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Whole 30-fuelled half marathon


GoJo09

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I'm restarting my Whole 30 again tomorrow after I made a deliberate choice to go off over Easter, which resulted in me buying 6 bottles of wine during a tour of the local vineyards, which I now can't consume...what can I say, logic was overwhelmed by free tastings.

 

And that was already a restart! Forgot about that until I wrote it down :P  - 5 days each time. I guess I should have used my brain and logged from the start in the first place.

 

Anyway, this is my second Whole 30, and I'm wanting to get back to that happy place that I was in after the first. I've gone quite far off since then, with an awful lot of gluten free items making their way back in to my diet (my flatmate is GF, so she likes to buy all the treats). Even after just the 5 days this time, I was feeling much better, and as soon as I ate the chocolate and treats over the weekend my knees started hurting.

 

I'm doing a half marathon on May 18, so if I'm going to change my diet I need to do it right now, in order to be acclimatised by then. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm 100% prepared for tomorrow, but I have enough compliant food in the fridge to get by.

 

In my trial Whole 30s I have found that fat does NOT work for me pre-workout - well, pre-run, specifically. It gives me an upset stomach, which is not what you want during a 16km training run! During this weekend's 18km run I fuelled with lollies and sports gels, and it was great energy-wise, but obviously not the way forward. I also spent the rest of the afternoon pretty tired and scoffing everything that wasn't nailed down, even though I wasn't hungry.

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Day 1 down (slightly belatedly).

 

M1 7am: 2 eggs, zucchini, capsicum, cooked in CO, coffee w/ CC (should have had an extra egg, was starving by 11. But yesterday I had 3 and couldn't finish them)

10am: coffee w/ CC

M2: 12pm: chocolate chilli w/ half small avocado, banana, coconut flakes (needed more vege, the capsicum in the chilli wasn't enough)

M3 6pm: grilled chicken, sweet potato, green beans, raspberries w/ CC and nuts

 

I was pretty damn hungry by the time I left work at 5, and by the time I got home I was starved - luckily I had dinner pre-packed and didn't have to wait to cook anything! I also had Digestive Plus after breakfast and dinner, I don't know why, just seemed like a good idea to get some digestive enzymes going on, with all the protein happening.

 

Have a cold at the moment, so no running today, although I should do my physio exercises tonight - if I can get my lazy arse off the couch.

 

I have ready for Saturday's long run a baby food sachet of apple, banana and avocado, which I'm hoping will be a good sub for the gel/lollies, although getting it to fit in my fuel belt might take a bit of manoeuvring. Hoping that the improved diet will help keep my hamstring from flaring up while I'm running, although obviously it's not going to solve the underlying problem of the scar tissue buildup.

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Dates, my friend, dates! They are nature's gel packs. Just stuff a few in a ziplock bag and put it in your bra. (Or your pocket, if you have such luxuries on your running shorts. I usually don't.) Also, get a few salt packs from McD's, if it is a hot day.

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Yep, was thinking that today (am reading Paleo For Athletes and getting some ideas from there, although he does say use gels and sports drinks, which I'm sure is pretty non-Paleo!).

 

Day 2

 

M1 7am: Grilled chicken breast, sweet potato, carrot, cucumber and peas; coffee w/ CC x2

M2 12pm: Chocolate chilli, 1/2 avocado, hard boiled egg, carrot, cucumber and peas, Larabar

M3 6.30pm: sardine and sweet potato fritters cooked in lots of CO, broccollini, berries, nuts and CC

 

I boiled the egg to have with breakfast, but I just can't fit that much in early in the morning. It did mean that I was starving again by 11.30 and had to have an early lunch again. The beefed up lunch did mean that I was fine right through until dinner though.

 

Still no exercise with this stupid cold - gave in and went and bought proper sudafed today to try and dry it up so I can run on Sat. Long weekend again, so will get some food prepped for the coming week.

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Day 3

 

M1 8am: Small tin of tuna in oil, HB egg, sweet potato, carrot, peas, coffee w/ CC x2 (public holiday, so a sleep in - yay!)

