Winter is marathon season, which means people are training harder and require fuel to power them through their runs. A lot of runners carb up before their workouts and eat power bars during their runs to keep them going. If you think that it is impossible to be a raw vegan marathon runner, it’s time get rid of that misconceived notion.
Many raw vegan marathon runners often experience better muscle function and improved recovery time after their races. This is not strange, considering that more and more athletes are turning to veganism and raw veganism to not only improve overall health, but also to improve the way they perform. For instance, a woman named Iris Mak, who lives in Hong Kong and is a raw vegan marathon runner, drastically improved her training after switching to a raw vegan diet. Her race times improved and she started winning 48km and 50km races around China! Mak is convinced that the raw foods provide her with the essential nutrients she needs to run faster and recover more quickly.
General Guidelines
In the raw vegan running community, it is recommended to go heavy on carbs (from fruits), drink lots of water (not sports or energy drinks), and to maintain healthy electrolyte levels (from bananas, raw coconut water, spirulina, and leafy greens). You may also want to focus on foods that are easy to eat while exercising. This may seem like a limited category, but lots of homemade energy bites/bars and fruits make your options plentiful. Lastly, you are encouraged to carry your own raw vegan snacks while running because race stations typically don’t have raw vegan-approved food items.
Before the Big Run
- Water
- Bananas
- Fruit & Vegetable Smoothies (bananas, berries, avocado, chia seeds, sprouts, spinach, oranges, etc.)
Ensure that you have enough fuel in the tank to power you through your long race by drink a smoothie that has a ratio of three parts carbohydrates to one part protein. Carbs energize you and hydration is integral for the early stages of the run.
During the Run
- Raw coconut water
- Water
- Bananas
- Raw energy bars
- Vegetable wraps with avocado
In order to carry your food with you, you’ll need to acquire a hydration pack, fuel belt, or a fanny pack with water bottle holsters. It is wise to replenish electrolytes every 20-30 minutes and to eat 200-300 calories every hour. You don’t want to puke during the race, so practice eating and drinking during your training sessions.
After The Run
- Raw coconut water
- Green smoothies (dark leafy greens, bananas, berries, chia seeds, avocado, lemon, etc.)
- Green powders (chlorella or spirulina)
- Vegetable wraps
Following your run, immediately replenish your carbohydrates and proteins because you need them for reduced recovery time. Don’t gravitate towards the pizza or beer at the end of races. Get yourself to the smoothie bar!
Raw Cookie Dough Energy Bites
Want to fill up on a snack without consuming a ton of calories? Eat these energy-boosting bites to sustain yourself between meals.
Click here to make the recipe.
Chia Seed Energy Shot
Race day is going to be that much better by drinking this chia seed shot, which provides a natural, sustained stream of energy.
Click here to make the recipe.
Berry Breakfast Smoothie
The antioxidants in the berries will help get you going in the morning. You’ll have a nice protein boost from the spinach, and a healthy dose of vitamin C from the orange juice.
Click here to make the recipe.
Banana Berry Protein-Packed Smoothie Bowl
Start your morning off with a bowl of nutrients that’ll keep you going throughout your run. You can get creative with the toppings too!
Click here to make the recipe.
Kale Smoothie With Pear & Almond Butter
There are a lot of green smoothies out there, but this is one recipe you should keep in your smoothie rotation. So much deliciousness!
Click here to make the recipe.
