Not only is nutrition a major part of our daily lives, but it really comes into play when one is training for an endurance sport. Each of our bodies is unique and what works for one does not work for the other. It's important to get in tune with your body to see how it responds to different foods. Your eating habits can significantly affect your performance.
 
You need a balanced whole food diet that will give you sufficient energy as well as stamina (the ability to carry on for so much longer).
 
Let's look at some of the foods groups that are vitally important to good performance.
 
Carbohydrates
 
Carbohydrates are our main source of energy. Natural carbohydrates such as fruit, vegetables and grains are the only "clean-burning fuel" in our diet. To perform well our muscles need a good supply of energy. A primary source of this energy is glycogen, a carbohydrate that is stored in the muscles, ready for use when needed. When muscles run out of glycogen, that is when we "hit the wall."
 
A high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate sports diet provides sufficient glycogen for up to one hour of maximum exercise. A typical "mixed diet" supplies enough glycogen to allow approximately 90 minutes of maximum activity. A diet with sufficient carbohydrates supplies a full two hours worth of maximum activity as it promotes high glycogen muscle storage.
 
The best type of carbohydrates for an active or athletic person to consume is not pasta and chocolate, but rather unprocessed carbohydrates in the form of:

 
*Fresh fruit

*Brown/wild rice
*Potatoes
*Polenta
*Millet
*Sweet potatoes
*Unprocessed rolled oats
 
Fat

 

Fat also plays a valuable energy source, more so in activities that are lower intensity and longer duration. The diet should consist of roughly 20 percent fat from mostly unsaturated sources, such as vegetables and any of the oily fish. Good sources of fat are:

 

*All raw nuts and seeds
*Fresh yellow corn on the corn

*Olives

*Cold pressed / virgin oils (olive oil, not heated)

*Extra virgin coconut oil (to cook with) 

*Oily fish (e.g. mackerel, sardines, tuna (American tuna) wild caught trout, herring and wild caught salmon)

*Avocado

*Green leafy vegetables

 
Protein
 
Protein is not such an important source of energy, but it is very important in sustaining and building muscle. Humans are only able to naturally produce about one-half of the necessary amino acids that are most important for sustained health. The rest come from protein-rich foods. The body also does not store all the protein that it requires, which makes getting an adequate amount in our everyday diets that much more important. Those involved in endurance sports and resistance exercises should strive to get in a minimum of 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
 
Good sources of protein are:
 
*Organic egg whites
*Lean organic/grass fed red meat (limited)
*Wild caught salmon (not farmed raised)
*Lean organic chicken
*Raw nuts
*Quinoa (pronounced keen-WAH)
*Pea Protein Powder (AIM ProPeas is a whole food supplement that has 12g of protein per serving.  It contributes to the building of lean muscle mass).
 
Vitamins and Minerals
 
"Vitamin" comes from the Latin word "Vita," meaning "necessary for life." Minerals are often classed as more essential than vitamins because without minerals, plants (our main source of vitamins) cannot manufacture vitamins.
 
Vitamins can't be used by the body without minerals-and vice versa. Excessive intake of one vitamin or mineral may put a strain on other vitamins or minerals. Stress and disease also raise our requirements of certain vitamins. Natural foods are the best sources of all the vitamins and minerals we need.  To view which foods contain the different vitamins and minerals, check out this chart:  http://www.oldthingsforgotten.com/vit_min_chart.htm