after last week’s 48 miles, this week’s LT run and this mornings run – I AM HUNGRY! my stomach kept me awake after my LT run tuesday night… i had to get up and eat some more.
i got some really great feedback from my hungry post, thank you everyone! it’s so great that so many of us runners share the same philosophies on food and it’s great to hear what works for different people.
your comments did bring up a few more points i wanted to touch on…
i think my favorite feedback was from some of the girls, and i feel the exact same way. i may never have a model bikini body, and there are parts of me i wish i could change, BUT running has given me (and many of you) a different sense of body image. its not all about what our bodies look like, its about what they can do. when you are training for a marathon, or cross the finish line of race, whatever distance you choose, you have this whole new perspective and appreciation fofr your body. you know that it can DO things, that you can push it hard, and you can accomplish great things. i have definitely grown to appreciate my body more since i have started running, and can truly be thankful for what it can do. this new body image has taught me to have a better view on food, as fuel, rather than the weight gaining enemy.
when i started training for my first marathon i went to a nutritionist twice. after talking with her and doing some of my own research i really started to focus on clean, quality foods. i used to pay so much attention to calorie and fat content, but didn’t really look at the ingredients. so many of the “diet” or “better for you” foods out there that i was eating were full of fake sugar and processed who knows what. i have really tried to cut a majority of that bad stuff out, and focus on the more natural, clean foods. i still use splenda in my coffee everyday and i really want to stop! just haven’t gotten there yet.
another big trick of mine that some of you touched on, is to just not keep crap in the house. if its there i will eat it, if its not there i won’t. if i am craving something (ice cream for example), to get it takes some effort. i have to leave the house and decide where to go. although i do do that on occasion and love to splurge every so often, if i had it in the house in my freezer, you know i would break open the carton not really thinking about it, or i would think about having it more because its there. if we do buy something bad to keep in the house, we often have a serving or 2 and throw the rest away. it really helps that chris is just as focused on eating healthy as i am. when you have someone wanting the bad stuff around, it makes it a lot harder to resist.
and speaking of those splurges, i definitely do have them. i like to reward myself after a really hard workout, a big week or a great race. working hard and eating healthy definitely should be rewarded. but my favorite reward is the performance factor. when i am eating healthier, i feel better and i run better plain and simple.
this morning i finally adjusted to the time change and got out for a morning run!! i know i have a busy day of work ahead of me so i just wanted to start the day off right and get it out of the way. i will have a better attitude today because i did run and because i won’t be worrying about getting it in after work. when i left the house it was 40* feels like 36* brr. i could feel it getting colder as i went and now its 35* feels like 30* BRRR that is cold for this california girl! so i am taking advantage of my winter running clothes while i still can. won’t be long until they are put away for a few months. i also broke the run into 3 parts… 4 miles with each dog, then 4 by myself. so now i have 2 very happy dogs in addition to a happy self 
12.0 miles/1:45:07/8:45 avg pace
tomorrow i have an easy run, then saturday is rest and sunday is race day!!
What a great way to look at your body is what it can do. In addition, running has helped firm up some of those jiggly places!
Totally agree with you on finding more “natural” food. I am much more focused on ingredients than I used to be and it is kinda gross to think about all that fake stuff. I am working on giving up my sweet in low – I went from 3/2 packets to 2/1.
brr, it’s as cold in Cali as it is in Ohio! That’s not right.
I like this post on eating healthy but splurging sometimes because we’re human! I don’t really have crap in my house, but the bf has an assortment of Girl Scout cookies, which are just the devil!
Btw, I bet your dogs are in great shape… My dog is an old man with tiny legs, so running is not happening for him. :-/
I have been really hungry lately too. I think it’s because I’ve started reintroducing running back after being off for so long with my knee. I totally agree with you about splurging too. Where’s the fun in life if we can’t taste the good stuff every once in a while!
i really like what you say here about having a new perspective and appreciation for your body…very true….and as for food, I need to do much better in that area..I think I cheat way too much and keep too much junk in the house (most of it intended for my kids, but…)….great job on the run this morning..
Awesome run! I think you deserve some ice cream NOW!
How do you contend with darkness in your morning runs? I’d love to get out earlier, but I always get nervous about that (more for safety reasons than anything else).
I’m with you 100% on clean eating. Although I do eat meat (i love it too much) it is always organic. I don’t ever worry about calories or fat content, I just try and eat clean with tons of vegetables and fruit mostly organic as well.
