Hi everyone! Fun fact: By the time you read this, my week of training will probably be over and I will be heading back to Alaska after a month of being in the Lower 48! I’m excited to start unpacking everything in our apartment and finally meet my students and the few coworkers in the Anchorage office! Plus running in 30-40 degree weather sounds much nicer than in the 70-80 degree weather I’ve had for the past month and I can’t wait to explore the running trails in Anchorage!
Anyways, I’ve been so busy the last month that I’ve had to skip a lot of Friday Five linkups with Eat Pray Run DC, You Signed Up For What?!, and Mar on the Run. But this week I’m back because it’s about one of my favorite things: food! More specifically, food that we use to fuel our running.
I never let myself run out of these!
Before a run:
1. Oatmeal: Specifically anything cinnamon or brown sugar flavored. Right now I’m all over the Better Oats Maple and Brown Sugar Steel Cut Oats, which I buy at Target. It’s so yummy and filling, and it never makes my stomach hurt while running!
2. Pretzels: For some reason, If I’m starving before running and I eat these I feel pretty good! I’ve also eaten them after long runs and I think the salt really helps me feel better!
During a run:
3. Jelly Belly Sport Beans: I love Fruit Punch Sport Beans! They taste pretty good and they don’t ever make me sick or feel like I’m in pain while running. I usually go through 1 entire pack during a half marathon – I take 3 every 30-45 minutes after the first 45 minutes of my run depending on how I’m feeling that day. Nothing else I’ve tried has given me the same boost of energy I get with these.
After a run:
4. Chocolate milk: As soon as I found out that chocolate milk is used by athletes to refuel after they run, I was sold! You don’t need to convince me to drink chocolate milk after a long run 🙂 Darigold is my favorite brand, but I think that’s a west coast thing? It’s really delicious though and is seriously the most perfect thing after a long run or race!
5. Nuun: Specifically Strawberry Lemonade! After a long run, Nuun really helps me feel better faster. I’ve started craving it after long runs and love the fizziness!
Sadly, donuts didn’t make the list. They’re awesome for a post-run celebration, but I like to eat well right before and after I run because I’ve learned the hard way that pizza is not good pre-run fuel!
Nutella isn’t the best post-race fuel either. But sometimes your inner Blerch wins, you know?
What are your favorite types of fuel before, during, and after a run? Who else is obsessed with post-run chocolate milk?
Mom in the Mtns 
I love some chocolate milk after a long run! I’ve never tried sport beans but you make them sound delicious! I love pretzels, a bagel, or PB& J before or after a run. I also enjoy a giant cheeseburger right after but that’s not the best healthy choice!
Hahaha I love post-run cheeseburgers too! For some reason I really crave cheese after a long run!
I am out of the whole chocolate milk thing….I’m so lactose-intolerant it would be the worst idea! (plus I’m not supposed to have chocolate) My DH likes sport beans to change up the texture/taste during his long runs, and he likes that flavor of nuun. Back when I ate grain (gluten free) Glutino GF pretzels – which are the best pretzels I ever had, GF or not – were a go to for a great post-run snack with plenty of salt.
Boo about no chocolate milk, but that’s probably better calorie-wise 🙂 Nuun is a good second choice though!
Mmmm if they could make a nutella flavored jelly bean (perhaps hazelnut) that would be great. I forgot about jelly belly sport beans – I like them!
Yes, they need to make that!! I love how easy it is to eat Sport Beans on a long run, and I think a Nutella one would be so yummy!
I’ve been hesitant to try the sport beans, my friend loves them and my sister doesn’t. I’m afraid to eat them while I run for fear I will choke! I have a few packs here waiting to be tried though. I got some of the “recovery beans” too. Ever try those?
I definitely stop running when it’s time to eat a few, and make sure to walk so I don’t choke! And I always drink some water right after eating them too. Whenever I’m nervous to try something new I do it on a treadmill in case I need to stop running for any reason. And I haven’t tried the recovery beans yet but I really want to! Are they good?
I sometimes have to go with the pretzels too right before a run I sometimes get a pang of hunger too. #FridayFive
I’m always afraid of going for a run when I’m kind of hungry because I know I’ll be starving at the end!
Oh my gosh I LOVE chocolate milk after a run! It’s particularly satisfying after a really tough speed workout. I definitely need to give pretzels a try–I bet the salt really helps.
If I’ve been running for a while (like over an hour) I start to crave chocolate milk! It’s seriously the best!
Me. I get really excited when there is some at a race!
Oh I don’t think I’ve ever seen it at a race before! Just water. Clearly I’m not running the right races!
I love cinnamon or brown sugar oatmeal too- esp with apples in it 🙂
I swear by post-run chocolate milk! I buy little 1 serving cartons of Hershey’s. It’s so nice not to worry about mixing anything and carrying a powder around. Just shake it & drink!
Oh that sounds like an awesome idea! I usually just wait until I get home to drink some but it’s so hard to wait 🙂
hope your time here was happy!! I love love love chocolate milk. I tend to only eat oatmeal in the cooler months of running/racing but I do enjoy it!
I loved being home! But I’m a bigger fan of the type of chocolate milk they have on the west coast than on the east coast so it’s good to be back here 🙂
Donuts are a very good post run celebratory treat 😉 They go hand in hand with that glass of chocolate milk!
That is such a good way to look at it! I’ll have to use that as an excuse next time!
I need to remember pretzels. Salty stuff is yummy!!!
I never have tried Nunn but hear about it everywhere!
It’s pretty good! I like the strawberry lemonade the best, I feel like it tastes the best with the fizzy texture of the drink.
Welcome back to the link up! I loved the strawberry lemonade flavored Nuun. I’m so jealous you got to do the Beat the Blerch race. I would have loved to have done that one if it was closer 🙂
Thanks! I’ve been gone so long! Anyways, I’m glad we have the same favorite Nuun flavor! And the race was awesome! I know he’s traveling around the country right now doing a book/running tour so maybe he’s coming near you?
everyone drinks chocolate milk! i have to try this 🙂
Haha it’s the best! It feels so guilty but apparently it really does help recovery!
I had a chocolate milk right after I finished my 8 miles today. Really hits the spot!
Awesome! Now I want to go running so I can have some 🙂
Yummm chocolate milk and pretzels are some of my fav post-run goodies!!
They are so good!