As runners, we look for motivation everywhere and it often comes from our favorite running all-stars. We all have them, in fact, I recently wrote about it at Daily Mile (Who are your favorite runner celebs) and folks responded with some of the best out there, Ryan Hall, Dean Karnazes, Joan Benoit, Alan Webb, Frank Shorter, Deena Kaster, Haile, etc. But also as runners, we’re a fairly opinionated, and particular crew, there’s no choosing an elite to idolize based on popularity alone and it comes down to a few things:

• Nutrition
• Training
• Skill
• Style (yes, it’s important)

I’d like to pick this list apart over the next few weeks, and first I’ll start with nutrition. These elites train 100+ miles/week, they’re burning 1500-2000 calories per session, and sometimes get in two workouts every day. This requires a lot of energy and it can’t come from just any old meal plan. What is it that keeps these athletes eager and able to race at this level?

In reality, these runners have a diet of foods from all over the place, but the consistency is eliminating certain things that will slow you down. This can range from particular foods to when you’re eating what. The easiest way to capture this plan an incorporate into diet plans for us non-elites is to learn from example. Here’s a taste of what Kara Goucher cooks up for the day (no pun intended…):

• Breakfast: Oatmeal, an English muffin, eggs, or toast with a piece of Swiss cheese.
  “If we made a stir-fry and there’s some brown rice left over, I’ll eat brown rice and a hard-boiled egg.”
• Lunch: Turkey sandwich on wheat bread with lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, mayonnaise, and Provolone cheese.
  “I like eating bread that is so grainy that you can see nuts in it.”
• Pre-workout snackToasted English muffin with Laughing Cow spreadable Swiss cheese.
  “Before I run I can’t just go out the door.”
• DinnerSalmon risotto with wheat orzo pasta, garlic, onion, and spinach.
  “Adam cuts the salmon and l start the orzo. I add garlic and onion, then salmon and spinach at the end.”
• DessertFresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies, frosted pumpkin scone, or peanut M&Ms.
  “There was a point in my life when I was very restrictive, but now I usually have something sweet almost every day.”

* From Runners World online The Daily Dish