Low Carb Athletics

 Health  Comments Off on Low Carb Athletics
Jul 312012
 

I am sort of collecting links on people who are athletic on low carbs. This guy’s story is great.

http://eatingacademy.com/how-a-low-carb-diet-affected-my-athletic-performance
http://eatingacademy.com/start-here

Another person I found that I enjoy reading about is Dr T.:

His blog: http://drtrunning.blogspot.com/
His low carb epiphany (and then the articles forward in time from there): http://drtrunning.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-low-carb-ephiphany.html

Bottom line it appears that as your insulin resistance drops over time (from removing carbs) you transition from a glycogen burning machine to a fat burning machine. You do lose some top end anarobic performance, but that is a small price to pay (if you are not a sprinter) for getting access to a practically unlimited energy supply (fat), increased lactate threshhold, reduced body fat and reduced risk of heart disease.

 Posted by at 8:35 am

Weekly Training Report for 2012-07-29

 Training Log  Comments Off on Weekly Training Report for 2012-07-29
Jul 282012
 

Workouts 5
Time 180 min
Running 17.7 miles

  • tue: Philly run. Ran 3.0 miles for 30 minutes at 10:00 pace. Quick run this morning. I am in Philly for a conference and of course I brought my running shoes!
  • wed: Sherwood Forest Loop. Ran 2.8 miles for 26 minutes at 9:36 pace. Quick run in my Vibrams. Decided to keep the distance down in these shoes until I am back in minimalist running form. The 4.2 miler last week in them took 3 days to recover from.
  • fri: Mid-week miles. Ran 3.0 miles for 30 minutes at 10:01 pace. Hot and Humid. Putting in some mid week miles. I was supposed to run at conversational pace today but didn’t feel like logging a 11:30 pace run. This is week three of my half-marathon training plan. I am following Hal Higdon’s Novice II 12 week plan.
  • sat: Lynnfield 10K Loop. Ran 6.2 miles for 61 minutes at 9:56 pace. You would think after a couple of years running I would know how to pace myself. I was supposed to run this at 1:30 slower than my target half marathon pace (9:45) but instead I ran the first 3 miles at 9:20, 20 seconds faster than my target race pace. My stamina clearly is still recovering because by mile 5 my legs felt very tired and I had to stop 3 times in the last mile. Based on my training progression I am up to 7 miles next week, so I better do it by the numbers.
  • sun: Recovery run. Ran 2.7 miles for 31 minutes at 11:46 pace. Slow recovery jog. Kept average HR under 150. Lowest possible effort.
 Posted by at 8:00 pm

Weekly Training Report for 2012-07-22

 Training Log  Comments Off on Weekly Training Report for 2012-07-22
Jul 212012
 

Workouts 5
Time 212 min
Running 17.2 miles
Weights 40 min

  • mon: Sherwood Forest Loop. Ran 2.8 miles for 28 minutes at 10:09 pace. It was hot and humid but I waited until late so that at least the sun was not beating on me. My legs are still a bit tired from the century on Sat so I just took it slow. Now real issue to speak of.
  • wed: Upper body tuneup. Lifted for 40 minutes . I could not lift during my vacation so I needed to get some heavy work in to reactivate all those muscles.
  • wed: Locksley-Essex out and back. Ran 4.2 miles for 43 minutes at 10:11 pace. First serious run in my Vibrams since my Achilles rupture in September. It was incredibly hot and humid but there is just something about running “like” barefoot that makes things both easier and harder at the same time. The run itself went very well although I have a right sore calf muscle now.. not surprising at all really. I probably should have only done about 2 miles. You have to treat minimalist running with respect and ease (back) into it or pay a price.
  • thu: Sherwood Forest Loop. Ran 2.8 miles for 25 minutes at 9:05 pace. Calf is still sore from my Vibram run and I probably should not have pushed this so fast. Still it felt good to push the pace a bit!
  • sat: Short long run. Ran 7.5 miles for 76 minutes at 10:10 pace. I had plans for a 12 miler today but my calf was bothering me still this morning when I got up at 5 am. At 8:30 I decided to go for a shorter run. Too bad I missed those cooler dawn temps… its was 77 by the time I was done with the run. The run went pretty well, but legs felt tired at the end. Probably still weak from the 100 mile ride last Sat.
 Posted by at 8:00 pm

2012 Prouty Century (100 miles) 6:47

 Cycling Reports  Comments Off on 2012 Prouty Century (100 miles) 6:47
Jul 142012
 

My first century cycle ride completed! I met with my cycling team up in New Hampshire at dawn to line up for The Prouty, an annual ride through the Connecticut River valley to raise money for the Norris Cancer Center.  Our team, dubbed “The Proud Prouty Peeps”, had trained over the summer together to prepare for the big event.  The morning was hot and the day was hotter, topping out at 92 degrees as the day progressed.

