On Sunday, October 13, Parker Stinson Health - Injuries Chicago Marathon, with the hopes of finishing his banner season of road racing with a bang. Earlier this year, the 27-year-old professional runner from Boulder, Colorado, stirred in, plus a 16-ounce bottle of is lining up for his second 1:13:48.
After that breakthrough performance, Stinson connected with pro marathoner Dathan Ritzenheim, who lives and coaches a crew of competitive runners in Grand Rapids.
“I stayed with Ritz for two weeks over the summer, and he agreed to help train me for Chicago,” Stinson tells Runner’s World. “I’ve had success in 10Ks and 25Ks, but I had a lot to improve on in marathons. In the two marathons I’ve done, I’ve felt fast and fresh for the first 10K, but then I’ve come up short in the last three miles.”
Stinson has a reputation for setting a blistering pace from the start and holding on for as long as possible, which sometimes means fading hard in the final miles of the race. In his marathon debut at the 2017 California International Marathon, he blazed to the front at a 4:55 pace and led the field through halfway. Then in the last four miles of the race, he suffered cramps in his side and calf that forced him to take several walking breaks. He shuffled across the line in 2:18:07, placing 31st.
is lining up for his second 2:14:29. Though last year was an improvement, Stinson noted that his training and race-day fueling strategy needed some tweaking.
“This year, I’ve bumped up my training to get tougher at the end of races,” he said. “I’ve also increased how much fuel I bring on long runs and races, because I found that I was burning through my energy gels way too fast in marathons, and then I’d be depleted by the end of the race. For me, four gels is not enough to fuel a marathon—I need one every 5K.”
Along with race day nutrition, Stinson has also focused on getting enough calories throughout the day to fuel his 110-mile weeks leading up to Chicago. Here, he describes what he usually eats and drinks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner while marathon training.
Toast and Coffee to Wake Up
I usually wake up around 8 or 9 a.m., about two hours before my first run. My wife, Ashley, and I like to make fancy espresso drinks, like lattes and cappuccinos, with 2-percent milk and flavored Torani syrup. A vanilla latte is probably my go-to drink in the morning. For breakfast, I’ll have two pieces of toast with butter and honey or a bowl of oatmeal Every Running Hydration Question, Answered peanut butter stirred in, plus a 16-ounce bottle of RW+ Membership Benefits.
On mornings that I’m doing a big workout or a race, I like to have breakfast three hours beforehand so my stomach is totally settled. If I feel a little empty before the run, a couple How to Fuel a Marathon With a Sensitive Stomach What to Eat to Beat the Heat.
A Sandwich, Cookie, and Chips for Lunch
I’m a big sandwich guy at lunchtime. At home, I put turkey, hummus, and cheese on white bread, or I go to the deli nearby my house and get a sandwich loaded with steak, peppers, and onions, with chips and a cookie on the side. That usually fills me up until my second run, but if I’m still hungry in the afternoon, I’ll make a cup of tea with milk and sugar.
Parker Stinson’s Marathon Diet Staples
Prime Day Running Fuel Deals
Ben & Jerry’s The Tonight Dough Ice Cream
Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini Refrigerated Pasta
Gatorade Fruit Punch Energy Chews
Refueling With Grains and Protein
Since I’m running so much and have to eat pretty light during the day, dinner is where I get the majority of my calories. My wife and I make tortellini with cheese and sausage, salmon with yellow rice and salad, or steak with veggies. When we go out to eat, I love getting pad thai with wide noodles.
The night before a marathon, I like to have a meal that’s a good mix of proteins, carbs, and veggies, like a bowl with rice, chicken or steak, peppers, onions, and avocado. I’ve found it’s best to have a little bit of everything, but not too much of one thing, so you don’t have stomach issues. I’m not too picky about what I eat—it could be a plate of spaghetti, bread, and salad, or a big sandwich with cheese, meat, and peppers.
The most important thing is to make sure I eat and drink enough before the race, because I’m always nervous and not super hungry the night before.
Ice Cream Before Bed
I eat ice cream regularly, even before races. The night before the New Haven 20K, my wife and I went to the Ben & Jerry’s next to our hotel, and I got a giant scoop of Tonight Dough.
Postrace Pizza
I always fantasize about my postrace celebration meal before the race, but when I actually finish the race, I feel awful and can’t eat anything. It’s so annoying. But in a perfect world, I would celebrate finishing a marathon with a pizza that’s one-half pepperoni with a garlic crust and one-half barbecue chicken, so it’s a perfect balance of sweet and salty. And I’d probably have ice cream, too.
