Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 119, June 2019 | Page 74

COACHING
TRAINING
Go Get That
Ultra PB!
The main ultra-marathon season is just
about behind us, with thousands of
runners building to peak fitness for the
Comrades Marathon, but you may be
plotting a personal best (PB) at another
ultra distance event in the coming
months. Here’s what you need to know
now in order to go after that new PB.
– BY RAY ORCHISON
I
For example, you could try a 100km at the Hewat
Festival of Running in Cape Town in September, or a
100 Miler (161km) at the Washie in July in the Border
area. If circuit racing sounds like fun, you could opt
for one of the 12-hour or multi-day circuit races on
NUTRITION
• Canned fish is an easy way to include a satisfying protein fix at lunch – and
boost your omega-3 at the same time.
• Low-fat milk or low-fat yoghurt with your cereal or smoothie at breakfast will
keep you going.
2. Find Your Fibre
Winter Fixes
We all feeling the cold at this time of year, and when winter
hits, many of us change the way we eat. Instead of salads
and light dishes, we want warm, comforting food, such as
soups, hearty casseroles and creamy mash. And then we
start adding those unwanted winter kilos. Sound familiar?
The good news is that there are tricks to have our winter
comfort food and stay lean and fit. – BY CHRISTINE PETERS,
REGISTERED DIETICIAN
W
hen it’s cold outside and you just want to fill up on something that will
warm you up, and hopefully also cheer up your blue mood, you may feel
a twinge of guilt or remorse about your choice, but the good news is that
you don’t have to substitute the foods you love when the cold season rolls around.
1. Pack in the Protein
• Eggs are satisfying at any time of the day, whether they’re poached at
breakfast, scrambled at lunch or an omelette for dinner.
74
ISSUE 119 JUNE 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
High-fibre meals don’t necessarily affect how much we eat straight away, but do
reduce how much we eat at the next meal, because we’re not as hungry.
• Add a high-fibre cereal to your breakfast regime.
• Use whole grain breads, rice and pasta.
• Add chickpeas, lentils, red kidney beans, cannellini beans or other legumes
to salads and stews.
• Use hummus on bread or crackers.
3. Get Your Veg On
Bulk up meals and snacks with low-energy vegetables, because they help us stop
eating thanks to the weight of food influencing how much we eat and how full we
feel. The water and fibre in these vegetables add weight, so we fill up with fewer
kilojoules.
• Snack on baby carrots, cherry tomatoes and other small or sliced vegetables.
• Other low-energy veggies include broccoli, beans, beetroot, rhubarb and
turnips.
4. Grab the Good Fat
Unsaturated fats stimulate a hormone which helps us feel fuller for longer. You
don’t need to go overboard though – it’s the same hormone (cholecystokinin) that
fibre stimulates.
• Add small amounts of seeds and nuts to snacks.
• Drizzle a little canola, olive or rice bran oil over salads or vegetables.
And enjoy! There is room to eat healthily even when the temperatures drop, without
watching your weight go up. Plus, you don’t have to minimise on good taste!
About the Author:
Christene is a registered dietician based in the Johannesburg area.
n SA, the huge ultra-running community revolves
around two main events: The Two Oceans Marathon
and the Comrades Marathon. Of course, there are
several other ultras on the calendar in the months to
come, and this would be the ideal time to take your
Comrades fitness to the next level by building up to an
even longer event, or perhaps a PB attempt at another
of the ‘shorter’ ultras.