For anyone who has been following my story for the past few years on Twitter and Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve been seriously bitten by the running bug. Every weekend I’m out on the trails and going for a long run. In 2016, I completed my first three marathons and in June 2017, I completed my first 50-mile ultramarathon. Now I head to the Chicago Marathon.
One of the biggest improvements since training for and completing my first half marathon in 2015 is nutrition. Thanks to Team Beef and the 30-day Protein Challenge, I was fortunate to learn to pay closer attention to my protein intake — consuming enough protein for my level of training and spreading protein throughout the day with 30 grams of protein per meal.
Protein as fuel for training
Protein isn’t the only nutrient that fuels my running adventures. As part of a balanced diet, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals are also important. Dairy has played a big role in my training and recovery. I’ll often drink chocolate milk after my runs, often including whey as protein supplement when needed, and I’ll have dairy-based protein shakes (like Core Power or Premiere Protein) to make smarter food choices when traveling.
So, naturally, I was very excited when the opportunity was suggested by Dairy Carrie that I join Fuel Up To Play 60 for the Chicago Marathon this October!
Fuel up to play 60
This is a cool way to support some of my favorite dairy farmers and their programs that support healthier youth communities. Also, a very awesome chance to run one of the six World Marathon Majors! In 2016, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. (doing that again in 2017 with Team Beef!) and Chicago will be an even bigger event with the race capped at 45,000 participants.
If you haven’t heard, Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with the USDA, to help encourage today’s youth to lead healthier lives. The program works with schools to help students eat healthier and be more active with an online Playbook as a guide. Over 73,000 schools benefit, and 38 million students participate in the program nationwide.
Gearing up for the marathon
Stay tuned over the next few weeks as I share more about my Chicago Marathon training. We’ll see how dairy is an important fuel for training and being active as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
I can’t wait for this event! #FUTP60 #FuelGreatness
As a part of the FUTP60 Chicago Marathon team, I am not compensated for sharing this information, but am thankful for Midwest Dairy Council helping me obtain a race bib and providing educational resources about dairy as part of a healthy diet for athletes. As always, thoughts shared are my own.
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