How is Cooking for Clay Different?
When I married Clay I had no idea what cooking for an elite runner would be like or what I was signing up for. I have always loved to cook but I never paid much attention to what specific ingredients were in my meals. I never consistently looked on the back of the packaging of products that I purchased or cared enough to meal prep for the week. Then the runner boy came into my life. He was hungry all the time. (Like I literally had to start carrying snacks in my purse.) His love for rice rivaled his love for me. (No joke he could eat rice every day of his life for the rest of eternity and die the happiest man alive.) He was a Chipotle burrito addict. (Double wrapped, DUH). But he knew exactly what formula he needed to follow to fuel his running performance.
Clay has logged thousands of miles in practice and in training. He has figured out that eating at certain times of day, certain quantities, and certain types of food fuel his 5'11, 150-pound frame. Regardless of whether it is offseason, race day, or he is taking the day for recovery Clay uses his diet as a way to fuel his performance.
A normal day of Clay's eating usually goes accordingly:
-Clay wakes up and has a pre-run snack. This is something quick that can fuel his daily run. Our go-to examples are energy bites or homemade multi grain flax muffins.
-Then Clay has his real post-run breakfast. A hearty breakfast is an important step in the recovery process after a longer run. Usually consisting of eggs, multi grain toast, and a fruit filled smoothie.
-If he's hungry he will have some fruit, crackers, or a small snack before lunch.
-For lunch Clay will have a rice bowl, or turkey sandwich, and or some kind of quinoa salad. He also accompanies his main lunch with a few sides such as carrots, crackers, or almonds.
-If he is hungry after lunch he will have a pre dinner snack consisting of veggies, crackers, or fruit.
-Dinner time is Clays biggest and most diverse meal. He has a wide range of meals such as pasta, protein bowls, wraps, plethora of vegetables, potatoes, different kinds of meats and different kinds of rice.
-Post dinner berries, no calorie popcorn, or a healthy snack.
When I prepare meals for Clay I avoid any processed foods and sugars. I aim to prepare meals that are nutrient dense and plant based. The ratio of vegetables to meat to grain on the plate of food that is prepared matters. The amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat Clay eats in a day matters. The amount needed to fuel a run or even fuel a recovery is dependent on the food that is consumed in our home.
Now my sweet, darling, love of my life runner boy does not cook. He microwaves. When we got married, we married my love for cooking and vegetables to Clays need for running nourishing recipes. It can be difficult, time consuming, and even expensive to to eat healthy if you have never properly learned how to do it before.
Until I married Clay I never needed to get organized. Through trial and error I slowly started to learn that as we invested in Clay's diet we invested in his performance outcomes. When you figure out how to efficiently take care of and nourish your body with proper nutrients, that is when you begin to invest in your future.
Poor nutrition, poor eating habits, and not taking the time to cook nourishing meals puts athletes at greater risk for injury, stress, low immunity, and slower recovery. Like I have said time and time again I am no nutritionalist, or doctor, or sports psychologist. I am simply the wife of a runner who has witnessed through trial and error first hand the effects of proper nutrition on athletic performance. Little does runner boy know he's actually my lab rat haha jk I love you.
