Long run = crap food fixation

After a long run, say anything over 1hr 30, I have cravings for bad food. It seems that a proper meal is not enough. A good healthy bowl of pasta doesn't do the trick, but junk food really does. Does anyone else suffer from this?

Comments

  • GlennGlenn ✭✭✭
    Depends what you mean by crap :-). Water, banana, wine in my case - lacking in both calories and nutrients. Can't face anything else, although I can skip the wine someimes. I couldn't eat anything greasy after a long run.
  • Back when I was running marathons (well, 1 marathon anyway!) and 1/2s (more than 2 decades ago I have to confess), I used to get cravings for really sweet drinks - in particular, sweet cider.
  • Nothing beats Mr Kipling Lemon Slices in my book. Unless maybe half a packet of McVitie's Plain Chocolate Caramels.

    My excuse is that my body knows best, and obviously craves the food it needs. After all, lemon is fruit. Chocolate is apparently a good source of iron.

    Don't worry about it - as long as your basic diet is healthy, a bit of junk after a long run won't do much harm. You've earned it after all.
  • I bought a greasy burger immediately after a Half Marathon on Sunday and it felt soooo good.

    I say trust your instincts and eat what your body craves (on the basis that what it craves is what it needs..with the exception of beer and tabs).
  • I crave savoury food about an hour after long runs and then it's back to the good old Costco choccy muffins.
  • i don't normally feel hungry at all after a long run, just really thirsty. but i do after a hard swimming session - wierd eh!
  • I fancied a quarter pounder with cheese from McD's after the GSR, but I didn't have one as I don't eat meat anymore, but I thought about it for hours.
  • I don't normally feel like eating anything after a long run (although I always do because I know it's good for me) but that's the only time I'm not totally ravenous.

    I tend to eat the sort of stuff that wouldn't normally be regarded as "healthy" for post-run carb-ups - sponge and custard, chocolate digestives, the half-cold chips that the kids have left on their plates, that sort of thing.
  • I find i crave Macdonalds in the last few miles of a race, even though i rarely eat meat. However, on finishing a race i have a mars bar, a bag of crisps (got to be Seabrooks Prawn Cocktail flavour), then the craving goes away.

  • Well this is all very encouraging! After last weeks 3.5 hour adventure race, the whole team went to McD for a binge. The best meal I ever ate.
  • I do! I mainly want to eat salt and fat: crisps, McDonalds, french rolls with thick butter, more crisps etc. Also, I've recently developed a craving for (blush) caramel/shortbread/choccy cakey things - shortbread bottom, soft caramel in middle, thick choccy on top - from Tescos. I find myself thinking about them as I'm running.
    Aagghh.... ! :-)
  • That explains your nickname then eh...Wee Piglet.
    I also crave unhealthier foods after a long run. Pizzas, Chip shop fish and chips..mmmm. Although with me I think its just an excuse because I know I've just burned a shed load of calories and I might aswell make the most of it.......you know....healthy day tomorrow.
  • the only thing i find stops this is to eat copious amounts the day before....if i decide to do a long run on spur of the moment, and i don't get a chance to stuff myself silly the day before, i can't stop eating afterwards....it comes on about an hour after i finish, and ends when i go to bed....
  • Fluffa -- I had that same problem after my last half. I ate something nearly every hour in the afternoon until we went for a curry for supper. Chicken tikka masala, rice and naan finally quashed the hunger. Also, had a headache the rest of the day and wondered if that might be related? I drank loads of water after so don't think it was dehydration.

    Don't usually crave food on the run unless passing a place where they are cooking and the smell is wafting into the open air.
  • oh yes....when i was a student i used to run really late at night somtimes ...like 2 am.....i loved the smell of vinegar and brown paper from the kebab vans....very atmospheric!
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