Carbo Loading Time!

I'm two days away from the Empire State Marathon, and so it's time to start turning my attention to carbo loading. I did some reading and thought I'd share what I found.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I found was an article in the NYTimes that cites a number of studies that claim that a short, intensive carbo loading the day before the race is the best method:

In both studies, carbohydrates eaten at breakfast on race day, during the race itself or on days earlier in the week were relatively unimportant. It was primarily what people ate on the day before the race that mattered.

Okay, so focus on the day beforehand. Which can be a problem, given that I'll be travelling and away from my pantry. So what types of food should I pack or search out?

I often tell people to choose relatively concentrated sources of carbs, like juices, pasta, rice and sweets,” Mr. Wilson [a graduate student at the University of Minnesota who led the study] says. “That way, the volume of food needed isn't so enormous.” In addition, he says, “lower-fiber foods may be good, since that could reduce the potential for stomach distress during the race.” 

Dimity McDowell, writing in Runners World, provides me a detailed list:

"Tortillas, oatmeal, bread, pancakes, waffles, bagels, yogurt, and juice are all easy-to-digest options. Many fruits are high in carbs but are also high in fiber—and too much can cause stomach trouble midrace. "Bananas are a low-fiber choice," says sports nutritionist Ilana Katz, R.D. "And you can peel apples, peaches, and pears to reduce their fiber content." She also gives her clients permission to indulge in white bread and baked potatoes without the skin since both are easily digested.
Ryan suggests steering clear of high-fat foods—like creamy sauces, cheese, butter, and oils—as well as too much protein. Both nutrients fill you up faster than carbs and take longer to digest, she says. Pick jam—not butter—for your toast, tomato sauce in lieu of alfredo sauce on your pasta, and frozen yogurt instead of ice cream for dessert.

Cool - I can work with that. I absolutely love bananas and bagels anyways, so shouldn't be a problem. But how much should I be eating? The NYTimes article states that

...few of the runners in either study actually consumed enough carbohydrates to benefit, even if they thought that they were doing so. In both studies, the minimum effective “dose” of carbohydrates was at least six or seven grams for every kilogram of a person’s body weight, or about a quarter-ounce of carbohydrates for every 2.2 pounds of body weight. By that formula, a 220-pound runner would need to consume at least 25 ounces, or more than 700 grams, of carbohydrates on the day before a marathon to finish faster.

The Runners World article provides guidance along these lines:

At this point, 85 to 95 percent of your calories should come from carbs, says Katz. Ryan recommends eating about four grams of carbs for every pound of body weight (for a 150 pound runner that's 600 grams—or 2,400 calories—of carbs per day). 

What’s interesting is how this affects your weight:

Be prepared to see a number that's at least four pounds more than your usual weight. The extra pounds mean you get a gold star for carbo-loading properly. "With every gram of stored carbohydrate, you store an extra three grams of water," says Katz.

I think I've got enough for a plan now. But i'm curious: what kind of foods you you carbo load on? Let me know in the comments!

Marathon Nutrition Strategy

One of the challenging aspects about the marathon is how to take in energy as you're running. This is important, because as Sara Latta's article details, most runners only have ~2,000 calories worth of glycogen stored in the muscles and liver, enough to get you to about mile 20. Once you deplete your glycogen reserves, you hit the Wall, where your body moves from burning glucose to burning fat, a much less efficient energy source. Latta writes:

"...burning fatty acids requires plentiful oxygen, so as fatty acid metabolism increases, your heart must work harder to pump more oxygen-carrying blood to the muscles. It may be difficult or impossible to maintain your pace, especially if you've lost enough water through sweat to become even slightly dehydrated (this causes your blood to become thicker and therefore harder to pump). ”

Sounds unpleasant! And it is - I've been there. Your limbs feel heavy and the mind becomes stagnant as the body focuses its energy elsewhere. So the trick is to take in enough glucose during the run to prevent or delay this turnover as long as possible. As someone that has a tricky stomach, this has been a challenge for me. How to best replenish my reserves as I run without sparking GI?

I've tried a few things over the years. These include:

1. Acceleraide. Typically, I've drank the Orange flavor in my hand-held, but have also used other other sports drinks like Gatorade, etc. This appears to be effective, but I've encountered two issues with these sports drinks:  
• Sweet. After a while, the thought of drinking more flavored drink is just nauseating – I just want water! Wish there was a way to carry just a shot or two with me.
• Sour stomach. All of the carbs in the liquid doesn't always sit well.
2. Gels. These are the most efficient method for immediate energy that I know of. I've used a number of different flavors and styles, but have mainly stuck with GUs. My issues with them are:
• Flavor. These can range from horrible (Salted Watermelon!) to excellent (Salted Caramel!)
• Caffeine. While at times it’s nice to have this added energy, caffeine can upset my stomach, especially on a relatively empty stomach on early morning runs. 
• Too quick? At times, the energy hits me so quickly I sometimes feel shaky or jittery.
3. Chews. My favorite. I find that the chews are a good balance of energy and slower digestion. My only issue here is that they’re very sticky and bulky, so not always easy to carry around. 

