– by Yitka Winn
Some people have a natural ability to hop out of bed and enjoy a pleasant morning jog. Let me begin by saying that, though I call myself a runner, I am not one of these people.
I am a woman with a finicky stomach that’s led me, over time, to resign myself to running solely in the afternoon or evening.
Conventional running and nutrition wisdom states that the ideal time to eat a pre-run meal is 3-4 hours before exercise. Short of setting an alarm clock to wolf down food in the middle of the night, what’s a tempestuous-tummied runner to do if she wants to knock out some miles before work?
Starting Your Morning off Right
Recommendations vary from running on an empty stomach to eating a bagel with peanut butter, to simply gulping down a cup of coffee and letting the caffeine fuel your run.
As a longtime recreational runner, I’ve tried all these methods with varying levels of failure. Like many others, I have a mild gluten sensitivity that doesn’t make the typical recommended pre-run grub – bagels, toast, or cereal – great options for me, not before taking off for extended stomach-jostling.
Coffee, while shown in some studies to aid athletic performance, doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being the stomach’s best friend. It is also a diuretic, and not necessarily the best choice for fueling exercise.
The empty stomach has long been my best bet, but if I haven’t had a big meal the night before, often this can leave me dragging midway through my run – and it certainly can’t sustain me over longer distances.
After suffering through years of sorry attempts to enjoy an early a.m. jog, I was given a juicer and I decided to try swapping out my morning cup of joe for a glass of fresh apple, carrot, and kale juice. The results were astounding.
The jolt of energy that a glass of green juice gave me was equivalent to that of coffee, but my stomach was much happier. It stayed quiet and peaceful on my runs, permitting me to, for the first time, enjoy a sunrise at the same time as my daily endorphin high – a combination I recommend to everyone!
When I later added a high-powered blender to my kitchen appliance repertoire, I began experimenting with green smoothies as a pre-workout option as well. While a little heavier on the stomach than juices, green smoothies turned out to be the antidote to the remainder of my morning running woes: a gentle energy source to sustain me on longer runs as well.
So here’s the bottom-line for choosing your morning finish line:
- Fresh juices, because they’ve been stripped of their fiber content, can deliver that quick, direct burst of energy, ideal for runs under three or four miles.
- Green smoothies, on the other hand, offer a slower release of energy that can keep your body humming on longer runs. (Supplementary hydration and fuel while running is, of course, still imperative if you’ll be out for over an hour.)
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If you’re looking for more fitness ideas, be sure to take advantage of our partner “Fit in Fitness” program with the folks at T-Tapp starting on May 1st! You’ll get 6 weeks of videos, recipe ideas, and tips to help you get green and get fit!
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Let’s talk green! From now until the start of our spring 21-Day Green Smoothie Detox, you can win a chance to join our LIVE, Full-Support program featuring Green Smoothie Girl, Robyn Openshaw, just by contributing your thoughts to one of our “Green Buzz” suggestions on the blog. (Be sure to include a valid name and e-mail address with your blog comment so that we can contact you). We’ll select a winner who shares a thoughtful comment on any new GSQ blog post between April 15th and April 29th, 2011. All comments will be approved before appearing. (Attention Facebook/Twitter readers: Comments must be made on the GSQ blog site to be entered in the draw!)
TODAY’S “GREEN BUZZ” TOPICS
- What successes have you had in finding ways to fuel early morning workouts? Share your ideas here!
- What are your favourite running tips?
- What’s your favourite workout green juice or green smoothie recipe?