Author: blake

The Importance of Protein for Runners

I think most runners know they need protein for good recovery. When we run, we cause micro-tears in our muscles. To put it simply, protein is used to build back the muscles. Recently I’ve learned some things about protein that I thought I’d pass on to other runners interested in optimizing recovery and enhancing performance through good nutrition.

1. It’s difficult to consume enough protein

If I’m not careful, I tend to eat too many carbs and not enough protein. This may be because I have a major sweet tooth and I love carbs in general (bread, pasta, rice, cold cereal, you name it).

I have to be pretty intentional to get enough protein. Consider that at 180 lbs, I need about 2200 calories just to break even if I don’t work out and sit at my desk all day. If I run 10 miles (which I often do on Monday and Wednesday; more on Friday or Saturday), I need to consume about 3700 calories to break even. Runners should aim to consume 20-25% of calories in protein. This means I need around 800 protein calories, or 200 grams of protein after a solid running day.

In order to consume that much protein, I really need to target some high protein foods. 200 grams of protein is equal to:

  • 40 slices of whole grain bread, or
  • 1 2/3 cups of peanut butter, or
  • 31 eggs, or
  • 9 cans of tuna fish, or
  • 2 lbs of chicken breast

You get the idea — it can be a lot of food. Obviously protein comes from several sources, so intake can be spread among the above items and more.

That leads me to another thing to keep in mind about protein:

2. Protein consumption cannot be all in one meal

Studies have shown (or at least one study has shown: Moderating the portion size of a protein-rich meal improves anabolic efficiency in young and elderly) that consuming over ~30g of protein at once won’t really help you replenish muscle. I’m guessing the figure is higher for people like me that weigh more than a typical runner, but even raising the limit to 45g creates some constraints.

Many people consume a large portion of their daily protein during dinner — often in the form of a bit chunk of meat. While meat is a great source of protein, a 4oz piece of chicken breast will get you ~26g of protein, which is near the limit of what your body can efficiently handle in one meal. Combine that with some rice, milk, or beans, and you’ll easily exceed 30g.

What I’ve done to help mitigate this, is to consume more protein for breakfast. I’ve replaced or augmented my bowl of cold cereal with eggs, protein powder, more milk, or protein-packed cereal. Then I have a mid-morning protein snack on heavy running days — often in the form of a 20g or 30g protein bar. I usually have a decent amount of protein with lunch and dinner. Then I’ll also have a protein-packed late snack and maybe a small protein snack (edamame) between lunch and dinner.

Like I said: it needs to be intentional.

3. Runners should consume protein at the right times

There are certain times where it’s particularly important to consume protein. Dinner is usually not one of them. Right after your run is probably the most important. This is when your body is ready to soak up whatever you give it. Of course, it’s important to consume carbs right after running, but fortunately carbs are almost always paired with protein unless you’re just eating plain meat. I like to eat protein right after running, then another protein snack a couple hours later (often a hard boiled egg, a protein bar, yogurt, or some dry roasted edamame).

A big dose of protein right before bed can also be an important, particularly when trying to recover. This is a strategy employed by athletes trying to do races close together that want to speed recovery.

4. My favorite sources of protein

I’ve come to rely on some favorite protein-packed foods. Of course everyone’s preferences differ, but I wanted to outline some of my favorite foods and their pros and cons. Generally, running makes me hungry, and besides that I really like to eat, so often my choices are about getting lots of protein but not going overboard on high-calorie foods.

