Post Long Run Recovery Food

My weekly long runs are currently around 18 miles in length. I do not use gels or even drink any water during training. If it were hotter I would figure out something for water. When I have the luxury of running later in the day and can eat something before the run, performance is much better, but I am not worried about that right now. A 7:00 pace feels really good without food or water.

After the run, it is important to get some quality protein as soon as possible so the body can begin its rebuilding process. My protein of choice is eggs, fried with some cheese. An egg typically has around 8 grams of protein and I eat 4 or 5 depending on how hungry I am by the end of the run. Eggs also contain amino acids that facilitate recovery and reenforce the immune system. I am able to get farm-fresh eggs from a friend, which look and taste better than eggs from the store. My wife and I have both noticed some visible health improvements since we began eating the farm fresh eggs.

It's important to get some carbohydrates too after a long run, but I don't think it really matters what form that takes. My daughter would probably disagree about this. My plan is to transition to healthier carb sources after the New Year.