Alibug Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I will start training for a half ironman on 16 Jun. I have also read Paleo for Athletes which has some good info. Just curious if anyone has and their thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucieB Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I have done many endurance races on Whole30! Will this be your first half? (and which one? ). Your question was vague, so I'll start with overview thoughts. I'm guessing the next few weeks to months will be base training for you? Whole30 worked great for me in that training phase. But it failed when I started doing high intensity work. Whole30 isn't necessarily low carb, but for me the plan didn't have enough -- my speed and recovery failed. I tested fruits, sweet potatoes, lara bars...but not until I added back gels and sports drinks did I feel better. It took months of testing to find this out, and I recommend the same for anyone attempting major nutritional changes with similar endurance goals. A few points tell everyone with a similar question: Everyone will be different, what worked for me might not for you. Decide which goal is more important -- the race or the nutritional challenge. Test the Whole30 system as dictated in ISWF, then go from there based on YOUR individual results. And don't follow the system if it's not working for your primary goal. If you have more specific questions, I'd be happy to discuss. Lucie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibug Posted June 6, 2014 Author Share Posted June 6, 2014 Hey Lucie, I was pretty vague...sorry. This will be my first, and it is actaully not one of the Ironman series. It is the Patriot's Half in Williamsburg, VA. I have read that a lot of people use the gels. I have 4:1 carb/protein ratio gel that I use (prior to my whole 30, I am on day 19 now). Also, Paleo for athletes does endorse using a protein powder for recovery. If I decide to use protein powder it will be SFH (grassfed, no artificial sweetners). The training plan is 12 weeks 11-13 hours of training a week. Since the beginning of my whole 30 I have been crossfitting and never felt a drop in energy. I ate very similar to this prior to starting (except a weekend freeday, protein powder and peanut butter), so I think that helped in not losing energy. I appreciate your advice and glad you have had success with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucieB Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Paleo For Athletes is remarkably non-paleo. They also endorse a lot of foods not Whole30 compliant. That being said, I follow the structure of the fueling Stages, although not the foods they recommend. Again, that took many weekends to optimize. But it was well worth the effort! It's a fun process, and you learn a lot about your body. Thanks to Whole30 I was able to wean myself off of protein powders. I switched to eggs and egg whites, particularly the carton egg whites. They are pasteurized and don't need to be cooked. But you do what you need to do for your success! I'm just sharing what I learned. Wishing you the best for the race!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KonaDreamer Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Thanks so much for asking the question. I'm an endurance triathlete who competes at a high level (top 5% in the world). I suffered an injury that has taken me out for the entire season, so I'm using the downtime to really look at my nutrition outside of training. I am on day 21 of my Whole30, but I'm curious what other endurance athletes who lean paleo do for training and racing. Normally, I'd be putting in 19 hour weeks of training during this time of year. I just don't think I could eat enough plant-based carbs to sustain that on a daily basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ultrarunnergirl Posted June 12, 2014 Moderators Share Posted June 12, 2014 Sonja Wieck, a top amateur Ironman, raced during her Whole30. She wasn't 100% strict with it so if that offends you, you're forewarned. She wrote about it on her blog. I've linked to her blog (and other endurance athletes' stories) here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardnermer Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I just raced 2 half ironmans and a full ironman while eating pretty strictly Whole30. I PB'd at both distances (4:34 and 9:58) so my training and racing definitely wasn't suffering from being whole30. The only times I wasn't compliant was prerace meals (had 1/2 cup rice and GF waffles made with almond meal and rhubarb) and during training rides longer than 3 hours. The only issue I encountered was during my races my body wasn't used to the sugars I was using to fuel during the race, so I battled an upset stomach most of the time. I'm now relooking at my race nutrition to see what I can change to maybe have my stomach not riot on me. After my full I was slightly less compliant and was able to stomach my usual race nutrition (with the addition of starburst jelly beans) during a half I did last weekend with no issues. I'd prefer to remain mostly whole30 compliant but find nutrition that doesn't make me want to puke the whole time. I found that I just have to be very particular about the timing of my carb veggies for my training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibug Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 Thank you guys for the guideance. I will check out the blogs. Nice to hear from someone that has done it manly Whole 30 too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.