My tactic will be to rely mainly on chews and water. While I’m going to carry a GU or two with me, in case I need big boost of glucose for the later stages of the race, i'm going to avoid it if I can.

What do you think? What worked for you? Send along any advice you have in the comments.

Related Posts:
Don't Drive the Boat: My Nutrition Strategy for TNF 50 DC
To Supplement or Not to Supplement

Don't Drive the Boat: My Nutrition Strategy for TNF 50 DC

The North Face 50 miler (DC) is rapidly approaching.  I have put in the training, my fitness is quite good.  One area where I am not confident, however, is my nutrition/hydration strategy.  I have run exactly 3 events of marathon distance or longer (one marathon and two 50ks).  Two of these races took place in spring after a solid training cycle done primarily in cooler temperatures.  Both of these spring races were in temperatures not terribly warm, but considerably warmer than the temperatures I trained in.  I bonked very badly in each of these races which led to a death march to the finish.  The last of these death marches took place a little over 3 weeks ago, so I certainly have reason to be concerned.

In the weeks of training since that last death march, I have worked considerably on nutrition and hydration.  I have worn a heat suit on a majority of my runs, layering up in my winter running gear to simulate warmer temps.  In my attempts to solve the nutrition and hydration problem, I can say I have fallen victim to what I like to call the “driving the boat approach”.

When you drive a boat, you turn the wheel a little, and you don’t get the effect you want immediately, so a novice will turn the wheel more.  Soon, you’ll find you’ve turned too much, and so you might overcompensate by turning the wheel too much in the other direction.  Not a very efficient strategy.

In my approach to hydration and nutrition this year, I first took the approach that I would train my body not to need as much hydration and nutrition.  This started with Metabolic Efficiency runs, where I would limit calories before a run, keep the pace quite slow and head out for 90 to 120 minutes of running with no calories and limited water.  I actually got quite good at this in the heart of a New England winter.  I thought this would carry over to longer runs when temperatures got warmer.

I was wrong.  What I hoped was that I could drink less water and eat less calories on a typical run at a regular effort than the same type of run from last year.  Given that my running abilities have increased, I set off in my spring race with high hopes and a single hand-held.  After pushing the pace through 1 loop, not in-taking any calories and having drained 20 oz of water, I was feeling off.  But I thought I could easily remedy that at the aid station.  Two small cups of coke in addition to a freshly filled handheld should do it right?  Whoops, I forgot to eat, just focusing on hydration (though the code did provide some calories).  Thankfully, I had two GUs stashed in my bottle.  But I was already behind and it turned out I was never able to get back to where I needed to be.  Instead, I pushed the pace despite feeling badly, blew my legs up and had little left even after I got on top of my hydration/nutrition needs.

Two weeks later, finally fully recovered, I set out for 25 miles of trails, intending to simulate my upcoming race.  I was rushing out the door and didn’t have time to eat a proper breakfast, nor hydrate before the run, but I thought I’d be ok, given the sheer amount of hydration and calories I was bringing.  It’s true, I had not skimped in any way as I was determined to eat and drink constantly on this run.  Before setting off, I ate a clif bar.  I figured 250 calories is the max your body can process in an hour anyway, so I should be all set until hour 2.  I drank to thirst from my hydration pak and I felt just find for the first hour.  In hour two, I figured I’d take a gel every 30 minutes.  I should have started right on the hour mark, but I did not.  I waited until 1:30, when I started to feel light headed, to take my first gel.  For some reason, despite the lack of energy I felt, I didn’t try to top up on calories or water.  I could have taken 2 GUs for example, and drank heartily from my hydration bladder.  Instead, I just kept telling myself, 1 gel every 30 minutes, drink to thirst.

I was still feeling ok by the time I hit two hours, but I think the damage was done.  I passed through the “aid station” I had set up quickly, grabbing some “real food” calories but choosing not to refill my water knowing I’d be back to the car in 5 miles.  Not refilling proved to be a mistake, because I rationed water over the latter part of those 5 miles (which took longer than I expected) and got behind on hydration (having already started behind, this was not a good situation).  Another mistake I made was to take in solid food calories for longer, sustained energy, without tending to my immediate energy needs.  I should have taken a gel along with my “real food” to keep me running strong. 

After I finished the 5 mile loop and was back at the car, I was determined to do two things:  1. Eat and drink myself back to where I needed to be to finish the run and 2. To slow my pace down so as to not crush my legs in the state I was in; to give my body a chance to recover before picking the pace up again.  #2 was smart.  #1 was a good idea, but here is where I drove the boat in the other direction.  I ate a bunch of real food and a couple gels.  I drank 32 oz of water in one sitting and then however much I could after getting through the food.  Despite moving quite slowly, the impact to my system of taking all those calories and water at once was quite strenuous.  I became very nauseous.  In fact, I even needed to sit down at one point to collect myself.

