Guest Runner Chef: Matthew Halip

Matthew Halip, a 22-year-old student at Guilford College, is one of my personal training and running clients. Matthew's a member of the Lacrosse Team at Guilford college and he's also training for his first marathon-The North Face Endurance Challenge taking place in San Francisco in just a couple of weeks. This is a bear of a marathon with a 4,519ft elevation gain!! This is a race where it's mandatory to check in at each aid station. Matthew can handle it though. He's a great young man, in awesome physical shape and has a good head on his shoulders. I've been very impressed with his ability to handle the workouts, his race training, lacrosse practices and school (it's his senior year). I discovered that Matthew has a flare for cooking. Actually he said it's a passion for his entire family. So, I asked him to share with us one of his favorite recipes he likes to prepare when in training. Read on to discover his tasty chicken and vegetable dish. 

Matthew's Healthy Chicken-n-Veggies

This is a very simple chicken and vegetable dish, similar to stir-fry but significantly healthier, in the sense that I don’t use a pre-made marinade or soy sauce (both of which have a high sodium content). 

Main Ingredients:

• Chicken breast
• Carrots
• Corn
• Broccoli

(Most any combination of vegetables will work.)

Coating for Chicken:

• Chili Powder
• White granulated pepper (black pepper will work. I only use white pepper because I think it looks better)
• Sprinkle of salt
• Garlic powder (use garlic if possible I just didn’t have any in stock, but no more then 4 gloves- it will take over the dish)
• Onion powder (use an onion if possible I just didn’t have one in stock)
• All spice

Simple-n-healthy vinaigrette sauce:

• olive oil
• honey
• Dijon mustard

Mix olive oil, vinegar, 2 teaspoons of honey, and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard. The rule of thumb is 2:1 of olive oil to vinegar, but depending on your preferences you can change the ratio (I prefer mine more acidic). 

Directions:

Roast the chicken breasts at 350° F anywhere between 15-20 minutes (all ovens are different) or until he internal temperature reaches 165° F. Ten minutes before the chicken breast is cooked, put the vegetable combination in a frying pan and drizzle with vegetable oil (or olive oil). Cook on medium. Make sure you take the chicken out of the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before the vegetables are finished cooking. Once the chicken sets, cut into cubes and combine with the vegetables. At this point, pour the vinaigrette over the dish and let cook for no more then 2 minutes. Once the chicken absorbs the marinade, take off the stove and enjoy. 

Recipes for Runners: Black Bean Lasagna

I'm always on the lookout for healthy recipes. Something that's good for my training and that the family will like too. Not always an easy task, but I hit the jackpot with a recipe for Black Bean Lasagna that I stumbled upon in the September 2010 issue of Reader's Digest which they actually got from Taste of Home.

The Reader's Digest article starts with a really amazing factoid—"You can cut your risk of heart attack by nearly 40% if you eat a 3oz serving of black beans daily." I doubt most people are going to eat black beans everyday, but it's enough of an eye-opener to want to add them as frequently as possible.

Actually, in my household, we eat beans (all kinds) rather frequently. Our problem is changing up the menu so we're not always having the same old beans-n-rice dish. That's why, this healthy version of a traditional lasagna recipe caught my eye. I made it for the family and it was a hit. Makes 12 servings so there were leftovers which were perfect for reheating for a quick lunch.
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Give the recipe a try and let me know what you think. Don't forget to send in your own recipes to be featured on the blog and get a chance at winning a $25 gift card to RoadRunnerSports.com and a free box of 3BAR energy bars! [Click here] for details on how to enter.
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Black Bean Lasagna

Ingredients

9 lasagna noodles

1 large onion, chopped

1 teaspoon canola oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
1 cup water
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 egg whites, lightly beaten

1 carton (15 ounces) reduced-fat ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, cilantro and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

In a small bowl, combine the egg whites, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Drain noodles. Spread 1/2 cup bean mixture into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with three noodles, a third of the ricotta mixture, a third of the remaining bean mixture and 2/3 cup cheese blend. Repeat layers twice.

Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

 

Servings: 12

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 40 min. + standing

 

Nutrition Facts: 1 piece equals 279 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 25 mg cholesterol, 455 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 18 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1-1/2 lean meat, 1 vegetable.

Don't Run on Empty!

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is "What should I eat?" The question sometimes is related to before running. Often it's about fueling during the run. Other times it's referring to refueling after the run.

The best advice I can give is don't treat your body like I treat my minivan. Yes, I said, it. I drive a minivan....a 10-year-old one at that! What of it? Real men drive minivans. Right? Anywho...like I said, don't treat your body like I do my minivan. What I mean is don't always drive around with only a fourth of a tank gas. Seems like my "low gas" light is on more than it's off. So, to avoid that panicked feeling on a run, you know the one you get on a 20-miler when you realize you left your gel packs in the car (kind of like the same feeling you get when you're in the car-rider pick-up line at your kid's school and you're praying you'll have enough gas to get your kid and off the school grounds before the engine kills...not that I've ever had that feeling), follow the before, during, and after fueling and hydration tips below.

Before the Run: Eating before a run is important to ensure you have the energy you'll need to sustain you during your workout, especially if it's a hard or long workout. The trick is timing. You don't want to have hunger pangs but you also don't want cramps from running on a full stomach. If at all possible, it's best to eat 1.5 - 2 hours before your run. This will give your food time to digest. This means getting up a little earlier if you're a morning runner and eating a mid afternoon snack if you're an afternoon runner.

I know, I know, you're saying, "I already get up an hour or two before the sun even thinks about getting up. How can I mange to get up any earlier? And even if I do, I probably won't be hungry." I hear ya. Well, if your run is within 30 minutes, you'll probably be just fine on an empty stomach. I'd still recommend trying to drink a little water. If you're running between 3o minutes and an hour, I'd recommend drinking some sports drink. That way you'll at least get some fast acting "liquid carbs" in your system for some energy on your run. If, however, you're going to be running over an hour, I would still recommend getting up that 1.5-2 hours earlier. You'll need more in the ole tumtum for longer lasting fuel to sustain you on that longer run.

So you've got the timing down, now what should you be eating? Before a run, the meal/snack should be high in carbs. A little protein is good too, but keep the fat content low. Fatty foods can make you feel sluggish during your run. Some protein is good, but a lot can be slow to digest, contributing to a sluggish run as well. One of my favorite before run snacks is an English muffin toasted with peanut butter and a little jam. A great convenient store snack I've discovered is a Nature Valley Oats-n-Dark Chocolate bar and a banana. That combo is divine!

Hydration? Before the run, it's best to drink 16oz of water about 2 hours before the run. This gives the water time to pass through your system and for you to void it (pee) before the run.

During the Run: If you're running less than 1.5hrs, you really don't need to worry about eating during the run. If you've properly fueled prior to the run, you'll have enough energy to sustain your run. Most of your fuel in a shorter run comes from glycogen stored in the muscle. If, however, you're running longer than an hour, especially if you're running 2+ hours such as in a marathon, then refueling during the run becomes more important. Once you deplete your muscle glycogen, then you start to use glycogen stored in the liver. Nothing wrong with that. That's actually what's supposed to happen. However, just like your car will eventually run out of gas, your liver will eventually run out of stored glycogen.

Your body is able to store about 2000 calories of glycogen (fuel) which will take you about 18- 20 miles depending on your pace. I can hear those mind gears just-a-turning. Are you putting 2 and 2 together? 18-20 miles is about the time most marathoners hit the wall (if they're going to hit the wall). They simply run out of fuel and their body fatigues and the muscle firing fades away. SMACK! They hit the wall.

So, on those long runs, be sure to restock those glycogen stores along the way. Don't wait until you're on empty to try to fill them back up. It will be too late to do you any good.

