Last spring, I recorded my diet three weeks before the Fargo Marathon. Currently, I’m building back towards marathon fitness, and so I decided to undertake another brief food diary. The hardest part about eating a reasonably healthy and diverse diet in college, at least at Columbia, is a paucity of easily accessible fruits and vegetables. Keeping a supply of produce on hand requires careful management of refrigeration space and frequent stops at the supermarket. Essentially, I’m just making excuses for randomly binging on huge bowls of vegetables (instead of spreading out my servings throughout the day) and for not eating the macronutrient proportions ideal for marathon training. Gotta live a little. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Nutrition
Triathloning: Shaking It Up
In my last triathloning column, I talked about the protein fetish.
The protein shake proposition frightens me. I associate protein shakes with Ivan Drago, Gold’s Gym, and overly zealous lifters knocking off a few reps and chugging down a supplement-packed slurry. Consuming more than a day’s worth of protein in liquid form feels unnatural and unbalanced; but if you want to get vascular, and you do, then out with milquetoast beverages and in with bodybuilder’s delight. Milkshakes no more—that is, unless they contain 100 grams of whey protein isolate. Continue reading
Filed under Columbia University, Drinks, Triathlon
Marathoning: Eat More Like Endurance Athletes, Less Like Students
In my last Marathoning column, I discussed eating through injuries.
College students punish their bodies: late nights, grueling parties, marathon study sessions—and all fueled on an inadequate diet. Bud Light and Doritos is not, contrary to popular opinion, the best way to get your vitamins and minerals. Cold cereal, peanut butter, buffets of free doughnuts? Again, a less than ideal regimen for scholarly success. Even if you live far from the comforts of Mom’s kitchen, grinding away on a tight budget and without adequate kitchen facilities, it’s possible to dine well in college. Students need sustained energy, so eating like an endurance athlete helps keep the good times rolling in good shape. Continue reading
Filed under College Life, Columbia University, Running
Marathoning: Running on Empty
Running your first marathon is an experiment; running your second is a race. After experiencing the training cycle once, a runner understands the demands on his body, the trials of the race, and the process of post-race recovery. The next time on the track, each step merits examination and reevaluation. Losing your marathon virginity is a learning experience—success or failure during the first race depends on a galaxy of uncertainties. From how you train to what you eat, these constantly evolving factors determine speed, strength, and stamina. Continue reading
Filed under Miscellaneous, Running
