The Weather, Sleep and Nutrition.
Weather
Weather is very important to us humans. If you are a runner, it may be even more important. A lot of us folk out here in Colorado know it is Spring because the grass gets greener between snow storms. Yesterday and last night, it snowed again!
Sleep
I read recently that one's running log should include the amount of time spent sleeping. I have started recording that and found that I generally do not sleep a lot (except maybe after a long run). I average around 6.5 hours of sleep a night. I guess that I've done that for a while but have never really thought about it.
With my job, I am generally up past midnight. Not at work, but up in case (after all, I am the Safety Director). I am always up by 7:00 AM. I don't feel sleep deprived. I have never been a person that needs a lot of sleep. I wake up, feeling refreshed.
Now just 'cause I am wondering, but how much sleep do the rest of you get?
Nutrition
Right now, I weigh 220 pounds. That is heavy. I realize that a lot of that is eating inappropriately. I don't really eat a lot of junk food in the strictest sense. I do like bread. I also like salad.
I run daily around 10:00 AM. I have some oatmeal about an hour before that. Water (generally) during the run. Water is a good thing!
My second meal of the day is around 1:00 PM. A sandwich or chinese food. I try to keep the chinese food to lean meat and lots of veggies.
My job is mostly sedentary. I sit at a desk and type for most of the day. My trouble? I get hungry at around 5 - 6 PM. I tend to munch at that time. It should be my lunch, I guess, but it isn't. This is the time that I tend to over eat.
Finally supper is around 9:00 PM. This is generally a typical hot meal.
Advice is necessary. What do you guys do for food and why does what you do work for you?
Enough for now...
Weather is very important to us humans. If you are a runner, it may be even more important. A lot of us folk out here in Colorado know it is Spring because the grass gets greener between snow storms. Yesterday and last night, it snowed again!
Sleep
I read recently that one's running log should include the amount of time spent sleeping. I have started recording that and found that I generally do not sleep a lot (except maybe after a long run). I average around 6.5 hours of sleep a night. I guess that I've done that for a while but have never really thought about it.
With my job, I am generally up past midnight. Not at work, but up in case (after all, I am the Safety Director). I am always up by 7:00 AM. I don't feel sleep deprived. I have never been a person that needs a lot of sleep. I wake up, feeling refreshed.
Now just 'cause I am wondering, but how much sleep do the rest of you get?
Nutrition
Right now, I weigh 220 pounds. That is heavy. I realize that a lot of that is eating inappropriately. I don't really eat a lot of junk food in the strictest sense. I do like bread. I also like salad.
I run daily around 10:00 AM. I have some oatmeal about an hour before that. Water (generally) during the run. Water is a good thing!
My second meal of the day is around 1:00 PM. A sandwich or chinese food. I try to keep the chinese food to lean meat and lots of veggies.
My job is mostly sedentary. I sit at a desk and type for most of the day. My trouble? I get hungry at around 5 - 6 PM. I tend to munch at that time. It should be my lunch, I guess, but it isn't. This is the time that I tend to over eat.
Finally supper is around 9:00 PM. This is generally a typical hot meal.
Advice is necessary. What do you guys do for food and why does what you do work for you?
Enough for now...
posted by CewTwo at 2:11 PM
7 Comments:
My biggest challenge is becoming good about packing a healthy lunch. Almost anything I pack is better than eating out, but sandwiches get so boring! On the sleep question, I probably avg about 7 hrs a night but a bulk of that average is made up on Friday night! Like you, I get by on 6 hrs or so during the week and then give myself Sat morning to sleep in.
I'd highly recommend including a Clif bar or two as part of your daily diet. They're quite filling and generally not too high in calories.
I also include a 1/4 cup of almonds (raw w/o the coating) as part of my lunch. That protein helps to keep me from being hungry around 5.
Also, I would try to eat a bit earlier than 9pm. You don't have any time to work that off at that point in the night. Moving dinner to 7:30 or so would stop you from being so hungry at 6-ish. That is, if it's possible with your work.
Good luck with the marathon! With almost a week now to reflect on mine, I'm really glad I did it At 52, I felt like I couldn't wait any longer. I find myself thinking.. hey I could do that, I ran a marathon!
My trial in the sleep department is coffee. I really like to have a cup at my desk when I've got to really focus on a task - just decaf. Yet if I drink more than two, I toss and turn all night.
I absolutely must get 8 hours of sleep. More is better. RARELY do I wake up naturally before 8 hours.
I agree with the protein. If I am really hungry and have a piece of fruit, I am hungry again very quickly. But a little protein goes a long way.
I am a fan of the oatmeal! (although this morning I had a protein/fruit smoothie - yum! I'll share!) I have the oatmeal (or, I did...) about an hour or less before a run.
Thanks for stopping by: I do appreciate your comments.
If you are sleeping in a dark room, keeping you caffeine to the first half of the day, and waking up without an alarm clock, perhaps you are getting enough sleep.
Late afternoon snacking!! Ho!!
I always start with one ounce of additive-free (no flavorings, MSG, sweetener) nuts and then eat whole raw fruit.
I'm seeing a lot now about "carbohydrates" being a food group. The idea that grain is a whole food group of its own was invented by the food industry. So... some people are recommending substituting whole raw fruit for SOME of that bread.
Isn't it great to be running?!
Like you, I only average about 6.5 hours of sleep, but I'm working on that too.
I also get the munchies at work, so I've started keeping those 100 calorie popcorn bags and light progresso soup in my desk, plus some almonds. I find I do much better when I eat enough protein at my meals. When I carb up too much, I start to eat, eat, eat. I like yogurt, eggs, string cheese, and cottage cheese as quick sources of protein and I always keep them handy.
We'll be ready for Chicago Charlie, we'll make sure of that!
I'm big into sleeping! I almost always get 8-9 hours a day. Anything less, I'm a grouch!
As for eating, I'm a snacker, so I could munch all day, if I could afford to. I always have a mid-morning snack and a mid-afternoon snack. Either fruit or an Odwalla bar to tide me over - sometimes more, depending on my mood.
A friend of mine suggested that I try to stop eating by NLT 8pm. Using this as a guide definitely helps me maintain my weight - when I fall off this wagon, I generally gain weight.
I also try to eat foods that contain wholesome fats, like nuts, as opposed to white bread or other processed foods. This is a hard one for me, as I love white processed carbs!
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