Last night I ate rice because I was randomly craving it. I’ve been experimenting with different times of day and different amounts of carbohydrates. It was originally motivated by a combination of wanting to slim down but also realizing I need carbs to run long.
Well, what a different a carb makes – because after a few different experiments I totally feel a difference when I eat carbs for dinner versus when I don’t!
I’m not sure what percentage they are of my diet (now I should kind of figure this part out with a tracker) but I do feel a direct correlation between eating carbs at dinner (versus not) to how I feel on my run the next morning.
Even though I didn’t have a life changing run today I felt a lot more energy than I did on a day I cut back on the carbs.
Speaking of running… I have seen some super random stuff on the road lately! After the first odd boot on the sidewalk I decided to take pictures of the weirdest things…
As seen on my run:
I think this is a teething thing? But, how cute it that?! (If it wasn’t all dirty and sad.)
A boot. Who loses a boot? It’s not like it’s easy to get off…
A little chancla.
Beauty.
A shoe and a seat cushion…
Three socks. Now you know where all those missing ones go…
Purple cabbage looking plants that aren’t cabbage.
My shadow.
The tamale lady. I need her more than she needs me…
Not pictured: A whole sandwich with one bite out of it.
(I feel like I should clarify that I’m not the one who took the bite…)
Anyway… I’m off to eat all the carbs!
Yes. Yes I do.
The weirdest thing i’ve seen on a run was a cut off house arrest anklet! Seriously! We brought it home and called the cops. hehe
I use myfitnesspal to track food. I am on low carb to lose weight.
What is your opionion on the Fitbit??
Hahaha ahh I knew those socks were somewhere!
The only carbs I eat are white sweet potatoes (frequently) or white rice on occasion. I transitioned myself to a Paleo diet last fall. It took a bit to adjust, but my running improved and I’ve never felt better. So very worth it in the long run. 🙂
I only do the white rice before a long run or race. Otherwise it’s meat, eggs, veggies, healthy fats (hello avocado-my-first-love) and sweet potatoes.
Do you speak Spanish??
I agree. Carbs make a huge difference. I had essentially cut them out of my diet when I was losing weight but now that I’m adding them back in I forgot how much I love stuffing my face with pasta! And it’s great before a long run because then I don’t bonk!
Also — awesome pics. I wonder what the shoe and seat cushion have in common…
I keep track of all the protein/fat/carbs I eat with the My Fitness Pal app because I want to make sure I hit my nutrition goals for the day. I usually keep simple carbs to a minimum except for when I have a long run or race coming up then I eat them about 1-2 days beforehand. I’ve tracked my performance with a carb-depleted state and a carb-loaded state and my body definitely needs some simple carbs to perform well and not feel sluggish.
The funniest things I’ve seen on a run are a relatively new looking pair of men’s briefs, a small plastic dinosaur and a brand new pack of Mentos. If you’re wondering, yes, I picked up the Mentos LOL!
I just wrote a blog post about this! I use MyFitnessPal to track my food, but mostly worry about getting enough protein and let the other numbers land where they may. Typically, it looks something like 40/30/30 or 50/25/25 at the end of the day, with carbs being the highest number.
I feel way too sluggish if I don’t get a decent amount of carbs throughout the day. That being said, I don’t eat a ton of starchy carbs like bread, potatoes, grains – though I do eat some. Most of my carbs come from fruits, veggies, and foods that also have a good amount of protein (Greek yogurt, nuts, etc.). And popcorn. YUM.
My husband and I have now stumbled upon “sexually adventurous” couples not once, but TWICE while out walking/hiking. How’s that for weird things to find on a walk? Haha! I love your sense of humor – keep the funny IG posts coming!
I’m terrible about tracking the balance of foods that I eat. I do try to balance my dinners with carb, veggie and protien. (and chocolate…that’s a food group, right?!?!?)
I have never lost a boot, but I imagine some adult beverages were involved!!
I lost a shoe once while riding a trolley in San Francisco. Does that count?
I see loose shoes often on my runs… so weird. One time my running buddies and I found a person’s wallet on the road. We called the police and turned it in. It had over $300 in it and we hoped that it would get back to the woman. We also hoped that she hadn’t been harmed or something and that’s why her wallet was in the road. Some of my loops that I do from home go through an industrial park and I hate to say it but I constantly see water bottles full of what appears to be pee. Lots of tractor trailers up and down that road so I’m assuming that is who is responsible…eeew gross!
