November 11, 2016

Cigna Wellington Round the Bays – enter the family!

By Rachel Grunwell

Registrations are now open for a favourite annual Wellington event – Cigna Round the Bays.

But don’t just enter yourself for race day on February 19.

Step it up by entering with friends, work colleagues and family.

Together you can support each other’s training and get fitter and healthier.

Having a specific and achievable health goal on a set date like this event can help with keeping you all motivated on your health journey.

There’s a distance for every age and level: the Mitre 10 Mega buggy walk, the 6.5km fun run or walk, Bluebridge 10km, and the Cigna/Achilles half marathon (21km).

I’m stepping it up by getting my family involved, including husband Damien, and our kids Zach, 11, Lachie, 9, and Finn, 5.

Zach is especially excited about tackling his first 10km distance alongside me.

Actually, his speedy, young legs may leave me in his dust! The rest of my whanau will do the fun run.
Damien will likely be piggy-

backing little Finn near the end. The focus for our family,

training-wise, is to keep fitness fun and at the kids’ pace.

I’ll sneak in building a base fitness with my younger kids by doing things like scooter or bike rides, family walks, light jog at the weekend and walking to school sometimes.

Zach and I are doing run training, which we will build up slowly.

Meanwhile, tell your kids they are helping you to train for the event too.

Give your kids the title of chief coach. Remember to foster a can- do mind-set, with fitness and health in general around kids and be a positive role-model on this journey.

Inspiring your kids to be fit, healthy and happy is the ultimate gift, I reckon.
Lastly, visualise the red-faced, smiling, excited faces of your loved-ones at the finish-line and a shared feeling of success.

❚ Enter by registering HERE

❚ Column published in newspapers throughout Wellington.

Column by Rachel Grunwell, Cigna Health and Wellbeing Ambassador – a runner, qualified yoga teacher and director of the InspiredHealth website. Follow more of her personal journey to get her family ready for the event on Facebook and Instagram.

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October 26, 2016

adidas boxing lesson with gold medalist David Nyika

By Rachel Grunwell

“Instead of being a big dog, be a fast cat”.

So says Commonwealth Games gold medallist David Nyika just before taking a group of “fit chick influencers” through a boxing lesson to trial the new adidas climachill gear.

I was there – and it was nice to do something different instead of running, running and more running…

Nyika shared a few gems of advice (before making us suffer in our own sweat baths). He revealed his strategy around winning. He reckons boxing, by the way, is “a super chaotic sport” and there are so many “different animals in the ring trained to do different things to you”. So to come out on top he says he becomes a “chameleon”. What he means is, he knows he’s not the biggest, strongest guy. So instead his strength is “adapting to whom I’m fighting”. So he adapts to who he faces in the ring to overcome adversity. So instead of being a big dog, he becomes that fast, light-footed cat who devours its prey and spits it out. And not just some pussy…

I loved this lesson. Adaption is important. Taking a different approach is sometimes key. Being someone, or something, that people don’t expect too keeps you one step ahead, so to speak.

Anyway, here are some pictures from that sweat bath I was talking about…

By the way Nyika told us “I don’t bite, so this should be pretty fun” before we entered the sweat bath…

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Fast rounds of punching and then doing “combinations”… but I’m keeping my cool when the heat is on.

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Finding focus…. ten points if you can guess who I’m visualising as that poor bag #meangirl ha ha ha

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The exercises were a killer on the arms. I hope my arms will be able to move tomorrow… at least enough to lift my toothbrush.

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Game on girlfriend pow! Actually, this is the lovely Jen from transforme_nz

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Pictured here with David Nyika. Sometimes you just have to have a sneaky step up on the box so you can get (almost) to the same height as your opononent. Just saying… #shortgirl

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Who else laughs when they’re getting their ass kicked in a boxing session? Or am I alone… and weird. Maybe both. Yes, definitely both.

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Here’s some of the sweat team.