11am: Coffee w/ CC

M2 1pm: Grilled chicken, nuts, sweet potato, green beans, balsamic and olive oil dressing

M3 6.30pm: Scotch egg, roast pumpkin w/ CC, salad leaves w/ tomato, onion and basil mix w/ balsamic and olive oil dressing

 

Finally got around to doing my physio exercises this morning! Even though they're only "easy" bodyweight movements, I was sweating by the time I finished, even with my top off and the windows open.

 

Wasn't really that hungry when I ate M3, but the food was cooked so I thought I might as well. I actually put it in the fridge, deciding to wait and just eat it cold, but as soon as I sat down I felt hungry! So I don't know if that was real hunger or just my body being stupid.

 

Up early tomorrow for a 20km training run, so will test out the new W30 fuel that I have - dates and coconut water for my fuel belt, and baby food pouch for the drinks station (hopefully we have someone to be our energy champ). I'll have a banana and a few nuts before I leave, as I've found previously that protein and too much fat do not work for me when running.

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Day 4:

 

My 20km run this morning turned in to a 12km run, 2km walk, and 6km ride home with the coach! My hamstring played up from the start,right up in to my glute. By 6km it was affecting my stride, making my hip flexor sore. I talked to the coach at 10km and was tempted to stop, but decided I'd carry on because I knew I'd see him again at 14km. If it was just the hamstring pain, I would have pushed through (it's just inflammation from scar tissue on my hamstring, so no danger of further injury there), but when it started causing pain in other parts of my body, parts that have taken me a long time to get right, I wasn't willing to push it - and surprisingly my coach agreed! He's more of a "just keep going" type, but he said he knows I would run if I could and I wasn't just being lazy. Very disappointing, but I only have myself to blame after being very slack about doing my physio exercises and stretches this week. Not sure if I'll tell my physio that, though!

 

Pre-WO 6am: Banana, about 10 nuts, few bites of sweet potato, coffee, coconut water and dates during the run

M1 10.30am: egg, smoked trout, potato hash (not ideal timing, but I didn't realise we'd be so late after the run getting to the cafe)

M2 1.30pm: Scotch egg, salad w/ tomato, onion, basil and garlic olive oil, 1 x date, berries and 1/2 apple w/ CC

M3 7.30pm: Grilled chicken (probably 1.5 palms), 1/2 small avocado, broccoli, sweet potato, pumpkin, 1 x date

 

I'm never hungry right after a run, but by the time we ate at about 10.30-10.45 I was starving, but then filled up really quickly. Hence the second meal quite soon after. And then again when I had dinner, I was pretty hungry, but once I started it was an effort to finish - I don't feel stuffed though.

 

A lot of fruit today, but yesterday I didn't have any, so I guess it all evens out.

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OK, since I've got two weeks of recovery coming up, I'm going to experiment with the protein pre-WO again - I can get through a 10km run feeling a bit queasy, so not too bad if it doesn't work out. Will try it out on Wednesday before track (5km time trial) with an HB egg, and see how it goes.

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Day 5 (Sunday)

 

Been aching and tired all day (more than I should be from just a 12km run yesterday). I expect soreness from my hamstring and maybe my hip flexor, but both of my legs are quite achy - calves and quads, which I don't normally feel. Did some yoga earlier and felt much better, but sitting on the couch now and I just feel weary. Rather glad that I couldn't get a park at the pool so didn't swim!

 

M1 7.45am: Scotch egg, broccoli w/ garlic oil, sweet potato and pumpkin, coffee w/ CC

M2 12.45pm: Chocolate chilli w/ 1/2 small avocado, carrot, 2 small pieces of jerky

Snack 4pm: Meat patty, 1/2 banana w/ CC

M3 7pm (planned): Roast chicken, roast broccoli, zucchini, sweet potato

 

Plus I just had a date because I'm hungry and dinner's still going to be about 20mins away. And also, I like dates. Was pretty hungry this afternoon, and suspected that dinner might be later as we had to go grocery shopping, so had the snack (we were really low on vege, hence the 1/2 banana).