Here are some of my go-to protein foods:

  • Eggs. Eggs are relatively cheap, nutritious, and delicious. My family has a small flock of chickens so we always have lots of eggs. An egg has ~6g of protein and only ~70 calories. I often eat Egg in the Hole after my morning run, with maybe another egg on the side and/or some cottage cheese. Egg in the Hole provides 11g protein if eaten with decent bread, plus some good carbs, all for under 200 calories if you go easy on the butter. Hard boiled eggs are a fairly convenient addition to lunch or make a good snack.
  • Cottage Cheese. I recently discovered cottage cheese and I must say I really like it. Cyndi recommended I look at it since I was talking about how I’m always short on protein, and she’s now annoyed with my new-found obsession. 1/4 cup 2% cottage cheese is only 45 calories with 6g of protein! I like it most on eggs, but it’s also good with black beans or fruit. I even like it plain.
  • Dry, Roasted Edamame. I get dry, roasted edamame from WinCo in the bulk section. It’s super cheap (~$2/lb I think) and packed with protein — 1/4 cup is 130 calories and has 14g protein! It’s my go-to snack at work. I typically eat it in the afternoon, but I try to limit myself to 1/4 cup per day. I’ve found that I can purchase the cheap edamame in bulk at WinCo, then store it in an emptied out minced garlic container for additional flavor (when you’ve used all the minced garlic, wash out the container and fill it with edamame — it will still have plenty of garlic power to flavor the edamame).
  • Peanut butter toast. My main consumption of nuts is via peanut butter on a piece of whole wheat toast. This is just delicious to me and provides some protein, although admittedly it’s not super protein packed. I often eat this as a late night snack when I need more calories and something delicious. Sometimes I eat it for breakfast as well.
  • Chicken, pork, fish, and other meat. Meat is basically just protein and some fat. The leaner the better when it comes to meat. Chicken breast and fish are great, hamburger not so much. We consume a lot of pork in my family (since we raise pigs), so I really like having pork chops for dinner after a hard Monday morning run. Dark meat has the added benefit of providing iron, which many runners are deficient in due to foot-pounding and the need for extra red blood cells.
  • Milk. Lowfat milk is a better source of protein than yogurt, in my opinion. Greek yogurt is a decent source, but it’s also expensive. Low fat milk (1%) has 8.5g of protein per cup, and only 105 calories. That’s a 32% ratio, which is fantastic. Plus, it has calcium and some other good vitamins. Light yogurt ranges from 70-90 calories and usually has 5g protein, but it’s also full of artificial sweeteners. I still eat one 6oz container just about every weekday.
  • Protein powder. Protein powder can be mixed in with milk to provide some extra protein. Generally I use it conservatively, but it can be a great boost to hit a daily protein target. The downside is that it’s pretty pricey and has some funky ingredients sometimes.
  • Protein bars. I love protein bars more than I should. I’ve gotten in the habit of eating a 20g or 30g bar as a mid-morning snack after a tough running workout. They’re often full of weird ingredients, but they have lots of protein and I think they’re tasty. Protein Plus is my favorite brand — they are cheap and have a good calorie/protein ratio. Usually they are ~280 calories with 30g protein or ~180 calories with 20g protein. I eat higher calorie bars when I run more and then lower calorie bars when I cross train or run less.
  • Protein cereal. I really like cold cereal, but it’s not typically a great source of protein (although the milk is). One day I stumbled across Special K Protein cereal. It has 10g protein and 120 calories in 3/4 cup. 33% protein is not bad at all, especially since it will also be combined with milk.

Some other considerations that I don’t think are quite as good for protein:

  • Nuts. Nuts are always referred to as a good source of protein, but I’m not so sure. I mean, nuts are great: they have wonderful nutritional value with their nutrients and good fat and they taste great. I really can’t say that they’re not a high quality food. However, I can eat A LOT of nuts before getting full, and nuts are generally a high calorie food. They are also relatively expensive (with the exception of peanuts maybe). An ounce of peanuts has 7.3g protein, but also 160 calories. That’s only 18% calories from protein. Meh. I eat them sparingly. Like I mentioned before, most of my nut consumption comes via peanut butter on wheat bread.
  • Granola. Don’t be fooled by granola when it comes to protein – yes it’s delicious, nutritious, and usually has good ingredients, but it’s also high calorie and usually has a large dose of sugar or honey. It’s more of a carb food or a good fat food than a protein food.

Back to 20

This morning I completed a 20 mile run! It felt good overall — it’s been a little while since I last did 20.