Thanks adidas.

ps thanks for the set of boxing gloves. Life can get tough; these will be very handy…

Follow Rachel via InspiredHealth on Facebook & Instagram

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Rachel is a wellness magazine columnist, Cigna wellness ambassador, multi-marathoner, qualified yoga teacher, healthy recipe creator, Goodpeoplerun ambassador, Achilles charity ambassador and adventure-seeker…

October 19, 2016

Tumeric Latte – with Manuka Honey & Ginger

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Tumeric Latte – with Manuka Honey & Ginger

By Rachel Grunwell

Tumeric lattes are on the rise. They’re becoming the new go-to instead of coffee.

Actually, a few different styles of lattes are popping up on menus. I was in Melbourne recently for a magazine travel writing assignment and I lunched at an amazing place that had lattes in these flavours: beetroot, mushroom, chai, cacao, apple pie and even carrot cake lattes!

This Tumeric Latte here though is king in my eyes because it has awesome anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

I love using True Honey Co. Manuka honey because it is delicious and of a high-quality. I dig too that it’s ethically harvested and this company cares about looking after its partners from the bees, to the people and even the land.

I hope you enjoy this soothing and sweet offering too.

Tumeric Latte – with Manuka Honey & Ginger

1 teaspoon True Honey Co. Manuka honey

1 teaspoon finely grated turmeric (or use turmeric powder instead if it’s at-hand)

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger (or use powder form if you wish)

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

1 cup cashew milk (make your own by blitzing 1/3 cup raw cashews in 1 cup filtered water)

1 twist black pepper

Place the honey, turmeric, ginger and coconut oil in a pan and heat gently. Then add the milk and pepper and warm on a stove top. Pour into a cup and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Next, drink, smile and savour…

To Find out more about True Honey Co. Manuka Honey click HERE.

Post by Rachel Grunwell: Magazine wellness columnist. Yoga teacher. Recipe creator. Marathoner. Mum. The order of importance is, of course, is in reverse 😉 Follow Inspired Health on Facebook & Instagram

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Sponsored content courtesy of the sweet peeps at True Honey Co. Manuka honey.

October 2, 2016

Auckland Bridge Climb – the ultimate school holiday fun!

By Rachel Grunwell

Want something memorable to do with the kids? Well, doing the Auckland Bridge Climb would be an absolute ‘high’-light, I promise you.

It’s an incredible adventure that can give your kids a new perspective on Auckland city. Some folks travel the world to do this. If you are lucky enough to live in Auckland (like me) then it would be a crime not to experience this! Or wherever you are in NZ, put it on your bucket list if you are ever in Auckland. It’s a lot of fun.

Here are 10 reasons why you should do it:

It is the one and only bridge climb in New Zealand
A tour guide tells you about the history of the bridge which is super interesting. Learn about the architecture, the stories around when it was built, how it works.
The views are AMAZING including sea, boats, the Auckland skyline, the Auckland Skytower…
See Bungy Jumping up close (or do it if you are a thrill-seeker)

Here are some picture highlights of when I did the climb with my hubby Damien, son Zach, aged 11, and his mate Alex, also aged 11. ps kids have to be aged 10-years-old and weigh a minimum of 35kg to do this.

Wearing onesies and ready to climb!

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Hard-hats on. Game-faces on….

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That’s the mind-blowing view we climbed for! It’s even amazing when it’s raining. Not even a drizzle could dampen this experience.

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The hard-hat team. What an adventure.

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We did it. We feel on top of the world up here whoop. Yeeeeees!!

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We looked down on traffic, boats, sea… and a 360-degree view of Auckland City.

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Here’s the team we climbed with. We all gave the experience the big thumbs up.

Follow inspired Health on Facebook & Instagram too (we do giveaways lots – there’s a $50 prize pack giveaway at the moment – and we also inspire Kiwis with awesome lifestyle inspiration).

InspiredHealthNZ is run by Rachel Grunwell: Blogger, magazine wellness columnist, yoga teacher, marathoner and adventure-seeker.

