I’m just here for the free bananas at the end. While that’s not entirely true, that’s exactly what I told Rob Watson in my first email. When I signed up to train with Rob I was asked, “Where do you think Rob can help you?” After giving it some thought, I had to admit that nutrition was my downfall.
When I quit smoking I took up running to battle the cravings along with getting in some much needed alone time. But I too fell victim to weight gain. Opting to focus on the fat-free nutrition in Twizzlers, I ignored the caloric intake that come with a bottomless bag of licorice that is, until my jeans were a little too snug. It was enough to get me to lace up my shoes and run out the door. The weight came off quickly, and a new, healthier addiction to running had begun.
Even still, I indulge my sweet tooth from time to time. But when I told Rob about my kitchen drawer full of candy I fully expected him to have no idea what I was talking about. Surprisingly, he admitted to suffering that same problem. According to Rob, “If you don’t have it around, you won’t eat it.” While it might sound easy for an elite athlete, as a mother of three children, training through the holiday seasons including Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter, means there’s no keeping sweets out of my house for an entire running season. But I did limit my candy intake this training cycle.
Beyond curbing my sweet tooth, I also had another nutrition problem. In nine marathons, I have never eaten anything during the race. Plagued by a mix of nausea and stomach issues, in my first two marathons, I now only run with water. In fact, the idea of gels has always made me feel queasy; the texture alone is awful. So is it a necessity to take in fuel during a marathon? Absolutely; says Rob. “You must fuel as the race goes on!”
As it turns out, gels are now practically candy, which means that I can have my nutrition and candy, too! With my focus on nutrition (and pacing), I ran the Forest City Road Races half marathon last month. After popping a couple of gel chews on course, all was good until kilometer 19. Not great timing, and not a great feeling to finished the race.
Since then, I have continued to practice using the chews; so far so good. Every time I eat one, I feel like I’m smuggling candy contraband into my training. I was even able to dodge Easter and let the kids eat all the eggs. Although I am still aware of the stomach issues that can come with fuelling, I am feeling more confident as Ottawa Race Weekend approaches. Even if I have issues on the course, the promise of of post-race beer and cookies should be enough to get me over the finish line. If not, there’s always the thought of free bananas.