Our teamed stayed together the entire day, starting together and finishing together.  Already the memory of the day is lost behind a haze of exhaustion, but I think the feeling of accomplishment is what I will really hold on to.  It was particularly great to ride with my sister Shelby and her husband David.

Continue reading »

Weekly Training Report for 2012-07-15

 Training Log  Comments Off on Weekly Training Report for 2012-07-15
Jul 142012
 

Workouts 3
Time 472 min
Cycling 100.4 miles
Running 7.0 miles

  • tue: Hot Humid Hell in South Carolina. Ran 4.0 miles for 40 minutes at 10:10 pace. On vacation on Hilton head island. Where the temperature is never below 85 and the humidity never less than 100 percent. I went for a run right near sunset along a pedestrian walkway (there are lots of those around here) in a place called Palmetto Dunes. The path ran alongside a channel/river and there are signs every 200 yards about alligators… as in watch out for them… yikes. The heat and humidity hit me like a truck when I got out of the car and I knew I was in for a painful run. My legs felt strong so I pushed the pace, but the humidity rapidly torpedoed that idea. The run turned into a slog fest of misery as I sweated pounds of water and my legs turned to dead stumps while my breath felt like I had to push it in and out of a wet paper bag.
  • thu: Along the beach in South Carolina. Ran 3.0 miles for 27 minutes at 9:00 pace. After Tuesdays unmitigated disaster attempting to run in this pea soup the natives call “air” I had not thought to run again on my vacation. But with the breeze off the ocean and the firm sand at my feet I felt that I would give it another go. It was an amazing run. I did it barefoot and my practice with a mid foot strike paid off as I ran down the coastline. I was on my way back when I realized I had a hot feeling at the base of my left big toe. By the time I got to my wife it was slightly uncomfortable. Several hours later it has turned into a blister 🙁 My vibrams would have been perfect for that run!
  • sun: Prouty Century. Rode 100.4 miles for 404 minutes at 14.89 mph.
 Posted by at 8:00 pm

174 pounds, 23% Body Fat (40 pounds of fat)

 Weight Loss Log  Comments Off on 174 pounds, 23% Body Fat (40 pounds of fat)
Jul 112012
 

david174
I pushed my weight down 6 pounds in the last two months by adopting a more radical low carb lifestyle.  I started on this road when I read a book called “Why we get fat” by Gary Taubes.  I have eliminated all sources of sugar (direct or indirect) from my life and eat basically vegetables and meats.  It has been difficult to adjust to athletics on no carbs but I am past the worst of it now.

 Posted by at 12:16 pm

Weekly Training Report for 2012-07-08

 Training Log  Comments Off on Weekly Training Report for 2012-07-08
Jul 072012
 

Workouts 5
Time 244 min
Cycling 25.1 miles
Running 12.7 miles

  • mon: What the heck was that???. Ran 3.0 miles for 45 minutes at 15:00 pace. I felt like an 80 yo asthmatic who was 70 pounds overweight. I was sucking wind in 200 yards. I had to walk every quarter mile. I guess my effort on Saturday really wiped me out and the humidity was the nail in the coffin.
  • tue: Sherwood Forest Loop. Ran 2.8 miles for 26 minutes at 9:25 pace. Weird that after yesterday’s wreck of a run this one went so well. I guess it was a little less humid and I was a little less tired!
  • thu: Sherwood Forest Loop. Ran 2.8 miles for 32 minutes at 11:36 pace. It was hot. It was humid. I was tired. I tried to run at at “conversational pace” but I am thinking that would be called “standing still” in that thick humid soup. I didn’t stop for the run and was very slow in some places. But I got it done and thats what matters.
  • fri: Locksley-Essex out and back. Ran 4.2 miles for 44 minutes at 10:25 pace. Another hot and humid evening, but this time I went out at dusk and it was slightly better. I took water + electrolytes and did fine with hydration. I felt good after the run with a nice warm feeling in my muscles.
  • sun: 25 Mile Lynnfield Cycle Loop. Rode 25.1 miles for 97 minutes at 15.48 mph. Pretty darn hot today. I went out at 1 pm with lots of sunscreen. I am glad I was not running in the heat, at least with cycling you get a breeze! Last ride before the 100 miler next Sat. I am headed to North Carolina in the morning so I will be doing my runs along the ocean this week.
 Posted by at 8:00 pm