Blog Takeover: Meet Alison
Hi! My name is Alison and I’m from Denver, Colorado. In 2015 I traded in my dance shoes for a pair of running shoes. At the time, I got sucked into purchasing personal training sessions with a trainer who had a background in running. After a handful of sessions and being his only client not to complain about the warm-up and sprint portions of the workouts, my trainer encouraged me to consider distance running. The next time I returned to the gym I stepped onto the treadmill and before I knew it, I was having a full-on Forrest Gump moment and “just kept on going.” Fast forward six years and I’m averaging 40-50 miles a week and have completed a multitude of half marathons, a Ragnar Relay, a full marathon and recently started venturing into ultra-running territory.
With all of my official races cancelled in 2020, I embraced virtual running challenges. The two that immediately peaked my interest were the Yeti Ultra 24-Hour Challenge and the David Goggins 4x4x48 Challenge. While the Yeti challenge involves running five miles every four hours for 24 hours (totaling 30 miles in 24 hours), the 4x4x48 challenge ups the ante by requiring you to run four miles at the top of every hour, for 48 hours. That’s 48 miles in 48 hours!
I was ready to put my physical and mental fortitude to the test, but there was one burning question that was top of mind: What do I eat? Even though these challenges were not continuous ultramarathons, I knew the right amount of nutrition and hydration would be essential in order for me to successfully run for 24-48 hours. This meant I needed to re-evaluate the way I thought about fueling.
I shifted my focus to snacks that were energy-rich since the amount of time between each running leg was not enough to digest a full meal. I prepared by setting up a makeshift aid station in my apartment with all of my goto race snacks (including bananas, energy bars, trail mix, pretzels, gels and gummy bears). I also ensured to have hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese and my post-challenge chocolate milk in my fridge. As soon as I finished a run segment, I was able to easily grab a snack to replenish calories and kickstart recovery. In terms of hydration, I alternated between water, Gatorade, and diluted tart cherry juice to replace fluids.
The snack strategy worked for the Yeti Challenge. The 4x4x48 challenge was a different story. Although I did my best to align the four-hour intervals with my standard eating schedule, almost immediately after finishing leg 9 of the 4x4x48 challenge, I was struck by that all-consuming, audible stomach rumbling hunger. At this point I had gone 36 hours without a “real” meal or sleep and my body craved fries. I highly doubt heavy, fried food is recommended by any sports nutritionist. Despite this, I listened to my hunger cues and headed straight for the McDonald’s drive-thru.
Three hours later I started the next four miles anxiously anticipating stomach cramps. To my surprise, that set was my fastest time. Those greasy, salty fries satiated the hunger and even lifted my spirits. I had the physical and mental stamina to complete the duration of the challenge, and the competitor in me was excited to finish those last 12 miles strong. My nutrition didn’t go to plan and that’s OK!
Nutrition played a supporting role when I started running however I quickly noticed a direct link between what I was (or was not) putting in my body, and how I performed during my runs as I increased my training regimen and pushed myself to conquer longer distances. By prioritizing nutrition, food became fuel and nourishment to empower me as an endurance athlete.
A few final thoughts:
Unsubscribe from diet culture – We are overloaded with information perpetuating harmful messages about body image. Scroll past social media influencers and don’t click on articles and ads promoting the newest diet craze. Focus on developing the right nutrition and fitness lifestyle choices for you.
Disassociate foods with their negative connotations – Instead of avoiding specific foods because they are perceived as unhealthy, break those foods down into their individual components. Take pizza for example. The crust is a carbohydrate my body needs for immediate energy during my long runs. The cheese is a fat my body needs as a backup fuel source. The pepperoni is a protein critical for rebuilding my muscles. And if you’re one of those people that puts pineapple on your pizza, it has anti-inflammatory properties.
Be kind to your body – Running is difficult to begin with. Don’t make it unnecessarily hard by restricting food.
-Alison
You can follow along Alison’s next endurance challenge via her instagram @alisonheidt