As I prepare for the Phoenix Rock 'n' Roll Marathon this weekend, I need to start carbo loading. I'd like to review why we need to carbo load, and how to do so properly.
When we run, our bodies need fuel. The basic sources are carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Protein is necessary for recovery AFTER exercise, but we use very little of it as fuel DURING exercise. Likewise, fat is an inefficient fuel source during aerobic exercise. The most efficient and readily available fuel during aerobic activity is carbohydrates, which our body stores as glycogen in our muscles and liver.
When runners talk about hitting "The Wall," what they are usually experiencing is depleted glycogen stores, and they are now forced to rely on fat and protein catabolism.
To avoid hitting the wall, you want to be able to burn glycogen as the primary fuel during the race. This is one reason why carbohydrate drinks, gels, and so forth are beneficial during the marathon. This is also the reason why carbo loading is popular and important.
During the last week of training, your training tapers such that you are burning less and storing more glycogen, simply as a result of decreased mileage. The final three days or so before the race, you want to "top off" your glycogen stores by consuming approximately 90% of your calories as carbohydrates, approximately 4 grams per pound of body wt (800 grams of carbs for a 200 lb person, for example).
Carbo loading, then, means that carbs are to be emphasized in your diet in the days leading up to the race. Pasta, rice, potatoes, and breads are favorite choices. Low fiber fruits such as bananas are good, too. Carbo loading will also cause you to retain water, so you get the added benefit of hydration leading up to the race. Don't be surprised if you gain a few pounds during the days of carbo loading.
Carbo loading does NOT mean you should gorge yourself the days before the race. To do so will leave you feeling sluggish and slow. Eat about the same number of calories, just shift to carbs (~90%).
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
New Year's Inspiration
If your goal is to lose weight and get in shape in 2012, read about three Lincoln women who share their weight loss story in this article.
http://journalstar.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/losing-weight-in-the-new-year-resolve-to-take-care/article_4c8932a2-c1b1-5c39-9b24-db6a2ead77af.html
http://journalstar.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/losing-weight-in-the-new-year-resolve-to-take-care/article_4c8932a2-c1b1-5c39-9b24-db6a2ead77af.html
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Taper Talk
With my next marathon only a week away, I've been tapering for the last couple of weeks. I'd like to review how to taper properly, and why it is so important.
To train properly for a marathon puts an enormous amount of stress on the body. You need to taper the last 2-3 weeks to make sure you have fresh legs for the race, and are prepared to perform your best.
Tapering ideally starts 3 weeks before the race, but can be compressed down to two weeks if need be. The distance of each run should be decreased by ~25-33%. For example, my midweek runs decrease from 5 to 4 to 3 miles the weeks before the race. My Sunday long run, after peaking at 20 miles, drops to 12 and then 8 miles the week before the race.
Tapering gives your muscles, ligaments, and tendons a chance to heal before the race. With proper carbo-loading, you replenish your body's storage of glycogen, the key fuel upon which you rely during the marathon.
Many runners resist tapering and do not do it properly. That's a mistake, because the taper is critically important to any training program.
Here's what my two week taper looks like, after a 20 mile long run.
M T W T F S S
rest 4 3 3 rest 6 8
rest 3 2 2 rest rest race
To train properly for a marathon puts an enormous amount of stress on the body. You need to taper the last 2-3 weeks to make sure you have fresh legs for the race, and are prepared to perform your best.
Tapering ideally starts 3 weeks before the race, but can be compressed down to two weeks if need be. The distance of each run should be decreased by ~25-33%. For example, my midweek runs decrease from 5 to 4 to 3 miles the weeks before the race. My Sunday long run, after peaking at 20 miles, drops to 12 and then 8 miles the week before the race.
Tapering gives your muscles, ligaments, and tendons a chance to heal before the race. With proper carbo-loading, you replenish your body's storage of glycogen, the key fuel upon which you rely during the marathon.
Many runners resist tapering and do not do it properly. That's a mistake, because the taper is critically important to any training program.
Here's what my two week taper looks like, after a 20 mile long run.
M T W T F S S
rest 4 3 3 rest 6 8
rest 3 2 2 rest rest race
Friday, January 6, 2012
LTC Meeting
Just a reminder that the Lincoln Track Club Annual Meeting is this Sunday afternoon. There is a renewal run at 4:30 with dinner and meeting to follow.
Details at:
http://www.lincolnrun.org/
Details at:
http://www.lincolnrun.org/
Thursday, January 5, 2012
#13--Brookings Marathon
Brookings, South Dakota
May 12, 2007
4:53:13
This was my last marathon during residency. I was set to graduate in a few months, and was very busy studying for boards, getting my license in Florida, and making plans to move and begin my post-graduate fellowship. I wanted to do one more race before I left, and South Dakota was an easy choice.