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September 29, 2016

Spooky Gluten-Free Gingerbread

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By Rachel Grunwell

Halloween is a fun time for my family. The kids love to dress up all scary or witchy and go trick-or-treating around our neighbourhood on October 31. We’re in the Auckland suburb of Mt Eden where families are used to little ghostly and ghastly costume-wearing kids turning up at the door!

Instead of lollies, these gluten-free gingerbread men are a yummy treat to give the kids – or to give other little trick-or-treaters. Or just to make up anytime for fun!

My youngest witchy – son Finn, aged 5 (pictured) – gives these the thumbs up. He loves helping in the kitchen – and of course, taste-testing the bats, pumpkins and legless gingerbread men.

Your kids will love making these too and so give them a whirl! Or if you have a cool and creepy recipe then share it with me too!!

Spooky Gluten-Free Gingerbread

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Chelsea Golden Syrup

½ cup Chelsea Organic Coconut Sugar

1 teaspoon each of mixed spice and cinnamon

1.5 teaspoons ground ginger

1 tablespoon water

50g butter

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ cups rice flour

½ cup potato flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

(add 2 teaspoons xanthum gum if you have it in the cupboard as this helps with binding the ingredients, but it’s not absolutely necessary)

Instructions

Place Chelsea Golden Syrup in a pan, along with Chelsea Organic Coconut Sugar, mixed spice, cinnamon, ground ginger and water.

Heat until the sugar dissolves and then switch off the heat place the butter in the pan to melt.

Let the mixture cool a little and then add the baking soda.

In another bowl, put the sifted gluten-free flour and baking powder. Then add the heated ingredients from the pan and mix until a workable dough. Add more rice flour if you need it (i.e. if the dough is too sticky). Then sprinkle a generous amount of rice flour on your bench and use a roller to roll out the dough. Press Halloween-style cookie-cutter shapes in this. Use a spatula to lift the shapes up from the bench and onto the trays (so they stay in one piece).

Bake these on a greased tray, 180-degrees for about 10 mins.

Note: Use a spatula to lift the shapes from the tray onto a cooling rack and then pop them into a container.

Icing:

150g dark chocolate

110g of coconut cream

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (keep stirring throughout). Add the cream and mix. Leave this to cool to room temperature. Then pop it into an icing bag and pipe onto the biscuits. I used edible glitter too for an extra cool effect.

Find more delicious recipes for these school holidays at chelsea.co.nz

This post was made possible thanks to Chelsea.

#NZBlogger #chelseasugar

Rachel is a recipe creator and wellbeing columnist for two magazines. She’s a yoga teacher, marathoner and director of the InspiredHealthNZ website, which inspires Kiwis to live a life they love. Follow Rachel on Facebook and Instagram.

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September 17, 2016

Kids Yoga “Taking Off” at True Food & Yoga

By Rachel Grunwell

The magical power of yoga can have transformative mind, body and soul benefits for us grown-ups. This ancient practice can also uplift our little “muggles” in equal measures.

Auckland’s True Food & Yoga wellness centre has just launched yoga classes for children and so I checked out a class with my son Lachie.

Firstly, this is one of the most beautiful studios in this city. That sea-side view from Tamaki Drive, overlooking the bobbing boats and sparkling waters of Okahu Bay – and that gorgeous glimpse of the Sky Tower in the distance – is soul-lifting in itself (even in overcast weather). Inside the former Hammerheads restaurant too is stunning. Those memorable arch-windows have that wow-factor and it’s a clean and fresh decor.

But it’s the power of yoga on offer here for kids that’s out-of-this-world. Literally.

Yoga teacher Nisha Kumar-Joon invited her students to use their imagination and go on a “mystical adventure” and pretend to be in their very own spaceship in the room. So the kids gleefully zoomed about, fizzing and smiling. She inspired them to create their own stories with movement, while chilled music provided a backdrop. Other parts of the class too were equally creative. There were stretches, strength and then balance poses (imagine flying aeroplane poses here) and all of this required “focus”, which is good for brain development. While another part of the class saw the kids laying down, peaceful, eyes closed, meditative, and with a ball on their belly while they breathed (ie so the ball rose up and down on the belly so they could focus on how to correctly breathe with their diaphragm. This can powerfully calm down the nervous system).

