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What a Vegan Marathoner Eats on a Long Run Day for Best Performance and Optimal Recovery

What a vegan marathoner eats: ever since I started this blog, this has been one of the most popular search terms that people ask Google before it sends them to this site.

I can see the interest because both running and veganism are becoming more mainstream, especially after successful vegan runners like Scott Jurek have spoken about their diet as a huge enhancer to their performance.

I personally have noticed that my recovery from hard workouts and long runs has been nothing short of remarkable, especially as I’ve been training for Rock’n’Roll Seattle marathon that’s now only a week away.

What a vegan marathoner eats on a long run day for best performance and optimal recovery

So today I decided to share with you my exact menu on one of my recent long run days that helped me bounce back from running 15+ miles on Sunday morning and have a quality strength training session at the gym on Monday evening.

I have to admit though that, as much as I believe in the benefits of my vegan diet, it may not be the only reason for my quick recovery. So on top of my diet, I’m also going to cover other things I do to kick-start recovery, like stretching, foam rolling, etc.


By the way, if you’re thinking about training for a marathon as a vegan but aren’t sure where to start (How do I avoid injuries? What should my diet be like? Where would I even find the time to train?) –
My friend Matt from No Meat Athlete created a fantastic marathon training roadmap plan where he covers everything you need to successfully run a marathon while eating plant-based.
Setting goals, planning your workouts, diet and recipes, equipment, self care, and much more. And of course, the exact 24-week training plan for running a marathon.
Bonus: training plans for running a 5k, a 10k, and a half marathon.


Morning Before the Run

On the day of my long run, I wake up at around 6:30. I usually make some coffee – the only time I drink coffee these days – because I want to get an energy boost for the early stages of my run, plus it helps my digestive system to clean itself out (pardon the TMI).

I’m not thrilled with the jitters coffee has been giving me, so on my most recent long run last weekend I had a cup of green tea instead.

My pre-run breakfast: I’ve tried a few food combinations before my long runs, and noticed that my stomach is the happiest when I eat a banana with or without a teaspoon of peanut butter, and three large Medjool dates along with a cup or two of coffee (or tea).

What a vegan marathoner eats for breakfast before a long run

Another breakfast variation for when I don’t have bananas – overnight oats. The pre-long run variation consists of oats with chia seeds and 2-3 chopped dates in water with a splash of almond milk, all soaked overnight on the kitchen counter, not in the fridge (I don’t like my oatmeal too cold).

In the morning, I add a handful of blueberries (frozen, defrosted in the microwave). Sometimes I also add ½ tsp blackstrap molasses for a boost of iron.

Overnight oats with dates and blueberries - a vegan marathoner's breakfast during training

One breakfast that doesn’t work for me: two pieces of whole-wheat toast with jelly. Whole wheat adds too much bulk to my stomach, so on the day I ate this breakfast not long ago, my stomach felt less than happy for the first half of my run.

Nutrition on the Run

After debating whether or not I should try the all-natural way of fueling during my runs (eating dates, drinking an electrolyte beverage that I make myself, etc.), I passed on that idea in favor of eating the good ol’ sports gels and dissolving electrolyte tablets in my water.

I know, I know, those are not nearly as all-natural as dates and maple syrup-based homemade drink, but there was a lot going on in my life when I started this marathon training season, so I wanted one less thing to stress about. Gels and electrolyte tablets have worked for me before, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

I’ve mentioned in my last marathon training update that I’ve been losing a lot of salt with sweat during long runs (I have some serious salt streaks on my face when I return home).

Towards the end of my run, the electrolyte loss makes me feel like fish out of water. I start getting all kinds of crazy cravings (water with some soy sauce, anyone?), and physically it gets harder and harder to keep going.

So on my last couple of long runs, I added a pinch of sea salt to my water bottle along with the electrolyte tablet, and it made a huge difference!

As long as I don’t forget to pack a salt shaker to the hotel the night before my marathon, I’m planning to add salt to the water bottle I’ll be bringing with me to the race.

Electrolyte tablets I’ve been using: these ones by GU brand. My favorite flavor is lemon-lime.

