What to eat and when for the best workout!

People always ask me what I eat before I go for a long run, and what do I eat after? Well I have tested dozens of options over the years and the best thing for me to eat before a run over 10km is a slice of whole wheat toast, a tablespoon of natural peanut butter and a banana, if I'm running over 15km I'll eat two slices of toast. Some people prefer oatmeal, pancakes etc. we're all different. But this is what works for me and I don't stray. I also eat on a run over 15km, usually a gel, sport beans or a cliff bar usually at the 10km mark and then every 5km after that. I used to worry about the calories, cause I am like that, but to be honest a gel pak has 100 cals, on a 20+km run I'll burn over 1800 calories..if I don't eat I won't be able to run that far.

When I first started running I'd never eat during and when I started training for distances over 10km my performance suffered. I had to make a decision, focus on my manic calorie counting or improve my running, I chose to improve my running speed and endurance by fueling myself during a run. Eating while running takes a bit of practice, according to my husband I have the stomach of a newborn and can't tolerate anything, but I have gotten better. You only need to have a few runs (no pun intended) where you are breaking into the shakes and cold sweats looking for a bathroom or a leafy bush. I can't drink sports drinks, ugh too sugary, but I can manage to keep down a few gels (chocolate is my favorite) and sport beans and cliff bars are pretty easy to digest, and of course lots of water.

After an intense workout its also important to refuel your body. A combination of carbohydrates and protein is best. I like a protein shake with chocolate almond milk, trail mix, or fruit smoothie etc. Just make sure you aren't eating all the calories you just burned if weight loss is your goal. After a workout like Crossfit I usually can't eat for an hour or more because my body is so fatigued I'm unable to digest food, so I'll hydrate and wait for the nausea to pass, I also experience this after doing sprint intervals. We're all different so figure out what works best for you.    

Remember your body requires fuel to perform, if you are trying to lose weight you still need to consume adequate calories to perform properly.