Brookings is a very nice college town, and the thing that stood out to me most about this was the volunteers and how proud they were of their town and race. Race conditions were perfect, and the course was nice, mostly running through the campus and the towns many parks.
I had been sick leading up to the race, and didn't run for the last 10 days or so leading up to it. I carried a fanny pack full of cold medicine and inhalers. I'm glad the medical director on the course didn't see me, or he might have taken me off the course.
Needless to say, I didn't run a great race. I finished in just under 5 hours. I went back to the hotel, took an ice bath, and then hopped in my jeep and drove the 4 hours back to Omaha. My wife was waiting for me there with a rake and a bunch of mulch. She was watching WAY too much HGTV then.
Here's a link to the race website.
http://www.brookingsmarathon.com/
May 12, 2007
4:53:13
This was my last marathon during residency. I was set to graduate in a few months, and was very busy studying for boards, getting my license in Florida, and making plans to move and begin my post-graduate fellowship. I wanted to do one more race before I left, and South Dakota was an easy choice.
Brookings is a very nice college town, and the thing that stood out to me most about this was the volunteers and how proud they were of their town and race. Race conditions were perfect, and the course was nice, mostly running through the campus and the towns many parks.
I had been sick leading up to the race, and didn't run for the last 10 days or so leading up to it. I carried a fanny pack full of cold medicine and inhalers. I'm glad the medical director on the course didn't see me, or he might have taken me off the course.
Needless to say, I didn't run a great race. I finished in just under 5 hours. I went back to the hotel, took an ice bath, and then hopped in my jeep and drove the 4 hours back to Omaha. My wife was waiting for me there with a rake and a bunch of mulch. She was watching WAY too much HGTV then.
Here's a link to the race website.
http://www.brookingsmarathon.com/
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
New Year's Goals
Half of Americans make New Year's Resolutions, but fewer than half of those are maintained at 6 months. How are you doing on your New Year's Resolutions? Unfortunately, it's a fact that most resolutions fail--most of them quickly. I've always preferred "goals" to "resolutions." To me, the latter term implies some sweeping change that can be too difficult to measure and attain, while the former tends to be more familiar and a little easier to grasp.
To be effective, resolutions or goals should have four characteristics.
1. Concrete--Don't say, "I'm going to exercise more," or "I'm going to get organized." What does that mean, really? To be effective, the goal needs to be concrete. "I am going to exercise for 60 minutes a day, 5 days a week," for example.
2. Realistic--One of the most common reasons people give up their goals is that they set themselves up to fail. If the goal is unrealistic, there is temptation to throw the whole thing out the window after the first couple setbacks. For people who don't exercise much to begin with, I don't suggest making a goal to work out every single day. If something comes up and you miss a single work out, the goal is shot. Life happens, make the goal realistic.
3. Measurable--The only way to know if you are meeting your goals is to have some way to measure them at regular intervals. The best goals are measurable.
4. Have a plan--Write out a plan. Include the goal, how you will measure it, and when you want to achieve certain benchmarks. Consider giving yourself a reward for achieving them. Buy a new pair of jeans when you've lost 10 lbs, or something like that. Anticipate stumbling blocks and think about how you'll handle the challenges that will inevitably come up.
A few of my New Year's Goals:
-Run 8 marathons in 2012
-Run under 4:00 in a fall marathon
-Post on this blog at least two times/week
-Get back to my high school weight for my 20 year reunion (I might be breaking some of my own rules with this one!)
To be effective, resolutions or goals should have four characteristics.
1. Concrete--Don't say, "I'm going to exercise more," or "I'm going to get organized." What does that mean, really? To be effective, the goal needs to be concrete. "I am going to exercise for 60 minutes a day, 5 days a week," for example.
2. Realistic--One of the most common reasons people give up their goals is that they set themselves up to fail. If the goal is unrealistic, there is temptation to throw the whole thing out the window after the first couple setbacks. For people who don't exercise much to begin with, I don't suggest making a goal to work out every single day. If something comes up and you miss a single work out, the goal is shot. Life happens, make the goal realistic.
3. Measurable--The only way to know if you are meeting your goals is to have some way to measure them at regular intervals. The best goals are measurable.
4. Have a plan--Write out a plan. Include the goal, how you will measure it, and when you want to achieve certain benchmarks. Consider giving yourself a reward for achieving them. Buy a new pair of jeans when you've lost 10 lbs, or something like that. Anticipate stumbling blocks and think about how you'll handle the challenges that will inevitably come up.
A few of my New Year's Goals:
-Run 8 marathons in 2012
-Run under 4:00 in a fall marathon
-Post on this blog at least two times/week
-Get back to my high school weight for my 20 year reunion (I might be breaking some of my own rules with this one!)
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