Photo credit: Cortney White
The food behind Shalane Flanagan's goal to run 6 marathons in 42 days, Project Eclipse.
Shalane has already completed two of the six marathons she hopes to run in 42 days. So far, she’s crushed both Berlin and London, accomplishing her goal of running each in under 3 hours with a finishing time of 2:38:32 in Berlin and 2:35:04 in London.
This upcoming weekend will be a true test of grit as she takes on the challenge of running Chicago and Boston back-to-back. Right after she crosses the finish line in Chicago, she’ll head straight to the airport to fly to Boston to toe the line for another 26.2 miles. We wouldn't be able to to keep up with her for even 1 mile at her 6 minute per mile pace!
To achieve this challenging goal, fueling correctly before and after each marathon is essential. Keep reading to get a behind-the-scenes look into the fuel Shalane is packing in her carry-on bag.
How To Fuel Up After a Marathon
After a grueling race like a marathon, it's super important to eat plenty of nourishing meals and snacks full of complex carbs, quality protein, healthy fats, and lots of nutrient-dense produce. Here's what to focus on:
- Complex carbs for rebuilding your glycogen stores (what your muscles use for energy).
- Good quality protein to build and repair muscles.
- Healthy fats for nutrient absorption and inflammation.
- Produce (fruits and veggies) for antioxidants and micronutrients.
All of our breakfast and snack recipes in Rise & Run are designed to help you fuel up better before and after long runs. Shalane is traveling with lots of her Rise & Run packable snacks and breakfast favs to make sure she has nourishing fuel at the ready.
Shalane’s Marathon Meal Prep
Our cookbook assistant and master meal prepper Natalie Bickford did some major cooking in Shalane's kitchen to help her eat right in between races. Shalane said it was a huge relief to come home from an exhausting day of travel to a fully stocked fridge and freezer. Check out this video of what Natalie prepped for Shalane.
Elyse is delivering another batch of Rise & Run goodies to Shalane when she heads off to Chicago tomorrow for their Chicago marathon book event. Her carry-on bag has more food than clothes, including Dark Chocolate Banana Superhero Muffins, Instant Oatmeal Mix, and Trail Mix with Maple Turmeric Nuts.
Photo credit: Natalie Bickford
Here's the full list of recipes that Shalane is relying on to keep her fueled during Project Eclipse:
R&R = Rise & Run
RFES = Run Fast. Eat Slow.
RFCFES = Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow
- Sweet Potato Kale Superhero Muffins (R&R, p. 72)
- Race Day Superhero Muffins (R&R, p. 110)
- Dark Chocolate Banana Superhero Muffins (R&R, p. 90)
- Instant Oatmeal Mix (R&R, p. 136)
- Maple Turmeric Nuts (RFCFES, p. 200)
- 26.2 Trail Mix (RFES, p.62 )
- AM Bone Broth (R&R, p.152)
- Beef and Lentil Minestrone (RFCFES, p. 115)
- Turkey Trot Meatballs (RFCFES, p. 147)
- Basic Black Beans (R&R, p. 166)
- Chipotle Black Bean Burgers (RFCFES, p. 138)
- Sweet Potato Chickpea Cakes (RFCFES, p. 141)
- Turmeric Coconut Curry Sauce (RFCFES, p. 181)
- Presto Pesto (RFCFES, p. 172)
- Thai Quinoa Salad (RFCFES, p. 90)
- Tart Cherry Seed Balls (R&R, p. 120)
- Buckwheat Chocolate Molasses Cookies (R&R p. 118)
- Nori rice wraps
Sending strength and best wishes for easy travel days to Shalane! We will be cheering her on every step of the way. Follow Shalane's Project Eclipse adventures on Instagram @ShalaneFlanagan. ❤️