Mid-class the kids were colouring in and drawing anything space-like including stars, moons and other-worlds.

Their parents were in another “world” too, some blissfully near the edges of the room reading lounging about on bean-bags. While others enjoyed welcome “me-time” out in the bistro on the other side of the centre.

So how was the experience for my son Lachie? Well, he walked into the class, a bit apprehensive, and knowing no one. But he tried all the yoga poses, drew a star, became a “space-ship” and loved running around the room. He giggled most over the games and loved a partner exercise with a little girl Sovinna, where they passed a ball using their feet. They both giggled, and giggled…

The kids were asked to “find their way home again” in their “spaceship” i.e. come back to their yoga mat for the closing of class. They then placed their mats in a collective star-shape. To see all their tiny hands in prayer-position to end the class was joyful.

Nisha, a hatha yoga teacher with an osteopathy background, says kids get so much out of yoga. There’s the cognitive development, physical benefits, and the emotional and spiritual sides of this practice too.

“It takes them away from their laptops and it gets them using their imaginations,” she raves.

It’s a wish for Nisha too that her little students learn “balance” in life and lots of wonderful de-stress tools as well as stretching their bodies – and imaginations.

Nic and Kelly Watt are creating a footprint in Auckland with their food and yoga offerings – and it’s wonderful to see kids are a part of their heart-filled focus.

Check out the timetable for Children’s Yoga classes at True Food & Yoga for either 3-5-year-olds and also 6-11-year-olds here:

Rachel Grunwell is a mum, yoga teacher, marathoner, and magazine wellness columnist and writer. She regularly writes for many of NZ’s top media titles. She runs the InspiredHealth website (a lifestyle hub to inspire Kiwis to live well).
Follow InspiredHealth on Facebook & Instagram

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September 2, 2016

Penguins on the Peninsula & other Dunedin Delights

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By Rachel Grunwell

Seeing penguins at a zoo is great. But seeing blue penguins (korora) up-close in their natural habitat on the stunning Otago Peninsula is an awe-inspiring sight you’ll store in your memory bank forever.

I’m on a mum-and-son ‘adventure vacation’ with Zach, aged 11, and seeing the world’s smallest penguin delight in a world-famous reserve at the Royal Albatross Centre is something we agree is a pinch-yourself-kind-of-experience.

It’s dusk, the stars are overhead, we’re rugged up warm with eyes-wide-open at Pilot Beach as we gaze out over the pond-like sea with tiny waves lapping ashore.

I don’t know who is more excited. My kid, or this self-confessed big-kid.

I expect to see a couple of penguins way off in the distance. But incredibly we see 60 penguins over about 60-minutes – just merely a couple of metres away.

These penguins religiously come in nightly here to feed their chicks in nests on the hillside.

And wow, what a sight: They are dumped by the waves into shore in groups (called rafts). They waddle, drunk-like, out of the tide and onto the beach and then hot-foot it up the grassy hill.

By the way, they couldn’t give a toss about us nosey-parker humans. Actually, we must be a pretty funny sight for the penguins. We are among a tour group of about 30 people quietly huddled on a giant, lit-up wooden platform.

You don’t tire seeing these cute little birds. Every time a new bunch of blue-and-white bodies pops up out of the water, either my son or I nudge each other or whisper excitedly “there’s some more”. Zach and I now long to return to see the colony of royal albatross.

