farrellcat Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Just wondering if anyone out there has had this experience? I am an avid runner running 5 days/week 4-10 miles/day. I do a combo of speed work, recovery runs and long runs. I lift heavy 5 days/week. I may throw an occasional bike, swim or evening walk as well. I saw no difference in my running until yesterday (day 4). I was doing intervals and my legs would start burning with fatigue shortly into the accelerations. I was not able to finish the intervals and almost needed to walk the cool down. I went out for a recovery run today and had the same burning, dead wobbly feeling and needed to run/walk. I felt like I was at mile 24 of a marathon the whole entire 5 mile. An absolute shambles!! No energy left to lift today. My Question: Will this improve? I have read that it is normal to feel fatigued when exercising while your body gets used to using fat as fuel. How long does this last?? I'm not training for anything right now so it's not that big of a deal but I don't want to lose fitness either. HELP! ( I reviewed the meal template and my meals/pre work out/post work out are on target) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators SugarcubeOD Posted July 20, 2017 Moderators Share Posted July 20, 2017 10 minutes ago, farrellcat said: Just wondering if anyone out there has had this experience? I am an avid runner running 5 days/week 4-10 miles/day. I do a combo of speed work, recovery runs and long runs. I lift heavy 5 days/week. I may throw an occasional bike, swim or evening walk as well. I saw no difference in my running until yesterday (day 4). I was doing intervals and my legs would start burning with fatigue shortly into the accelerations. I was not able to finish the intervals and almost needed to walk the cool down. I went out for a recovery run today and had the same burning, dead wobbly feeling and needed to run/walk. I felt like I was at mile 24 of a marathon the whole entire 5 mile. An absolute shambles!! No energy left to lift today. My Question: Will this improve? I have read that it is normal to feel fatigued when exercising while your body gets used to using fat as fuel. How long does this last?? I'm not training for anything right now so it's not that big of a deal but I don't want to lose fitness either. HELP! ( I reviewed the meal template and my meals/pre work out/post work out are on target) As you've said, it happens... It can last about a week or so that your workouts suffer while you switch over to fat adaptation... just be kind to yourself, lots of rest, don't try and kill a workout and it'll get better... you're not losing fitness, it doesn't really work like that... your current fitness level that you've developed is still there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farrellcat Posted July 20, 2017 Author Share Posted July 20, 2017 Thank you. That helps. It maybe a great excuse to cut myself some slack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurelerin22 Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 Yes, it will get better. Like you said, it's your body adjusting to burning fat instead of immediately available carbs. I was also slow and sluggish the first couple of weeks, but by the end, my workouts were better than they were before Whole30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farrellcat Posted July 23, 2017 Author Share Posted July 23, 2017 laurelerin22, thanks for posting. I'm trying to be patient and let my body adjust. It's good to hear that I'm not alone in this experience. I just had no idea how profoundly bad I would feel while running. I am at day 8 and still running a full minute/mile slower than my usual easy pace and I need to take frequent short walk breaks and my legs burn/ache the whole time. This is very atypical for me. I'm able to lift without fatigue and feel great otherwise. Biking tomorrow so it will be interesting to see how that goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farrellcat Posted August 1, 2017 Author Share Posted August 1, 2017 Just an update for anyone who comes across this post in the future. I am now at day 18 an I can run like the wind. I must say that I almost gave up on whole30 because of the PROFOUND affected my fitness routine and my ability to run. Those first 2 weeks were insanely difficult when it came to workouts...never thought it would be that bad. I stuck it out and sucked it up and am so glad that I did. I now have more energy and feel wonderful when I run. Hey...and no more "chub-rub" which means I must have lost some weight as well. So to anyone who has doubts like I did....stick with it. It will get better. Some advice: Do NOT start whole30 while training for an event. Do it in the off season or after your A-race while in recovery. I also added lots of potatoes (regular and sweet), squash and a tad more fruit to my meals. Happy Happy Happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cmaroney25 Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Thanks so much for the update farrellcat! I am experiencing the same thing in my runs. I'm on day 11 and all week it's felt like I've had lead weights attached to my feet. I'm glad I read this post and like you said, not alone in this. I'll just go easier for another week or so and hopefully have the same experience you did by day 18! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoakley13 Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 My running mirrors farrellcat's. Days 1-17, my average pace was a minute or so slower than normal and I felt like I was running uphill even when on flat land. I don't know what happened on Day 18 but it was like magic and I was back to normal. Now I'm on Day 29 and have shaved another minute off my average pace so I'm faster than when I even started my Whole30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farrellcat Posted August 8, 2017 Author Share Posted August 8, 2017 Cmaroney25, Hope you are starting to feel better. I'm day 24 not and I am starting to run faster than I was before I started whole30. I've also been able to make gains in the weight room this past week which hasn't happened in a long time. Hang in there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antytrebs Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 I am so glad to see these posts! I did my first