The returning runner…

Act 45 – Fuel!

I sat in the Patrick Henry quad during the spring of ’76 munching on my dry peanut butter and sprouts sandwich. Next to me, a guy who could smoke my butt in the 880 gleefully downed his twinkie. My mom was a health food fanatic, and it always bugged me that I could find someone who just flat-out ate junk and could kick my butt. I should be able to eat the same garbage and run well too – right?  Simply not true, then or now. I think I even knew it as a 17 year-old punk. I needed the healthy diet and ran better when I ate that way. Maybe someone else could get away with a junk diet or maybe they would be even better if they ate healthily.

My breakfast, lunch and snack regime:

Breakfast –

Smoothie

·       1-2 bananas depending on size.

·       Frozen organic berries.

·       Oat milk.

·       Flax seed oil.

·       Collagen powder.

·       Protein powder.

·       Pinch of creatinine powder.

·       Non-fat yogurt to top off.

Lunch –

Main course salad (summertime made primarily with home grown veggies)

·       Beet greens or romaine.

·       Bell pepper or similar.

·       Cucumber.

·       Zucchini or crook neck squash.

·       Tomatoes.

·       Cottage cheese.

·       Medium boiled egg.

·       Additional protein – throw in some chicken or fish.

·       Carbs – throw in some potato or corn or some such (somehow the potato seems to work in the salad – absorbs some of the moisture and moderates the flavors of some of the stronger veggies).

Snacks –

·       Fruit, raw corn, nuts.

Ok, before you freakout, I’m not perfect. I hit the above about 70% of the time during my work week. The more diligently I do, the better I seem to feel. Another time for dinner…

Photo: My salad “base” -entirely home grown (missing beet greens)