http://albatross.org.nz/otago-peninsula-tours/

The New Zealand International Science Festival showcases a long list of events and experiences to inspire curiosity over the nine days (during the first week of the July school holidays) of the biennial festival. And with Dunedin now New Zealand’s first GigCity, technology (in all its glorious manifestations) is a big part of the offerings. You can dip in, or out, of as many of the events as you wish. Zach and I loved walking through a giant inflated brain and learning about its different parts and functions. And while Zach enjoyed witnessing the dissection of a sheep’s brain, I looked the other way! We could use computer technology to see underneath our skin and there were even real human body parts to marvel at. You name it and you can likely experience it here: Think microscopes, psychology investigations, dentistry workshops (Zach loved making a shark tooth from a mould) and even a workshop on how to ‘fight like a physicist’ (that’s learning how to win against a bigger opponent through physics ie understanding centre of mass, gravity and equilibrium etc). Another of Zach’s highlights was the music/explosions show by Dr Graham Walker and DJ Sixfootsix. Picture fireballs, explosions, marshmallow cannons, and liquid nitrogen clouds, mashed up to music.

http://www.scifest.org.nz/

Be star-struck by real stars at the Otago Museum’s Perpetual Guardian Planetarium. You get to sit back in a comfy chair and journey to the edge of the universe and back in a 360-degrees immersive theatre experience. You can’t beat the prices either. Children aged 4-18 pay $7, while adults are $10.

http://otagomuseum.nz/whats-on/do/planetarium

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An unexpected highlight was a two-hour Street Art Tour, called ‘Small City Big Walls’, through Dunedin city by guide Victoria Gilliand. I’m pictured underneath one of the artworks, playing around doing a yoga pose and pretending to be the bird’s prey…

About 25 colossal murals by world-famous artists are hidden on buildings throughout the city. Artists from places like Belgium, LA and Europe have been paid to create unique artworks that now make Dunedin an edgy and hip place.

It’s hard to choose a favourite artwork that stretch the imagination including a giant tuatara, to a mythical creature with Kakapo-like features, and even fish swallowing boats. It’s wonderful to experience the artwork, but hearing the stories about them from the guide makes this even more than just a colourful tour.

http://dunedinstreetart.com/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHomViSBXOD/?taken-by=inspiredhealthandfitness

I heard a professor lecture on the topic of superfoods at Dunedin’s Technique Training Restaurant. I loved hearing about the super powers of certain superfoods, while I ate a three-course superfoods meal here. The lecture and topic was part of a unique event – part of the Science Festival – but anyone can reserve a similar dining experience here for crazy cheap prices. This fully licensed restaurant was established by the Food Design Institute to train future chefs, hotel managers and restaurant staff by industry professionals. So it’s a training environment, but a great night out that will hardly stretch the purse–strings. Check out the below link to find out when you can book a meal.

http://www.op.ac.nz/enterprise/shops-and-services/technique-restaurant

Find more to do in Dunedin https://www.dunedinnz.com

(This article was published in seven newspapers nationwide)

Rachel Grunwell is a magazine columnist & director of Inspired Health. Follow Inspired Health for giveaways and lifestyle inspiration:

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April 21, 2016

Award-winning chef could win Rotorua Marathon

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By Rachel Grunwell

An award-winning chef who has cooked for Prime Minister John Key may just snatch the Rotorua Marathon title on April 30.

Ciaran Faherty doesn’t even have a run coach. But he’s a top contender to take out first place.

He’s a relatively new name causing ripples on the running scene.

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Faherty, a 28-year-old chef who works at Circus Circus cafe in Mt Eden, Auckland, says he started running three years ago as a hobby and because friends were into the sport. But he has only decided to take running “seriously” in the last few months after winning some races recently including: a 10km race in Albany, Taranaki’s Mountain to Surf marathon and the Huntly Half Marathon.

He ran the Taranaki event as a warm up for the Rotorua Marathon and ended up blitzing the course in 2 hours 21 minutes 58 seconds.

“I’ve won three events in just a few months… It’s so exciting,” says Faherty. “Actually, it’s a bit of an addiction now. But it’s a good addiction to have!”

He credits being “stubborn” and “dedicated” to long-distance training for his wins.

“I run a lot of days (in) excess of the marathon distance – mostly 50km days, twice a week during peak training. I’ve run a few 60km days in the past few weeks and the longest training day to date is 70km. I just love to run. Hopefully now, stamina won’t be an issue,” he says.