Whole 30 in 2015, and I couldn't find anything about this. I convinced my husband to eat Whole 30 with me, and he bailed because his legs were so weak. It's reassuring to see that this is something other people experience. It is also great advice to not be training for anything. I'm on day 2 this go around, and am hoping I can be patient with the heavy legs in the beginning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antytrebs Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 Now on day 29 and have been feeling great on my runs. The recommendation of a hardboiled egg and a handful of nuts pre-run or workout has been amazing. I'm not usually hungry at all at 6:00 am, but it's totally worth it for how I am now feeling when I run. I'm also not too far from 50 so need all the help I can get;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rufit4u Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 On 7/19/2017 at 10:34 PM, SugarcubeOD said: As you've said, it happens... It can last about a week or so that your workouts suffer while you switch over to fat adaptation... just be kind to yourself, lots of rest, don't try and kill a workout and it'll get better... you're not losing fitness, it doesn't really work like that... your current fitness level that you've developed is still there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rufit4u Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 I ran today on day 4. Ouch. Lactic acid build up was bad and my run was painful. I run almost everyday normally. I am glad to see these posts. I feel as if I squatted 1,000 lbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SavannahB Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Super glad I saw this before I started. My race is end of January and I plan on starting in Nov. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farrellcat Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 I have many thoughts...Just based on my experience, I would start the whole30 ASAP. That way you will be over the initial drop in glycogen stores, you will train your body to burn fat for fuel prior to starting your training plan. Keep working out even though you feel yucky and things will turn around. It took me until day 18 to feel better and then I felt great! You may even see yourself able to train harder and go faster after your body is acclimated. You will have a better idea of how and what to eat around your workouts if you start now. Or...maybe it's best to start after your race, during recovery. What type of race? Running? Triathlon? How may miles? Is this your first race or have you done similar races in the past? If you've never raced this particular distance before and don't have experience in fueling, it will be harder (though not impossible) to learn how to do it while being whole 30 compliant. Follow the recommended meal template around workouts, that will help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VickieV Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 I am encouraged by this post to hang in there. I am on Day 13 and went for 8.5 mile hike with about 3k elevation gain (I live in Colorado) and I was miserable. Even my hiking partner commented he had never seen me that tired. I finished the loop but was exhausted. I took an Epic bar, cranberries sweetened only with apple juice/walnuts and 2 clementines. It was a 5 hour hike. Normally I would have taken a zone bar and cliff shots. Any suggestion on hiking food that does not need to be refrigerated and is not heavy is appreciated. I will need it for ski season too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farrellcat Posted November 26, 2017 Author Share Posted November 26, 2017 Vickie V, You may feel better with some protein along with the carbs on your hikes. During a 5 hour hike, I would think that you would need more of a meal than a snack. How about bringing along boiled eggs. I've also heard of people fueling marathons with baby food. (I know...sounds gross but do whatever works) You can buy organic baby food in squeezable packets. They don't need to be refrigerated. Just read the labels for compliancy. A friend of mine makes sweet potatoes and puts them in snack sized baggies, and squeezes them into his mouth during marathons. I think that in a week or so, you'll feel better just because your body will have acclimated to the Whole 30. I love RX bars and have used them for fuel while on long runs. I cut them up and put them in a small baggie. These have taken the place of my cliff shot-blocks. You can buy RX bars at Target in a variety of flavors. I think adding protein is important along with staying hydrated. Coconut water has replaced my sports drinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VickieV Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 Thanks! I will look for the RX bars to replace my cliff blocks. I am going to try the sweet potatoes too. The Epic bars are great for protein but I could tell I needed carbs. I will reduce mileage and stick to the neighborhood for the next week or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim4884 Posted December 6, 2017 Share Posted December 6, 2017 I love Wild Zora bars for hiking - they are Whole 30 compliant (except for one variety which contains Parmesan cheese, (clearly marked)) , contain meat and veggies, and are absolutely delicious. Haven't tried them as fuel for event training yet - I had lost the ability to even jog prior to whole 30 due to arthritis and inflammation - but recovery has progressed far enough to be thinking about the first/next event now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ519 Posted December 24, 2017 Share Posted December 24, 2017 The burning in the legs and slower pace per mile hasn't ever happened to me while on Whole30 (I'm starting my 5th round Jan. 1), and I typically run about 40 miles per week. However, I did a Keto diet about 3 years ago and I had that exact thing happen, my quads would burn and I was slower than anything- went from a 6:45 mile to 8:30 mile. But after about 3-4 weeks, my body adjusted and I was back to my old self. It's probably just your body in ketosis---Whole30 allows potatoes and occasional fruit- I'd say try to work some potatoes into your meals! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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