Want to run faster? Add this to your diet.

I have been a runner for years. Due to a recent injury I was off from running for over a year. Today, I ran for the 4th time in 2 weeks, whoo-hoo! It feels so good to be back. You would think that since I had to take a year off with very little cardiovascular exercise and limited weight training I would be lucky to run a 10 minute mile and you’re right, but what if I told you I have a go-to list of foods that naturally enhance my performance. Would you want to give them a try? I was able to run 5 miles, mild hills @8:17 pace without caffeine! I was surprised but then again I was not. You see, I was fearful that it would take me months to get back to a sub 8:30 pace but then again I knew I had my bag of tricks. So, needless to say I was very happy my body was able to push out a 5 mile run @8:17 pace after 1 year of VERY-VERY limited training.

I know I need to give myself a little street cred because these tips I am going to give you have helped me run 5k’s @5:30 pace, 10k’s @5:45 pace, ½ marathons @6:00 pace, and a marathon in 2 hrs & 55 minutes. Plus, I am no spring chicken! Okay, so what are my secrets? Well, they are called secrets for a reason, ha-ha, jk. I will share two of my six secrets with you now. I hope you will add these to your daily life for added running success.

One of my food secrets:

-Eat BEETS! Yes, the root vegetable that will make you pee pink and poop red, so don’t be alarmed. When I am in training for a race I eat beets at least three times a week. Leading up to a race I eat 2 beets every day for seven days. So, why beets? Some studies have shown it can help you run 1-2% faster! Yes! So, it’s not just me that thinks beets work! I encourage eating the whole beet and not just the juice. The whole beet offers phytonutrients that your body, nitric oxide which helps widen your blood vessels which allows blood and oxygen to travel around the body better. This also helps in recovery. When you go for a hard run or race you can develop mini-micro tears in your muscles and those muscles need the oxygen and nutrients to quickly recover. They also have great soluble fiber to help keep your blood sugar stable. Give some cooked beets a try. I like to bake my beets or boil them. If you boil them do not throw out the water. Chill the water and use that water to make a protein shake or smoothie.

My supplement secret:

-I take potassium. Although I do try to eat a diet high in potassium, I like to supplement it for added value. Potassium helps bring water into your cells and when you are running and competing you want to stay hydrated at a cellular level. You know how people will suggest eating a banana to help with cramps? They are referring to the potassium in the banana.

I hope you like my two tips. Beets will help widen your blood vessels and potassium can help draw water into your cells. Give these two properties a try for the next 2-4 weeks leading up to your next race! To get more tips on becoming a more Happy-Whole-You visit HappyWholeYou.com and sign up for our FREE monthly newsletter! If you like these tips be sure to also check out our 1 on 1 health coaching or group programs. #Health #Run #Results