Half Marathon Meal Plan

I am starting week 2 of my half marathon training, and so far I’m feeling good. Like, really good. I know this is the easiest it’s going to be, so I’m embracing it and I’m not in tears yet. Check back with me on week 10, which I lovingly refer to as hell week. I took a lot of time before starting to train to research and mentally prepare. That doesn’t mean I’m not figuring this out as I go, especially when it comes to my meal plan.

I was overwhelmed by all the information I got about eating during half marathon training. There were different amounts of carbs, protein, and fats I was supposed to consume each day, and how to refuel, and a lot of terms I wasn’t familiar with. What I did was come up with a plan that was very consistent, and if something doesn’t work, I can change it as I go along.

My Philosophy

Being as overwhelmed as I was, I came up with a very simple strategy: I’m only eating good food. I’m thinking lean, clean, and green for 13 weeks with no cheat days. Sound impossible? Yes. But honestly, I’m looking forward to it. I’ll break down my meals a little later, but for now I just want to share why I’m so motivated.

I eat generally pretty well, but I also totally give into my cravings. If I want queso I’ll go out and buy some. If I’m craving ice cream I’ll eat it. I don’t feel guilty about it because I workout often enough for it not to matter, and the rest of the day I eat well. For this half marathon I want to be the best I can be. I’m taking my training very seriously, and I’m so inspired to see what my body and mind can do in these 13 weeks. Even on my rest days you’ll see me drinking a smoothie if I have a sweet tooth, and munching on carrots or an apple if I need a snack. I have every single meal planned for the next 13 weeks.

For the next 13 weeks I’m cutting out sweets, fast food, soda, alcohol, fried food. All of the bad stuff is going to be gone. Lucky for me, Thanksgiving is over and I can really focus on eating right. The big challenge will be when my family is visiting for Christmas, but they are very supportive and will help me stay on track. Lets get into the meals.

The Meals

I’m on a 2 week rotation for my dinners during the week. I know I’ll get bored and not stick to my meals if I eat the same thing everyday for 65 days. I created these meals to have a balance of complex carbs, protein, and good fats. I’ll eat more carbs on my long run day because any run over 30 minutes uses carbs as energy.

On my other training days I’ll be eating more fat like avocado, yogurt, and cheese because that’s what fuels you in those 30 minutes. Protein is crucial as it repairs muscles after an intense workout, but you don’t need as much as if you were lifting heavy weights. On my rest days I’ll still be eating balanced meals, but will mostly focus on protein to revive my muscles from a week of working out and repair them for my long run the next day. 

Meal Planning and Prepping

I’ll continue to grocery shop and meal prep on Sundays like I always do. I’m going to start my morning with a run and follow it with my recovery. Then, I’ll hit the grocery store. I’ll be buying most of the same ingredients for the next 13 weeks. My meal prep will only be for Monday – Friday, because on the weekends I really enjoy the process of cooking.

For breakfast, I’ll be making egg muffins. The recipe I use makes 10 muffins, which is perfect because I’ll eat 2 a day for breakfast. I love filling these with mushrooms, jalapenos, and onion. There are plenty of variations on this, but that is a winning combo for me. I also love filling them with turkey bacon, tomato, and cheese. I’ll be alternating these 2 recipes so I don’t get bored over the course of my training.

My lunch will be made in the morning before work. I don’t want to meal prep 5 sandwiches and have them get soggy in the fridge. I’ll be using 12 grain bread, sun dried tomato turkey, romaine lettuce, tomato, and just a little dolop of mayo. I’ll be pairing this with carrots and apples.

For dinners, I’ll be cooking my rice on Sunday because this is the basis of all my dinners. I’ll be using brown rice which is a complex carb: aka, it’s better for you. I’ll also be cooking all 5 of my chicken breasts on Sunday. I’m going to try to alternate chicken recipe’s so if you have any healthy ones, drop them in the comments below!

Snacking will be my enemy. I love munching on a snack while watching tv or even sitting at my desk at work. I’ll be consuming a lot of almonds and cheese sticks in the next 13 weeks, and will be mixing it up with various fruits and vegetables as well.

Please drop any suggestions for meals and snacks in the comments below! Also, feel free to follow my training on Instagram, @oliviajoehl.