I have a big race coming up next month - 184 mile run. I have been keto for 8 months and have experienced great results. For the first months of keto, I really focused on long slow distance, and all was well (once I was fat adapted). BUT, now that I am back to a heavy training load - 120 to 175 miles per week for the past couple of months - I am simply not recovering like I did pre-keto. For the first time in my running career it is taking me days to recover from a long run.
I know it is possible to do high mileage on a HFLC diet, but very few high mileage athletes are willing to disclose what the “low carb” number means for them. I know everyone is different, but I can’t seem to figure out just how many carbs to add to help in my recovery while still staying fat adapted - which has been life changing. Or maybe I’m missing the boat altogether and adding more carbs in isn’t the answer.
Thoughts/Questions
- I was lean before keto, and now I am very lean, so maybe I just can’t access enough body fat quickly enough for the amount I’m running.
- If the above is true, should I add more fat rather than carbs?
- Has anyone had success with high mileage recovery by upping your carbs but not messed up your fat adaptation? If so, how many carbs did you add?
Thanks for any advice. I know this is n=1, but I enjoy the process of figuring this stuff out!