Carb Loading for Runners

We have all heard about carb loading and the importance of it before racing, but when exactly should we do it? Here is some information I have found on the subject.

From Running Times:

A full belly isn’t necessarily full of healthy carbs that will help you race successfully, so it is important to effectively carb load.

1) 90 Minutes or Longer
Carbohydrate loading is appropriate for races lasting 90 minutes or longer. Such events begin to exhaust glycogen stores. By carbohydrate loading, a runner may be able to sustain pace longer, supporting endurance performance.

2) Know Thy Carbs
Most runners know good sources of carbohydrates are bread, and, well, pasta. So that means you should eat more bread and more pasta to carb load, right? It’s true that eating bread and pasta will support carbohydrate loading, but there are other great sources of carbohydrates to keep in mind when carbohydrate loading.

Great carbohydrate-rich food sources:

Starches: bread, pasta, rice, cereal, bagel, oatmeal, pancake, English muffin, tortilla, couscous, low-fat muffin, gnocchi, polenta and quinoa

Starchy vegetables: potatoes, peas, pumpkin, squash, beans and lentils

Fruit: bananas, apples, peaches, pears, pineapple, oranges, cherries, mango, kiwi, any form of dried fruit, canned fruit

Dairy: flavored low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt

Snacks: pretzels, animal crackers, Fig Newtons, low-fat granola bar, low-fat crackers, baked chips, and graham crackers

Beverages: flavored low-fat milk, juice, sports drink, Boost or Ensure, low-fat smoothie

Sports Bars/Energy Bars: PowerBar Performance Bar, Clif Bar, Honey Stinger Bar
(Some sports bars are geared toward high protein, not high carb. These are not the bars to choose when carb loading.)

Extras: honey, fruit preserves or jam and maple syrup

3) Drink Thy Carbs
Carbohydrate loading can feel a little awkward. Since training is scaled back it may be a bit uncomfortable to feel like you’re eating a decent amount without putting in all of the miles. Drinking your carbohydrates is a great way to incorporate carbohydrates without feeling weighed down or bloated.

Add a glass of milk or juice to meals instead of drinking just water. Between meals sip on warm cider, a smoothie, or even sports drink to keep you feeling light on your feet while also stocking glycogen stores and potentially boosting race day stamina.

4) Be Mindful of Fiber
It’s well-known that fiber is a part of a healthy diet; however, when carbohydrate loading it’s worth considering limiting fiber. This isn’t the time to eat the cereal or tortilla pumped with 10–15g of fiber. Fiber absorbs fluid and either swells up or forms a gel that can rob much-needed room for sufficient carbohydrates. Too much fiber when carb loading may produce a sense of fullness that will leave you less inclined to keep stocking glycogen stores. Another potential downfall of excessive fiber, if you’re not used to it, is that it may contribute to race day gastrointestinal distress. For example, eating a black bean burrito the night before a marathon may not be the best option for the fiber sensitive runner.

On the other hand, there are a lot of people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or who have trouble with regular bowel patterns. For those who still want to promote bowel regularity, it’s beneficial to include a moderate amount of fiber during this time. Having healthy bowel elimination will promote the desire to keep eating and reduce the risk of race day gastrointestinal distress.

5) Go Very Low Fat
Fat can really contribute to feeling a greater sense of fullness and discomfort; it adds unwanted calories, and it doesn’t provide any benefit during carbohydrate loading for race day performance. Skimp on the fat. Eating very low-fat will allow a runner to avoid excessive calorie consumption, weight gain, and the general sense of race day sluggishness that comes with them.

You can skimp on the fat by eating a sandwich without the cheese, avoiding creamy sauces and gravies, limiting nuts and nut butters, adding minimal oils and butters to cooking and skipping them in topping bread or a baked potato, limiting fatty breads like croissants, Danishes and fatty muffins, switching from mayonnaise to mustard on a sandwich, avoiding fried foods (this includes chicken or fish in a pasta or on a sandwich), Fatty desserts, salad dressings, sour cream and casseroles are other common ways fat can slip into the diet.

6) Eat Often
You don’t have to eat massive meals. Eating small frequent meals can help in avoiding feeling heavy, full and bloated.