So, how do you do this? Well, the simplest way is to start drinking a sports drink about 45-60 minutes into your run. Be sure to try a variety of sports drinks during your training to see which one works best with your system. (Never use a sports drink during a race that you haven't used during your training.) You can also use energy gels, bars, and some newer products that are similar to jelly beans and chews. Ingesting a sports gel about every 45 mins or about every 5-6 miles works well for most runners, but test out what timing or distance works best for you. The main thing is to begin the refueling before the tank gets empty. Some runners can tolerate solid foods during the run. I have one friend that takes a frozen Crustable (those little packaged PBJ sandwiches in the frozen foods section). By the time he's ready to eat it, it has thawed. Again, test out solid foods, gels, bars, etc. during your training, not during a race.

Hydration during the run? Well, if you're running less than an hour, water will do you just fine. Depending on how you perspire and how hot and humid it is, you may want to carry some water or stash some on your route. For runs longer than an hour you'll need to begin drinking a sports drink. After an hour of perspiring you will have begun to deplete your electrolytes (i.e., sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate, etc.). These are key ingredients in helping your body absorb the water you take in. Ever been on a long run and you've been drinking water constantly, but is just seems to be sloshing around in your stomach? That's probably because you've depleted your electrolytes and your body isn't able to absorb the water, so it just sits there in your stomach. Also, don't wait until you're thirsty to drink, that could be too late. Drink on a regular basis, throughout your run.

After the Run: Simple carbs and protein are key ingredients in recovery for runners. Most research says that a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein within 30 minutes after a workout is optimal in speeding-up recovery and getting your tired, broken-down muscles the nourishment they need to rebuild and repair. Nonfat or lowfat chocolate milk actually has this 4:1 ratio and makes a great post run recovery snack. Be careful to keep the protein to a 4:1 ratio after a run because too much protein can slow rehydration and glycogen replenishment.

Hydration after a run? Each person is different and your hydration needs can vary from run to run depending on how much you sweat, the temperature, and your pace. Calculating your sweat rate is a great way to get a good handle on your specific hydration needs. To begin the test, weigh yourself just before a run. Then reweigh yourself after the run (before you change your clothes) and record the second weight. It should be less than the first. Each pound lost equals 16oz. of fluids. So, if you lost 2 lbs. on your run, you'd need to drink 32oz of water to replenish what you've lost. That doesn't mean gulp down 32oz immediately after the run, but it does mean to begin replacing what's been lost as soon as you can. If you're drinking the chocolate milk or a sports drink within the 30 minutes for refueling, those liquids can count as a part of your rehydration too. Do this test on several different runs (distance, pace, weather conditions, etc.). Then you'll be able to gage your rehydration needs for future similar runs when you're not able to weigh before and after.

The Runner's Palate: Sweet Potatoes & Apples

Last week, I posted on the benefits of the potato as a training food for runners. That post got quite a bit of feedback in support of the spud. Several readers mentioned how much they enjoyed eating sweet potatoes as a training food. One reader, Ashley, described (in a comment she posted) a recipe she makes with sweet potatoes and Granny Smith apples that sounded awesome. So, I asked her to share it with us on the blog. It's simple to make and a great source of Vitamins A and C, Potassium, complex carbs, and fiber. Here's Ashley's recipe:

Sweet Potatoes and Granny Smith Apples

A little background: This recipe evolved from a recipe I found on line. Originally it called for ground mace, butter, and about 3x the brown sugar. I quickly learned that ground mace is not for me, must be a learned taste. So the next time I made it with cinnamon and a tiny bit of cloves. Then I decided to try it without butter, didn't even notice it was missing. Then I decided that the granny smith apples made it sweet enough that I could cut back on the brown sugar as well. This has been a hit with everyone I've made it for. It's easy to prepare and doesn't require exact measurements so it is easy to adjust the amount you want to make. The recipe below makes enough for about 8 servings.