 

Going to make cauliflower soup with stock from the chicken bones, although I just found compliant stock at the supermarket in the Woolworths Home Brand, which was only $6/500ml, so grabbed a couple of those for next time so I don't have to roast a chicken first (I hate meat off the bone, it really grosses me out - I don't like my food to look like the animal it used to be!).

 

Supposed to do a 7km run tomorrow, but it's been raining pretty much all day, plus I'm really tired, so I'll see how I feel in the morning. May, possibly, do it at lunchtime instead.

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Day 6

 

I have been so tired all day today! Got up at 6am to do my physio exercises, but I was sore and weary, so I lazily went back to bed for half an hour. Over lunch I was reading my book, sitting next to a group of people who were talking VERY loudly, and I still caught my eyes drooping shut. Decided to have another coffee after lunch (I don't normally drink coffee after about 11), but I still feel so tired and blah! Doesn't help that everyone in my department has just come back from 10 days holiday, and they're all moping about tired too.

 

Obviously I didn't do my 7km run this morning. And even though I brought my gear to work there was not even a hint of a thought about doing it at lunchtime. I really must do it tonight - if only so that my lazy flatmate gets home before me and does last night's dishes and cooks dinner!

 

M1 7.15am: Chicken and spinach omelette - I honestly had to gag this down - and a couple of bites of sweet potato; 2x coffee w/ CC

M2 12.15pm: Scotch egg, salad w/ lettuce, 1/2 cucumber, whole carrot, sweet potato and pumpkin, olive oil and vinegar dressing, handful of coconut flakes. Coffee w/ CC

M3 7.30ish: I think the plan is grilled chicken thighs and stirfry bok choy, mushrooms, capsicum, etc. I might have a banana as well.

 

Well, duh! I just revisited the Timeline (which I've previously ignored as not applying to me - I never had any hangover or Kill All The Things problems now or on my previous Whole 30) and I'm right at the "I just want a nap" stage. This doesn't really explain why I'm aching all over, but it does explain why after having a 4 day weekend followed by a 3 day weekend I feel like I need a weekend!

 

I'm still not sure whether I should run tonight or not. The timeline does suggest skipping workouts, but I feel bad skipping a programmed run... especially when I didn't do it last week as I wasn't well. Then again, skipping it will probably mean I'm better able to push it on the track on Wednesday morning.

 

Ok decision made (seeing as I just had a tin of tuna in oil!): when I get home I'll jump on the treadmill and run for as long as my leg/body wants to - it won't be 7km (because 7km on a treadmill is torture), but I'll aim for 5. And hopefully in that time my flatmate will come home and cook dinner so I don't have to! (We said this morning whoever was home from the gym/run first would cook. I don't want it to be me!)

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Day 7

 

Not only did I not run last night, I went to bed with no dinner at 7.30! I was stuffed! I forced myself to foam roll and use my spiky ball of torture for 10 mins (and let me tell you, taking a week off foam rolling was not a good idea - hideous pain! Swore constantly). Didn't actually go to sleep until 8.30pm, and then jolted awake from a nightmare at about 10.30 (I hardly ever have real nightmares, and it was pretty intense), and then my heart took a while to calm down. Woke up naturally before my alarm went off at 6am, and felt much better. Did my physio exercises (scaled down, because even though they're not hard exercises my body was like "Nup, too hard") and about 10mins of yoga (until I lost patience - that hasn't happened before).

 

Still kind of wiped at work, but not as bad as yesterday, and probably not helped by not having dinner last night except a tin of tuna. Got a 5km time trial tomorrow, so hopefully the physio can work some magic on my hamstring/glute/hip-flexor this evening, and I can get a good night's sleep.

 

Also got my period today, after deciding to go off birth control pills. I haven't had a period in 4 months, because I've been taking the pills through, but hopefully this won't be too bad. Although have had a little bit of cramping/lower back pain.

