Hi my name is Linzi and I’m a carboholic. Hi Linzi!
It’s been hard for me to admit that I have this huge tiny obsession with carbs, mainly bread, pasta, bread oh yeah and more bread.
So you can imagine my expression when I went to my Team in Training Nutrition meeting last week and the words of “carb lovers dream” escaped the mouth of the presenter.
My ears perked up – carb lovers dream? That’s me alright.
Basically we were told that due to the amount of running and the length of our runs we NEED to be taking in extra carbs as a way for our body to have enough energy stored during our longer runs.
Makes sense. Plus I think this means I get to eat carbs with a little less guilt? Count this girl in!
Now the issue arises that I am still a girl on a mission to lose a few pounds while training for a marathon. Can this be done all the while I am loading up on guiltfree bread?
I’m not 100% sure, but I’m going to give it a real good try.
The presenter explained that our marathon diet should consist of roughly 50-70% carbs. Which were described as whole wheat bread, 3 fruit servings per day and unlimited supply of veggies.
Of course protein is important to building muscle, so by balancing a protein with a carb. such as a pear smeared with peanut butter….. you are in business.
I really want to be one of those people who finishes the marathon and is in amazing shape when I’m done.
Not saying that I’m just running this marathon in return for a sweet bod in the end. But wouldn’t it be nice?
Yes, yes it would.
So will eating tons of carbs + running hundreds of miles get me to my end goal of sweet marathon bod?
Only time will tell.
And honestly, I get that I need to eat more calories considering I am burning a TON more with the added mileage.
But it’s not a free ticket to go buck wild and eat ALL the bread I want whenever I want. Nope, now it’s a matter of precise planning and monitoring my food intake.
So I have decided I’m going to take before and after photos & measurements to document the changes in my body during marathon madness training.
Yes I realize I am about a month into “official” marathon training but I think we can still start here. So in a few months I will post my carb-loving pictures good or bad and show you the results. I think that is motivation right there!
What are your thoughts on carbing up while marathon training?
Linzi's Life On The Run 
hi linzi! soon you’ll be a TNT’aholic! not a bad addiction! kudos to you!
As much as I *LOVE* carbs (especially baked goods), I actually don’t feel so great if I load up on them. Weird, right? Carbo-loading before a race actually makes me feel ill. Sadface! I can’t do pasta, but I can do rice or a potato, along with lots of greens or some fish.
For breakfast I eat some fiber cereal along with yogurt and some fruit… and I’ll eat some pita at lunchtime. Before LOOOONG runs, I’ll eat a piece of toast or half an English muffin with pb. Lame. You can totes eat carbs and lose weight, so long as it’s in moderation!
OMG. A post directly after my heart. I’m such a carbo-whore. The more miles I log, the more I CRAVE grains…nutty, wholesome, delicious grains! I would eat oatmeal for three meals a day if I could, but because that’s not nutritionally sound, I try my best to restrain myself (though sometimes I admittedly slip!).
My impluse buys are usually bread related which means my freezer is chock-full of half eaten loves of bread. I love to visit the bakery section at the Amish/Farmer’s Markets, TJs or even the local grocery. Right now I’m working my way through three loaves: Whole Wheat Cranberry Orange, Pumpernickle Raisin, and Amish Coconut. It really takes every ounce of will power in me to keep it to 1-2 slices per day. I’m also big on qinoa and barley – I’ll swap ’em for my oats in the am or top them with a stir fry for dinner. I plan my entire diet around my carbs – it’s a sickness really. 🙂
Carbs really are your friend! As long as you eat the right ones. Complex grains and 100-percent whole wheat products. It’s the simple carbs that get us all in trouble by wreaking havoc on our blood sugar!
While training for my first couple of marathons, I definitely overdid it on the carbs and eating in general. It is a CHALLENGE to find the right balance. Good luck, girl!
In all honesty, I’m not a huge carb lover other than rice. I love me some rice! 😀 Mmmm! So I don’t really carb load or take extra carbs in when race training. I think it’s up to the individual.
Looks like you had a really great weekend full of super fun stuffs! 😀
Carbs are definitely your friend when running long distance. When I severely reduce them I definitely feel the lack of energy.
Just watch to make sure you don’t overdo it. 50-70% is really VERY easy to attain and probably isn’t as much as you’re wishing. If you’re wanting to lose weight you should probably keep them on the lower end of the scale.
i love bread and croissants and sandwiches. omg, i loveeeee carbs!
while training for my past 3 half marathons, i did eat more. I ate 6 small meals a day, and had carbs for at least 3 or sometimes 4 of those meals. loved it!
I looooove carbs too. While training for a marathon, I would imagine you can definitely load up on carbs, but I would load up on the right kind of cards and make sure you don’t over do it (like I tend to do haha.
I have a really hard time not overeating when I am running long distance and seem to always gain weight. I am anxious to see and use your tips!
Listen to your body and you’ll be fine. You’re going to be hungry, ravenous even, but just go with it. Your body needs the carbs, and it makes for a better run. Don’t stress about gaining weight, I actually lost a few pounds during the process. But everyone’s different.
No worries though, whether you gain or lose a couple of pounds, you will not care one bit when you cross that finish line, I promise. It’s all worth it!