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Run To Eat: National Pizza Day

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Say what you want about not out running a bad diet, for a slice of pizza I’ll do my best!

We are definitely not foodies in this house. I’m fine with almond butter off the spoon, steamed broccoli, basic grilled chicken and David can’t tell the difference between a frozen burrito and a gourmet one…but when you start talking pizza, we’re ready to take things to the next level.pizza quoteIf I were trapped on a deserted island with only 1 food forever…pizza.
If I could make any food calorie free…pizza.
If I am dreaming of food during a run…pizza.

And I am not alone! It’s one of America’s favorite foods. American’s eat roughly 350 slices of pizza per second!!!

I really can’t even quite imagine what that looks like, but apparently it’s 100 acres worth of pizza.

Miles Per Pizza Slice

In honor of National Pizza Day on February 9th, I thought I’d have a little fun with just how many miles we need to run to enjoy some of our most prized slices.

This is not to say you can’t enjoy your food without “earning it” so please don’t email me with all that jazz. Eat your pizza any time you want, I just think mine tastes better related to a run…in fact, it’s my favorite dinner the night before long runs! national pizza day

National Pizza Day is observed annually on February 9th, how will you be celebrating this most wonderful of national days? Will it be thin crust, Chicago-style, deep dish? Dairy free, gluten free, vegan, veggie, meaty to the max?

Is pizza bad the night before a race?

There are many very healthy runners I know who, when it comes to what to eat the night before a long run, like to have pizza.

Is Pizza Carbo Loading?

But is pizza carbo loading? Not exactly.

Instead, I’d say for many runners it’s a comfort food, which leads to feeling relaxed the night before a big run. You are certainly getting a solid amount of carbohydrates from a thicker crust pizza, along with protein, so why not.

It turns out having “Pizza Friday” might be a super smart way to keep your indulgence in check  – Jane Ogden, Professor in Health Psychology at the University of Surrey, “If we use food as an occasional reward then the value of the food is increased but it becomes associated with a specific event which is rare and infrequent. This ties the food to a place and time which keeps it limited. So chips on a Friday or cake after the Sunday meal.

Now if it just isn’t pizza for you without a cold beer (personally I’d rather have another slice) then Kelly has you covered with this handy little chart. pizza and beer

Now because I’m doing to get a bunch of “you shouldn’t promote trying to out run a bad diet” comments, let me be clear…I’m still trying. No really, I eat a boatload of fruits and veggies, so I don’t feel bad about a weekly slice of pizza and a daily cookie!

AND a study from Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, shows that our obesity epidemic isn’t tied so much to what we eat, as HOW much we eat.

Man, I’m just convincing myself more and more that I am in the right to run to eat. Not that you can’t find a study to support just about anything you’d like to believe.

Why it’s ok to run for food

In fact, I’m going to defend my position that it’s just fine to enjoy running for your food.

  • It tastes glorious after a workout
  • You’re non-sweaty friends are jealous you can “eat whatever you want”
  • You can still load a pizza with veggies
  • Life is short
  • No one meal makes you fat
  • Good food, bad food mentality is stressful and that makes you fat
  • Technically this is probably a Paleo diet because it’s based on ancestors right? Well they ran to catch their food :)

As with all things in life, there is of course a tipping point where you’re running for food is either unsustainable or just unhealthy.

But I think everyone around here gets that I’m promoting a lifestyle of EAT YOUR VEGGIES and don’t stress too much about the rest of your food.

hilarious things runners think. click for more

More Fun Pizza Facts

And because I can’t just leave you with calorie facts, I mean we’re here to enjoy food, a few more fun National Pizza Day Facts:

  • Pepperoni is the most popular pizza at 36% of all pies ordered.
  • Over 3 billion pizzas are sold in the USA each year.
  • Add another 1 billion on frozen pizzas
  • 17% of all US Restaurants are pizzerias.
  • Antica Pizzeria, the first Pizzeria, opened in Naples, Italy, in 1738.
  • Gennaro Lombardi, the first Pizzeria in the United States, opened in 1895 in New York City.
  • Americans consume on average 23 pounds of pizza per person each year.

Healthy Pizza Options

All right if you’ve looked at the mileage above and decided you need to reconsider a few of your toppings, I have good news. There are a bazillion healthy versions out there and I’m happily trying to test as many of them as possible to ensure they are truly worth eating.

My personal method… 1 slice of what I love (weekly) alongside tons of veggies. Beyond that I go in for these healthy options, some of which are insanely creative!! No reason, healthy has to be boring.broccoli pizza

  • Mexican Pizza
  • Vegan Hawaiian Pizza
  • Dairy Free Mushroom Pesto Pizza
  • Kara Goucher’s Long Run Pizza
  • Tator Tot Hot Dish Pizza
  • Strawberry Brussel Sprouts Flatbread pizza

What’s your favorite topping??

Other ways to connect with Amanda
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Another fun day Thinking Out Loud.

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Posted by amanda Categories: Clean Eating, Funny Running

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    February 8, 2018 at 11:58 am

    I think tomorrow nights dinner plans just changed…. how can we not have pizza?! Loved reading the facts, some not so much as I like to enjoy my pizza and not think about calories. ;)
    Thank you for including my crazy Tator Tot Hotdish Pizza, because sometimes you need carbs on carbs! It was a “once in a lifetime” kind of thing with the Super Bowl being here that I just had to do. Thankfully it’s very filling and hard to eat more than a slice.

    • amanda says

      February 9, 2018 at 9:25 am

      I thought that pizza was so fun!!! I love all your ideas.