 

M1 7.30am: Chicken drumstick, broccoli and bok choy with a bit of CO, coffee with CC

11am: Coffee w/ CC

M2 1.30pm: Stirfry w/ bok choy, broccoli, capsicum, mushroom, chicken thighs, and S&P, cooked in CO, coconut flakes

M3 (planned): 3x HB eggs, carrot and capsicum sticks - this may end up being split pre- and post-physio, as I'm not super full from lunch so might be ready to eat at about 5pm

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Day 8 (Wednesday)

 

Woke up this morning with plenty of energy, and I think my cold/sinus infection is on the way out too. Had to get up at 5am for running, and even though I felt like I was struggling the entire way, I ended up exactly matching my previous 5km PB, so that was pretty awesome.

 

Pre-WO 5am: 1/3 chicken thigh, black coffee

Post-WO 6.50am: rest of the chicken thigh, sweet potato; coffee w/ CC at 8am

M1 9.20am: Golden Cauliflower soup (made with CC), chicken thigh (wasn't actually super hungry, but was going in to a meeting at 9.30am and didn't want to come out starving - I actually ended up eating most of the soup in the meeting - got me some funny looks :))

M2 2.15pm: Stirfry w/ bok choy, broccoli, capsicum, mushroom, chicken thighs, and S&P, cooked in CO

M3 (planned): Going out to the pub - I've looked at the menu and I think I'll end up with a steak and salad, and some sweet potato chips to share (love their SP chips!)

 

I am actually feeling a little bit like I should eat before I go, as it could end up being 8pm before we have dinner and I'm a bit hungry now (although not hungry enough to eat fish!). The only things I have at work are emergency Larabars, so I may end up having one of those.

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Day 9 (Thursday)

 

Ended up eating more SP fries than intended, although I didn't overdo it - wasn't stuffed or anything but should have stopped earlier. I also had a lot of stomach gurgling going on while I was lying in bed last night, so don't know if that's because of the excess carbs, or if the fries were coated in something (I couldn't taste anything, and another girl had asked and was told they were gluten free). Anyway, overall I was pretty happy with the evening, although the salad they gave me was predictably tiny.

 

Was bouncing off the walls this morning - woke up before my alarm at 5.15 (although I don't know if that was naturally or if Mr Upstairs having a yell at the telly was the reason), gym session, came home and put a load of washing on (I hardly ever do washing during the week), cooked breakfast, hung out washing, updated iPod, and still managed to leave for work early!

 

Pre-WO 5.20am: Black coffee and a bite of chicken thigh

M1 7.15am: (I forgot to have a post-WO) Cooked chicken and lots of baby spinach w/ S&P and hot sauce; 2x coffee w/ lots of CC (completely forgot to have any carby vege either...)

M2 12.45pm: Chocolate chilli, bok choy, 1/2 small avo

Snack 4pm: Got really hungry, with a sore stomach, so had a tin of tuna w/ oil, and a Larabar! Second one in two days, not good - but I do think I needed the carbs today, so not going to sweat it.

M3 7.45: Turkey meatballs w/ zucchini noodles and tomato paste sauce, steamed pumpkin Turkey and zucchini meatballs w/ pumpkin puree made w/ CC

 

Turns out it was lucky I had that meal, as by the time I got home and made dinner it was much later than I normally choose to eat. Not enough vege with dinner really, but I wasn't super hungry, and I'm pretty full now.

 

Hope this energy keeps up - I've got 2 x 10km runs on Saturday! (One in the morning, one in the evening.)

 

I've also set myself a challenge of doing either a 20 min yoga session or my physio exercises every day in May, to make sure I can get through this half marathon without wanting to chop off my leg, and to set me up for the next one. Got a big cross on the calendar today to show I've done it.

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Day 10 (Friday)

 

Had a rubbish sleep last night (thinking too much, and a lot of external noise), so wasn't feeling quite so perky this morning. Still got up and did some foam rolling, and then I had yoga at lunchtime, so got a good stretch in there. I've had a mild headache all day, so hopefully sleep tonight will be better, esp as I have to be up at 5.30am for running.

