I realized I haven't really talked much about my running strategy. Basically, I'm following Mark Sisson's heart rate recommendations for staying in low level aerobic activity range most of the time I'm running. For me this maxes out at about 145 bpm. It also means I am probably technically jogging, not running. Meh. The reason I'm keeping my heart rate around this level is that I don't want to be burning sugar (glycogen) as fuel while I'm covering long distances. I eat a relatively low carb diet because I feel better eating that way, and I also feel better when I use primarily fat for fuel during exercise instead of sugar. After my first couple runs at 150 to 155 bpm, I realized I was going to have to slow it down or start loading up on carbs. You can see which I chose!
For my longer weekend runs, I try to run the first half of my scheduled mileage at or under 145 bpm. After about an hour, I start pushing a little harder and that's generally the point at which I'll go for the sugary fuel. I've tried several different things, but this is what I've settled on. A variation of Brendan Brazier's Direct Fuel Bites. Here's the recipe with my modifications and measurements:
Coconut date direct fuel bites, adapted
4 oz pitted dates (medjool or deglet noor are fine)
28g (2 tbsp) coconut oil (softened or melted)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
zest from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt (I used Real Salt for extra minerals)
1 packet Cococeps (totally optional. I had this laying around and wanted to check it out for the adaptogen factor)
Throw everything in the food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. Separate into 8 servings. I found that it's easiest to portion it using waxed paper, and then wrap the individual servings in little parchment squares. I keep them in the freezer, and right before a run I'll tuck several in a zip lock and put it in the pocket of my hydration belt. They get soft during a run, but stay in the parchment pretty well and come off easily.
From my couple experiments with these, I have found that one every 30 minutes after the first hour is okay, but for the race I plan to eat one every 20 minutes after the first hour.
Other things I've tried:
Dark chocolate - I thought this would be great because of it's high fat content and little bit of sugar and caffeine. Maybe a little is good, but I wasn't able to stick to just a little. And a whole bar before a run is definitely a bad thing for the tummy.
Hammer gel - I tried this once and while the taste was acceptable, by the time I felt any type of energy from the darn thing I was already running way too low on fuel. Admittedly, this could have been my fault for timing it wrong and I'm sure it would work in a pinch, but it wasn't my favorite solution.
Coconut oil, raisins, cocoa powder, protein powder, salt - This one was okay, but coconut oil is hard to manage when it gets melty, which doesn't take long! Also, the protein powder during the run and the fiber from the cocoa powder upset my stomach.
Coconut water - I have used this as a sports drink on my long runs up until this last weekend even, but how well it works seems to depend a lot on which brand agrees with your digestive system. The one that agreed with me most was the O.N.E. brand, but last Saturday at about mile 7 I was just tired of it and refilled my bottle with plain old water. I am pretty sure I'll just stick with water for the race, too.
So, that about wraps it up for my running and fueling strategies. I have to say that as Sunday gets nearer and nearer, I'm getting more and more nervous! I know I will finish, but I think the nerves are inevitable =)
Showing posts with label supplements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label supplements. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Vitamin C, l-glutamine, and sleep to the rescue! Plus, the next big thing?
Just a quick update...
I have been feeling lots better the last couple days. I took a few days to really focus on getting good sleep and have been following a simple vitamin c protocol (3 grams of vitamin c spread throughout the day) to help bring my stress hormone levels down. I'm also taking a gram of l-glutamine daily for good measure. Since I've been supplementing the quality of my sleep has really improved.
I'm a little nervous since I've still been tired and unmotivated to put much effort into running this week. Tuesday I did an easy 3.5 miles with lots of walking, and today I did 4.5 miles with a little walking. Saturday is my last long run before the race... going for 10 miles. *gulp* Next week is my official taper and I have a few short runs scheduled, and a big chunk of rest towards the end of the week.
The thing is, I know I can do it. I have no doubt I will complete that 13.1 miles on race day. I am just growing tired of logging so many miles per week. I am not cut out to be any type of distance runner.
To avoid the post-race blues, I've been seriously considering what I want my next goal to be. For the last few months I've been really excited about the possibility of going back to CrossFit. Now, that's a topic for a whole other post, but I'll just say that I am kind of hesitating now... I'm undecided about going back.
The other thing I have been considering is working on some bodybuilding stuff. I'd really like to shed some more fat and put on more muscle. The only reason I'm hesitating to jump full-on into it is that it's an aspiration but there's no real goal, and right now I think I need a goal to focus on.
So, things are up in the air right now. I'm going to take about two weeks after the race to adjust my diet and figure out where I want to go with things. For now I'm using most of my free time to steep in some heavy nutrition and exercise literature. I'll update more on what I'm reading in the near future! One thing for sure, whatever plan I choose I'm doing it paleo-style =)
I have been feeling lots better the last couple days. I took a few days to really focus on getting good sleep and have been following a simple vitamin c protocol (3 grams of vitamin c spread throughout the day) to help bring my stress hormone levels down. I'm also taking a gram of l-glutamine daily for good measure. Since I've been supplementing the quality of my sleep has really improved.
I'm a little nervous since I've still been tired and unmotivated to put much effort into running this week. Tuesday I did an easy 3.5 miles with lots of walking, and today I did 4.5 miles with a little walking. Saturday is my last long run before the race... going for 10 miles. *gulp* Next week is my official taper and I have a few short runs scheduled, and a big chunk of rest towards the end of the week.
The thing is, I know I can do it. I have no doubt I will complete that 13.1 miles on race day. I am just growing tired of logging so many miles per week. I am not cut out to be any type of distance runner.
