What I Showed Drew Barrymore to Eat Before A Marathon

Hey legend!

What a weekend in NYC! Ice cubes dumped in bathtubs were at an all time high around Manhattan to help people's legs recover... or was that just me? Over 50,000 runners competed in the NYC Marathon during some incredibly tough conditions. It is at this point that I can not put a greater emphasis on hydration and nutrition strategy. This years NYC marathon set record temperatures hitting 75 degrees F (24 C) a stark contrast to the typical 48 F (8 C) we get in the first week of November. But what did this mean for the runners themselves other than the early onset of sweat we faced before even getting over from Staten Island (for those who dont know that is the first 2km of the course)?

This year runner's experienced more DNFs and tougher opportunities to hit their PBs... but why? 2% is all it takes. Once your overall hydration drops below this figure you are in a state of dehydration, so taking the controllable steps before the event can pay massive dividends. Even established runners in this years NYC marathon were not expecting the huge difference in heat and humidity. This left many not accounting for the increase hydration and additional sodium needs.

Fun fact: Dehydration causes your overall blood volume to drop. This in turn makes it harder for your body to pass heat and cool the body. As a result, your heart beats faster, making it harder for you to meet your aerobic demand.

Keep reading for my Marathon recovery secrets 👇🏼

Keep reading for my recovery secrets 👇🏼

🍳 What’s Sizzling This Week

Is TikTok Causing harmful Diet Culture? 

Recent studies show that on TikTok, nutrition "influencers" have been overpowering professionals with simplified messaging that harms more than it hurts. Some influencers have been using weight loss as a way to market their content saying things like "I lost 15 pounds super easy and you can too!" This type of "hook" is a strategy to play on people's emotions and insecurities to capture viewers. Team, the truth is, loosing and gaining weight is a natural process and to do it in a way that facilitates your goals and is healthy, is challenging. It takes nutrition science and a combination of training and proper nutrition. Anyone who tells you its "super easy" and can be done by eating just a couple of foods is a RED FLAG. Food should be enjoyed. It needs to taste epic, make you smile, and help you preform your best.

Another study on processed foods and Obesity

Labeling Exercise Calories on food, is that a vibe? 

Exercise calories on food doesn't pass the vibe check. For starters, everyone's bodies burn calories and respond to exercise differently. Legends, each one of us is unique and the way that our bodies function can vastly differ in the way we metabolize food. For example, while it make take me an hour let's say to burn 1,000 calories, it could take you reading this 2 hours or vice versa. So from this standpoint alone, exercise needed to burn off calories is a highly variable metric. And most importantly, food is meant to be enjoyed! What we need to be focusing on is educating people on how food impacts your performance positively and negatively in a healthy way. We shouldn't be shying away from food, as these exercise labels suggest, we should be leaning into food and gaining a deeper appreciation for and understanding of how it affects us.

👨🏻‍💻 Performance Chat

Ok so here are my tips on what to eat and drink After the marathon. (if you missed out on what to have Before the marathon, head to and you can read the archive version of The Epic News

• Most importantly have something your body is already used to, do not mix it up. Your digestive team is already used to certain foods and knows what to do with them at this point. Do not change it up on them.

• Have your last main meal 2 hours before the race, making sure it is comprised of easily digestible carbs, solid amount of protein and salt. Aim for around 60-100g of carbs, this can be a combination of oats, dates, fruit and honey. No more than 20g protein. Overnight oats has been my jam or oatmeal, you can even to a PB & J English muffin like I did with Drew

• Be sure to consume 750mg of sodium before the race through electrolytes, but if you have not been drinking a lot of water in the lead up to the event, cut this back as you are likely to lead to a stitch

• 30 minutes out have a gel or a half to a full banana, and get ready to go!

Refer The Epic News for Epic Wins!

Recipe to leave you with

After clocking those brutal, well earned miles over the weekend, this creamy Kitchen Sink pasta with tofu is a perfect recipe to help your body recover!

Ingredients

• 1 pack penne

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 3 cups of any vegetable leftovers

• ½ block silken or firm tofu

• 1 lemon

• Salt

• Pepper