Super Charge Your Next Run with Coconut Date Power Poppers

With the sun shining and racing season just around the corner, more and more people are heading outdoors and hitting the pavement. The half marathon is a popular distance these days, providing enough of a challenge to feel like a bad-ass without requiring hours upon hours of weekly training.

How to prevent bonking on your next mid to long distance run?

Fueling our runs naturally is challenging, but with some ingenuity and pre-run planning, there's many a ways to fuel your runs with plant-based, planet-friendly nutrition...

About halfway through the longer training runs that are required by a half marathon our muscles’ energy stores begin to get depleted, and we lose not only water but also sodium and potassium through our sweat.

Many opt for sports gels which are meant to supply quick energy and electrolytes. Some of these are made with natural ingredients such as dates, and others are a little more on the artificial side, consisting largely of maltodextrin and flavor extracts.

Unidentifiable ingredients aside, these little bursts of energy come in packages that aren't biodegradable, and when you’re running over 15 kilometers the last thing you want to do is carry around a sticky package until you come across a garbage can.

While tossing garbage on the ground may be acceptable during an organized event where nice volunteers pick up after you, dear old Mama Nature may not appreciate your litter despite the healthy activity that accompanied it.

So what’s a glycogen-starved runner to do?

Eat dates! Dates are high in fast-digesting glucose and head straight to the liver to be processed into usable energy when consumed. Dates are also high in potassium, one of the electrolytes that becomes depleted as we sweat for longer duration.

1 medjool date is around 66 calories and 18 grams of carbohydrates, where most sports gels clock in at around 100 calories and 22 grams of carbohydrates. Their sugars are utilized pretty quickly so it’s recommended that they be consumed every 20 minutes after the first 45 minutes or so.

Best Bang for your Energy Buck?

For the greatest in mid-run energy, add a small amount of coconut oil into the mix! Coconut oil is a super-special fat in that our bodies metabolize it like they do carbohydrates. Like dates, as soon as coconut oil is ingested it heads straight to the liver to be transformed into energy.

Keeping with the coconut theme, ditch the commercial sports drinks in favor of coconut water for an electrolyte boost! Mixing coconut water with regular water or keeping one bottle on your fuel belt filled with this trendy beverage will cut your chances of experiencing some nasty cramps while you run.



Before you head out for your next long run remove the pits from a few dates, stuff ‘em with some coconut oil, and stick them in your fuel belt. The Medjool Date Coconut Power Poppers are incredibly #NOMNOM! Begin chowing down after the first 45 minutes, and sip your coconut water every 15 minutes.

Chewing solid food on a run may take some getting used to, but after a while you’ll likely find it much more enjoyable than squirting a sticky paste into your mouth. Your body will thank you for fueling it like a mean, clean, running machine, as will our dear Mama Nature.

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Author Bio:

Ariana is an avid runner, blogger, and personal trainer in Vancouver’s West End. Her goal is to change the world by helping people learn to take better care of themselves so they can fulfill their purpose on this planet. She believes that if we all just took some time out of our busy days to get a little sweaty and eat a few green things, this world would be a happier, healthier, and more productive place. In her free time Ariana can be found cooking, writing, or wandering the streets of Vancouver in search of great coffee.

You can connect with Ariana at her blog , Facebook or Instagram.