I have been blending up this amazing recovery drink for runners in my head movies for the longest time. It has what ya need to conquer the world and/OR help you recover with some powerful fruits and veggies.
1. Beets. A while back I read that beets are amazing for endurance athletes. Beets are high in nitrates, and proved to help increase endurance in cyclists (even more than a supplement with nitrates). Basically, they help you go longer and we all know that’s important. (source)
I don’t like eating beets (kinda think they taste like dirt). But I LOVE drinking them. My favorite detox juice from WF has a lot of beets, which I think is perfect!
Beats. Beets. Get it? Ha!
2. Coconut water. Supposedly it is the closest liquid to human plasma. What?! It’s like blood doping, but with plants. (source)
Plus, Russell Brand enjoys it…
3. Watermelon. I mentioned this in my Watermelon Workout Drink recipe but my favorite food ever helps prevent muscle soreness. Plus, I love it.
So, I wanted to combine all these great things in one glass for the best runner’s drink ever.
The Best Magical Recovery Drink Recipe
{Gluten Free * Magic Free * Power Full}
- 1.5 cups coconut water
- 2 beets (cooked, from the produce section)
- 1/2 cup carrots
- 1/2 cup cucumber
- 1/2 cup watermelon (I used frozen)
- optional: few drops stevia to sweeten
Blend thoroughly. Serve over ice. It tastes best super cold.
Notes: I have never cooked beets in my house before so I didn’t want to try and deal with the staining situation. Plus, I don’t have a ‘real’ juicer I use a Blendtec.
I bought cooked beets in a package from the produce section. I’m not a raw fanatic so this works great for my purposes.
Enjoy!
I love beets! I throw a raw chunk in my green smoothie (blend tec). It gives a deeper red and with some frozen strawberries, I am not thinking about the red coming from the beets. Also, I kinda love the earthy taste. Kale, beets, carrot, frozen berries, OJ, a little fresh ginger, ice and stevia and yummo!
hate beets…. forced to eat hem in camp on Tuesdays…..they would stain the tuna/noodle cassarole pink…..ick…ick. There are some Indian recipes where you roast them with coconut…
I love beets! They have an “earth-y” flavor. Nicer way to put it? Maybe it’s because when I was young I went to a camp where we would make a stew on camp outs and the secret ingredient (not any more) was that everyone threw in a pinch of dirt! For some reason my mom didn’t care for that part of camp??!!
Any signs of beeturia? LOL
I think beets taste like dirt too, eew! I kept thinking my palate would evolve and every time I try them I still don’t like them. I agree though that somehow they are good juiced…weird!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thinks beets taste like dirt! That’s what I’ve always said when asked if I like them, and I usually get funny looks 😛
Ahhh I don’t think I could do beets :/ They look like round hearts!
I love beets, and this drink sounds wonderful. I just happen to have some of those TJ’s beets in the frig…I’ll be trying it tomorrow! Thanks! 🙂
They are a bit tricky to cook since they stain everything and anything, but I lurve me some beets 🙂
My roomie just got a juicer, so I’m going to try juicing with them soon!
Now that sounds like a powerful cocktail of nutrients. I eat beets on my salads. Everyone thinks I’m a weirdo when they see me do it though so I eat them in secret now.
Closet beet eater! Busted 🙂
This sounds like perfect complement to our training! We drink a fab green smoothie every day, but with longer distances lately I have been feeling need for more hydration. Will give this a whirl soon?
my bf and i actually love beets we include them in a lot of the recipes we ‘create’ they are so good for you and as kids we fought it but as adults we love ’em! Thanks for sharing this recipe – cannot wait to get home and try it!
so what’s wrong with eating dirt???
but seriously, you should try roasting beets, sweetens them up and makes them delicious…. i can eat them raw but roasted is really a different experience…. try it!
I’ve only had beets once, and they tasted like dirt… I might try them again, cant say it’ll be in the near future, tho.
I haven’t had beets..they scare me.
I do not like beets at all. I do use coconut water to make my smoothies and that is yummy, I don’t know if it’s virgin tho….
Ha ha! I totally get the dirt thing. I used to hate beets but I have them every day now! Love ’em.
