the slight disappointment that it's white not green colored. It's a very dangerous purchase because it's already halfway gone!

Marvelous is having relaxing Sunday mornings involving the Farmer's Market, Zeke's iced coffee, and pancakes. 

Marvelous is getting huge balloons from the boyfriend that are seriously awesome and tie-dye and polka dotted. It was a good "I'm sorry" because I love balloons :)

Marvelous is running my longest distance ever (15 miles!) on Saturday with the marathon training group and feeling great. 

Marvelous is using leftover quinoa to make some protein filled clean chocolate chip cookies that were amazing (even the boyfriend approved)! I used this recipe except I doubled it , subbed the quinoa for the oatmeal, and added 1/4 cup of brown sugar.  SO GOOD. 

Marvelous is catching the end of the U.S. men's soccer team beat Panama in the Gold Cup on Sunday. Also soccer players are pretty attractive including the ever popular Landon Donovan. 

from nydailynews.com

I mean, look at those quads on Donovan!

Marvelous is having colorful running. I ran the Color Run Baltimore and wasn't sure if I'd do another race like it again, but I love running with friends so there will be more running involving color in my future.  I've jumped on the chance to team up with the Color me Rad 5K which involves running a getting coated in a cornstarch rainbow while running a 5K.   They are offering a special 48 discount code from Monday July 29 through Wednesday July 31. Use "radfun" when registering to get 20% off registration, no matter the price or location you choose.I definitely think races are getting pricey so take advantage of this offer if you've been wanting to try a fun run! 


The Baltimore race is 9/8/13 but check here for locations near you and take advantage of this discount if you want to register!

Marvelous is going to Atlantic City this week to celebrate my sister's belated birthday with sushi, drinks, and dancing (and hopefully some beach time!!!). Hello, mini vacation :)

What did you do this weekend? Did you attend a barbecue or have a really good run?

Friday Favorites 7/26/2013

Today was super busy all around, minus the morning where I woke up early to make some Friday AM pancakes.  I'm super glad because they were the best part of my day so far!

1. Favorite breakfast food: Pancakes, duh.

I made these peanut butter pancakes topped with peanut butter and fresh strawberries this morning from this @megameows instagram post except using greek yogurt instead of applesauce and peanut butter protein powder. Sorry for the crappy pic-I was so hungry I just snapped and devoured.YUM.


2. Favorite song: Safe and Sound by Capital Cities

I've been loving this song by Capital Cities for a while now but love it even more after checking out a late night set by Capital Cities at Bonnaroo. It's catchy and sweet and will get stuck in your head if you haven't heard it yet. Oh, and the official video is super fun too!

3. Favorite blog read of the week: Checking Yourself Before Wrecking Yourself by Kasey at Powercakes

From her post-love it!

I love Kasey  because she always posts fun fitness tips and recipes along with her real struggles and thoughts!  I'm also partial to her because she has those same full cheeks that I have :) I feel lots of healthy living peeps and fitness junkies need to read this post of hers about learning what YOU need to not fuel your body. News flash- no matter what My Fitness Pal says you do need more than 1200 calories a week to lose weight if you are working out like a madman (or woman!). You need to eat more food if you workout, especially if you workout 6 days a week or two a days or for hours, more crazypants things, etc.  Guess what, I'm training for a marathon-I need more food, carbs, water, and more food. Fuel yourself properly to avoid injury, fatigue, and general crappy feelings.

4. Favorite recipe to try this weekend: Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread from Taylor Made it Paleo

from recipe link!

Last weekend I made some delicious chocolate zucchini muffins from Slim Sanity and since zucchini are enormous and cheap at the farmer's market, I'll probably buy some more! I've been following Taylor on instagram and seeing all her yummy recipes so I can't wait to try this one out!


Have a great weekend! I know the weather is going to continue on here being sub-90 degrees which has turned out to be really pleasant summer weather for me.

Do you have any great plans this weekend? Is there a favorite zucchini-filled recipe you'd like to share with me?

Bmore Blends Meetup and Marathon Training Update Week 4&5

Time for a marathon training week 4&5 update, but first I wanted to give a little shout-out to my (newly named!) Bmore Blends ladies that I met up with on Monday night for a little happy hour hangout at the The Rowhouse Grille organized by Caitlyn . Thanks to both!  Only half of the list of Baltimore blogger ladies below could make it there, but it was nice to talk to some awesome people with similar interests and put some faces to people's blogs I read! I was a little nervous that it would be awkward meeting up and because I'm shy around new people but it ended up being a great time.  I definitely have some new people to run and hang out with in the future!