The 5’9 and 61kg athlete says he ran nine times weekly for his training build up (as well as fitting in some weights and kick-boxing). His biggest week was getting in 210km training miles. However, he’s in taper mode at the moment.

Faherty says his recent winning streak spurred him to take running seriously and so he switched from being a head chef at Auckland’s TriBeCa restaurant, working over 60-hours weekly, in January to taking up a chef role in Mt Eden where he only works 40-45 hours weekly.

This is so he can fit in more run training.

It was at TriBeCa that he cooked for John Key, MP Paula Bennett and others at a fundraiser dinner.

He met Key too.

“I introduced my chefs to him afterwards. He’s a nice chap. He was besotted by the quality of the food, which was lovely to hear,” says Faherty, who has previously won the Chef’s Table gold award for two consecutive years in Australia. He won these awards before he moved from Sydney to Auckland to live two years ago.

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Here’s an example of one of Faherty’s culinary creations.

He says swapping his award-winning chef’s career to focus more on run training took a lot of consideration, but he reckons the “gamble” was paying off with his recent race wins.

Faherty says he’s also not a typical chef because “I eat very, very healthy food”.

He eats lots of grains, vegetables, “a hell of a lot of chicken” (about nine meals of this weekly) and loves making his own smoothies and bircher muesli.

On race day, he’ll use three gels and take a sip of water at every drink station.

The Irishman, who moved to New Zealand two years ago, has the quickest personal best marathon time of all the elite male runners currently entered into the Rotorua Marathon event. However, his best time was on a downhill course (The Mountain to Surf event).

So he will have tough competition with some other top male runners lining up beside him including: Stephen Lett, Tony Payne, Nick Horspool and Chris Sanson, to name some. While, the elite females who have entered so far inlcude: Klaartje van Schie, Katie Wyrill and Mel Aitken.

The Rotorua Marathon will be Faherty’s 12th marathon (he ran 8 last year). He runs with the YMCA run club and says he’s the second youngest member.

He also trains a lot with ultra runner friend Claire Walton, who gives him a bit of training advice – as he doesn’t have a run coach. (I mentioned he should get one!)

Meanwhile, Faherty says his big, ultimate run goal is the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and he says: ” I think it’s pretty realistic”.

Meanwhile, look out for him on race day wearing his sponsor’s logo (Bolero Drinks).

“Hopefully I’ll be ahead and I’ll be running scared,” he quips.

You can still enter the Rotorua Marathon. Click here

ps go into the draw to WIN a $150 prize package including a blender by entering a comp on our Facebook page.

Story penned by Rachel Grunwell, a wellbeing columnist for two magazines, yoga teacher (who specialises in ‘yoga for runners’) and blogger for www.inspiredhealth.co.nz. She’s running the Rotorua Marathon too (her 12th marathon), guiding a blind runner as an Achilles charity ambassador.

Follow Rachel/Inspired Health on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

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Rachel’s last run-related blog was: Nutrition Tips for Runners doing the Rotorua Marathon – from 2 nutritionists and an elite runner.

The run blog was on TV3’s Mike McRobert’s entering into the Christchurch Marathon

April 12, 2016

Gluten-Free Anzac Biscuits

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By Rachel Grunwell

It’s Anzac Day soon (on April 25) and so here’s a gluten-free twist on the classic Anzac Biscuit.

This recipe is for those who LOVE crunchy and classic Anzac Biscuits but need a gluten-free option. I promise that you will love these. They taste delicious. They’re easy to make too; My 10-year-old son helped whip these up. He also helped to make them disappear too 😉

He loved making them so much, and scoffing them, that he wants to make another lot when these run out.

So it’s a win/win. My son loves baking and is using his cooking skills. It helps to fill the kids’ lunch-boxes (I let them have one sweet treat in there daily and I like these because they include oats which have fibre.) My boys have a lot of energy and so this helps to fuel their day – with a smile.

