christiana rutkowski, divison 1 cross country runner

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Athlete: Christiana Rutkowski // Track & Field

Affilitation: Seton Hall Pirates

Instagram: @christianarutkowski

Full disclosure: Christiana is my cousin by blood - but by bond, she is a sister. My godmother's daughter. A miracle baby. Several years younger than me but so wise beyond her years. Not to mention a wildly smart, beautiful inside and out, BAD ASS runner who started later (in high school) but is absolutely crushing everything that stands in her way. While she has one more year of NCAA eligibility, she just ran her last senior year race for Seton Hall. In honor of that, and her four years of racing, this post is for her. 

I won't tell her full story because it's hers to tell. I encourage you to follow her Tumblr blog, Champions Are Made, which she hadn't been openly sharing until a few years ago. She answers anonymous questions from people struggling with eating disorders, she posts original written work, and she shares what's at her absolute heart of hearts, whether good or bad. Promoting a plant-powered lifestyle for a significant time frame, she is now back on the animal protein bandwagon as of a few months ago. Why? because she listened to her body.

So wherever these posts take you - whether to the kitchen, to the track, or to a pool, I hope always that they will always take you to your heart. Learn, adapt, and be inspired, but always listen to your body.

Here, what a champion eats in a typical day when mileage is around 7-10 miles. 

"This food will change depending on where I am in the season, so this is an average from a day of relatively higher mileage"

BREAKFAST 1 / PRE-WORKOUT:

  • piece of whole grain toast with peanut butter OR a bowl of cereal OR a nutrition bar OR a banana with peanut butter

BREAKFAST 2/POST-WORKOUT:

  • my zucchini oats (RECIPE COMING SOON) OR a protein shake OR eggs & toast with pb, and of course...COFFEE

MID MORNING SNACK

  • piece of fruit

LUNCH

  • pb&j or pb&banana on whole grain bread with chocolate milk, a piece of fruit, some sort of vegetable on the side, and another snack (a protein bar, trail mix, granola, etc).
  • in place of the pb sandwich, it sometimes is turkey on rye bread with avocado or mayo or mustard.

AFTERNOON SNACK

  • any of the mentioned snacks above, sometimes a Greek yogurt, fruit salad, banana & pb, another hearty nutrition bar (or homemade ones)

DINNER

  • anything that has a carb, protein, and fat source...usually a piece of fish (salmon)/chicken/red meat, a side of pasta/potato/rice/quinoa/beans, and a fat like grated cheese/avocado/dressing/etc,
  • always with a side of vegetables or side salad

DESSERT

  • something I have made (black bean brownies, anything homemade/healthier versions of desserts for athletes), a Lenny & Larry's Complete Cookie (my favorites are Lemon Poppyseed, Snickerdoodle and Chocolate Chip), some ice cream, some chocolate, or more peanut butter
“always dessert!”
— christiana rutkowski