7) Consider Your Last Meal
The last meal the night before a long race doesn’t need to leave you rolling away from the table. For some it may be a lighter meal because effort was made to go heavier in carbs at earlier meals. Also, consider the timing of this meal. It’s helpful to have this meal early enough in the evening that the meal is well digested by race time. A large 10 p.m. pre-marathon meal may not be the best idea before a 5:30 a.m. race start. If the meal ends up on the early side consider topping off the tank before bed with an easy to digest option like a Boost or Ensure, low-fat pudding, or applesauce.

8) Test it Out
The average 150-pound runner needs about 550–650g of carbohydrate/day to maximize glycogen stores. Those with a bigger or smaller frame will want to adjust according to their body weight. It’s wise to test out what a 550–600g carbohydrate day feels like during training. A great day to do this is before a long-run training day. This will help in understanding how to incorporate sufficient carbohydrates not only in daily training, but when carbohydrate loading. It also will help gauge if you feel like this is a sufficient amount of carbohydrates to fuel a successful race day performance.

More is not necessarily better. For that 150-pound runner, about 600g of carbohydrates should be sufficient to maximize glycogen stores. This runner doesn’t need to consume 750g a day to gain any additional ergogenic benefit.

9) Avoid Drastic Changes
Stick with foods that you are familiar and comfortable consuming. This isn’t the time to experiment or make any drastic changes to the diet. For example, if you don’t normally eat a diet rich in fruit, this isn’t the time to eat fruit all day long when carb loading.

Carbohydrate loading is an effective way to maximize glycogen stores and race day performance. Be sure to consider carbohydrate loading before your next endurance event.

Reader question…what is your typical pre-race meal?

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What To Do In The First 5 Minutes After A Long Run

I don’t know about you, but when I do a long run, the first thing on my mind after finishing is to drink a recovery drink and get a shower. Food is usually the last thing on my mind until I get freshened up.

According to an article I came across today, I am doing everything wrong when it comes to that crucial time window after a long run.

This information was taken from an article on Active.com

•Within five minutes of finishing, eat a small recovery meal of protein and simple sugars. A glass of chocolate milk and a piece of fruit work great.
•After a half-hour, focus on hydration, and begin consuming 16 to 32 ounces of water. This is particularly important if it’s hot out.
•Also within a half-hour, complete a runner-specific core routine that helps you warm-down properly, correct imbalances, and strengthen your body to withstand the impact forces of running.
•Within about an hour, eat a full meal focusing on protein, low glycemic index carbohydrates, and healthy fats like olive oil or avocado. Basically, eat real food and avoid anything processed.
•After your meal, take a shower and start mentally recovering. If you can, try to relax and read or watch TV (this is also a good time period to continue hydrating).
•If you have the time, take a nap. This is when your body begins to repair the damage from your long run. Sleep is the ultimate recovery tool in your toolbox, so use it as often as possible.
•When you wake up, go for a short walk or do some easy mobility exercises to help you loosen up. Active recovery always beats passive recovery and the added blood flow will give your recovery a boost.

In theory this all looks feasible, its just a matter of me actually doing it…and remembering to do it. I wish I could have time for a nap after long runs, but being a mom of 4 kids, that doesn’t happen too often — maybe one day.

Does this list sound like your typical “post long run routine”? I will try and remember this information after my next long run, but I sure cant make any promises that I will change my current routine — afterall, aren’t we really creatures of habit?

Where I Run

Today’s post will be a few pictures from my long run last weekend.

I usually go out for my runs early in the morning before sunrise and run a couple laps around a jogging trail where I always see turtles, bunnies and beautiful red birds. Since these runs are usually 3 miles or so, I don’t mind running that loop a few times, but with longer runs I would go crazy seeing the same thing over and over with each mile.

Since I was doing 7 miles last weekend, I decided to do my 2 miles on the trail, then head out on the local roads once the sun began to rise.

I headed over to a local fishing pond and captured this picture as the sun was coming up.

As I continued along the fishing pond I saw a few ducks headed back to the water.

I looped around the pond and then continued on my run.

A few miles later I captured what has become one of my favorite pictures from my runs — a little red barn at sunrise. There was still some low fog in the area, but the sun was coming up and gave a nice glow on the grass.