To avoid the post-race blues, I've been seriously considering what I want my next goal to be. For the last few months I've been really excited about the possibility of going back to CrossFit. Now, that's a topic for a whole other post, but I'll just say that I am kind of hesitating now... I'm undecided about going back.
The other thing I have been considering is working on some bodybuilding stuff. I'd really like to shed some more fat and put on more muscle. The only reason I'm hesitating to jump full-on into it is that it's an aspiration but there's no real goal, and right now I think I need a goal to focus on.
So, things are up in the air right now. I'm going to take about two weeks after the race to adjust my diet and figure out where I want to go with things. For now I'm using most of my free time to steep in some heavy nutrition and exercise literature. I'll update more on what I'm reading in the near future! One thing for sure, whatever plan I choose I'm doing it paleo-style =)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Midweek blah and righting my attitude about food
I've wanted to sit down to write so many times during the last few days but I just haven't had the time.
My body has felt... a little rough this week. Part of it is that I'm working out so often, and I think the other part has to do with supplementation. After my first couple runs I began to notice what I thought were some indications of rising cortisol levels. My husband has been taking l-glutamine for a couple weeks and it's supposed to be good for a lot of things like healing the gut, muscle building, workout recovery, and managing cortisol levels, so I started taking it.
The last couple days, however, I've been feeling 'off'. A few dizzy spells, quite tired, having a hard time getting motivated to work out, feeling especially sore, not recovering as well as I was, etc. Earlier this week I happened to listen to a podcast where the person being interviewed mentioned that even though glutamine is good for healing the gut, some people have to be careful because it's a GABA precursor. I probably can't do a very good job explaining the neuro-endocrine side of how it all fits together, but the way I've been feeling leads me to believe that it's the l-glutamine that's making me feel weird. I've stopped taking it for now and I'll see if my situation improves.
In light of how I've been feeling this week, yesterday's run was a slog. I didn't want to go, had no motivation to do it, barely dragged my behind out of the house, and did the bare minimum required to get it done. I knew going into training that I'd have some days like that so I'm just glad that I got the miles in. I also took Monday as a rest day and cut back on my assistance work after my weights session tonight. Tomorrow's another day, though, and hopefully my brain chemistry will return to normal soon so I can start feeling a little better!
There must be something going on around the paleo blogging community lately because I've seen two blog posts about this recently... the need to adjust one's thinking and behaviors surrounding food. One is from Primal Kitchen and the other from AndreAnna. It seems I've started taking the attitude that since I've worked out I should be eating larger portions because "of course I need to have plenty of food to recover properly"!
I've been tracking my intake for months now, and what I've realized lately is that I'll eat to fulfill my calorie allotment even when I'm not hungry. Even when I'm stuffed, I'll finish my portion because I've already counted it into my allowance. I really want to shift towards a more intuitive based style of eating. I'm not sure how this will end up looking when all is said and done, but expect to see a few more posts about working towards that goal. I started this morning. When I woke up I wasn't hungry, so I had some broth and didn't eat until lunch. At lunch I had a snack sized portion of food, and then ate my lunch when I came home because my stomach was growling. After years of not being able to trust my body's hunger signals, it's going to take awhile to learn how to respond to them.
Luckily I've got plenty of opportunity to figure it out!
My body has felt... a little rough this week. Part of it is that I'm working out so often, and I think the other part has to do with supplementation. After my first couple runs I began to notice what I thought were some indications of rising cortisol levels. My husband has been taking l-glutamine for a couple weeks and it's supposed to be good for a lot of things like healing the gut, muscle building, workout recovery, and managing cortisol levels, so I started taking it.
The last couple days, however, I've been feeling 'off'. A few dizzy spells, quite tired, having a hard time getting motivated to work out, feeling especially sore, not recovering as well as I was, etc. Earlier this week I happened to listen to a podcast where the person being interviewed mentioned that even though glutamine is good for healing the gut, some people have to be careful because it's a GABA precursor. I probably can't do a very good job explaining the neuro-endocrine side of how it all fits together, but the way I've been feeling leads me to believe that it's the l-glutamine that's making me feel weird. I've stopped taking it for now and I'll see if my situation improves.
In light of how I've been feeling this week, yesterday's run was a slog. I didn't want to go, had no motivation to do it, barely dragged my behind out of the house, and did the bare minimum required to get it done. I knew going into training that I'd have some days like that so I'm just glad that I got the miles in. I also took Monday as a rest day and cut back on my assistance work after my weights session tonight. Tomorrow's another day, though, and hopefully my brain chemistry will return to normal soon so I can start feeling a little better!
There must be something going on around the paleo blogging community lately because I've seen two blog posts about this recently... the need to adjust one's thinking and behaviors surrounding food. One is from Primal Kitchen and the other from AndreAnna. It seems I've started taking the attitude that since I've worked out I should be eating larger portions because "of course I need to have plenty of food to recover properly"!
I've been tracking my intake for months now, and what I've realized lately is that I'll eat to fulfill my calorie allotment even when I'm not hungry. Even when I'm stuffed, I'll finish my portion because I've already counted it into my allowance. I really want to shift towards a more intuitive based style of eating. I'm not sure how this will end up looking when all is said and done, but expect to see a few more posts about working towards that goal. I started this morning. When I woke up I wasn't hungry, so I had some broth and didn't eat until lunch. At lunch I had a snack sized portion of food, and then ate my lunch when I came home because my stomach was growling. After years of not being able to trust my body's hunger signals, it's going to take awhile to learn how to respond to them.
Luckily I've got plenty of opportunity to figure it out!
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