Marathon Training: Week Fifteen

 

Mon (10/12) 30min bike + 3mi run- Still feeling tired from last weeks long run. I got to the gym
around 7:30pm without much daylight left. I went inside to bike for 10min as a warm up and then did my 3mi run around the park. It was much darker than I'd like but I stuck close to the baseball field's bright floodlights and tried not to upset the fans of the game that was going on as I ran around in between them. After the run I finished with 20 more min on the upright stationary bike.

Tue (10/13) 45min bike + 15min elip- One of my ceramics class mates gave me a book on hand building ceramics. It's kind of a textbook of sorts. I did get quite sucked into reading it during my biking and then couldn't put it down when I moved over to the elliptical. I don't think I should read while on the elliptical in the future. My running form was awful and plodding. Not the right running motion effort may create bad habits or imbalanced. I felt tired enough after 60min of cross training but I managed to muster two sets of weights today with 30lbs.

Wed (10/14) 3mi run +30minbike- I opted to just do the 3mi run again, in order to not add too much weekly mileage to what I've done in the past 2-3weeks. Since last Tuesday when I did that 1.5mi pace workout I've noticed that the pace of all of my runs seems to have picked up. While this is kind of nice I can tell that my body is feeling more tired because of it.

Fri (10/16) 13.1mi long run! + 20min bike- I fully expected my body to be as sore as last week but I took an ice bath immediately after and had a good meal and lots of water. It seems to have significantly improved my body's recovery and recuperation. The 20 min bike after also seems to have stretched and straightened out my legs so they're not so cramped up after. I ran on the USNWC trails. My mileage was a lot slower, between 10-13min miles. Perhaps going up and down so many trails on the softer surface slowed things down?

Sat (10/17) 62min bike- I missed the gym hours again and admittedly, the weather is getting colder and i felt tired and, I had trouble making myself go for a bike ride. I did some stretching instead.

Sun (10/18) ice and roll- I did a light two mile run with Wayne to shake the residual cud out of my legs

In my blogs over the past few months you may have heard me mention that I'm using a GPS watch to help me track my mileage and training pace. I've been slowly trying to figure out how to use this GPS device to make my weekly training posts more interesting and allow you all to have more interactivity with my marathon journey. So, good news! You will now be getting the added tidbit of a GPS map view of my weekly long runs added to the usual weekly training blog posts here  Garmin Connect.

Post Run Refueling?

Phew! That was a swell run...and now I'm hungry. But, now the clock is ticking to get the right nutrition in your belly to help you recover stronger for another run tomorrow.



Our body breaks down carbohydrates from the foods we eat and converts them into a particular sugar called glucose. This sugar is a main source of fuel for our cells. When the body doesn't need to use the glucose for energy, it stores it in the liver and muscles. This stored form of glucose is made up of many connected glucose molecules called glycogen. When you exercise the body reaches for these glycogen stores first.

 When you finish exercising your body switches from the desire to use glycogen to the desire to replenish it. When your reserve is depleted your body will start to pull energy and nutrients from other places in your body. So, it's important to refuel your body properly and in a timely manner in order to have energy to recover from your exercise and move on with your day to a better tomorrow.

The best runners in the world, like Kara Goucher and her coach Alberto Salazar,  know the benefits of prompt and proper refueling, especially after sustained exercise of 45min or more. You can read Kara's experience and more from dieticians and athletes in this Running Times article Post-Run Recovery. Protein repairs exercise-induced muscle damage, reduces the response from the stress hormone cortisol and even helps speed glycogen replacement when you take in new carbohydrates. There's even a handy ratio formula. Post run you should consume 10 to 20grams of protein and 30 to 80 grams of carbohydrate. Or if you wanna be more specific, use the formula below.

USING THE 4:1 RATIO:

WEIGHT        DIVIDED BY 2 = CARBS        DIVIDED BY 4 = PROTEIN
125 pounds        63 grams carbohydrates        15 grams protein
170 pounds        85 grams carbohydrates        21 grams protein

There is a magic window of time approximately 30minutes after your run. If you just eat something, that's certainly better than eating nothing but, dieticians do caution that eating foods with too much fat in them immediately post run will slow down your metabolism and absorption of the carbs and protein essential to rebuild your body. This RunnersConnect article explains that their may be two stages of opportunity for refueling. The pre 30min window where you want your snack with proper carb:protein ratios. And then, within 3hours you should have a well rounded meal with some good fats, while your metabolism is still raised and ready to absorb good stuff.

Your tummy may not be ready to handle solid food yet, just 30min after you've finished exercising. So, that's why I opt for a smoothie. I have been skeptical in the past about adding protein powders because they're associated with muscly meat head gym rats. But even with all their extremeness their muscly protein theory is based on good principle. Just not in such protein heavy ratios. Prevention Magazine has a very helpful article outlining the different and best kinds of protein powder HERE.

I add and subtract ingredients to my post run smoothie depending on what we have available at home. This recipe will double up on some of the necessities but it's all about the nutrients and ratios right? Warning: I use a weight scale to measure oz. This recipe makes two smallish servings or one really large one.

4oz almond milk
4oz purple berry juice (cherry, cranberry or pomegranate)
1 large spoonful plain Greek yogurt
1 spoonful almond or peanut butter
pinch of spinach or other leafy green
1 frozen banana
4oz frozen blueberries
1/2scoop of chocolate whey protein powder

For some other, more solid food refueling recommendations, watch this RunDisney video.


For another awesome and more in depth article on refueling your bodies nutritional needs after exercise, see this Running Times article: Fueling Facts.