Real Thought for Food for Long Workouts

Some runners had asked me earlier this year about the right foods to eat, particularly, right after a workout. I liked the analysis of this question presented today in a New York Times article. See http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/health/nutrition/05Best.html?em&ex=1212984000&en=2e6ea712ef9a8433&ei=5087%0A

The jist of the article is that, for all but the most hardcore athletes (such as those doing multiple workouts in the same day with rest in between the workouts), there is no clear evidence of performance-enhancement from specialized (4:1, protein:carb) diets, or from eating "recovery" foods or beverages right after a workout. Instead, the advice is to simply eat a balanced diet of "real foods at regular meals." I would add, that you will be better prepared, mentally, if you place your faith in training techniques have been proven effective. So, if you are training to improve as a 5K runner, keep your attention on factors that you know matter, namely, not getting injured and doing the right amount of different forms of running.