Posts Tagged ‘long slow distance’

Advanced Running Tips: When to Eat the Doughnut

You can go anywhere for advice on form, hydration, stretching, etc., but only here will you get the inside poop (so to speak) on the crucial topic of when to eat a doughnut before running.

I’ve held court on the benefits of fried doughy pastries many times in the past, and have even revealed the Kenyan secret to world-class distance running, but just like splitting the atom, eating a pre-run doughnut requires extreme caution.

This morning, for example, I foolishly ate a lovely, puffy doughnut right before I went out for a five-mile tempo run. This is the hallmark of a rank amateur, since everyone knows you need at least 45 minutes to an hour for that sugary mass to work its way into your bloodstream and rocket you to superspeed. But I was late getting out this morning, so I threw caution to the wind and glommed it down before heading out.

Well, I was right as rain for three miles before that lovely, puffy doughnut magically transformed into a gruesome, leaden anchor in my gut. Nothing like a good stomach cramp to ruin your run.

Anyway, I managed to complete my workout with an average 8:19 pace, which wasn’t too bad. Coming on the heels of my 14-miler on Sunday (9:01 average pace, negative splits – 1:04 vs 1:02), I’m progressing nicely with 18 weeks before my marathon.

So today’s lesson, kiddies, is to eat the doughnut. Don’t let the doughnut eat you.