What's on your race calendar?

(Julie ) #41

I have a half marathon to-do on Labor Day weekend, and will be sure to have plenty of electrolyte’s and salt tabs, but do not plan to carb any.

(Edith) #42

I ran my first half marathon in May. My body likes a little something in my stomach before a long run, but then I don’t need to have any fuel during the run or even for an hour or two after I finish.
When I ran my half marathon, I had a slice or two of bacon about an hour before the race. I brought a little packet of salt along and then added it to my water about halfway through the race. That seemed to work pretty well for me.

I would like to sign up for another HM and see if I can improve my time. I may play around with some extra carbs and see if they help give me a little more pep. I am a slow poke.

(Douglas Schwenn) #43

I am going to try to run a 3:15:00 or as close to it as I can. And in that pace is a big factor would you know what pace those other full marathon runners were running at? The Marathon I’m running is the WineGlass in New York and is mostly down hill so will be the easiest I’ve ever run, so I’m going to try for a big PR.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #44

No, I would t know pace. But @Alecmcq talks about his PR while on Keto.

Maybe he can give you a better idea.

(Douglas Schwenn) #45

So would it be wrong to ask what is the fastest time for a full marathon that anyone as gotten while fully fat adapted? With or with out carbs?

(Aimee Moisa) #46

I want to make a joke that the only thing on my race calendar is getting to the bathroom before the erythritol hits me. :wink:

(LeeAnn Brooks) #47

You can throw the question out there. I’ve only run a half marathon and I’m working my way back up to that. I fully plan on doing it fasted as my stomach doesn’t handle Keto food before runs and I’m not going to carb up.

(Alec) #48

I think this is a key point: when eating carbs on the run, I think you have to be very careful not to overdo it, otherwise you get an insulin spike, and suddenly your fat is not available. Now, in theory, you should have the carbs that caused the insulin spike to use, and that should be ok, but the question is, does this work smoothly for you.

This is why I suggest some trials using carbs on your long runs to test this stuff out.

(Alec) #49

Doug
You are well out of my league pace-wise, and I wouldn’t dare advise you on how to do a 3.15 marathon! Take my advice above for what it is: a slow plodder who has had some success going a bit faster using fat rather than carbs for 5 and 10ks. Longer distances are obviously a very different story, and especially if you are going at a 3.15 marathon pace.

My opinion, though remains the same: train low carb, race medium carb (to avoid insulin spikes), and make sure you test on long runs.

I would love to know what you choose to do, how you test during your training, and then how you go in your race. Pls let us all know here, we could all learn some very interesting points.
Cheers
Alec

(Julie ) #50

Alec, I like your advise. I do my halfs as a walker so it is a 3 hour walk. The last race I did I had been in Keto for 4 months and did not need any nutrition on the race. Did Carb a little after words with chocolate milk and a biscuit with my eggs. Felt great after and the next day. The race I am doing on Labor Day will be a hot weather race so will have plenty of electrolyte and some salt tabs. Still need to figure out the number of tabs that I should use for the duration. Will stick to my normal micro’s before the race for the most part with a little more fat’s the day or two before.

Julie

(Douglas Schwenn) #51

OK so I’ve run two 1/2 Marathons and I ran the first one fasted and had some coffee before, I’ve been caffeine free for years. The first one was on a very hot and humid day. I had a real hard time getting started and did not get the boost I usually get when I take coffee before a race, the only time I drink coffee. It was a flat coarse and I was trying for a 1:30:00 and finished at 1:41:07. The second 1/2 was also hot and humid and on a very hilly coarse. I had coffee again but I also took a full scoop of Ucan about 40 mins before the start of the race. I felt great and had a really good run. My trainer and I both think that if I’d have run on the same coarse as the first 1/2 I’d have hit the 1:30:00 even in the heat and humidity. My blood meter said I was 1.1 / 101 Keto / Glucose after the race. I’m planning on doing a full marathon at the end of the month and am planning on running it fasted and one full scoop of the Ucan 40 mins before and another half way though and some water and some electrolytes. I have been testing the Ucan on my longer harder runs and it has been great and not put me out of ketosis once. I use my blood meter before and after. One weekend I did an 11 mile run 0.6 / 100 before and 0.7 / 107 after and 20 the next day with speed work in the middle and was 0.6 / 102 before and 2.9 / 94 after Keto / Glucose. I’m very happy with the Ucan and my recovery’s have been great.
more to follow.

#52

Hi @schwenndj . Joined the forum looking for Keto Marathon nutrition strategies and very interested in your 2018 posts? I’m in a similar situation, looking for a 3hr marathon and in a fuelling dilemma! Start fasted, start fat fuelled, start carb fuelled? When to fuel during the race and how often etc etc. Interesting you use UCAN too, read a lot about the super starch. Hoping you can provide further insight from your personal Full Marathon and training experience? Thanks.