I enjoy my short runs, but its my long runs that I really cherish.

Color Me Rad 5K

I am excited to be a Color Me Rad Ambassador! I have NOT participated in Color Me Rad or any color race before, but will get to experience my first one in May when Color Me Rad comes to a city near me.

What is Color Me Rad you ask?? Its a 5K where you start out clean as a whistle in a white shirt and by the end of the race, you look like a bag of Skittles colored with blue, green, pink, purple and yellow.

What is in the color? Its a non-toxic colored corn starch.

This is a non-timed, fun race 5K for everyone young and old! Kids under 7 race free!!

This is an event for runners or walkers — its really a race for everyone to come out and have fun!

As an Ambassador, I am pleased to announce a discount code for you to register for a race regardless or location for 20% off!! To take advantage of this discount, use the code “radfun”. This code is only good through July 31st — so act fast!!

http://www.colormerad.com

Quick Tips

Grapefruit can help you lose fat. A glass of grapefruit juice is a good choice to start a healthy day.

Walking Interval Workout

Sometimes you just need a day off from running for whatever reason or another. Here is an interval WALKING workout for the treadmill.

Time / Speed / Incline / Calories Burned (based on 130lb woman)
0:00-5:00 / 2.5 (24 min. per mile) / 5% / 27
5:00-10:00 / 3.0 (20 min. per mile) / 10% / 38
10:00-12:00 / 4.0 (15 min. per mile) / 15% / 24
12:00-17:00 / 3.0 / 10% / 38
17:00-19:00 / 4.0 / 15% / 24
19:00-24:00 / 3.0 / 10% / 38
24:00-26:00 / 4.0 / 15% / 24
26:00-31:00 / 3.0 / 10% / 38
31:00-33:00 / 4.0 / 15% / 24
33:00-38:00 / 3.0 / 10% / 38
38:00-40:00 / 4.0 / 15% / 24
40:00-45:00 / 3.0 / 10% / 38
45:00-50:00 / 2.5 / 5% / 27

Total calories burned: 402

Quick Tips

Want to lose weight fast? Do lots of cardio: running, biking and swimming are perfect cardio workout activities.

Cardio is what burns fat the fastest.

Upcoming Races – 2014

February 21, 2014 – Disney Royal Family 5K – Walt Disney World

February 23, 2014 – Disney Princess half marathon – Walt Disney World

March 23, 2014 – Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon – Dallas, TX

April 27, 2014 – Oklahoma City Memorial half marathon – OKC, OK

May 10, 2014 – Color Me Rad 5K – OKC, OK

Training Update – mid July

I am officially just under 3 weeks out from my first mud run, but I haven’t been training too much for it. I know I should we working on my upper body strength or something like that, but lately I have just been focusing on running. I have a goal set for 60 miles this month, and looking at my mileage so far, I think I should be able to make that.

I am doing Jeff Galloway’s half marathon training method with run/walk intervals. Why half marathon training and not training more specific to Tower of Terror 10 miler?? Well, I figure since I am running a half marathon in early December, I need to be not only getting my mileage up for Tower of Terror, but also for the half. By mid October I will be finished with my half marathon training, then at that point I will reassess where I need to go from there to keep me ready for December.

As of right now, 6 miles has been my farthest run. Next weekend I am scheduled to do 7 miles. I have been trying to get out of the house more and run outside just before the sun comes up, instead of so many miles on the treadmill. It’s funny, I never had an issue with the treadmill until I started running outside over the last few weeks, now I despise the treadmill and have officially given it that lovely “dreadmill” title as so many others have.

I’ve been going out to a local trail that is perfectly measured out to 1 mile. I always see turtles and bunnies on my run in the morning, but I have already been scoping out how to make that run longer for next weekends 7 miles without having to run around that trail 7 times.

I’ve also done a little bit of ladder work on the treadmill, but I really find I do better with my speed when I am outside (at least that’s what Garmin tells me).

Don’t get me wrong though, I haven’t completely forgotten about my upper body strength that I will need for some of these obstacles. I’ve been doing push ups…and…planks (those count for upper body strength right??) Ok, I really need to do some work in the next couple weeks.

So, how has your training been going? What race are you training for if any?

To get through …

To get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping.

– Chinese Proverb