Eat Hard, Run . . . Slow

Here's the sad truth: My recently purchased Bondi Band tells a lie.

Maybe for some people, but not me

Eat hard, run hard? Umm, not so much. More like eat hard, run slow. It may work for some people, but for me, eating hard before a run results in a sluggish, chubby, yucky feeling.

Case in point: Last Friday, I met my friend Melissa for lunch at a local Middle Eastern restaurant that features a vegetarian lunch buffet. I should have known this would not end well. I ate too much and as a result, my "easy" four miles that afternoon were torture. A pace that is usually effortless was a struggle to maintain.

Does this mean it's time to give up eating out? Definitely not, but it does mean I have to make smarter choices. I need to think about portion sizes and the type of food I eat. Fueling up with a bowl of spaghetti and marinara sauce is a good idea. Fueling up with multiple plates of spicy Ethiopian food is not. And just like any other type of treat, eating out needs to be on a limited basis, preferably only after a tough race or Saturday morning long run when I've truly earned it. The rest of the time, it's best to stick with healthier, home-cooked fare.

So maybe that Bondi Band had it partially right, just in the wrong order. Run hard, eat hard. That's something I can stick with.

What's your take: Do you run okay after eating a large or unhealthy meal? Do you try to limit treats to long run or race days?

- ST