Run Work Live: The Fine Line Between Carb-Loading & Overeating + This Meditation App Is a Game-Changer

By @runnerjmd | March 11, 2025

Happy Tuesday! Here is one running tip, one life hack and one quote to consider this week…

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Running tip

Carb-loading? Or just overeating?

There’s a fine line between fueling up and wrecking your mood and sleep.

The question is: how much more food do you actually need to perform your best on race day? Probably less than you think.

The sweet spot is about 400 extra calories per day during the three days before your race. That could be:

• 2 bananas + a tablespoon of honey
• 1.5 Clif Bars
• 2 cups of apple juice

What it doesn’t mean: stuffing yourself with an unlimited amount of spaghetti (been there!).

If you want to go all out on this, try tracking your diet about three weeks before race day using an app like Carbon Diet Coach—without changing anything at first. Then, during race week, simply add 400 extra calories per day to your baseline.

Even if you don’t change a thing about your diet, your glycogen stores will naturally replenish thanks to the lower mileage during your taper.

So yes, eat more—but never to the point where your stomach hurts and your recovery takes a hit.

American half-marathon record holder Ryan Hall talks about this and so much more on this episode of Peter Attia's The Drive Podcast.

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Life hack

You’ve probably tried a bunch of meditation apps—Headspace, Breath, Insight Timer, the list goes on.

This week, I’ve fallen in love with The Way by Henry Shukman.

Unlike most apps, The Way doesn’t overwhelm you with a massive selection of guided meditations. There’s only one path. But that path is designed by Shukman, built on 30 years of trial and error across every meditation style out there.

Think of it like following a structured training plan instead of just picking random workouts from YouTube.

These quick 10-minute sessions help you cultivate mindfulness, making it easier to dial in an optimal lifestyle between your runs.

If you want to try it, this link gives you 30 free sessions (courtesy of The Tim Ferriss Show), instead of the usual 12-day trial. After that, it’s a monthly or yearly subscription—priced similarly to other meditation apps.

For the record, The Way and Carbon Diet Coach aren’t sponsors—just really solid apps worth checking out!

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Quote

I’d learned what the word 'happy' meant. It meant there was no weight in your belly, and if you asked yourself how you felt, the answer spontaneously came back: good

- Henry Shukman

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Wishing you a great week filled with great runs. Keep the momentum going! 🏃‍♀️💼🌟