If you reviewed the entire schedule, you will notice that each weeks miles or minutes get a little longer and the speed work if appropriate a little more intense. This method of training is assuming that your body is continuing to change and adapt through each run. In order for each of you to get the most out of each run and to ensure progression at the most optimum rate, we want to make sure that you recover as much as possible after each workout. We never fully recover from some of our runs but we can get pretty close. Therefore, we want to make sure you are getting the right nutrition to speed the recovery process. Today we are going to discuss “post run” nutrition. Post nutrition is something I recommend for those runs that exceed 5-6 miles though you can do the things I discuss below at anytime you want. Post run nutrition is something that allows you to quickly recover from your run or workout. Recover/refueling is with foods or drinks that work quickly to restore your glycogen levels that were depleted during your run/workout. You should plan to refuel as described below within 30-60 minutes or as soon as possible after your run. All the data shows that you should refuel after a run at a 4:1 to 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein and in the amount of .5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight. The table below does the math for you as lists various body weights (BW), the amount of carbs and protein needed in grams.

The best refuel nutrition is chocolate milk which has a nearly 4:1 ratio required. I know that some might be lactose intolerant so flavored soymilk works great as well. Secondly, there are other products such as Endurox that can be used as well but they have shown not to work as well. Now, if you look at the table, if your body weight were 100 lbs (that is not me or Jack) then you would need to maybe drink 1-2, 16oz bottles of Nestlé’s chocolate milk to give you the amount carbs and proteins you would need. Yes, I know that is a lot of calories but if you consider running just 6 miles, that same 100-pound person would burn 400 calories and would refuel with slightly less than that (assuming non-fat chocolate milk). So, you break even. For a person that has a body weigh of 180, you would need 90 grams of carbs. That would mean I would need to drink (2) 14 oz bottles. You don’t have to drink all your recovery in chocolate milk but a good portion (at least half) of it should be because it is very fast acting as apposed to other means for getting your carbs/proteins. Other good carbs could be whole-wheat pancakes and pasta…but having pasta for breakfast is not for everyone. I also recommend that your daily diet be at a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein. However, making them carbs whole grains etc. and to stay away from most processed foods is best.

Refueling after a run is important. The program is set up so that you always have at least one recovery day between runs. In order for your next run to help you, you need to have fully recovered from the one before. The quicker you recover, the more you will get out of the next run. Each run builds on the previous run.