I eat less carbs than most endurance athletes I think, but there was a cool article about this today in the new york times! Here’s the link: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/should-athletes-eat-fat-or-carbs/
Yesterday I was running in South Boston and saw two bras in totally different areas.
I too limit my carbs but feel a huge energy difference when I eat them before runs. On long runs (training for Boston right now) I eat a bagel with peanut butter about 2 hours before I run long and it feels like a world of difference. It’s like my tank is full. I usually try to eat carbs with dinner the night before too.
The week before a marathon, I add carbs with every dinner and then the day before, I definitely carb up.
I’ve definitely seen two bras on the same stretch of road near my house, and I’m in Watertown right outside of Boston… maybe it’s a weird regional thing? I also often see pairs of shoes (pairs!) on that road too.
I’ve seen a TON of random things on the side of the road, especially when I’m out cycling. I find the occasional license plate, and collect those
I recently started signed up at Eat to Perform and one of the things that they work into nutrition is the pre and post workout carbs! I am still getting my nutrition under this plan all figure out, but I can already see a huge difference!
I have started tracking with MFP again and working to bump up my protein, control my cats and get the carbs in at the right time. Over the next few weeks I will continue to tweek these numbers and will see where it takes me!
I love sticky white rice every so often. I am not a fan of fried rice.
You do see some weird things on your runs, do you have groups that clean up the litter?
I like to track my food every now and then to ensure I am keeping my protein up and my sugar intake down (not daily or weekly though or I’ll get too focused on it, which I think is unhealthy). I like a 40/30/30 diet best. When I know I need more carbs to do a run/ workout/ hiking I bump up my carb that morning or the night before depending on when I am going to be active. I think of it all as a bit of carb cycling.
P.S. Not too far front where my hometown there is a ‘shoe tree’! A huge amount of totally random shoes tied together and thrown on the tree limbs. So weird……it kinda weirds me out!
For most of last year, my standard pre-race meal became a burrito bowl / standard burrito from Chipotle. I just didn’t get any of the cheese, sour cream, or beans (all the fun stuff, right?). Must have been all of that rice that helped me so much. I used to eat pasta, but it just makes me feel so heavy! Now that we’re in Europe, we’ve been forced to experiment a little before our races. A life without Chipotle is a little less full, in my opinion. But bread is pretty awesome consumed every day and it never lets me down… 😛
Just last week I saw a really nice pair of Silver jeans and cute shoes in a heap on the sidewalk in a really nice neighbourhood. And one time several years ago while doing my last long training run (I was at about mile 19 or so) I came across a puddle with a tissue floating around in it and thought for a moment that it was a jellyfish.
I just ran a half marathon on Sunday and felt great! I attribute my success to IHOP pancakes the day before. I usually eat low carb, but there is nothing better than soft and fluffy buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup.
1. I recently had a nightmare that a doctor told me I should not eat rice. It was terrifying.
2. strangest thing on run= trail run where I crossed paths with a troop of mountain-unicyclers. That’s right. unicycles with mountain biking wheels.
3. I love your blog! it provides some needed inspiration. Thank you and keep it coming!
I love carbs… Especially warm white bread! mmmm….. I want some right now!
Warm bread of any kind is my favorite.
I don’t track carbs too much. Just try to have 1-2 servings per meal, and usually have another as a snack. I’m kind of a carb addict… 😉
Your posts and Instagram posts seriously crack me up! Love the random findings on your runs!
I track my food on the myfitnesspal app. I love it. I try to eat high protein (40%) and lower carb (30%). I’m trying to lose about 10lb so that is why I’m tracking. Im starting a new challenge tomorrow. I call it a challenge because that’s the only way I can motivate myself! Haha
Thanks 🙂
I love carbs, so thank goodness I also love running 🙂 I don’t keep track of pretty much anything food-wise, very rarely I’ll check in on my protein intake.
Whoa, did you write this just for me?? Perfect timing after our chat about calories, cool. Yes I track on My Fitness Pal and usually hover around half carbs but I so agree, a little more the day before (plus some rest and lots of hydration) really feels better. I’m still trying to figure out overall calories but this helps.
I once found a necklace or teething ring gadget on a trail run in Austin, super weird. Not as weird as a single boot. LOL
It was on my brain!
When I am race training I definitely have to get more carbs in. I realized that I have to eat super plain food though the night before or else I will be left dashing for the woods and having to go to the bathroom. You’re welcome for that. No, but I could only eat a plain chicken breast and plain sweet potato in order to do my long runs without any issues.
