A few weeks ago, following a 3 hour and 40 minute training run, I learned the hard way how important it is to refuel properly after a long run.

Our run started at Eau Clair Market downtown and looped in a figure eight both ways along the river. It was warm, the sun was shining and that run was probably the hardest I have physically pushed myself in years. As always during these runs, our coaches accompanied us on foot and on bikes throughout the route offering water, sport drink and fuel when we needed it, and making us take it when they knew we needed it but we thought we didn’t. Nutrition and fuelling properly during our runs was one of our lecture topics earlier this year so it isn’t something we haven’t been taught.

Myself (far) and Kirsten (close), recovering after our three-hour run on July 20.
Myself (far) and Kirsten (close), recovering after our three-hour run on July 20. We are in a little bit of pain I think.

After I finished the 32km route we spent some time cooling down, stretching and putting our feet up. I remember coach Jen telling us, “Get some food in you as soon as you can when you get home.” I am a little bit terrified even writing this because I know I will be in trouble next time I see her. (Love you Jen!)

However, after dropping off one of my teammates at her place and driving to mine I was feeling pretty good. I finished the last of a power bar I had left from the run and when I walked in the door and my boyfriend suggested we grab lunch out (since we had no food in the house anyway) I agreed. Since I felt sore and gross, I took a quick ice bath and a hot shower but when I stepped out of the tub it hit me. All of a sudden I didn’t feel so good. At that moment I knew I had made a big mistake. It felt like my body had been sucked of every bit of energy I had.

I threw on my clothes and barked at Chad that we needed to go get food, “NOW.” On the way to sub shop I snapped at an elderly couple who didn’t make a left turn fast enough (oops, sorry!). Everything seemed to move in slow motion and I was hangry, as they say.

We ordered our subs and I got a chocolate milk, of which I drank half of on my way to the park where we were going to eat. On the way there Chad made a comment about the new tires he had put on his car, which is a righthand drive Nissan Skyline. I responded, from what is normally the drivers side of a car, that he hadn’t driven MY car in a while so it was bound to feel weird.

I actually thought for a moment that we were in my car, which is hard to do when had we been in my car I would have been driving from where I sat. Chad, looking very alarmed, just said, “There is something wrong with you.”

Almost immediately after I ate my sub and drank my chocolate milk I began to feel better. The world looked clear again and I felt like an idiot. Looking back I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s obvious that I should have eaten something sooner. I had no almost excuse not to eat something when I got home, or better yet, bring something to eat or drink right after my run.

I think what we often don’t realize in these cases is that after you’ve expended that much energy it’s not always as slow decline. You may feel great, until you DON’T. And by that time it’s probably too late.

That was a lesson I certainly learned the hard way.

I prepared for the following long runs by having a shake or food on hand for as soon as I finished the run and a meal already prepared for when I got home. I don’t make the same mistake twice…

My after-run lunch on a day that I made better life choices.
My after-run lunch on a day that I made better life choices.

A few days ago – in my post Daily nutrition for marathon training – I wrote about being taught proper eating habits as I was growing up. While I also learned a lot about sport nutrition in those days, such as how to eat before a big swim meet and how to recover from one after, the bit about recovery must have slipped my mind.

Perhaps it’s just that my memory failed me, or that maybe I underestimated how much environmental factors come into play when you are competing outside rather than inside. Or it could be that my 26-year-old body doesn’t recover as fast or as easily as my 16-year-old body.

But regardless, knowing what your body needs following a tough training session is almost as important as knowing what it needs before and during it.

P.S. Check out tomorrow’s post to find out how to figure out how much water you need to drink to rehydrate after a run and about how to learn from my silly mistakes.