Gels I’m using: Hammer and GU brands, preferably in berry flavors. I eat one gel per hour, starting 55-65 minutes into my run, and then follow with more gels every hour after that.

I don’t eat gels or use an electrolyte tablet for shorter runs during the week, but usually have a banana an hour before.

Nutrition After the Long Run

Before I figured out the trick of adding salt to my water, I used to come home feeling quite dehydrated and a little fuzzy-headed (whatever that may mean 🙂 ).

So the first thing I consumed was a tall glass of cool water with a few drops of soy sauce (all that sodium!) and a squeeze of a lime wedge. Yes, it tastes as disgusting as it sounds, but it went down surprisingly well and quenched my thirst quickly.

After I started adding salt to my water before long runs, I didn’t have the need for this weird concoction anymore.

I try not to drink all the water I can get my hands on all at once after a long run because if consumed in large amounts, it will pass through my body quickly without actually sticking anywhere.

Plus, it may raise the chances of getting hyponatremia – a dangerous condition during which the levels of sodium in our blood get diluted too much, which can lead to various nasty consequences like congestive heart failure and kidney failure. That’s why I prefer to sip water slowly for the first hour after a long run.

After hydrating, I do about 15 minutes of stretching followed by 15 minutes of foam rolling. If I don’t have all the time in the world (which is frequent), I sometimes skip the foam rolling and do it later that evening, but I’ve noticed that my recovery is always better if I foam roll right after the run.

I proceed to make my Swamp Monster smoothie that may look like a cup full of mud but – trust me – actually tastes pretty good.

Vegan marathoner's postworkout smoothie and an all-day recovery strategy

The recipe and proportions vary from time to time, but the usual suspects are kale, carrots, dates or a banana (for potassium), pumpkin seeds (for extra iron), hemp hearts and ground flax (for omega-3 fatty acids), frozen blueberries (antioxidants) and green peas (a boost of protein).

I also sprinkle in some turmeric (a great anti-inflammatory) with a pinch of black pepper. The latter improves the absorption rates of turmeric.

Nutrition During the Day

Rob and I are pretty active during the weekend, so even after I run 15-20 miles we never sit around and veg all day. Usually on Sundays we’ll do some work around the house, run a few errands, and then go for a nice walk or a hike later in the afternoon.

If we’re at home for lunch, we’ll throw together something quick like a veggie burrito as seen below, make a chickpea flour omelet or have leftovers if available.

Vegan veggie wrap - a quick and easy lunch

Later in the day, I like to snack on fruit (oranges are my favorite right now), but I don’t claim to be squeaky-clean in all of my eating.

Vegan cookies, a spoonful of peanut butter or a piece of chocolate are frequent guests in my repertoire, however I try to keep them to a minimum on my long run days.

Here’s the reason: we can only eat so much food during one day, but if our goal is to maximize recovery after a hard workout, it makes way more sense to eat as much nutrients with our food as we can fit in. That’s why I give full credit for my speedy recovery to my plant-based diet.

Dinner Plans

The majority of our Sunday dinners happen at home.

On this particular long run day that I’m describing, we had vegan cauliflower wings (with store-bought vegan Blue Cheese dip by Follow Your Heart), a bean stew (inspired by a recipe from one of the Happy Herbivore cookbooks by Lindsay Nixon), steamed young potatoes and a big salad.

What a vegan marathoner eats for dinner on a long run day

Other possible Sunday dinner scenarios often include veggie pasta, vegan Instant Pot jambalaya, stir-fry with brown rice, and other dishes that feature healthy, unrefined carbohydrates and plant-based protein.

If I’m not too lazy by the end of the day – and especially if I didn’t do it right after running – I’ll do some foam rolling after dinner while we’re watching TV.

The next morning I may feel a little sore, but as the day goes, the soreness usually goes away, which allows me to go to the gym in the evening after work for a quality strength training session of about an hour.

I don’t do any special cardio other than a 5-minute warmup on a stair stepper or an elliptical. The following day (Tuesday) I have a rest day.


To sum things up, on days of my long runs I make sure to eat plenty of whole, plant-based foods to deliver as many nutrients to my recovering body as possible.