This goes to show again everyone is different – I don’t think I can do sweet potatoes before a race. At least the last time it hurt my stomach a bit. I get crazy with rice though.
I keep track of my macro nutrients, but really couldn’t limit my carbohydrate intake when I trained for any marathons and ran long distances. Carbs are the main source of energy for activity so you should be feeding yourself them at ever meal girl! You need that energy for all of your long runs!
Agree! I wasn’t cutting them much, just juggling which meal I had the most.
You have a quirky sense of humor and I like it. I do focus on how much sugar I consume, but I don’t focus too hard on the rest. I don’t count anything, unless I am trying something new, in which case I focus on the serving size. And this past Monday I walked past a suitcase that was laying dormant off the side of the road. Random. Very random.
Who loses a suitcase?!
haha you saw a lot of random garbage on your run!! Also on carbs – > I need at least 150g a day or I will die of hunger. YES to carbs! Oh, and I am pretty ripped if I say so myself. No to low carb!
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Go girl! I’m glad you chimed in on this 🙂
Not a carby-girl. In fact, my pizza tonight was on a cauliflower crust.
Weirdest thing on a run: a full fresh fish. I almost picked it up because I wanted to save it from dying, but I wasn’t near any water!
Fish?! So weird!
Thank goodness we need carbs so much for running because all of my favorite foods are super carb-heavy! Pasta & delicious bread <3
And I once saw an entire outfit (jeans, boots, shirt) on the sidewalk when I was running. Yikes!
Ha! Was there a naked person running around?!
I love carbs when I’m running a lot! My stomach just seems to cooperate better when those sources are potato and corn based vs lots of bread/rice/pasta stuff!
I know that I feel fuller and more satisfied if I have some protein and healthy fats with each meal. And I’m always conscious of trying to add more vegies into my day. At night, particularly when I’m trying to watch my weight, I do try to minimise my night carbs. I actually think I sleep better when I do – but it might just be because I’m eating less heavy food at night before sleeping, rather than what the food consists of. I almost always train on an empty stomach, so I don’t notice that I feel any worse if I don’t eat carbs at night, but I am ok with having extra carbs if I’m doing a long run the next morning.
I track my calories with MyFitnessPal – which in turn tracks my carbs, fiber, protein, salt intake, etc. I’m doing it right now to keep myself from going overboard while I’m pregnant, but it’s gotten to be routine & I think I’ll keep doing it after too. I rarely go over on my carbs, but apparently protein in my Achilles!
That’s what I’ve used before and I love that the app just does it for you so I don’t have to think 🙂
So funny! I love that someone made a peace sign out of the wheels on a bike path that I run on.
Oh carbs yes. I had two soft pretzels for dinner the night before I ran the philly marathon and broke 5 hours for the first time. It has now become a staple in my pre race meal
I had a soft pretzel one year before the Vegas half and it was a good choice!
I don’t track it, but I try to have carbs, protein and some sort of fruit/veggie combo at every meal. I tend to snack on either fruits or carby snacks. I definitely feel better when I have more carbs than if I try to cut them down.
Me too! I love fruit and popcorn for snacks lately.
I started using the Lose It app to track my nutrients while training for my first marathon, since I started feeling awful and noticed my hair was falling out! I’m so glad I did because it really opened my eyes to how little fat and protein I was getting. I now shoot for 50 % carbs and an even split between healthy days and proteins, but I up the carbs before racing. I once read a Runners World article that recommended 80-90% carbs before a marathon and this totally backfired for me (I will spare you the details!) but I’m sure everyone is different. I could never go low carb, though… I get what I think of as “tree trunk leg syndrome” when I eat too few before running!
I was at the beach a few weekends ago and saw a random bikini bottom in the sand. LOL! That would be somewhat awkward to lose 😉
Someone once stole one of my shoes at a swimming pool. Maybe all these lost boots and sandles are the result of footwear thieves.
Ha! So random though 🙂 One shoe.
My fitness pal app! My trainer changed my macros to make my fat intake lower and protein intake higher and it’s so hard for me to hit those targets. But definitely allowed to eat plenty of carbs during half marathon training 🙂
I usually have fish, rice, and a green veggie for dinner before a big race and it seems to work really well for my race day performance! I tend to minimize carbs on a daily basis, but the week before a race I eat a little more whole grain carbohydrates each day, and I feel like it helps me.
I love rice before running!