{"id":44402,"date":"2020-11-05T10:48:48","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T15:48:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/?p=44402"},"modified":"2020-11-05T11:08:24","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T16:08:24","slug":"marathon-training-nutrition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/marathon-training-nutrition\/","title":{"rendered":"The Vegan Athlete\u2019s Guide to Fueling Each Phase of Your Marathon Training"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Like it or not, training for a marathon<\/a> is a lifestyle adjustment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means changing your sleep routines, social habits, and time spent with family and friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it also means adjusting the way you eat, especially as a vegan athlete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a lot of talk in endurance circles about how to eat around your workouts<\/a> and long runs for best results and recovery, but very little when it comes to the day-to-day training and how nutrition can impact the way you progress.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re pushing your body throughout months of a marathon training cycle, approaching diet with extra precision will help in nearly every way\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obvious benefits like improved power when you run<\/a> and speedier recovery, but also balanced energy throughout the day, better sleep<\/a>, and weight management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutrition is a critical element of an athlete\u2019s success, and should shift right along with your training block. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Plant-Based Nutrition Plan that Progresses With Your Training<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Through my own experiences as a competitive plant-based triathlete, I\u2019ve developed an approach to training nutrition that progresses just like your training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With every new phase of training — base, building, performance, and race week — your nutrition adjusts slightly right along with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below I break down each phase, what they mean for your training, and how your nutrition should progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I then follow up the phases with 7 simple <\/strong>plant-based recipes<\/strong><\/a>, and provide specific examples for how to adapt a meal based on the phase. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this is written for marathon training, the themes translate to just about any sort of endurance training including triathlon<\/a>, ultramarathon<\/a>, half marathon, or an epic adventure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Base Phase<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The base building phase of your marathon training often happens either before an official plan begins, or during those first weeks. While it might not seem as critical as later phases, the progress and structure you build during the base phase sets up the rest of your training for success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The base phase is designed to increase your endurance base, and adapt your body, mind, and muscles to long hours of movement.

Base Phase Training in Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your base phase will consist of mostly low intensity, low heart rate, light, and slow training. The slower the better when it comes to base phase training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the base phase period, your run mileage will increase while staying incredibly low impact with the overall goal to increase your aerobic capacity, increase your ability to sustain your power over a long block of training, and get your body used to long hard days.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutrition Goals for Base Phase<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get the most out of this critical part of your training block, you should prioritize nutrition almost as much as your running. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your body is adapting to activity so your energy needs will increase more than you think! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201clow and slow\u201d workouts that make up the base phase are known for burning fat<\/a> more than glycogen stores. Thus, you might feel a little bit hungrier during this period of time. This is normal! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, honoring your hunger cues during the base phase of training might be the most essential nutrition advice you\u2019ll get throughout the entirety of your program.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal here is to eat semi normally — balanced meals with leafy greens, starchy vegetables, legumes, starches, and healthy fats — but increase the quantity a bit from your normal needs by about 15-20%.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most effective way to increase caloric intake without sacrificing your health and inflammation systems is the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n