In fact, the last time I ran 20 miles was on November 17, about 3 months ago. Before that I hadn’t ran 20 miles since the Foothills 50K Frenzy on October 3. I feel that running a 20 miler means I’m back into full training mode. I may do a 21 or 22 miler between now and my next marathon, but sometimes 20 is my max.

Why has it been 3 months? After running the Turkey Trot 10k on Thanksgiving, my Achilles was sore. It remained that way all through December. I was able to somewhat maintain my conditioning by doing one run per week and cross training, but it’s just not the same as running 30+ miles per week.

In early January I began carefully ramping back up, gradually increasing my total weekly mileage as well as my weekly longest run mileage. Two weeks ago I hit 17.5mi on my long run and last week I did 14.7mi. This morning I woke up at 4:45 and set out in the 28F weather. It was cold, but I was excited to get a good run in. I was hoping to do hills this week, but there aren’t any by my house and I decided I can focus on hills after my full base is established.

That led to a wandering run criss-crossing freeway overpasses so that I could at least get a tiny bit of hill work. I was carrying a water bottle and a flashlight, so despite wearing knit gloves, my hands suffered through much of the run. Around mile 13 and 14 my hands were painfully cold and numb and it became pretty distracting. Somehow I managed to get my last gel out of my pocket and holding it and eating it managed to warm me up. I kicked for the last 2 miles to hit marathon goal pace (~6:50/mi). It felt pretty good and I was happy I had enough energy left at the end to get that in.

Cyndi had some warm French Toast waiting for me when I got home. I slathered them with peanut butter and a little syrup and nothing ever tasted better 🙂

2016 Goals and Training

We’re already more than a week into 2016. I’ve been thinking about my goals, but also a bit about how I’ll achieve them. It will be hard for me to have a better year than 2015, but it’s definitely possible to match it, particularly if I can remain injury free. If I can remain injury free, I fully expect to beat all my PR’s 10k and up. (My high school 5k (16:32) and mile (4:34) PRs aren’t going anywhere soon.)

My primary goal is to run faster than 3:00:00 in a marathon. My goal last year was to qualify for Boston. I did, but I didn’t qualify by enough and I ultimately didn’t make it into the race. I’d really like to make it in next year, or even just get to the point where I have the option. I’m pretty sure if I actually make it I’ll sign up and go as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

With a sub-3:00 marathon being my primary goal, how do I get there? I was originally thinking about running more miles and getting up to ~55 miles per week. However, as I’ve thought about this more, I don’t think it’s something I necessarily want to commit to. I’m fairly injury prone and injuries are the most likely obstacle to me reaching my primary goals. Right now my plan is to stick with the 3+2 regimen set forth in Run Less, Run Faster. Three days of running and two days of cross training. On the sixth day I’ll either rest, cross train, or do a recovery run. (I don’t exercise on the Sabbath, so I only have six days of training per week.) I got a road bike for Christmas, so I expect to mix in more cycling into my cross training.

Besides regular training and cross training, I really need to do more stretching and strengthening drills and exercises. I plan on doing these about twice a week for at least 15 minutes. I think I mostly just need to develop the habit. I can do some stretching at my stand-up desk at work or while I’m at home watching a movie or reading. Thus, it doesn’t take too much time and I don’t have a good excuse not to do it — I just need to develop the habit.

Another goal I hope to achieve this year is to break into the top 10 at the Race to Robie Creek. I think I can do it if I continue regular training. Last year, the 8th, 9th, and 10th runners all came in at 1:28:xx. The year before was fairly similar. However, I know that last year the top runner has some issues and dropped out in the last 5 miles. I also know another runner that beat me at Zeitgeist that will likely move into the top 10. And I’m pretty sure the guy that won Zeitgeist didn’t run Robie last year, and he could possibly win Robie if he shows up. I’m thinking I’ll need to hit <1:27 to make sure I’m there. That’s definitely possible, although it will take some work and a good training stretch. We’ll see!

