Food is Fuel

A client recently shared with me that she had the best run of her life, having shaved 3 minutes off her 5k time. Then she shared that she had only done one thing differently – she ate before she ran. My response to her was this “food is fuel, that’s what I always tell everybody.”

She shared that years ago, in high school, she had eaten before a run once and became nauseous, and couldn’t finish her run. After that, she never ate prior to a run again. She’s been an ‘on again, off again’ runner over the years, despite that it seemed to get a little more difficult with each passing year. She figured she was just getting older. When she first started working out with me over a year ago, she was wary of eating prior to working out for the same reason. It did take a while for her to find the right type and quantity of food to eat, as well as the right amount of time to eat before her workouts. Ever since she found that magic combination, she’s always been able to power through her workouts.

I share this story with you to challenge you to step back and think about your cardio, fitness and nutrition habits. In this case, it was the timing of when to eat food that made all the difference. (If you’d like more information on food as fuel, see my February 24 post Carbs and Protein – What to Eat Before and After a Workout) Maybe for you it’s switching up your food, or perhaps you’re not getting enough water throughout the day, which can make you feel tired and hungry.

Other things to think about include how often you are working out. If you find yourself at a plateau right now, consider adding more cardio to your routine –  a spinning class with Chandra, or take part in one of Ana’s HIIT classes.  Maybe you’re hitting the pavement two days a week right now. Try adding one more day to boost your metabolism.

The duration of strength training can also be something to consider. If you are currently doing 30 minutes of training 3 days a week, consider boosting it up to 60 minutes either one or two days a week. A simple way to add additional time in this area is with a TRX class on Saturday. It’s affordable and fun.

Like the saying goes, “Do the same thing you’ve always done, and you’ll get the same results you’ve always gotten.” Sometimes just a little tweak or change in your fitness routine can yield dramatic results.