Fast Friends... yet Slow to Depart



Exhibit A: The burger, fries, and Guinness beer I consumed post-race.

Five weeks ago I crossed the finish line of a Marathon, then proceeded to redeem my post-race reward: a meal I had been craving during the last several miles of the marathon. A hamburger, fries, and a Guinness beer.

Sure, I deserved it. In fact, after running 26 miles, I felt I deserved a million bucks.

Little did I know this single burger would spark a chain reaction (literally) that would take the next five weeks to break.

You see, after arriving back home, I continued to crave this all-American beauty. There wasn’t a drive-thru window I didn’t visit. I knew the location of every McDonald’s chain within a 50-mile radius. I consumed more hamburgers than Bill Clinton during both of his Presidential terms combined.

It didn’t take me long to realize I had created a monster. One that (what's that saying?) felt so good on the lips but even after several turns on the treadmill was starting to cling to the hips.

So, I went straight to someone who could help: a holistic doctor I've visited over past year who has helped me align my eating habits to a healthier lifestyle. As I sat in the office of Southern California's founding preventative medicine doc -- he, too, seemed puzzled by my meaty addiction. Mostly because I’ve never even been a big meat-eater. In fact, my diet has almost always been vegetarian. Damn near vegan, really.

While he needled me with his tiny acupuncture tools, he began to needle me with questions as well. “Tell me. What was the first meal you ate immediately following the Marathon?” 

“The first thing I ate?,” I replied. What does that have to do with anything, I wondered. Then I thought back to that fateful night. My eyes grew as big as my little stuffed tummy. Sheepishly, I replied: “A hamburger."

Bingo.

He grinned slightly. I could tell he was impressed with himself.  I admit, I was impressed with him, too. Not even pausing to take a victory lap, he went on to explain that when the body goes through a period of physical exertion or exhaustion (such as it does during a Marathon), at some point the body starts to tap into precious protein stores. That can leave a person ravenous for protein once the event is completed. With this craving, I had reached for the lowest common protein denominator: the good ‘ol American hamburger.

As if I was being read a line straight out of “Eat This, Not That!,” he went on to describe how making one simple, smart choice after the race could have helped me avoid all of this. Instead of meat protein, I could have opted for a healthier source of protein in the form of nuts, seeds, or legumes. This one simple choice would have saved me weeks (not to mention countless dollars) at the drive-thru fast food window. It is a tip I feel compelled to pass on to my fellow racers.

Fast forward to today: I’m happy to announce I’m off the hooch. With the help of the holistic healer, I downed my last hamburger several days ago. I’m back to eating healthy. And more importantly, I am equipped with the knowledge to make smarter choices after my next long race. Oh sure, I'll probably still go a little crazy, throw caution to the wind, eat something I wouldn't normally eat. But I'll be much, much more careful to choose a food companion I'll be willing to have around for weeks afterward.