Ingredients:
2 Large Sweet Potatoes
2-3 Granny Smith Apples
Brown Sugar
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Cloves

Tools Needed:
Covered baking dish
tablespoon
potato peeler

Directions:

1. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1 to 1.5 inch scallops. Place in a pot, cover with water and boil until tender, about 10 mins.
2. While the potatoes are boiling preheat the oven to 350. Core and dice the apples, leave the skin on the apples.
3. Once potatoes are tender drain water from the pot.
4. Place the potatoes in a single layer in the bottom of the baking dish then add a layer of apples.
5. Take 1 heaping tablespoon of loosely packed brown sugar and sprinkle evenly over the apples.
6. Sprinkle some cinnamon and cloves over the brown sugar, I use more cinnamon than cloves but you can add according to your own tastes.
7. If you have more sweet potatoes and apples repeat steps 4-6.
8. Cover and bake for 40 to 50 minutes until apples are soft.

Thanks Ashley! I made this over the weekend and it tastes great! Be sure to check out Ashley's website Adventures Of Running Mom.

To Eat or Not To Eat? That's Often the Question.

Just recently I had an email from Brad, a reader of the blog, about fueling during the long run. Then this past weekend, one of the runners in my half-marathon training group, Amy, had a similar question about fueling your run. "To eat or not to eat?" is often top of mind for runners. Or probably even more accurately, "What to eat or what not to eat?"

For those of you hoping for a definitive answer, I'm sorry to disappoint. There are so many factors involved—likes, dislikes, allergies, digestive tolerance, and on and on. What works for one runner may have another runner praying to the porcelain god (or more accurately the plastic port-a-john god) the entire run.

There are however, some good rules of thumb to follow. The first rule of thumb is "Test well in advance." It's best to try new foods when you're not in training. If you are training, it's best to test new things early on so you'll know well in advance what's going to work and not work. When you're in your local GNC or Vitamin Shoppe two weeks before the big race, fight hard the temptation to try something new. Better yet, just don't even go in until after the race. Ask your wife, husband, significant other, sister, brother, mother, the guy on the corner, somebody to pick up what you need. Same thing goes for the natural foods. Stick to what you know works when it's close to race day. And the biggest warning of all...Avoid the "Try me! Try me!" barking of the sales reps at the marathon expo. Although the marathon expo can be an exciting place the day before the race, try really hard to avoid much (if any) taste-testing. You never know what may throw your tum-tum for a loop!

Okay, I've rambled on enough. Sorry, it's the dad in me (as well as being the son of a preacher) feeling the need to give a little sermon on the dos and don'ts of pre-race eating. Here's the info you're really wanting to know.

Pre-run Fueling: Fueling before a long run should actually start the day before. Make sure your snacks and meals the day before your long run are comprised of complex carbs (vegetables, whole grains, etc.). In doing so, you’ll maximize your glycogen stores. Glycogen is the main source of energy for your long runs. When completely full, your glycogen stores have will provide enough energy for about 2hrs of running (~2000 calories). Some runners will tell me, "I ate breakfast before my long run, but I still bonked." There could be several things at play which caused the "bonk", but more than likely, even though they ate breakfast, if their glycogen stores were not full, the breakfast they did eat would only take them so far. Fueling is a continuous thing, especially when you're in training.

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The pre-run meal the day of your long run is important too. What you eat before an endurance run can greatly impact your performance. No food or too little food before a long run can result in fatigue. It can also cause you to burn more muscle which can result in injury. Lots of runners don't eat prior to a run because they fear the dreaded upset stomach. But not eating before a long run can result in a less than stellar run. Just like you train to increase your mileage, you need to train your body to eat something prior to running. What you eat and how much will vary from runner to runner. You don't need a heavy breakfast, but a combination of carbs and protein is a good plan.

