Nutrition

It used to be I could eat pretty much whatever I wanted. I have a high metabolism, and I don't put on weight, so I didn't think much of having McDonald's for lunch instead of a ham sandwich or something. But now that I've started this training, I can tell when I haven't eaten well. McDonald's for breakfast and Taco Bell for lunch do not add up to a successful training session. I'm sort of amazed at how much difference it makes if I eat a bowl of oatmeal in the morning as opposed to a couple of doughnuts. It's one thing to hear the coaches talk about it, it's another to feel completely wiped after 1 mile when you're supposed to run 3 or 4.
This does not mean that I am turning into a health nut - I'll still be preferring 2% milk to skim, and not trimming the fat from my steak before I cook it. However, we are going to have to run over 13 miles on April 11. According to our training schedule, that's 1 mile further than we will have ever gone before. I am starting to take very seriously all the advice about power gels, carbs, and proper nutrition that we've been getting.