Amy Stephens
MS, RDN, CSSD, CEDS
Licensed dietitian
specializing in sports nutrition
and eating disorders
College Runner Meal Routine:
Fuel, Run, Repeat
- By Lucy Gott, NYU Cross Country and Track Athlete
Name: Lucy Gott
Age: 21
From: Northern California
School: NYU
Major: Media, Marketing, and Business, minor in fashion business
Sport: XC and Long distance Track (3k, 5k for indoor and 5k, 10k for outdoor)
Training overview
I run about 75 miles per week (I am on the higher end of mileage for our team since my body responds well to miles but most people do not do this high), during race week it is a little less sometimes. Tuesdays and Fridays we have workouts, Wednesdays medium long runs, Sundays long runs, and Tuesdays and Thursdays we lift.
Nutrition tip
I always have everything out for my run the day before to be prepared and make sure I don’t forget anything and to make the day run more smoothly.
Things I like to have/meal prep
– The toast I have every morning is fresh sourdough toast (I get it weekly and cut and then freeze) with almond butter, yogurt, honey, and fruit on top with salt and cinnamon and some granola for crunch
– My smoothie I have every day – half a banana, a big handful of spinach, ice, two scoops of chocolate protein powder, almond milk, a little bit of coffee
– Things I like to have on hand/meals I like to prep:
– Recently I have been into having eggs with sauteed spinach and pesto
– Also always make chicken breast or tofu or salmon (usually a simple seasoning so it can go with anything)
– Always lettuce for salad because in NYC you have to pay so much for a salad and it is so easy to make
– I love making Greek food with naan hummus, tzatziki, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes, feta
– I love getting fresh baguette and focaccia and making sandwiches with pesto and turkey and some cheese of some sort – it is easy and simple
– Making tacos with beans, protein of some sort, quinoa, cheese, veggies, etc.
– Always have mint chip or chocolate ice cream in my freezer and these cookie dough balls from this company called Hot Take Cookie
Notes
– It is important for me at each meal that I make sure to have carbs and protein otherwise I will be hungry one hour later, I try to focus on making sure I am getting full meals otherwise I will feel off and snack all day
– Always have 3 meals plus 2 snacks usually
– I go out a lot to eat dinner with friends because I am so busy it is the best time to connect with friends and I love trying new places, usually eat the most at dinner because I am hungrier later in the day (because sometimes my hunger get suppressed after exercise)
– We will go get sushi, Thai food, burgers (I used to not eat red meat but recently started craving buggers so will get 1 every few weeks to make sure I get iron), sushi, Italian, a mix of everything
– I love Levain and getting cookies there
– I used to struggle with a bad eating disorder but running actually helped me recover cause I learned that the more I eat the better I feel for my runs, so if I am craving something I have it, if I am hungry I will get a snack cause otherwise now I can’t handle when I am hungry
– I used to be scared of carbs and eating too many sweets but I view it all as fuel now while yes veggies are important and I love salads and stuff but right now when I am running so much I do not focus on that as much cause it fills you up, and if I get a salad out I will get fries on the side and if they don’t have fries then bread or some sort of carbs it’s all about balance and fueling for yourself and if I am hungry I will eat more and that’s okay my body needs it
Easy day
6:10 am wake up
A glass of water and PB banana with salt
6:35 leave to walk to practice and eat a banana on the way
6:45 Arrive at practice – roll, stretch
7:00 am practice starts
8-mile easy run, come back to Paulson, and do speed development drills
8:45 am walk back to my apartment and make a smoothie and toast for breakfast
Shower, get ready for the day
11:00 tutoring for 2 hours
1:00 pm lunch usually at my apartment (this looks like making a focaccia sandwich and some fruit on the side, or 3 scrambled eggs with spinach on baguette with butter, and jam, or a salad with chicken and sweet potatoes or bread
2:00-5:00 pm virtual internship
Usually a snack of yogurt and granola and some chocolate chips or a piece of toast with almond butter/peanut butter and honey
Or if I got something from a bakery like a cookie or a pumpkin bread or something (I have a big sweet tooth)
Homework, go to the grocery store, relax, do whatever I need to do
6:30 – dinner with a friend at a restaurant
Example: Italian restaurant – Pasquale Jones
Share a salad
Then each gets our own pizza – my favorite I love to get is with prosciutto and burrata or I love getting their chicken sambotica
8:00 Get prepared for practice the next day and if I did not have dessert get a nighttime snack to make sure I sleep well, if I already had a cookie or pastry then I will have a yogurt bowl or a cookie/ some ice cream
9:30 Try to be in bed with feet up to the wall
I usually try to have my lights off by 9:30 – 10 pm during the week to make sure I get 8 to 8.5 hours of sleep each night to prioritize recovery
Workout day
5:50 am wake up
A glass of water and PB banana with salt – bring a gu or gummies in case I feel like i need something for the workout
6:15-20 leave to walk to practice and eat a banana on the way
6:30 Arrive at practice – roll, stretch
6:45 practice starts – workout usually 12 miles or so
9:00-10:00 – lift and drink a protein shake there
Run home shower and get dressed for my internship, grab a piece of fruit or something little
Then go get a big bagel with cream cheese and lox
11:00 – 11:20 Meeting with my coach
11:30-1:30 – internship in person
1:45ish 5-mile double
2:30 ish smoothie but add granola and make a little bit of an acai bowl or smoothie and a cookie or something
Shower
4:30 leave for class
4:55 – 6:10 class
6:30 dinner with a friend or at home
At home: a naan with chicken and Greek fillings and salad, or tofu sweet potato tacos with sour cream, salsa, cheese, and beans and salad
8 pm dessert – a cookie with ice cream
Maybe some homework or watch a TV show
9:30 bed
Recovery day or rest
If do race sleep in as much as I can eat my banana and PB and go for my run usually 4-5 easy miles or if I can off-day
See friends, homework, chill, go out to lunch or brunch
Usually have dinner with a friend, try to make sure I eat a big dinner with lots of carbs since long run the next day
Pasta or sushi somewhere with friends
Prepare my stuff for the long run, extra clothes, snacks for after, water, gu, etc,
Get a good night of sleep
Even though I run less on race days, if we don’t have a meet I make sure to not change anything in my eating/fueling because Fridays are always a big day and Sundays are long runs so fueling helps me recover and I usually am very hungry after Friday
Race day (10k) at 9:57pm
Wake up at 8am – drink a glass of water and eat a banana right away
Breakfast – (went to a bakery to get it, there was not many options so went with the best I could) – two eggs, sausage, hash brown and two corn pancakes (usually don’t have sausage or hash brown (honestly first time trying) but had it probably not great on race day but was fine
Lunch – focaccia sandwich that had turkey, mozzarella, tomato jam, balsamic, and arugula – came with a side salad but did not have cause too much fiber before a race and an iced chai latte with two shots of espresso with whole milk
Snack – got hungry so had an apple because a bar did not sound good
Pre-race meal – plain bagel with pb and banana (3 hours before race always my go to)
After two mile warm up/ while doing drills sucked on 3 clif shots while
5 min before race a Gu that had 40mg of caffeine
Post race and cool down – core power chocolate milk and bar about 15 mins later