Give them a go and let me know what you think. Share a pic with me too. I’d love to see them. Or if you have a different version that tastes next-level amazing then let me in on ALL your secrets. I’d LOVE to hear what you’d recommend – Rachel X X

Gluten-Free Anzac Biscuits

Ingredients:

½ cup brown rice flour

½ cup arrowroot flour

1 teaspoon of xanthem gum (this gluten-free ingredient helps to bind the biscuits. But it’s not essential and so don’t worry if you don’t have it)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup Chelsea Organic Coconut Sugar

1 cup shredded coconut

1 ¾ cups large rolled oats

125g butter, chopped up

¼ cup Chelsea Golden Syrup

1 tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp boiling water

Method:

Preheat your oven to 160°C. Mix flours, xanthem gum (if you have it), cinnamon, Chelsea Organic Coconut Sugar, shredded coconut and rolled oats in a bowl.

Melt butter and Chelsea Golden Syrup together. Then add the baking soda with boiling water in a cup.

Next, mix both butter and baking soda mixtures together in a large bowl. Add flour mixture and lightly mix.

Grease an oven tray. Then get a couple of teaspoonfuls of mixture in your hand to roll into a ball and then put this on the greased tray. Repeat until you fill your tray with these balls of mixture. Then press each ball with a fork (keep them about 1cm thick). Allow room for biscuits to spread (so place balls about 2cm apart from each other).

Bake for 17 minutes (or slightly longer if you like them chewier). Cool on a wire rack and then store them in an airtight container.

More delicious recipes can be found on http://bit.ly/ChelseaAnzac

This post was made possible thanks to Chelsea.

#chelseasugar

Rachel is a recipe creator and wellbeing columnist for two magazines. She’s a yoga teacher, marathoner and director of the InspiredHealthNZ website, which inspires Kiwis to live a life they love. Follow Rachel on Facebook and Instagram.

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April 11, 2016

Nutrition Tips for runners – from 3 experts

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Elite runner Ben Ruthe, pictured centre, & nutritionists Mikki Williden, left, & Sarah Sinclair, right, share top nutrition tips for runners.

Nutrition Tips for runners – from 3 experts

By Rachel Grunwell

What can you eat to best fuel your running?
It’s a question a lot of runners ponder. So I chatted with two qualified nutritionists who specialise in this field (who are also runners) – as well as an elite runner from the Bay of Plenty who has won some top titles.
I asked one nutritionist about what to do about the tapering period, and another about what to do on race day. While, the athlete gave his own perspective about what works best for him. He also made a good point that nutrition is an individual thing ultimately. I’ve interviewed many of the top nutritionists throughout NZ and it’s a point that these experts all hammered home too. However, here are some incredible tips and words of wisdom worth noting. I know I’ll be putting some of this great advice into action with my next event – the Rotorua Marathon on April 30 – the next major event on the NZ run calendar. Some of this advice may help you too – for any event. These experts are all awesome and I rate them all highly.

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FUEL AROUND TAPERING TIME
It’s close to tapering time for those participating in the Rotorua Marathon, like me. But use this information for any event you may have in the future. Firstly, tapering means backing off the training miles in the lead up to the race. This also means you shouldn’t be fuelling your body up as much as you might think…
It’s a “common mistake” around this time for runners to keep eating like we do while doing the big training miles.
Nutritionist Mikki Williden says it’s a real issue.
“Some people end up being heavy, lethargic and brain-fogged when they turn up to the start-line,” she says.
She knew of one guy who carb-loaded so much during a taper period that he ended up around 4kg heavier when he turned up at an event start-line.
“People overeat all the time when it comes to running,” says Williden.
So during the taper period – which can be a few weeks or as little as 10 days before an event depending on the individual – here are some of Williden’s tips:
Reduce your food intake over this time. You don’t need as much fuel because you are not using up as much energy.
2. Tap into your hunger cues; Do not eat to schedule.
3. If you suffer from nerves then reduce your vegetable intake a few days out from the event. Williden is usually an advocate of “10 serves of veg a day”, but around this time too much fibre can upset the gut and take up a lot of stomach space “which can make you feel bloated”.
4. Don’t take vast quantities of sports drinks leading up to a race. It can be too much liquid energy. “You’re better off making your own smoothies or having natural electrolytes like coconut water,” she adds.
5. Eat more frequently in the day before the event, but reduce the size of meals. This helps with having “a comfortable stomach”.