(Douglas Schwenn) #53

Hi Funk69, Short answer is it all worked. I was able to shave 15 mins off my full PR. I ran the Wineglass marathon and finished in 3:17:46. i was planning on trying to do a 3:15:00 or better but all of the people I train with thought that that would be too much. As I ran the race I felt fine and just kept on going. I did have a left ankle pain and had stopped running 3 days before the race to let it rest. It hurt the whole way though and the corners for the last 2 miles I had to slow and hobble to get around them, if not for that I think I would have hit the 3:15:00 I was trying for. As for the fueling I had no issues at all. I ran fasted from my normal dinner the night before, I had a medium cup of coffee with heavy cream in it about 45 mins to about 30 mins before the start drinking time (it was Hot). I also took a full scoop of UCan 40 mins before and another one mixed as a gel half way though and a couple of mineral tabs. At the water stations I ran though grabbed a water and rinsed my mouth and spit and then took a small swallow and that was all the water I had for the race. I felt really good after about 15 mins of the end of the race and with in a couple days I was back to normal. If you haven’t read it yet I’d recommend the book “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance” by Volek and Phinney. I found that for me every thing that they said in the book worked for me. I had to be stricter on my diet that they recommended in order to stay in Ketosis. I use a Precision Xtra meter to check my levels. I found just 35 or more carbs a day pop me out of ketosis. I fully beleive that if you are in full Ketosis you can run a full marathon fasted and do great with the stipulation that you use the Ucan.

#54

Hi @schwenndj Thanks for your reply. It’s much appreciated and generally aligns with my thinking. Fantastic achievement in your marathon, especially with the ankle injury!

My marathon entry is a last-minute addition, as I’ve been training for a tough 50K trail run, so although similar distance, my runs have involved more time with less intensity. Glycogen depletion has been a concern with the road marathon.

I’ve read many books, including “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance” and find everything fascinating. Best of all is applying the theory to yourself and reaping the benefits. [fasted runs are amazing!]
Something i should definitely buy is a Precision Xtra Meter, although I do seem to be fairly carb tolerant depending on exercise intensity. I guess the meter provides valuable/accurate insights into how the body reacts to different scenarios.

You’ve helped me confirm that UCAN is the fuel of choice. Also tried some before a ‘mixed interval run’ today with no ill effects, and felt a boost too!

Did you sprinkle in any complex carbs in the final couple of days? It’s something I’m contemplating.

(GINA ) #55

I thought I would bump this thread back up since in-person races are coming back.

The only race I have on the books now is a 3 miler in September. It isn’t a 5K oddly enough, it is half the course of the Wharf to Wharf in Santa Cruz, CA which is 6 miles (from one wharf to another). They call it The Little Wharf.

There is a half in the fall I like to run usually, but they aren’t having it this year. It is part of the Big Sur Marathon series and they are being extra cautious, I guess since all of their races are huge logistical projects. They say the regular Big Sur Marathon will be back in person in April 2022. I don’t run the marathon, but they have a bunch of different distances the same day. I usually do an 11 miler. It is an out-and-back from the finish line. The full, half, and 20 miler all involve getting on a bus to drive you down the coast to the starting line at about 4:00 am. No thanks.

What do you all have planned?

(Ohio ) #56

I’m thinking about signing up for my first 5k in 25 years. Starting in the very back!

#57

I’ve signed up for a 50 mile trail race next May in the hopes my mojo might be back by then

(David Cooke) #58

My favourite half marathon got postponed from 19 September to 29 February, but I managed to register for another half on 29 November, meaning that my training program has been proooolooonged. I really struggle through the sometimes 100% humidity and temperatures in the 30 - 37°C at 5am but this pays off when things cool down a little, getting back into PBs again. (Only been running for two years after a 55 years break).
Here’s a link to my next: https://www.runlah.com/events/kpmh21 and https://www.khaoyaimarathon.run

I will have a shot at full marathon training next year, taking it easy, not possible without family support!

#59

Looks warm!!! Did 16 miles in Singapore once staring at 8am. Pretty dumb

(GINA ) #60

Yesterday I signed up for a 10k in March. I have barely run in 6 stupid months due to some hip pain. I got a real diagnosis, x-rays to be sure it wasn’t a broken bone or something serious, and a referral for PT, but in the meantime I thought I would just try massage and running through it. I rested it for 6 months and that didn’t help, so I figured I would go the opposite way.

I am taking some precautions- no big hills, a lot of walking, easy miles on the treadmill, and so far there has been steady improvement. I recently read somewhere (maybe here, maybe elsewhere) that ‘rest is rust.’ I know rest is required sometimes, but wasn’t helping me.

I picked a training plan that starts next Monday and I am pretty excited to have something to look forward to again.

Anyone else have races coming up?