Back: Kerry, Jess, Megan, Dani, Kait
Front: Brittany, Kate,Caitlyn, me

I'm really excited to have another group of Charm City ladies to be friends with and do fun things with. It's hard to make friends outside of work when you're a busy twenty-something! These are some blogs you should be reading:

• Brittany- Barr and Table
• Caitlyn – City and the Cubicle
• Coco – Hot Coco
• Colleen – Jimmy Choos on the Treadmill
• Danielle – Da Hart Attack
• Jami – Fit Jams
• Jenny – Love, Eat, Run
• Jess – Just Call Me Janks
• Kait - Kait Makes A Run For It
• Kaitlyn – Simply Complicated
• Katie – Skinny Minnie Moves
• Kat – The Road I’m Running
• Kate – Sunshine and the Bear
• Kerry – Adventures of Z and K
• Laura – Hell On Heels
• Mary – Aznstarlette
• Megan – Outlaw on the Run

*Thanks to Kate for sending out the group photo to everyone!

The Road to 26.2 -Marathon Training Weeks 4& 5


Runs:

Hills &Speedwork: Week 4 we did some speedwork again with mile repeats which felt great. Week 5 was so 3x hill repeats for 3 hills. I definitely prefer speedwork to hills but will need all the hill preparation I can get for the hilly Baltimore marathon!

Tempo Run- I don't really remember much of Week 4's tempo run but know it was a a hot and sweaty run in the afternoon.  For my Week 5 tempo run, it decided to thunderstorm in the afternoon again so I was stuck doing some tempo intervals on the treadmill. It went by pretty fast and I pushed myself at the end of the marathon pace middle portion of the run which felt good. 

Long Run- Week 4 was a great 13 miles at a trail near a local reservoir. It was different running outside with few cars and lots of of serene nature scenery.  It was one of those mornings where I woke up later, realized the car had no gas, and made it to the run late since I had to drive a bit out of the city.  I managed to catch up to the group and actually had a pretty nice run. Week 5 I missed the group long run due to the crossfit competition to I made it out to do a little over 10 Monday morning before work. It wasn't the 13 on the schedule, but I'll take it! The morning was overcast so it was actually a pretty nice run around the city on no particular route.  

What was awesome last week:  I was really consistent about writing out my training plan and sticking to it last week. I got in all the workouts I wanted to, along with some foam rolling!

What I need to work on this week: This week I need to work on properly fueling my body. I've gained a few pounds since starting training, which sucks when I need to be in a bathing suit this weekend and next week, but my body needs more food to make it through a marathon! I'm trying to work on eating proper and larger meals/snacks not only before and after workouts, but also throughout the day.  I also am trying to keep how much I eat consistent because I'd feel great during the week and then want to eat everything in sight after my long runs on the weekend. I'm going to do a fuel discussion post next week after I try this out a little longer. 

Here's a helpful chart for pre/post workout fuel I saw on stupideasypaleo.com! 

Have you ever met up with other bloggers or internet friends in real life? How do you reel in exercise hunger?

Zola and a Coconutty Recipe

I have a great summertime treat for you to try out today! Through a Sweat Pink ambassador opportunity I got the chance to review some of Zola's coconut water and acai juice. This review is coming a little late because a couple vacations and summertime fun has thrown me behind, and I wanted a chance to try all the products before reviewing. 

I LOVE coconut flavored anything, including coconut water, and drink it regularly.  

My favorite is the Chocolate Zico water, which I would drink everyday if it wasn't so expensive, so I was really excited to try out the Zola products for the first time. The package came  all wrapped up nicely with a pair of awesome neon green shades.

I popped the coconut waters (one with pulp and one without) and the Acai Berry Juice in the fridge because coconut water warm is no good.  My boyfriend has used acai juice in smoothies before since it has a nice flavor and lots of antioxidants and omegas.  This acai berry juice was really good though.  I drank some plain and then mixed the rest with a little club soda for a morning mocktail with my breakfast because I'm fancy like that.

The natural coconut water I drank yesterday after my long run. I cracked open the can and thought the taste was great! I prefer it out of a plastic bottle but the Zola coconut water tasted great! Of course I'm a fan because the coconut water is all natural and it, along with the acai juice, is gluten and GMO free. Coconut water is great after exercise because it is loaded with electrolytes, vitamins, and potassium.  The stats on it are great, especially when it's all natural like Zola!

You can find Zola products at Whole Foods and other grocery stores or online on their website. 

Well besides loving cupcakes and anything chocolate, I love freezy treats-ice cream, froyo, and popsicles! Summertime is definitely popsicles season so I used the Zola coconut water with pulp to whip up a batch on the fly-and they turned out great! I added fresh berries to the coconut water to make a yummy treat or even a great post-workout snack.  I got those popsicle molds from Target I think, but I also have a cheap set from Ikea that I got early in the spring.  If you don't have popsicles molds I've used small paper cups and popsicle sticks before. 

Check out the recipe below and let me know if you try it out!

Have you tried coconut water before? What's your favorite freezy treat?

Disclosure: Zola provided me with a sample pack of their products through a partnership as a Sweat Pink Ambassador. I received no monetary or other compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.