Okay, here's the question of the day. Why is it that my body seems to want more food when my training volume decreases than during some of the heaviest training/racing periods of the year?
Is it simply the timing? The times when training volume drops just happen to correspond to things like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas? Is the sudden urge to eat everything in site related to the holidays?
Is there a scientific explanation? Is my brain directing me toward every morsel of food in an attempt to pack on weight before I go haywire and start training like a maniac, again? Is the change in seasons or daylight somehow responsible?
Is it perspective? Am I actually eating less, but FEEL like I'm eating more simply because my training volume is down? Is the "everything in sight" that I eat during the heaviest training periods actually considerably more than I eat now?
Just to keep things straight, I eat like a horse when I'm logging a lot of training hours. I maintain a very good diet of things I should be eating, and throw in a lot of whatever else I can find to fuel the body. Since I'm not putting on a great many pounds, my intake is fairly even with my training volume.
But it FEELS like I've always got something in my hand. Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, etc.
Is it just me?
About 10 days ago, my kids started coming down with colds. They had slight fevers followed by lots of congestion and coughing. We spent several days wiping noses, pushing fluids, and occassionally disregarding alarmist warnings by providing medicine. Having two sick kids meant a lot of nights sleeping on one floor or another trying to comfort them, or at least keeping them company when they couldn't sleep.
Even so, I managed to fight off what was making them sick. Well, for a while, at least. I consider it good timing, as I'm in the first week of my taper heading into the Fall 50 race on October 25th. It's good that it's taper so taking some time off is a minor deal. It's good that it's the first week of taper as that gives me a couple weeks to fully recover before running 50 miles.
I did manage to get my final long run of 30 miles done on Sunday. And there are a couple of "lessons learned" from that run.
The run went fairly well, though it started a bit late in the day for my liking. When I headed out just after two in the afternoon, it was about 60F. I spent some time debating what to wear, since it was currently warm but likely to get cooler before I finished. In the end, I went with my wool tights, a tri-top for carrying nutrition, and a long sleeve technical shirt over that.
After about 60 minutes, I was regretting that decision. I was getting hot, and I forgot to add Endurolytes to my Gatorade, and figured dehydration might become an issue. That all changed about two hours into the run.
That's when the temperature dropped to between 50F and 55F. And the rain started. And that's how it stayed for the remaining three hours of the run. In the end, I lucked out with my choices, and stayed comfortable despite the deteriorating conditions.
For this run, I tried two "new" products. And I must say, I have a new BFF. By "BFF," I mean Best Flavor Forever. Remember last week's post talking about the sickly sweet taste CarBoom's Kiwi Strawberry gel? After consulting a few people at my local running store, I tested the Apple Cinnamon flavor. In a word, YUM! It's nowhere near as sweet (though still sweeter than Gu), and actually tastes like apple-cinnamon. I'd almost put this stuff on pancakes. While I won't switch from Gu to CarBoom, I will certainly use the two for variety.
I also picked up another pack of Clif Shot Bloks. Last week, I used a sample pack of the cola flavor. I liked the concept, but the flavor was sort of "blah." This week, I tested their black cherry Bloks. They were awesome.
So, after years of testing different products, I'm narrowing down to a "menu" that will work for extreme distance races. Mixing TriBerry Gu, Apple Cinnamon CarBoom, and Black Cherry Shot Bloks I will have a good variety of flavors with a combination of textures. Add to that any flavor Gatorade with Endurolytes powder, and I have a plan that has been quite successful over the past several months.
And now, I'm going to wait and see what happens first. Will I run out of tissue, or will my head explode from sinus pressure? The suspense is killing me.
One significant difference between marathon training and ultra marathon training is the nutrition needed for training runs. Most marathoners will complete two runs of about 20 miles prior to race day. Training for the Fall 50 in October calls for back to back weekend runs, and those runs have been in the range of 4-5 hours for weeks. That translates to 23-30 miles.
At that distance, I go through a lot of nutrition while training. This weekend I used nine gels and a packet of Clif Shot Bloks (more on that, later). I'm grateful for various Online sources that help save on the cost, because a case of Gu is lasting barely two weeks.
For this weekend's runs, I tested out some freebies. Both the health expo and actual race for the Fox Cities Marathon allowed me to stock up on CarBoom gels, and I also picked up a sample of Clif Shot Bloks. And the rule is to not RACE with new things. Though they were both the distance of a marathon, neither training run was a race.
On Saturday, I went with four Strawberry Kiwi CarBoom gels. My very first impression was "Holy insulin reaction, Batman!" I'll have to test others, but I feel safe in saying the Strawberry Kiwi flavor is sickly sweet. It says a lot that the Gatorade chaser tasted bland.
That said, I finished all four gels and suffered no GI distress. Of course, I've never had any distress from any gel, so I might be a bad example. Gu, Power Gel, Hammer, whatever. And at 110 calories instead of the 90 Gu provides, CarBoom might have a place in my arsenal.