ps Williden says her favourite pre-race meals are things like Japanese (think salmon don), or a roast pork meal with kumara.

sarah sinclair

FUEL FOR RACE DAY
Raceday nutrition is different for everyone. So what works well for one person may not work well for another. Probably the most important advice for race day, is that you should practise your own race day nutrition while doing your training runs. And it is wise to experiment with different options as it can be a matter of trial and error to pinpoint what exactly works best for you.
Sarah Sinclair, a nutritionist who specialises in nutrition for runners through her business RUNtrition, recommends eating things on race day that are “nutrient dense, with complex carbs, with healthy fats and ideally a few antioxidants to boost (think whole foods and real foods where you can). And of course drink some fluid.”
Do not eat too much prior to a race – but make sure this meal is at least 2 hours before your race/event.
Lots of people find Oats/Oatmeal or a granola works well for them, whether or not you add milk/or yoghurt is an individual thing. Some things can upset the GI tract. “Bananas are generally always safe, a piece of plain (not too fibrous) toast with banana and nut butter works well too”.

5 top tips from Sinclair:
1. Practise your nutrition strategy well ahead of race day – the before and duringfoods/fuels.
2. Prep it the night before – at 4am you don’t want to be searching around for the last scraping of peanut butter.
3. For your event fuel – always take extra, just in case – or have supporters on the course with extra.
4. Just take a sip or two of water/fluid at each drink station -you do not need to drink the whole cup, over hydration can be as dangerous as dehydration. And if you are not gunning for a sub 1:45h in a half or 3:20 full, walk the drink stations – I promise you, you will make up the time by not choking on your water.
5. Always eat within 30 minutes of your race/event finishing to help refuel the body and ensure optimum recovery and avoid alcohol however tempting until you have fully hydrated (i.e. at least gone to the bathroom after the race/event).

Ben Ruthe headshot An Elite Runner’s perspective:

Meanwhile, I spoke with elite runner Ben Ruthe because I knew he would give a unique opinion here – and a fresh perspective too. And he’s worth listening to because he is a gun-runner (so is his gorgeous wife too, by the way). He’s the bloke who won the Auckland Marathon in 2008 and also has six national titles to his name (under various distances), to name just only a few of his incredible accomplishments.
The Bay of Plenty based runner says he honestly eats what he craves, but avoids excessive amounts “of things that aren’t good for you”. So to decode here, he means don’t drink alcohol like you are a party-animal, and don’t consume sugar like you might if you were Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory…
Ruthe strongly advises testing out race fuels well before race day so you know if they might upset your stomach.
He recommends to keep eating the foods you usually eat close up to an event too ie don’t change things radically. He says his father-in-law Trevor Wright (who represented England at the Commonwealth Games and could run a marathon in 2:12.28) used to love steak and chips and so he continued to enjoy eating this favourite meal right up to running his events. But it’s an individual thing, he adds.
But generally his approach is quite chilled. He reckons it can affect your performance if you focus too much on everything being precise food-wise around race day. “It can knock your confidence if you get hung up on everything being perfect,” he says.
He reckons rather than focusing too much on food on race day, rather focus on “enjoying” the event…

Meanwhile, you can enter the Rotorua Marathon by clicking here

Rachel Grunwell is a wellbeing columnist for 2 magazines, marathoner, yoga teacher (who specialises in ‘yoga for runners’) and blogs on Inspiredhealth.co.nz . She’s running the Rotorua Marathon this year (her 12th marathon). Her last run-related story was on TV3 presenter Mike McRoberts set to take part in the Christchurch Marathon, which was published in newspapers nationwide & on her blog.
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