Meal plan for runners

[justasyouare]

I completed C25K towards the end of June and had hoped to run approx. 3 times per week and gradually improve on my distance.

However I am yet to run more than 5K and in reality am often not managing that. After a disastrous run this morning, whereby I only managed 2.5K, I have realised (I think) that it's my energy levels causing the problem. My legs aren't hurting, my breathing isn't terrible but I am literally knackered.

I am using MFP to log calories and am meant to stay below 1200. This week I haven't eaten brilliantly due to one thing and another and I've realised I really need to sort this out before I lose the will to go running altogether.

I want to keep running and to improve and I also have about a stone in weight to lose as well as needing to tone up.

Can anyone help with a daily meal plan, just a rough guide on good foods to be eating?

I tend to run at 5.30am, so before breakfast. So if my dinner the night before is a bit rubbish, then I've no energy for my morning run. I do sometimes run in the evening but have to leave a couple of hours after eating or I get a stitch / feel sick.

The only meal I probably won't change is my breakfast, which is always an omelette with mushrooms and a covering of cheese as it's the healthiest thing that keeps me going til lunchtime!

Thank you!

what is your nutrition like post run ? I have heard from various running friends that the 30 mins after run is key to get in protein so a lot of them tend to take SIS rego but this is more for recovery.
i do not know what to recommend but i personally would trial and error and listen to your body, is it definitely food you believe to be the issue, i sometimes am not correctly hydrated and find the day before a long run i drink a lot, sometimes even electrolytes and even if i am doing a morning run i have a drink before and with me.

hopefully someone will come across and give you the correct advice

"I am using MFP to log calories and am meant to stay below 1200"

Does that calorie target include your activity levels with the running?
I don't MFP that well, but it sounds very strict calories for someone who expects to do 35-40 minutes of aerobic exercise 3x a week.
Could someone check the MFP numbers are reasonable, OP needs to supply their height-weight numbers, though.

From what OP is saying, just a better dinner night before would make a huge difference.

You need to post a bit more about where the1200 calls has come from...

I would say tbh that you would be best not counting calories as such but sticking to s healthy eating plan

As an example for you, my base metabolic rate (before activity) is around 1250 and I am now running around 39 miles a week and my food diary would look a bit like this:

Breakfast is full fat yoghurt and berries most days sometimes with added whey protein

Lunch on a good day is salad with egg, cheese meat or fish or when aided by teenage DS it will be bacon, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes

Dinner is bolognaise with protein noodles or steak or fish with veg or salad, or it might be courgette noodles, cream sauce etc

Snacks - cheese, yoghurt, berries, dark chocolate, peanut butter....

Weekends include alcohol as well, lots of coffee and when I am doing a long run (training for a half) then I use gels as well

It's mostly low carb but I do have chips etc from time to time and I attempt to bake low carb bread and treats as well

Post a bit more and I'll try to help

Sorry - should also have said your breakfast is good but since you run before breakfast, have a coffee before you run .... it does help ....

It might be because you run so early.

My pace drops by about 90 secs per minute/mile just for running in the morning rather than evening.

I just cannot run in the morning whatever I eat.

You might be the same.

Watching with interest. I've just finished C25K and had a horrible run recently where I felt knackered and generally had been feeling really weak nod exhausted. I've reduced my weight loss goal from 2 to 1lb a week and upped my calories a fair whack and am starting to feel a bit better.

Yes I would agree with others that 1200 seems low - although does depend on height.

Don't forget also that you'll be swapping fat for muscle as you train and so that elusive stone might be longer coming off but you're clothes will ft better....

I often run first thing. Can manage up to an hour with a coffee (short and strong, full fat milk) and a banana. Anything over an hour and I would eat first. Also (others may disagree with this) if you know the next days session will be tough, I would have some oatcakes and cheese/hummus/nut butter as supper.

When you finish your run, you need a good carb/protein meal. Porridge with milk and seeds/nuts, toast with nut butter and a fruit smoothie etc.

As a runner you will need carbs - none of this low-carb business. No doubt someone will come on to disagree with me, but most runners I know need carbs. I did a low-carb boot camp and my running suffered terribly - no energy.

Good luck!

Today's run might just have been a rubbish one. There are Def days when running, or any exercise tbh, can seem much harder than normal.

And re coffee, skip the instant and invest in a stove top percolator perhaps? They only cost £10 and make lovely strong coffee which will really help.

I also run at 5.30am, really slowly! But if I leave it any later I'd never go.