Courtney Dauwalter Diet

Courtney Dauwalter, an ultrarunner, has a distinctive approach to diet, exercise, and even gear—she competes in her trademark style of basketball shorts and a baggy T-shirt—and it is working for her. Since about 2017, the 35-year-old has dedicated her entire life to running. Dauwalter won the Western States 100-miler in 2018 before winning the prestigious Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) event in France the following year. Then, she ran the lapped-course Big's Backyard Ultra in October, clocking a remarkable 283.3 miles in 56:52:29, proving that not even 2020 could slow her down.

One thing is sure when it comes to nutrition: She needs a lot of calories to manage her training schedule, which often includes spending at least a few hours on the trails near Golden, Colorado. She explains her mindset toward eating as just wanting to live life to the fullest. Furthermore, it means indulging in foods and beverages that seem and taste delicious while not giving them any thought.

In this blog, we are going to address everything about Courtney Dauwalter's diet and how she fuels it with cereal.

Morning Of Courtney Dauwalter

It is no different for Courtney Dauwalter to have the same breakfast as any other person.

A typical day for her would include two cups of coffee with French vanilla creamer and some handfuls of cereal -- usually straight from the box. For Courtney Dauwalter, all the sugar cereals are a must, and that is Cinnamon Toast Crunch. After that, she often begins her training. She works out for 30 to an hour in the gym, doing nothing more complicated than hip activation exercises, glute and core exercises, and other simple bodyweight exercises.

Courtney Dauwalter's Fitness Routine

Dauwalter loves to exercise alone most of the time since she is constantly outside jogging while others are inside the office working. She expressed happiness at finally deciding to leave her teaching position and follow her goal of ultrarunning. However, she runs with her spouse or friends on the weekends.

Gaining enormous success and a stellar reputation as a man beater (i.e., a woman who triumphs over males) in the racing world, she has a profound awareness of how to utilize her mind to deal with highs and lows, notably enduring and surviving the pain of ultrarunning.

In her recent interview, she said: "I find a lot of comfort in being uncomfortable." She calls it the "cave of misery." and wants to enter the cave of misery. Thus her goal in these ultras is to find the entrance. In fact, she eagerly awaits the opening of the door to this location.

Dauwalter revealed that she tracks all her runs using a Suunto 9, her preferred model. As a result, she can easily monitor her exercises and the situation if she fatigues over the week.

For instance, she discovered that her extreme exhaustion was the amount of climbing she had done during the previous five days.

It also brought to memory the last time she had rested for a while. Finally, it gives her an excellent opportunity to reflect on her experiences and identify areas where she needs to make changes or improvements.

The finest ultrarunner says, "What I constantly learn during these ultras is how strong our brains can be." Every time she engages in physical exercise, she taps that strength into her mind and uses it to get over any pain she might be feeling.

The Best Diet for Ultra-runners: Good Practices

There is no doubt that vegetables are king.

Whether you are an endurance athlete or not, you should consume a lot of veggies is one point that cannot be contested. Run away from any diet that claims you should reduce your intake of vegetables! The most nutrient-dense meals on the earth are vegetables, and ultrarunners require many nutrients. If an ultrarunner does not consume enough vegetables, they are putting themselves at risk for nutritional deficiencies. A natural vitamin shortage will have a detrimental effect on your health and ability to run.

Added sugar and processed carbs should be consumed in moderation, except during and after exercise.

Carbs are NOT BAD.

Lately, carbs have gotten a bad rap. You should be fearless of carbs. Just make sure you consume the right kinds of carbs. The diet with the most scientific support for enhancing endurance capacity is heavy in carbohydrates. View what functions for you once again. High-quality carbohydrates are preferable to processed carbohydrates and added sugars, as discussed in the previous paragraph.

As seen by the above instances, even top keto-style athletes such as Mcknight and Bitter are mindful of the need for carbohydrates and will make exceptions when required.

Get enough protein.

An ultrarunner will be in a catabolic condition and will not recover as well without enough protein. Taking in some protein after working out will encourage muscle synthesis and reduce needless muscle breakdown.

Ensure you get adequate protein throughout your intense training, not only after your workout but throughout the day. To positively affect muscle protein synthesis, the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (JISSN) advises consuming 0.25-0.40 g/kg of protein every three to four hours (Kerksick et al., 2017).

JISSN continues by stating that consuming 30 to 40 grams of protein before bed can enhance muscle protein synthesis and metabolic rate while you sleep without affecting lipolysis (Kerksick et al., 2017).

Eat high-quality fats.

For athletes, fat is essential, and ultrarunners are no exception.

Fat is crucial for maintaining hormonal balance and controlling inflammation. In addition, compared to traditional endurance athletes, ultrarunners often train and compete at a lower intensity. Ultra-runners use fat as fuel since they run in a lower gear.

Concentrating on eating foods high in omega-3s and of excellent quality is advised. Because an uneven ratio of the two might cause increased inflammation and adverse health effects, omega-3 fatty acids should be consumed instead of meals high in omega-6.

*Now, please refrain from taking this to mean that I am claiming carbohydrates aren't necessary for ultrarunners. It's essential to keep in mind that even when exercising at reduced intensities, one is still burning carbs. Moreover, because workout time is significantly longer, ultrarunners train and compete at lower intensities. Considering everything, ultrarunners will burn more net carbohydrates than any other athlete.

Take it easy on alcohol.

We all enjoy a tasty beverage just as much as the next person, and beer and ultrarunning seem to go together. However, it is better to drink moderately when exercising. Excessive alcohol has a detrimental impact on your ability to recover from a demanding endurance exercise in addition to dehydrating you, destroying your energy, and inhibiting muscular growth.

Alcohol also hinders the body's ability to absorb certain nutrients essential for ultrarunners to function at their peak. Alcohol has harmful effects that don't just apply to "being wasted." A few beers might have a detrimental effect on endurance performance and healing. Finally, alcohol substitutes nutrient-dense meals when consumed in excess and is a non-nutrient type of calorie that might cause unintended weight gain.

I'm not preaching against the occasional drink or two. However, saving the benders for your offseason is unquestionably preferable. We've established that there is no BEST diet for ultrarunners, but drinking shouldn't be a big part of your hard training if you want to perform at your peak.

Ultra-runners should eat ENOUGH.

Have you ever been advised to prioritize quality over quantity? If you're an endurance athlete, you should pay attention to quality AND quantity. A calorie deficit during intense exercise can hinder recovery and affect your energy, cortisol, and other chemicals.

Eat till full, and never, ever attempt to reduce weight while doing intense exercise. If losing weight is the objective, it should be done during the offseason or while doing a little exercise.

Make an effort to consume as many high-quality meals as possible. However, some contend that for endurance athletes, it is preferable to make up the gaps, even if it means consuming lower-quality meals.

Ultra-runners have increased nutrient needs.

Breaking news. Run frequently—ultrarunners do. The need for nutritional replacement increases as exercise time increases. Sweat contains certain nutrients that are lost during physical activity. Musculoskeletal disorders require more nutrients for the best possible

repair and adaptation. Additionally, when endurance athletes ask so much of our bodies, nutritional deficiencies are incredibly destructive.

A well-rounded, nutrient-dense diet can provide adequate levels of most nutrients. A well-planned supplement regimen can also significantly influence how quickly ultrarunners recover. Quality endurance supplements can also impact various performance factors and enhance the favorable response to exercise.