I’ve been asked by several people, “What did you eat while you were running?” So, this blog is dedicated to fueling for 500 miles. To be honest, I’m not sure I did it the correct way. In fact I’m sure there was much room for improvement for the amount of output I had. I learned as I went. But, I felt good (all but two days where I ignorantly underfed myself) and I made it through injury free and able to workout two days after the run (I will post later about my recovery tools which also played a HUGE role).
I was so lucky in that I had top level chefs from True Nature Kitchen preparing my meals for me. They would make them, vacuum seal them, freeze them and bring them to us in coolers. We had a microwave in Big Blue that I would use for convenience sake, but typically would just throw them in a hot pot of boiling water.
The first two weeks looked something like this…
- Wake up and almost immediately eat 2 hard boiled eggs and a banana
- During the run I would eat pre-made baby food (sweet potatoes, turmeric, black pepper, chia) and drink my 100+ ounces of water with electrolyte replacement tabs in it.
- Post-run I hammered a Coconut Rehydrate and a Gluten Free polenta muffin right away.
- After Tory worked on my legs (and sometimes during) I would eat a pre-made meal. These varied but always contained a clean source of lean, organic meat (turkey, chicken, salmon), rice or sweet potatoes (or another root veggie), greens (kale, broccoli or brussel sprouts).
- Before bed I would try to eat a bit more, but was usually just force feeding. I would either have a bit more of a heated up meal or some paleo granola with almond milk.
- I would top the night off with water and my PurePharma 3 packet (magnesium, fish oil and vitamin D).
At the half way point, I was at my mom’s house. I knew I had lost a bit of weight, but wasn’t sure how much. I was shocked to see that I was down 11 pounds. Then, I got pretty nervous. I still had 2 weeks to go and didn’t want to come out of this 20 pounds down! So my food shifted a bit. Due to lack of appetite, I was already force feeding, so I knew that I couldn’t stick to my strict clean eating diet only for higher calorie consumption. I spoke with some ultra runners that suggested eating whatever sounded good (oreos, ice cream, pizza). So…. then it began.
On top of the food I already listed above, I added in the following. The energy it took to chew food was sometimes too much (I know how crazy that sounds), so True Nature kindly whipped up some amazing Chicken Soup. I did find that something cold after the run was way more appetizing than something hot, so I had chicken curry salad at lunch and saved the heated meal for dinner. I also started to allow some junk food in. I ate things that I hadn’t eaten in 7 or 8 years. I was craving salt and vinegar potato chips and peanut M&Ms on a regular basis, so they became a staple for quick calories without a lot of eating. Throughout the last 2 weeks, I also had some ice cream bars, Doritos, gluten free cookies, chips and salsa and whatever sounded good at the time. I also had good snacks; apple with almond butter, carrots and hummus, more polenta muffins. Turns out my shift in eating the second half faired way better as I ended the run only down 13 pounds total (2 more pounds lost the second half).
I’m not sure of the amount of calories I was consuming each day. I’ve never been a counter. I just ate what sounded good or what people put in front of me. I remained gluten free as I know my stomach can’t handle gluten and for the most part the majority of my food was nutrient dense and healthy. On average, I was burning around 2500 calories a day on the run, which meant I would have to be consuming around 5000-6000 calories a day to maintain my weight. IMPOSSIBLE!
Now that the run is over, I am back to having the junk food out of my diet (with my necessary occasionally dark chocolate fix). But, I can tell you that I learned a lot from the True Nature Kitchen staff on how and why certain foods should be in my diet. Please read on to learn some yourself.
Here is a note from the chefs at True Nature Kitchen on their approach to my nourishment. Without them I literally would have not made it. I would have been trying to live on salami, carrots and any other easily accessible food that I could travel with. Without their love, support and nourishing touch, Move Mountains would have been a totally different experience. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF YOU!
“As we engaged in the monumental task of nourishing Jenny in her Moving of Mountains and her 500 mile run across Colorado, we took many aspects into account. We evaluated caloric intake, Jenny’s dietary guidelines, and the difficulty of eating while running. Also present for long endurance athletes are lack of apetitie and gastric distress. We also looked at rehydration, nutritionally supporting elements of muscle fatigue, inflammation as well as potential energy support and enhancement.
Knowing that Jenny’s background in CrossFit incorporated a lot of Paleo and Primal food preferences, however Jenny felt it was important to not be too confined by any specific modality and prepare foods that met her needs.
With these conditions in mind we set out to supply foods already in our True Nature Kitchen and engage some development for products that would support her monumental efforts. Below are some key ingredients that we work with in our foods.”
True Nature uses all organic ingredients.
Raw Coconut Meat and Coconut Oil –
- Immediate source of fuel from intestines to liver
- MCT converts to ketone bodies that may potentially be replacement energy for the brain
- MCT contain vitamins A and E, and polyphenols and phytosterols, all work together to decrease the levels of LDL cholesterol
Chia Seeds
- Provide body with massive amount of nutrients and antioxidants
- May be a good source to “carb load” without the sugars as most of the carbs are fibers
Pinole
Turmeric and Black Pepper
Benefits of Turmeric and Black Pepper
- A powerful source of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial agents
- Black pepper (piperine) enhances the bioavailability of turmeric (Curcumin)
- Piperine in black pepper can trigger TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1) in the body, which triggers reduction of pain.
Maca
- Rich in vitamin B vitamins, C, and E and calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and amino acids.
- May increase energy levels and stamina
- Supplies iron and helps restore red blood cells
Himalayan Salt
- Controls water levels in the body for proper functioning
- Promotes pH balance in cells
- Aides in vascular health and respiratory function
- Reduces cramps and enhances bone health
Bamboo Salt
- Contains more than 70 minerals
- Among these minerals are… calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, and potassium, zinc.
- Alkaline Salt (all other salts are acidic)
Terramin Clay
- Naturally supplements with more than 50 micro, macro and trace mineral nutrients
- Removes toxins, heavy metals and cleanses digestive tract
Dandelion Root
Benefits of Dandelion and Dandelion Root
- Digestive Aide
- Helps Kidneys clear out waste, salt and excess water
- Improves liver function by removing toxins and reestablishing hydration and electrolyte balance
- Contains phytonutrients and essential fatty acids to lower inflammation
Other Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes, Green Apples, Organic Brown Rice, Figs, Kale /Lacinato, Spinach, Local and Organic Proteins, Local Organic Eggs
True Nature Prepared Products that nourished Moving Mountains
Coconut Re-hydrate – which will hopefully be available soon at True Nature Kitchen
Gluten Free Muffins – my goal is to get the dry ingredients of these for sale because they are killer!
Chia Cherry Power Bars
Barefoot Korima ROAD POWER PACKS (baby foods) – also my goal to get these available. They are great for endurance athletes but also good for CrossFit athletes between multiple workouts in a day
Dandelion Chai – SOOOOO good for you and SOOOO good tasting!
True Nature Prana Burst
True JUN – probiotic drink (also possibly available soon at True Nature Kitchen)
Fortified Chicken Bone Broth and Soup
Packaged Meals
Roasted Salmon, Roasted Lamb, Chia Pinole Meatloaf, Roasted Skirt Steak, Roasted Tamari Chicken Thighs, Whole Roasted Chicken
LaBawLife 