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Eating prior to a run will give your body some fuel to use before having to use its reserves (those glycogen stores I mentioned earlier). If you start off using your reserves too soon and they get depleted, fatigue will soon follow as well as the dreaded "bonk." Fat is needed and is important in the absorption of nutrients, but avoid eating high-fat foods before a long run. These foods take longer to digest and will make you feel like a slug and may even cause you to feel nauseous on your run. For some runners it’s also good to avoid complex carbs right before a run. Yep, normally I’d be telling you to make sure your diet is rich in complex carbs, but for some runners, eating them shortly before a run can cause cramping because it takes complex carbs longer to digest. So, it’s okay to save the whole-wheat pasta for the dinner the night before and eat eat some white bread or other form of simple carb in the morning before your long run. Because your body will digest these foods quickly, these simple carbs will go directly to fueling the body, protecting your glycogen stores for later in the run.

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Some pre-run foods to try include:

• a bagel with peanut butter
• a waffle with peanut butter
• two graham crackers with peanut butter
• dry cereal
• a banana with peanut butter
• Greek yogurt with fruit
• Uncrustables (those little round peanut butter sandwiches with the crimped sides in the frozen foods section)
• an energy bar (check the label and make sure it's not loaded with saturated fat)
• a hard-boiled egg and toast

Keep in mind that you’ll want to avoid running on a full stomach so, you’ll need to wake up a little earlier in order to let your food digest. Eating 1.5 hrs before a morning long run is a good rule of thumb

You can train you body to use fat as a fuel source too. This can come in very handy on really long runs. Basically, running some shorter distances (4-8 miles) on an empty stomach will force your body to go to an alternate source of fuel—fat. The thinking is that if you’ve trained your body to burn fat as fuel, then during a long run, if you run low on your glycogen stores, your body will know to kick-in its fat-burning abilities. But just as I said earlier, you need to test this out well before race day. Don’t wake up race-day morning and decide not to eat anything before your 26.2-mile run so you can burn off all your fat. It ain’t gonna work for ya, and not only will the big brick wall hit ya in the face, it will land right on top of ya!

Fueling on the Run: For runs lasting more than 60 minutes, it's a good rule of thumb to take in 30-60 grams of carbohydrates every hour. Use the chart below from Runner's World to help you select some foods good for during your run. Be careful when using sports gels. There’s nothing wrong with them, but if you’re using them along with a sports drink, some may find themselves having stomach issues. Both are packed with carbs and usually the carbs are of the simple sugar variety. While your body will need to replenish is glycogen stores during the race, you don’t want overkill. Everyone is different and there’s no one cure-all, but for some carrying a bottle of water to use when taking a gel works well. Some may find that they can continue drinking only water throughout the entire run, if the gels they’re using contain carbs and essential electrolytes.

I’ve discovered that 100% coconut water contains the right amount of carbs and electrolytes for my long runs. I have problems with calf cramps and coconut water naturally has 15x the potassium of a banana and 2-3x the amount of potassium as most sports drinks. Others do better to drink water, take an electrolyte replacement tablet and then pack some pretzels, crackers, jellybeans, or Fig Newtons for their carb source. I have one running buddy that takes an Uncrustable along. Uncrustables are those little round frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the crimped sides. He says it thaws on the run and by the time he needs one later in the run it’s ready to eat. Like I said, everyone is different.

Post-run Refueling: Eating 300 - 400 calories with a 4:1 ratio of carbs and proteins within 30-45 minutes after finishing your run will help ensure a quicker recovery. During a long run, you deplete your glycogen stores as well as create microscopic tears in your muscle tissue. Eating a carb/protein mixture helps to restore the glycogen and repair those tiny tears which is the muscle-building process.

Some good post-run eats include:

• a glass of low-fat chocolate milk (it has the perfect 4:1 ratio of carbs/protein)
• a bagel with peanut butter or almond butter or Nutella (I love Nutella!)
• whole wheat crackers and peanut butter or almond butter
• a smoothie made with fruit and yogurt
• baked potato with Greek yogurt
• brown rice pudding with sliced banana
• whole-grain cereal with skim milk
• lowfat yogurt and fruit
• Uncrustables

What are some of your favorite pre-, during-, and post-run eats?