 

I baked a chocolate slice last night for work while also cooking dinner - I was super proud (read: amazed) that I didn't even lick my fingers when they had melted chocolate on them :).

 

M1 7.20am: 3 eggs scrambled w/ a bit of CC; Golden Cauliflower Soup; 2/3 of a carrot (too full to finish it); 2x coffee w/ CC

11am: Coffee w/ CC

M2 1.45pm: Turkey and zucchini meatballs on pumpkin puree, broccoli, the rest of the carrot, and an apple

M3: ??? I'm going out for drinks with friends after work, so I'll either eat at the bar if I can find something compliant that won't cost the earth, or I'll bug out early and have a late dinner at home of chicken thigh and probably frozen vege - I think the vege drawer is pretty empty ATM. I'll probably end up eating at home - I can't stay late anyway with running tomorrow.

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Why did I not bring a small meal to work to eat before going out?! I'm hungry now (stomach gurgling, would smash some fish if it were offered). In 3 hours when I get home, I'll be past it. I was actually quite hungry after dinner last night as well, so maybe the meatballs and pumpkin puree just aren't filling... possibly I needed another meatball.

 

Right now, however, my options are limited - another Larabar. Or something from the supermarket that I can eat on the train - which rules out everything I can think of...

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You are doing great! :)

 

For emergencies I stash a bag of walnuts in my drawer at work. Walnuts (served without a side of fruit) are like fish and broccoli to me - I'll eat it when hungry but I won't overeat natural nuts on their own. I also try to keep a boiled egg in the fridge at work at all times.

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Ended up with the larabar and I was still fanging when I got home at 8.30! Ended up stuffing a chicken thigh, some sweet potato, a carrot and half a small Avo in my mouth so quickly I felt like I was going to pop ;-).

I vaguely thought about bringing extra food today, but was like nah, I won't need it. Fool! Not like there isn't plenty of prepped food in the fridge! (As evidenced by my emergency dinner.) I usually have tins of tuna in oil in my desk (no one's idea of a treat) but I ran out yesterday and hadn't left the office all day.

Run tomorrow am - hopefully I can get some toilet action happening before I leave, as it's been a few days and I hate running with that slightly dodgy feeling.

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Day 11 (Saturday)

 

Today was a bad day. I had a 11km run this morning, and something went completely awry with my fuelling, and by the 7km mark I tanked and could barely lift my feet. I shuffled on (literally shuffled) until 9.5km when I went to the toilet. As soon as I stopped moving I started shaking - I was seriously worried I wouldn't be able to get up again! My team captain who was running with me offered me a sports gel she had with her, and I took it, because it was either that or fall over. Within 10mins (which felt like forever!) I was able to sprint to the finish line!

 

I don't know what went wrong - I had carbs at every meal yesterday, plus a banana and HB egg this morning before the run.

 

I've made the decision though that I'm going to stop my Whole 30 now until after my race, as I am going to follow my coach's advise (although I don't necessarily agree) and use gels during long runs. I will stick to Whole 30 the rest of the time, just the next two weekends I will be consuming gels on the weekend. 

 

By my next half in September I will have done a proper W30 and eaten Paleo consistently for a few months, so I'l reevaluate what I should do on the longer runs.

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My first little win: even though I'm not technically doing a Whole 30 now, I still ate completely compliantly for the remainder of Saturday and Sunday, and all W30 meals today. Although I did have a smoothie at the markets (the only food-stuff I could find that was compliant), so that's a bit dodgy.

 

I also ate an entire packet of nuts over the weekend - and boy have I paid for that indiscretion with a bloated belly!

 

However, I'm happy that I didn't go off the rails immediately I wasn't constrained by rules anymore.

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Still going well on my not-quite-W30. Had roast lamb with stacks of root vegetables for dinner last night (my flatmate did add non-compliant mustard jus to my plate when I wasn't looking though), and my coach told me this morning that I was looking really strong at track. If only the half marathon were just 7km I'd be set!

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