  2. Caitlin Edwards says

    February 8, 2018 at 3:45 pm

    Yes yes yes! I love pizza! Sometimes my running motivation is for the indulgent food I want to eat!

    http://Www.themilestraveled.com

  3. Kirsten says

    February 9, 2018 at 6:34 am

    Awesome pizza blog! Thanks!

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Amanda Brooks : Run Coach
A NEW PLAN DOESN’T FIX EVERYTHING. You might alr A NEW PLAN DOESN’T FIX EVERYTHING. You might already know what’s best for you, but aren’t doing it consistently. That’s the only way we really make changes.
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A PLAN can help, but I often don’t think that’s step one to making lasting change.
//
HABITS AND ROUTINES✴️
-Eliminate the need to make decisions.
-Which reduces brain fatigue.
-Which increases your chance of success.
//
TINY HABITS✴️
This is the smallest step you can take towards your goal. Often so small it seems insignificant, but is easy to make it a habit.
🌟
That leads you to another tiny habit, then another and suddenly it’s just your lifestyle.
👆👆👆
When people ask how I easily kept off 35lbs for over 15 years, while enjoying pizza, taking rest days and not obsessing about food.
👇👇👇👇
When people ask how I stay motivated to run year round and rarely race. Tiny habits.
//
Day one isn’t eat perfect or run for an hour.
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Day one IS drink a glass of water when I wake up. Put on my running clothes.
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Day 30 is then more like after I drink my glass of water, I do 5 push ups. After I put on my running clothes, I do a 5 minute warm up.
//
SLOW PROGRESS IS BETTER THAN NO PROGRESS, it builds momentum and is sustainable.
❔❔❔
Have you ever practiced creating tiny habits???
1️⃣ WORD TO DESCRIBE YOUR RUNNING THIS YEAR? M 1️⃣ WORD TO DESCRIBE YOUR RUNNING THIS YEAR?
Mine... satisfying.
😊
1900 miles blows away previous years.
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(swipe to see...because yes I love tracking.) Unfortunately I’m not positive what it was 2001-2007 because I wrote it on calendars.
//
SATISFYING
🥰I needed the long miles early on to process my business being thrown for a loop. Bye bye book tour and partnerships.
😊I needed it after that to get away from the news and pretend I wasn’t spending all day alone. Then as my business shifted again to keep ideas flowing.
🌲I loved the time outside to think, get lost in a comedy podcast or audiobook. Otherwise I’m at home working!
🤩Without a single race, I still checked a big goal off my list of running an ultra distance (solo was very interesting!).
//
I’ve seen some posts that make it seem like we’re wrong for talking about what we achieved this year.
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It was a HARD FCKIN year for everyone, but guess what lots of years are. And not every year is great even without a pandemic.
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For all the lows this year, I also worked my ass off to make some really good things happen. And I’m extra proud of that.
//
So let’s hear your word for fitness in 2020??
⬇️
Hard, easy, strong, powerful, consistent, cleansing, relaxing, nature, grace, grit, grind, triumph, building...
HAIR EMOJI POLL!!! Seriously hair...it’s a lot r HAIR EMOJI POLL!!! Seriously hair...it’s a lot right?! Figuring out what to do with it, color it don’t color it, keep it healthy, breakage from ponytails, long, short. And yet a good hair day😃 🔥 🌟
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POLL:
🥰Love your hair
🤪Frustrated with your hair
1️⃣Natural curls
2️⃣Stick straight
👇👇👇
Curly friends: share your favorite tips!!
Long hair friends: what helps you keep it healthy?
👆👆👆
//
At 7 I could sit in my hair it was so long.
At 10 we started perms.
At 16 I had a full mane of hair I loved.
At 20 I learned I have naturally curly hair 😂after years of perms as a kid.
At 25 I was going blonde blonde blonde.
At 29 I began losing hair and it got so brittle I had to chop it off, due to the hormone issues.😭
At 35 my hair started to recover (as did my body), but never like that mane I loved as a teen.
At 39 I got my first curly haircut! I’m still figuring it out, but was amazed at how it looked.
//
I don’t wear much make up, but I do admit to really caring about my hair and it was a tough time when it felt so unhealthy.
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I’m still struggling to figure out this new curly style 😂but keep hearing from other curly girls ya just gotta stick it out. So we’ll see.
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#curlygirlmethod #hairtalk
ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO RUN? Why don’t you just ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO RUN? Why don’t you just enjoy a day off? Don’t you feel guilty about the time apart?
//
Yes.
It makes me happy.
No, if I’m happy our time together is better.
👇👇👇
MY VIEW IS THIS...
❌If you aren’t working out because of food guilt
❌If you aren’t missing big moments because you must workout
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✅THEN GO FORTH and don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for improving your mental and physical health.
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//
My best advice when asked has always been to try and calmly explain why it matters to you and then just go. They get over it or used to it.
🎁 🎄🕎
TAKE ANOTHER LITTLE PIZZA MY HEART 😂a reminder TAKE ANOTHER LITTLE PIZZA MY HEART 😂a reminder this holiday season that we all need to be loved differently...and pizza transcends all.
//
🍕Do you have a favorite local pizza place?🍕🍕
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Yes, I knead to know for when we can travel again.
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Here we fell in love in love with @saucyspizza and I wouldn’t be sad if I got it as a gift 😆
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#pizzamemes #eatlocal #denvercolorado #ilovepizza #lovememes #pizzagram #digiorno #papajohns #foodisfuel #longrun #womenwhoeat #carbsarelife
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