We hardly have any junk food in our house. Popcorn, jello or pudding (and currently girl scout cookies) is as crazy as we get!
Nice 12 miles before work, impressive!
I want so badly to hit that point where food is fuel and not the weight gaining enemy as you called it. I do have to say, though, that I’ve come to look at my body a little differently now that I become a runner. I never knew my body was capable of running a marathon, and I love that it’s strong enough to do that.
For awhile I was so concerned with calorie content of food, but I realized I was eating non-filling crap full of chemicals and fake sugars. Now that I have moved towards eating natural, healthier foods, I feel so much better, even if I am eating more calories. Having too much junk food is also way too much of a temptation because I’ll grab a bunch and eat it before really thinking about my decision, and regret feeling awful. That being said, I love anything chocolate and would never go without it!
i have successfully skipped many evening cravings/snacks because it is just “too much effort” to hop in the car and go get it. i can definitely agree with you on that point!!
nice job getting in 12 miles before work! i’m having a hard time doing that on the weekend.
i love that approach: less what your body looks like and more what it can do!!!!! we should teach our children that from an early age
RACE WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!! good luck:)
I agree that it’s more important to pay attention to what our bodies can do than what they look like. Although I still want my SB abs!
I keep thinking that I would like to visit a nutritionist once the architect is bringing in some $$ again – just to see what his/her take is on my eating habits (which are probably pretty good, but I’d like confirmation).
Great run this morning!
Great points and awesome job getting a 12-miler in before work! SO impressive! Good luck this weekend!!
nice run! and your pups are going to become lean mean running machines just like you
definitely agree with the concept of its more about what our bodies can do than what they look like…even though i complain about certain parts…i love what running has done for my self image
I think you touched on some key points. I try to keep healthy food in the house. You are right though that you have to reward yourself every now and again.
You are lucky indeed that Chris is committed to healthy eating, too. So nice to hear, since it's much more common I think to hear about husbands being bad eating influences. I, too, am impressed by your dog's mileage & pace, by the way, esp. after learning that miss Kylie is near-100 lbs! Do the dogs generally run an 8:45ish pace? I noticed my parents' big dog likes 8:30-8:45s.
Coincidentally… I happen to be REALLY hungry too. HAHA!!
Another great post.
Good job getting up early for your run. I can;t imagine running 12 miles before work, but I’m sure you’ll feel great all day because of it.
I agree with you completely. I wish we could get that kind of message out to everyone and there would be a lot less eating disorders out there.
Nice work with the run! I would literally have to be twice as fast as I am right now to get 12 miles in during the AM hours!
Girl, 12 miles before work is such an accomplishment! You are inspiring!
Great post Aron.
As usual! Nice 12 miler before work, gosh I wish I could wake up that early. ha ha
i liked reading your thoughts on food. that;s the next step for me in getting healthier : better discipline in eating good foods. good luck sunday!
De-Lurking to say I AGREE on the body image philosophy! When I started running last summer, I was all about losing weight, tracking points, then calories.
Then as my body started re-shaping and I felt ‘strong’ – it became less about weight loss and more about being ‘fit’ and strong. I focus less on what I CAN’T/SHOULDN’T eat and more on what I CAN eat. Food is fuel now, not the enemy.
I had Mexican for lunch yesterday and enjoyed every bite, but I’m back to ‘clean’ eating today. (and lots of water ha ha)That’s what makes eating out a ‘treat’ and we need that once in awhile!
Check out http://www.cleaneatingmag.com
It’s my new favorite magazine!
I’ve been to a nutritionist and it did help me make better decisions.
The single biggest factor to my unhealthy habits is my lack of will power. B/c I live with someone who likes his sweets and indulgences (he runs probably twice as many miles in a week than I do) I am constantly confronted with ice cream and chips. I am learning to say no or to only have a smidgen but it’s hard =).
Great job making the dogs and yourself happy =).
I dont keep junk in the house either! Best decision I ever made, because after work, class and a workout…the effort to go get it is usually not worth it!
I get so much out of your posts- Thanks for being faithful to your blog.
Nice morning run! We’ve had really cold weather here the last couple of days and I am just done with it.
Splenda is a hard one to break. I don’t think I could ever do it :-/
I used to only check for calories and fat too! I’ve learned so much more about nutrition in just the past few years and I think training for longer races is a big reason.
great post Aron, i agree with the appreciation of our bodies too… from being someone who hated running to being somewhat addicted, it truly is amazing what we can do
Love hearing more about your eating.
