BU Sargent Alum Aims for Eighth Marathon

BY STEPHANIE ROTONDO

What does a dietitian eat the night before the Boston Marathon? “Usually pizza,” says Ming Cheung (CAS ’08, SAR ’14). On April 20, the Framingham, Mass. native runs his eighth marathon – his fourth in Boston – to support Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham (BIDN).

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Ming Cheung, Photo credit: BIDN

After graduating from Sargent College with a Master of Science in nutrition, Cheung began working full-time at his internship placement, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), where he is currently a dietitian employed through Sodexo.

An overweight teen, Cheung drastically changed his lifestyle before his first semester at BU, dropping more than 50 pounds. “I was sick of not fitting into normal clothes,” he says. It was as a freshman at Boston University that he ran his first Boston Marathon.

“It was always a dream of mine to run the marathon,” he says. “I had a bunch of friends who wanted to run, and we became the BU Bandits.”

Cheung believes his background in nutrition gives him a competitive edge. “I feel like I was able to condition my body and know how food interacts with my body much better,” he says. “I can adjust what I eat to optimize my training.”

And the strategy is not rocket science. In fact, consistency is key. “I learned not to change my diet before the marathon, to keep it consistent and increase carbs a bit more.”

Cheung’s advice for other runners? It’s no surprise he recommends a healthy diet. “Once I started eating healthy, running got a lot easier,” he explains. “After my first marathon, I was sore for over 2 weeks. Once I learned about nutrition, I was only sore for one day, and maybe the second day.”

Being a dietician “helps with knowing what to eat after a marathon and training session.” Cheung recommends that everyone learn what works for them, but hydration as well as increasing potassium and electrolytes are key.

Cheung’s goal is to finish the 119th Boston Marathon in under four hours. He previously raised more than $12,000 from his combined marathons and this year has set a goal of donating $7,500 to the BIDN Cancer Center and Surgical Pavilion.

Visit Cheung’s marathon page to learn more or to donate.