After a short rest I got back up and started moving slowly down the trail.  As the nausea started to dissipate, I could feel my energy coming around.  I didn’t have any desire to eat for an hour after taking in all those calories and drinking all that water, and I’m glad I didn’t force it.  All in all, the last hour and a half of the run went quite well, especially once I started taking in gels and drinking on a regular schedule.  I switched to every 20 minutes for the second half of the run and that seemed to work out fine.  I finished feeling ok, but had certainly put in some painfully slowly miles correctly my mistakes along the way.  (I ran out of water a couple miles from the finish, which I’m sure I would not have were I to have filled up again the first aid stop and then again at the second aid stop).

I took the lessons learned in these experiences into my last long run before the race this past weekend.  I ate a nice breakfast and drank plenty of water before heading out on my run.  I started my calorie intake 30 minutes into the run and was very regular about it, switching the 20 minute intervals in the second half of the run.  I mixed real food with gels, never taking in more than 400 calories in an hour, and making sure I stayed balanced between the two (weighing more heavily on the immediate energy side of things).  I stuck to non-caffeinated products/food for the first half of the run and then mixed in caffeinated products/foods for the second half.  I drank every time the thought occurred to me.  If I felt light-headed, or my energy fading, I ate a bit more, drank and bit more and pulled the effort back ever so slightly.  It wasn’t the fastest run I’ve ever done, but it was far better than my effort of the previous week on the same trails.

Still, the North Face 50 miler will bring a lot more heat and a lot more miles.  I’m hoping this balanced plan can see me through to the end.  The training is there, so do I know how to properly drive the boat or not?

Pre-marathon Carbo Loading

With the Burlington Marathon four days away, it's time to completely rest the muscles and think about carbo loading! From what i've read, you should carbo-load three days before the race, but do so that you're not adding additional carbs on top of your regular diet but substitute some of your regular food with foods that are high in carbs. With this in mind, here's what I have planned out for my menu for the next three days:

• Thursday Breakfast. Bagels.
• Thursday Lunch. Baked potato with avocado and salsa. Snack will be my wife's incredible low-fat oatmeal cookies.
• Thursday Dinner. Chicken and bean burrito.
• Friday Breakfast. Bagels.
• Friday Lunch. Up in the air, because i'll be travelling to Burlington. Probably a sandwich of some kind. Snacks will be fruit of all kinds: grapes, apples and blueberries.
• Friday dinner:  Pasta with pesto and broccoli with Parmesan and walnuts on top. Side of garlic bread.
• Saturday breakfast: Blueberry pancakes with VT maple syrup. Mmmmm... 
• Saturday lunch: Bagel sandwich somewhere in Burlington. I'm also pretty sure i'll end up eating some of the best french fries on the planet. 
• Saturday dinner: Soba noodle salad. 
• Race-day morning: Oatmeal with some dried blueberries.

What do you think? How do you carbo load before a long race?

Tell Me About Gu

I think I've pretty much established that I don't eat (drink?) Gu when I run.  And no, its not because I rely on the competing Cliff Shot gels or Honey Stinger energy gels. 

Rather, to be completely honest, its becausae I've never even tried any of these products.  Just the idea of a mouthful of goo seems rather distasteful.  And I rather enjoy chewing on the various candy-like products that are made for runners.

But, I've decided to expand and try new things to see if they work for me.  So, tell me about your use of energy gels.  Unlike with other sources of calories, energy gels hit your system with about 100 calories all at once.  How soon into your run do you take one, and how often thereafter?  Do you have a favorite flavor - or a flavor you'd avoid?   

Smoothies

So i'm intersted in a good smoothie recipe for before/after runs so that i'm refuling wisely rather than devouring whatever happens to be in my path.

What, if anything, do you drink after your runs? Do you make your own smoothies? If so, what do you use? Are they fruit based? Include dairy (just for Joel, I guess)? This RW smoothie article includes an interesting carrot juice recipe here that sounds like it's worth exploring.

Protein, Part II

Our earlier discussion about supplements got me thinking about nutrition and diet more generally. One of my favorite journalists, the self-proclaimed "less-meatarian" Mark Bittman also happens to be a runner. In the New York Times, he describes three changes he made to increase his energy level and decrease his recovery time:

"One, I started drinking Gatorade (we're going to tackle a homemade recipe for that very soon; stay tuned) during long runs. Two, I started eating an hour before every run of six miles or more; usually that was a bowl of oatmeal or bulgur, or some peanut butter and crackers. And three, I started eating a "concentrated protein," usually tofu, a can of sardines, an egg thrown onto whatever else I'm eating, or something equally simple, right after six-miles-or-longer runs."

I've already been practicing the first two suggestions, but I think it's time that I start paying attention to post-run protein. I appreciate the idea that this can come from something as simple as a bowl of fresh tofu -- throw on some scallions and and soy sauce, and that's a pretty tasty snack!