Post Exercise Fuel and My Top 5 Places To Run

I’ve always loved working out, but this past year I completed my first half marathon and now have a new found love for running. This morning on my 5 mile run, I decided to share my top 5 favorite places to run and how I fuel my body after a good workout.

I’m definitely a morning person and I usually work out right after I wake up. Before hitting the gym or the pavement, I have an easily digestible carbohydrate snack, like graham crackers or a small piece of fruit, so I’m not running on an empty tank.

I always make sure to eat a snack or meal that includes proteins and carbohydrates within 30-60 minutes post exercise.   Carbohydrates help to replace muscle fuel that is used during exercise and proteins assist in stimulating the development of new tissue and repairing damaged muscle tissue.[1] If I need to hop in the car and rush to work, my go to breakfast is usually yogurt, granola and fruit or a smoothie made with yogurt, peanut butter, almond milk, frozen fruit and sometimes spinach or kale. If it’s the weekend and I’m able to spend a little more time on breakfast, I’ll have a one egg omelet with onions and peppers and a small amount of extra sharp cheddar cheese with a slice of whole wheat toast. On days where I don’t workout when I first wake up and I know that I plan to eat a meal a few hours after a workout, I’ll be sure to have a quick snack, such as a serving of whole grain crackers and a string cheese or a cup of low fat chocolate milk so that I don’t go a multiple hours without fueling my body. Sometimes I let my body rest in the morning and exercise after work. If this is the case, I make dinner as soon as I get home and have a piece of fish, pearled couscous and a side of broccoli sautéed in olive oil or grilled chicken breast, a baked sweet potato and a side of asparagus sautéed in olive oil.

Since I’ve done a lot of running over the past year, I thought I would share my top 5 places.

Disney’s Boardwalk

This past March, my boyfriend and I went on an amazing vacation to Disney World for a few days and got to stay at the Boardwalk Hotel. I was training for a half marathon at this time, and since each of the days we spent there were jam packed with fun adventures, I had to get my workout in early. On our first day there, I did a 4 mile run around the boardwalk at sunrise. It was quiet, calm and beautiful and the weather was perfect with a nice breeze coming off the water. There’s also a certain excitement in the air at Disney World that gave me an extra pep in my step and allowed me to have an awesome run.

Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk

Growing up on Long Island, I’ve always loved being by the beach. This year, we spent Fourth of July at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware with some close friends of ours, Jon and Julie. Julie’s parents have a great house just a few blocks from the beach, which allowed me to go for long runs on the boardwalk. Each morning, the cool breeze from the ocean and many other friendly runners welcomed me, making this one of my new favorite places to run.

Jersey City Boardwalk

I live in Jersey City directly across from some incredible New York City views. Some of my most enjoyable runs happen every weekend when I get to spend an hour or so running along the Jersey City boardwalk while taking in the beautiful views of my favorite city. I also love seeing people getting their workouts in or taking leisurely walks with their families and pets as well.

Bethpage Bike Path

I grew up on Long Island where the Bethpage Bike Path was just a few blocks from my house. I spent my childhood taking walks with my grandparents to feed the ducks in the pond and riding bikes with my family for hours at a time. Now, when I visit my parents, I get the chance to do my long runs on this beautiful path. I share the path with fellow runners, who always wave as they pass me by, and get to see a few bunnies along the way.

Beaver Creek Colorado

Okay, I have to admit that I didn’t actually run outside in Colorado, but I just had to add it as one of my favorite places. We visited Colorado to go skiing for the first time this past March and it was incredible! The weather was absolutely perfect and the views were breathtaking. While I loved skiing there (of course!), one of my favorite parts of the trip was the family snowshoe tour. It was my first time snowshoeing and it was definitely a hard workout. My mom and I even did some fast walking right at the end of the tour to burn some more calories.

[1] Eating For Recovery. Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition Fact Sheet. www.scandpg.org. Published 2012