I devote time to stretching and foam rolling, and make sure to stay hydrated. No special gimmicks here, but this strategy works wonders for me, allowing me to bounce back from a long run in no time.

Question for you: What vegan foods do you like to eat on days of long runs/hard workouts to help yourself recover quicker? Please let us all know in the comments below!

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author avatar
Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats
Alina first made a switch to a vegan diet in 2013 to optimize her athletic performance as a marathon runner. Eventually she embraced veganism as a way to be kinder to fellow living beings and the environment. Alina hopes that this blog helps its readers on their path to becoming vegan and making this world a better place.
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Wendy

Monday 16th of September 2019

Hi Alina, thank you for sharing what you eat. I am vegan and avoid sugars. This includes minimizing fruit sugars. I just feel better without them. Can you recommend foods to fuel you for long runs that aren’t in the sugar family. Sadly I’m allergic to bananas. Thank you, happy running to you!

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Monday 16th of September 2019

Hi Wendy! I've heard that some runners snack on boiled potatoes or cooked white rice balls during long runs. They are high in carbohydrates obviously, but at least they aren't explicitly sweet. It also helps that the amount of fiber isn't very high, so you're less likely to get an upset stomach when snacking on those.

Hope this helps!

Heidi

Monday 8th of June 2015

Such a complete report, thanks for sharing! I'm really curious as to where the idea of adding soy sauce to water came from? I plan on trying it, but would love to know a bit more about it.

My breakfasts are the same most days, but I don't seem to get tired of it. I have a frozen banana first (love starting off with what feels like a treat!), then thick oats with flax-seed powder, ginger, and stevia to sweeten the bowl.

Alina

Tuesday 9th of June 2015

Heidi, I got the idea of adding soy sauce to my water during a run once when I was craving something salty and took a mental assessment of my kitchen to find a food with the most sodium in it. Soy sauce seemed like a no-brainer! As for lime or lemon juice, I used to add it to my water before going to the beach back when I lived in Florida - the vitamin C is supposed to help us deal better with sun damage and help in recovery.

bec

Friday 5th of June 2015

I get headaches later in the day if I don't get enough salt. So when I get back from a long run I try to pound down as much as possible. Salted Kettle Chips or smokehouse (the non-dairy) Nut Thins work best for me (ugh, I know! but they really do the trick!). When they are in season I'll eat radish or raw turnip slices dipped in salt. During races I pack Cliff gels or sometimes those Xocholat (sp?) balls from the Jurek book and ALWAYS the Nut Thins - mostly for the mental game. They've become like my marathon security blanket.

It's really fun to hear everyone else's strategies. Hmm, that soy sauce water is intriguing.

The Vegan Junction

Friday 5th of June 2015

Thanks for sharing how you fuel! That veggie burrito sure looks good! I definitely like massage/foam rolling/stretching post workout. I really think it helps the legs recover faster, and of course eating plenty of plant foods. ;) I look forward to your next post!

Alina

Friday 5th of June 2015

Thanks the Vegan Junction, I'll keep churning them out!

Jan-Marie

Thursday 4th of June 2015

I'm nowhere near marathon status, but I did just run my first half a month ago and came in right where I wanted even having had a back injury three days prior. I am doing my second half the same day as your R&R full. I say all that to mean I'm not doing "long runs" like you do long runs, but for me anything over six or seven is long at this point.

I'm curious as to what you do the day before as far as food. I once had an awesome long run and I attributed it to what I had eaten both for dinner the night before and the breakfast the morning of. So here I am, eating virtually the same thing for dinner every Friday or Saturday evening. It seems as though I'm always ramping up for or recovering from exercise. There's a lot of thought that goes into this whole running business!

Alina

Thursday 4th of June 2015

Jan-Marie, thank you for your question! I'll give a more thought-out answer next week, but for now I'll say that I haven't been doing anything special the day before. I pretty much carbo-load every day since it's so easy to do on a plant-based diet, but unless we are eating out the night before a long run, I try to make something with plenty of carbs and fiber with little to no added fat or oil. Pasta with veggies and red sauce is a frequent choice, so is something ethnic like Indian or Ethiopian food.