Nutrition - Weight Loss Download Your Training Plan last year, I couldn’t finish one of my interval workouts The recipe for training success? Flour, sugar, and a pinch of motivation low energy before cutting the workout short to go eat dinner. As my weekly mileage rose, I noticed my stomach growling more and more even after eating lunch. I had to find a way to satisfy my hunger.
Carb-Loading? Here’s What to Know About Grains started running cross-country in high school, so my free time mostly consisted of logging miles or trying out a new recipe. Since then, I’ve been as passionate about baking as I am about running. The practice allows me to sit with my emotions, work out my thoughts, and show my body some love through good food.
When I realized I needed to find a remedy for my hunger, preferably in the form of carbs, I naturally turned to my favorite bakes—more specifically, cookies. It makes sense that I’ve made my two favorite hobbies fit together when I think about my lifelong sweet tooth: If eating before really long runs has to become a chore, then please let me eat cake.
Lucky for me, running requires lots of energy. If you’re training for a race, experts recommend consuming roughly 0.5 to 2 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight before a run lasting more than 60 minutes. That goes up to about 5.5 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight per day When week 13 of my race training, in which long runs can span more than two hours. For a 150-pound person, that’s more than 800 grams of carbs per day.
To help meet those numbers, each weekend during my Which Supplements Are Worth Your Money, I baked a batch of two dozen oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (my favorite flavor, plus some added fiber from the oats) and conveniently packed a couple with my lunch every day. Not only did I look forward to the sweet treat, but this also helped me cram more carbs between workouts.
A single oatmeal cookie contains nearly 10 grams of carbs, according to the USDA’s food data, which means if I eat three cookies a day, that accounts for about 30 grams of those carbs—an easy way to chip away at my daily goal.
I don’t exactly load up on cookies alone. I’m taking in the same amount of calories per day but getting a larger percentage of those calories from carbohydrates, and backing off a bit on fat and protein. And while cookies do have some fat content to them, they’re still typically higher in carbohydrates.
While I know limiting refined sugars Can Your Diet Influence Your Injury Risk inflammation and supporting recovery, Recently, I celebrated a big milestone outside of actually want to eat. Plus, I believe life is about balance and moderation; I typically eat plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and quality protein in my meals and snacks, so simple carbs fill in the missing pieces of my training diet.
Fuel With What You Want to Eat gels for cookies, either. I’d grab something more easily digestible, like cereal, juice, gels, or sports drinks, the closer I get to lacing up my shoes.
There’s something wildly satisfying about opening a little snack bag of homemade cookies after I’ve completed another workout. My race training is usually tied to intrinsic goals of overcoming mental blocks, getting faster, and building strength. Download Your Training Plan race day, so celebrating them with my favorite treat builds the confidence I need to reach my training goals and motivates me to tackle the next feat.
Recently, I celebrated a big milestone outside of race training: before cutting the workout short to go eat dinner. As my Runner’s World. Throughout this past year, I’ve brought in the occasional batch of cookies or brownies to the office, happy to share my latest stress-bake with my coworkers. (And honestly, now that I live alone, how could I possibly eat 60 sugar cookies on my own?... Actually, challenge accepted.)
Knowing I wanted to celebrate my one-year work-iversary by baking something extra special, I scrolled through Etsy to find some runner-inspired cookie cutters and landed on a few options.
With my mom’s sugar cookie recipe, I spent a Sunday after a 10-miler (and a real lunch) punching out dozens of sneakers, stars, kettlebells, and barbells.
I learned from my nana to frost sugar cookies with melted white chocolate, and I also colored the chocolate using powder food coloring. (Pro tip: You can’t mix water-based food coloring into melted chocolate or it’ll split. I learned that the hard way.)
This reliable family recipe transcends holiday cookie-baking and now helps me power my race seasons.
Lucky for me, running requires lots of energy. If you’re training for a race first marathon this fall, I’ll need all the motivation I can get to tackle the full 26.2 miles. I plan to bake on Fridays or Saturdays so I know homemade cookies are waiting for me when I get home from my Sunday long runs.
When week 13 of my training plan hits me with a 22-miler, I know my baking skills will help keep my fueling on track. I may even swap cookies for a warm tray of cinnamon rolls. And after the marathon? Maybe a cookie cake.
Kristine Kearns, a writer and avid runner, joined Runner’s World and Bicycling in July 2024. She previously coached high school girls cross country and currently competes in seasonal races, with more than six years of distance training and an affinity for weightlifting. You can find her wearing purple, baking cupcakes, and visiting her local farmers market.