100% guarantee that Im not a fan of beets! 😛 Not sure if I’ll try this out…ok, maybe I’ll minus the beets.
Looks good! I realized that I have only had beets maybe once in my life… I need to try them again & I’ll let you know if I think they taste like dirt too 😉
I LOVE juicing beets – I mix (all raw) beets, carrots, celery and an apple. Then I love to add a little vanilla spirutein! I love that it is bright pink!
Looks good! I think coconut water tastes like a fart though… oh well : ) I like beat salads, more like love. I made one a few weeks ago (prepped a giant tub and ate throughout the week) and it was beets, apples, red onion, and some red wine and olive oil. YUMMMMO. Also having a juicer isn’t everything it is cracked up to be. Mine sits on the counter staring at me and I never use it any more. That thing EATS through my grocery budget.
I don’t like plain beets. It taste funny. But maybe I’ll give it a try your recipe. It looks good!
I love beets in a green juice! But then the juice technically isn’t a green juice anymore. I just call it “beetriffic” at that point.
Beets are delicious! When they are roasted, they become really sweet. I like them in my salads. And beet hummus. It’s a beautiful magenta color.
omg you made me snort my margarita with the “beets taste like dirt” statement! they absolutely do! I would ditch the beets or just add one small slice and add a cup of spinach!
Oh yeah, beets and I are good friends. I love them roasted and pickled.
This looks like a great drink and I love that you made it without a juicer, not everyone has one.
I <3 beets!
I've read that cherry juice is beneficial for recovery for anti-inflammatory properties.
Yes, tart cherries! 🙂
Love love love beets. Fresh, pickled, steamed, roasted – on their own or on salads! Never had beet juice.
LOVE beets — LOVE them! I feel like I was deprived as a child never being introduced to them, but at least my adult self found them. Sometimes you gotta do things on your own.
Love roasted beets, they are delish!
oh my….beets are not my jam for sure…but maybe with some watermelon and stevia I could make it work 🙂
I LOVE beets, I buy some cooked, and spiced with chilli; or with honey & ginger. Yum!
But I’m always nervous about drinking veggies. Should I give this a go? I’m really tempted, but a little nervous…..
I LOVE beets…beet salad…plain beets…beet juice…you name it, I love it! Thanks for this…looks deeelish! Can’t wait to try it!
I’ve always had an irrational fear of beets. But recently I had a Farmers’ Market salad from a chain called Pret A Manger and I enjoyed the beets!
The only time I have had beets they were mixed into pancakes. Tasted good to me that way!
I haven’t heard of them that way!
Beets are great but have a high sugar content, plus everything in that shake has a lot of natural sugars in it. Try adding some almond butter to it and add some healthy fats and lower the glycemic index of that delicious drink.
Steve, My recently 23 and me dna test says I actually shouldn’t be eating that much fat. Weird, I know. But that’s great advice for the rest of the group!
I did a juice cleanse a while back and I couldn’t drink the juice with beets! It was terrible! I went hungry instead of drinking the beet juice. Guess I don’t like beets 🙂
I’ve been doing beets for awhile now. Those nasty little suckers really work, but I’ve been drinking straight beet juice. I guess I should try to mix it up especially since I look like a vampire after I drink it sometimes.
You have been drinking it straight?! You are not messing around!
I don’t really eat plain beets, but I do the same as you – drink them. I actually bought organic crystallized beets and usually put them in smoothies, and if I am short for time – a tablespoon in orange juice the night before a run and the morning of.
I’m not sure how I feel about beets, I’ve never had one.
I might have to try beets in a smoothie at some point … it sounds interesting 🙂
Beets totally taste like dirt! I say that all the time. But I am willing to try your drink 🙂 Recovering from a PW marathon yesterday following crappy work week with no sleep and a lovely hot and humid 80F race. Ugh. Looking forward to Nike SF and NYC! You’re doing Long Beach (I assume) and NYC, and what other craziness you got on your calendar?
I saw that you weren’t feeling awesome after the race – totally understandable given your week. Recover and move on 🙂 Yep, I’m doing LB. See you in NYC!!