Wish I could keep up with your pace! I ran 12 miles this morning too, averaging 9:00 miles but it about killed me! You are a fast one, Aron!
Best of luck on Sunday!
Good luck on sunday! I love to splurge as a way of rewarding myself too! Now that I am running consistently I find that eating well really just makes me feel better all the time and sometimes my stomach can’t handle the greasy gross foods!
Just wanted to say I just found your blog and I find it extremely motivating! I have just started (well, kinda) marathon training and have started my own blog about it. http://milestocali.blogspot.com/
I will actually be doing the SF Marathon this summer. I have done the SF Half twice
Perhaps you’ll run past me!
Oh yeah, not in the house = not in the stomach.
Zero self control…I am on a Kettle chips run right now!
Hey Girl Would You Be Interesete in doing the Wild West Relay with some girls and I?????
also just posted a great giveaway on my site that I think you would love! http://nhershoes.blogspot.com/2009/03/mixmygranola-giveaway.html
I think I definitely need to make sure I’m eating cleaner. I think I’m doing okay, but I’ve never really sat down to look at it. Good luck racing this weekend!
I agree with SJ… I’m starving!
Sadly, I go back and forth on eating healthy vs not healthy. I AM a guy afterall, I think that it is in our DNA to eat crap at least 2x per week. I seem to scarf about anything in sight after 15+ miles.
im in the “if its there I eat it” catrgory too
I should have learned to stop buying candy in bulk, but my brain is too dense to get it!
I love how positive you are! The human body truly is amazing. Its so cool to test it too!
I like your outlook on food as well
Great job with the 12 miles
Aron, another great post. I think so much time and energy is spent on how the body looks rather than on what it does. This creates too much suffering particularly for women. I’d rather feel strong during a marathon than have a “model like” body. That is also more under my control.
Nice 12 miler -you are such a great mom to your puppies:) Ana-Maria
Great follow up! I’ve been known to take a pint of ice cream, and after eating a little bit of it, throw it in the sink and turn the water on. I think it’s almost as satisfying to buy it and throw it away as it is to eat it! I’m crazy though.
As a new runner training for my first half-marathon, I really love your blog! Thanks for your honesty and posting about this.
great thoughts.. .I am REALLY hungry today ! I agree with everything you said!
Nice run this morning! I can’t imagine running 12 before work.
I’m lucky that J and I have the same eating style. We don’t buy a lot of bad stuff in the house but we may go out for ice cream or something every now and then. It’s helps having a cooperative living partner.
12 miles in the morning? ROCK ON! That’s awesome!
I agree w/not keeping crap in the house. You can’t eat it if it isn’t there!
you are the voice of so many of us, I think that’s why we love reading your blog.. it’s like yes that’s what I was thinking or yes..that’s what I’d like to be thinking hehe!
Nice post, Aron! Love the way you summarized how running influences nutrition. I totally agree.
Great work on the 12 miles!
Haha! Great job with your early morning run..I think your take on nutrition is right on. I always teach my patients that if they don’t crap into the house, crap won’t get into their bodies. And then I tell them that yes, they can have crap on occasion, but they would have to literally run to the store to get it!
Nice post!
I have a kitchen scale and weigh out portions. That helps a lot with over eating.
I’m so glad you are running with your doggies. I hope you are getting enjoyment out of it like I do with my little boy.
Aron your doggies must love their runs! And how nice that you share the runs!!
I am a big believer in “real” food especially sugar! I can so taste aspartame in anything-even yogurt! I refuse to put it in my body! My friends think I’m a nut job and that I shouldn’t worry about that because “we’re all going to die anyway” but I only want to put natural real stuff in my bidy! No fake sugar for me-give me real sugar! Even when I drink a soda I drink the bottles so it’s pure cane sugar!
And I think it makes me feel better-less sluggish!!so good for you!!
Penny
At times my stomach feels like it’s eating itself!
I agree. When you see yourself as an athlete who needs food as energy, you start to look at your body very differently. And I think in a more healthy way.
What an awesome morning run!
I love what running has taught me about my body.
It took me awhile to figure out I needed to eat more “earthy” foods as well. It is suprising how much junk is in processed food!
I had a PROBLEM with Splenda…sugary deliciousness!!! then my roommate told me about some of the controversy over whether it is healthy and I googled it. It scared me enough that I’ve never eaten it since.
I’m always hungry too