The pros diets include pizza, gummies, candy.... Nick Willis: "We eat a lot less healthy than everyone thinks we do."

Maybe you're onto something. I spotted Shalane Flanagan - I wasn't quite sure it was her at first and if I were I might have stopped to try to speak with her for a moment or three - in her workout gear on a median of a crosswalk waiting for the lights to change at Columbus Circle (at the southwest corner of Central Park, not far from where she ran past me last November about 1/4-mile from the finish of the NYC Marathon - really, I'm not a stalker) a bit over two weeks ago (23 August 2018). We were heading in opposite directions. As we passed I said "Shalane!" She said "hi!" and I rather weakly and awkwardly just clapped for her a bit and kept walking.

I was wondering why she was in NYC. At first I thought she might have been doing either some NYC Marathon course reconnaissance or race promotion and swore myself to secrecy to not damage her efforts if she were here furtively for the former. But then I saw a segment on TV - strange because I don't own a TV but just happened to spot it on a TV at the gym - with a NYC TV crew interviewing her about her new cookbook:

Anyway, she looked quite fit and quite beautiful.

KEnyans happen on McDonald's and Coca Cola a lot (after a race).

From an article entitled "Was This Man Cheated Out of an Olympic Medal?":

Approaching the 1976 Olympic Marathon Trials in Eugene, Oregon, Kardong’s training averaged 110 miles per week, including twice weekly speed workouts and a 20-miler. The 27-year-old Kardong infused gastronomical calories to sustain his energy requirements, including, he says, “Fruit Loops and orange juice for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cookies for lunch, pizza and beer for dinner, and hot fudge sundaes for dessert.”

I would post the link to the article but for some reason LetsRun thinks I'm a new user and won't let me post links.

SlowFatMaster wrote:

From an article entitled "Was This Man Cheated Out of an Olympic Medal?":

Approaching the 1976 Olympic Marathon Trials in Eugene, Oregon, Kardong’s training averaged 110 miles per week, including twice weekly speed workouts and a 20-miler. The 27-year-old Kardong infused gastronomical calories to sustain his energy requirements, including, he says, “Fruit Loops and orange juice for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cookies for lunch, pizza and beer for dinner, and hot fudge sundaes for dessert.”

I would post the link to the article but for some reason LetsRun thinks I'm a new user and won't let me post links.

Mikeh33 wrote:

One can fuel a Ferrari testarossa with gasoline full of lead an alcohol, and it will still run for a while, but not as long or as well as it otherwise would. I cannot help but think these athletes would have a longer and more productive careers, not to mention better overall health, if they would eat properly.

Lol Nick Willis has had a very long and productive career. Lopez is getting up there too. I remember a track shack with Galen where he had a fridge stuffed with grape soda.

Good Lord this is a creepy post.

Sad Epic wrote:

Mikeh33 wrote: I cannot help but think these athletes would have a longer and more productive careers, not to mention better overall health, if they would eat properly.

No, thinking is what you aren't doing. Nick Willis ran 3:29 and he is 35, thirty fucking five!

Incredible genetics! ?

I can remember and interview with Ryan Hall and another with Meb where they mentioned that eating too clean made them too thin and they kept getting hurt. Junk keeps some meat on the bones.

Hjbdjndhjgj wrote:

I can remember and interview with Ryan Hall and another with Meb where they mentioned that eating too clean made them too thin and they kept getting hurt. Junk keeps some meat on the bones.

Also, in Meb's book Meb for Mortals he talks about intentionally putting on 10 ibs after races where he lets himself pig out.

Sweet and Sour Kenyan Ribs wrote:

and??? wrote:

Kenyans are nutrious .

Easy there, Hannibal.

I meant notorious.

lol, one of many

coach wrote:

Health and fitness are not synonymous.

Okay, but that doesn’t make candy and sweets beneficial to a professional athlete, or anyone else.

Mikeh33 wrote:

coach wrote:

Health and fitness are not synonymous.

Okay, but that doesn’t make candy and sweets beneficial to a professional athlete, or anyone else.

Of course not. But a young person could get away with eating anything in the short run but in the long run it will hurt them.

running commenter wrote:

Good Lord this is a creepy post.

Not the first time you rather-readily accused others of creepiness or craziness:

running commenter wrote:

Haha well I guess this could be true for a lot of people. I WISH I was home more than 30 hours a week, unless you're counting sleep. Everything you wrote here smells of some insecure crazy person. If my friends don't like hanging out with me, that's fine. They still do, and it leaves me feeling not lonely which was really my only point here. You seem to also think that there's 36-40 hours in a week? I'm just confused as to what your angle is here?

Of course not. But a young person could get away with eating anything in the short run but in the long run it will hurt them.

Absolutely, my poor eating habits in my teens and twenties caught up with me in my thirties, with a vengeance. Looking a pictures of myself ten years ago I always look inflamed. Had to make some changes.

The night before his 2007 IAAF championship in Japan Lagat ate the biggest steak he could buy at Outback Steak House. Lagat also dips his steak into a pile of salt. Abdi was big into eating steak too.

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2102773

I think that the wisdom of aging may change their opinions, should they keep running competatively. I ate crap in my fastest years, but in my late 30’s found my energy lacking and started changing my diet to a much more healthy version. Now in my mid 50’s I feel very strong and energetic and feel that diet was the main difference. Obviously I am a study of one, but I cannot imagine gummy bears providing anything but spiked insulin levels and tooth decay.

BROFESSOR wrote:

BROFESSOR wrote:

For very active individuals they only need 2 grams of protein per lean kilogram of body weight.

Fixed it.

I meant kilogram.

Not benefits above 1.3g/kg for endurance athletes.

I eat a lot of homemade pizzas but also fibers

Lust is a mortal sin, St. Ignatious.