Sunday, I went with two Triberry Gu, two more Strawberry Kiwi CarBoom, and a package of cola Shot Bloks. I used the Gu first, followed by the CarBoom, and finished with the Bloks. Interestingly, the CarBoom seemed less sweet after the Gu. For future races, I might consider alternating Gu with CarBoom. It's a few extra calories and provides a greater variety of flavors.
For the most part, I liked the Shot Bloks very much. They provided a bit of solid food without being overwhelming. Since they are in caramel size pieces, portion control is easy, and each piece is about 10 calories. As a note, in addition to being the same size as a caramel, they are equally sticky and chewy.
Update: Co-worker and commentor John pointed out that I may have misread the nutrition information on the package of Shot Bloks. We looked it up On-line and determined a package of six pieces has 200 calories, making three pieces comparable to a single packet of gel. Thanks to John for pointing this out. It makes me more comfortable with the idea of using them.
The biggest concern with the Shot Bloks is that a package of six pieces is only 60 calories. Those six pieces take up far more room than a couple of gels, for a fraction of the energy. Anyone looking for "bang for the buck" would be better off going with gels. But for someone looking for variety and "solid food," Shot Bloks might be the answer.
Finally, a bit more feedback on Hammer Endurolytes powder. I've been using this in my primary drinking bottles for several long runs, now. The results have been completely positive. I'm now completing 30 mile runs in warm weather without serious dehydration. In the past, runs of 10-15 miles often resulted in dehydration. Depending on the individual's tolerance for the "salty" taste of increased electrolytes, there is a great deal of flexibility in dosage.
My final test will be to use Endurolytes powder with Gatorade Endurance. That is what will be used on the course of the Fall 50, and I have a couple sample packs for tests during training. I believe it will be fine, and continue to recommend this product as an option for those struggling with hydration issues.
As you consider alternative nutrition ideas, please remember to test them in training. As you become more comfortable with what your body can and cannot take, you'll have a better idea what might work during a race. I've found I can grab just about any gel being offered on the course and use it without worry. Others I know have to always carry their very specific nutrition as just about anything else will take them out of the race.
A safe bet, though, is that if you DON'T test it, it will cause problems.
Anyone familiar with Chris McCormack's history at the Ironman World Championships knows he paid some heavy dues on his way to becoming world champion. His early attempts at winning in Hawaii ended in failure as he struggled with heat, dehydration, nutrition, and the worst the course could throw at him. By constantly learning the lessons taught at Kona, adjusting his plans, and, most importantly, making changes to his electrolyte intake, McCormack fought his way to the top of the podium.
Last year, after learning about McCormack's plight in past races, I started looking into electrolyte replacement techniques. I saw a lot of what he experienced in myself. In many training sessions and most races, dehydration led to problems at the end of the event. Anything over a couple hours would find me caked in salt and dehydrated, regardless of fluid intake.
In the best of conditions, I am unable to swallow most electrolyte supplement in pill form. The one I was able to swallow caused GI issues both times I tried it. And one powder form I learned about, Gatorlytes, seemed unavailable for the average joe (if they're even still produced). Finally, last year, I learned that Hammer Endurolytes were available in a powder form.
The perfect solution! Well, almost perfect. It seems that while Endurolyte capsules are available everywhere, the powder is much harder to locate. In fact, the only place I was able to find it was Online. So, last week, I gave up on local sources and ordered a can direct from Hammer.
This past weekend was a great opportunity to test it out. With a four hour run on Saturday followed by a three hour run on Sunday, dehydration was sure to be a problem.
Saturday, I went with one scoop of Endurolyte powder per eight ounce bottle of Gatorade. I carry four bottles on my belt, giving me 32 ounces of fluid and four scoops of Endurolytes. During the run, I have to refuel, and opted to skip carrying additional powder for those bottles.
Saturday was already warm when I started the run at 5 a.m. Twenty-three miles later, at 9 a.m., it was considerably warmer. And I was still sweating. Normally, after this kind of run, I would be totally dehydrated, and perhaps a bit bloated. I considered this a good sign.
Sunday, I headed out late in the afternoon. Though it was a bit cooler, I went with about 1.5 scoops of Endurolytes per bottle to see if taste would be an issue. I will continue to increase the amount until it becomes unpalatable. With 1.5 scoops, it tasted fine. Again, I was still sweating when I arrived home, and didn't feel that fluids were staying in my stomach. Good sign number two.
Most importantly, I didn't spend all day Saturday and most of Sunday dehydrated. In fact, I felt very good on my run Sunday. Compared to past runs in this range, it was the best set of consecutive runs I've completed. It was also the longest run weekend I've ever completed.
I will continue to test the Hammer Endurolyte powder over the next couple of months. So far, they get a big thumbs up for resolving my "no sweat" issue.
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