Diet of an Olympic Marathon Champion

" ..I don't eat a lot, I don't drink a lot, and I don't eat much junk food. I'm conservative when it comes to nutrition. I don't subscribe to any exotic theories; I don't even eat that much when it comes to carbohydrates. I try to maintain a well-balanced diet I enjoy an occasional snack and a beer. That's it. "



-quote from Olympic Gold- A Runner's Life and Times by Frank Shorter with Marc Bloom.

I've finally got my hands on a copy of this book I've been wanting to read for years. Published in 1984, Frank Shorter provides insight into his entire running career, leaving us with a final attempt to qualify in the 10,000 in Los Angeles. I'm somewhat disappointed that he did not go into more detail on workouts, tapering, and more juicy stories (I've heard rumors or read somewhere that Shorter drank a liter of beer the night before his Olympic victory- no confirmation in this book).

I saw Shorter a few years ago in Boulder when I competed in the US Nationals Cross Country championships in the masters race. Sadly, he looked very stiff, but according to this article he still gets in an hour a day.