Is Dieting Important for Sucess?

Most people believe you need to change your dieting drastically if you are training for a big race, especially a 26-mile race. Obviously, eating really healthy and being on a strict diet will not hurt your training... but it is certainly not necessary to meet an extreme. When you are exercising for long periods of time, your body is able to handle eating much more compared to someone who rarely exercises. I know everyone has different bodies and different metabolisms... but anyone who exercises will naturally be hungrier and want to eat more.

 I have always had a well-balanced diet. I would not say that I never have a cheat meal here and there(because that would be a lie)… but overall, I eat pretty healthy. Over the past several months, I’ve noticed an increase in my appetite, but I’ve still tried to eat healthy, with sometimes just an increase in the quantity. However, before my long runs, I tend to eat pasta or a meal with high carbs because I know that will help me in achieving my best performance. The reason why I wanted to discuss my eating habits is because I know people can get intimidated with changing one to many habits at once, which can even intimidate someone from starting that new activity. I would say everything you want to do in your life and see drastic changes from, does require discipline. It really depends how far you want to go in your training performance, so dieting depends on the person’s goals and training regimen. 

In terms of alcohol, I decided to stop drinking for the last month of training. Considering I am a college student, that is a popular social activity for many... and a difficult plan for me to maintain at times. I decided to have a dry season because I not only noticed a lack in my performance after drinking alcohol but an overall drag to even wanting to go on a run. In the past few weeks, I have noticed an increase in my speed and overall willingness to go for longer distance runs. I am a very competitive person and since I have dedicated so much time to training for this marathon, I want to see the best results possible. Everyone can diet differently, but I do recommend stopping drinking unnecessary calories if you are able to. You will see a difference trust me. I hope this post only inspires people to try out running or a new activity because it is possible and easier than you think.