One other option, depending on injury, is to do a Half Ironman. I now have a road bike. I’ve often done 20-30 minutes twice a week on the stationary bike for cross training. I’m fairly confident with 2 or 3 months of good training I could do a solid Half Ironman. My biggest obstacle is the swim. I’d have to get a gym membership and work on my form quite a bit, but I think I could survive it with some practice. The Half Ironman is a back up option, as I’m much more concerned with qualifying for Boston for the time being.

Basically, I feel like I still have 2-4 years of steady improvement before I peak. I’ve been improving for 3 years now, so assuming the general rule of 7 years to peak, I should have a couple solid years left. If I increase my mileage and avoid injury I can probably get a lot from these next two years. Even if I just repeat my training regimen from 2015 I think I can improve. I hope I can make the most of 2016!

2015: Year in Review

2015 was probably the best running year of my life. The only other year that comes close is my senior year in high school, but I’m not sure it was quite as good as 2015.

My recent running life reemerged in 2013. That year I cut 19 minutes off my time from the year before at the Race to Robie Creek. I also committed to run the St. George Marathon with my father-in-law, and then I surprised myself by getting a personal record (3:24), beating my PR set in 2001 when I was 18 years-old. I had a great experience at the marathon and immediately wanted to run another. I also realized that I could potentially qualify for Boston at some point if I worked at it.

2014 was a fairly disappoint year. I was plagued by injuries that cost me 3-4 weeks of training at a time. First it was a foot tendon issue, then it was a strained calf, then another foot tendon issue (I get these a lot), and finally a sore knee to finish out the year. I barely achieved a marathon PR (3:21 at the Phoenix Marathon) and it was in March — early in the year. Nevertheless, I think I improved my base endurance capability quite a bit, and I learned some valuable lessons about injury prevention and not being stupid.

In late 2014 I signed up for the Newport Marathon, which was going to be on May 30th. That gave me plenty of time to train and improve leading into May. I used the 3:05 marathon training schedule in Run Less, Run Faster and got to work. The schedule is for 16 weeks, so I had a few extra weeks built in. That turned out well because I was sick a couple times and ran the Race to Robie Creek in April (which required a small taper and some recovery).

A week before Robie Creek I achieved a post-high school PR in the 5k (18:48) at a little fun run my company put on. That totally surprised me.

Then I achieved a big course PR at the Race to Robie Creek (1:31).

While I didn’t do as well as I hoped at Newport, I still achieved a PR (3:13).

I continued training through the summer and picked up a half marathon PR at the Idaho Falls Half Marathon (1:23 — excluding the wrong turn).

Then in September I finally met my goal of a 3:04 marathon at Mt. Nebo.

I felt great and my fitness was better than ever, so in October I ran the Foothills 50k Frenzy, my first ultramarathon.

Finally in November, I picked up a course PR at Zeitgeist (1:28) despite a strained calf.

That was followed by a 10k PR at the turkey trot (37:27).

Like I said, my best year ever. I PR’d in every distance 10k and above, as well as a post-high school 5k PR. Unfortunately the year didn’t end on a high note, as a small Achilles strain kept me from training much in December. Nevertheless, as long as that heals up I’m looking forward to a good 2016.

What made the difference this year for me? First was consistency. 2014 and 2015 were my most consistent running years since high school. 2013 wasn’t too bad either. What separated 2015 from 2014 was the lack of injuries. I think before December I only had two or three weeks that I couldn’t run due to a strain. One contributor to fewer injuries was that I would adjust my schedule if something was hurting. I also did more cross training and was sure to adjust my effort (rather than going really hard every run). I also bought some cheap compression ankle braces which I felt helped prevent sore spots from worsening.

All of that led to logging about 1359 miles of running in 2015, plus another 344 “equivalent” cross training miles (basically I count about 10 minutes of cross training as 1 equivalent running mile). That was by far the most I’ve ever ran and trained in a year.

I’m hoping for a great 2016. I’ll post again regarding my goals.