50 Mile Trail Run GI Distress and Mile 35 Bonk

[Regina Runs Far]

Warning.....long post.  This was my longest training run for my upcoming 100 miler at the end of March. Some background:  I have completed 35 marathons, 3 ironmans, and 3 ultra marathons (including one 101.46  24 hour race).........with little or no GI issues whatsoever, and little or no bonking/energy loss.  My pre-race and during race nutrition and hydration are down to a fairly well oiled machine........I know what my body needs, how much and when to keep going and avoid cramping. I have been trying to fuel my runs Whole 30 compliant.  My longest run so far was 18 miles on trails, and I ate: strawberries, turkey, pickles, tangerine, sweet potatos, fruit puree.  It was a very easy trail and I was finished in about 2:50, feeling great most of the run and no GI issues.  

 

I tried to use a similar fueling plan for yesterday's 50 miler, but on a more difficult trail, and only pass the car every 10 miles, so need to carry enough to fuel during the about 1:50 loops. 

 

I know that many of you have stated that once my body adjusts to Whole30 I will burn fat more efficiently and that I also won't need to fuel constantly during my long long runs.  However, I feel that during strenuous exercise you must fuel consistently and little bits at a time, so that the already overworked circulatory system can get enough blood to the stomach to digest.  I need about 220 calories per hour for my size and that is what has worked in previous long runs/races.  Maybe after eating clean for longer this will change and I can run 24 hours with just 3 main meals and a few mini meals, but I just don't see that yet? 

 

In my 24 hour race last year, I passed my aid station every 15 minutes, so I would just grab a handful of something that was between 50-60 calories and munch on it during that lap.  Every other lap this was liquid Perpetuum which is a drink I tolerate well and that fueled almost half of my entire caloric intake for the 24 hours.  The other items I consumed included:  strawberries, orange slices, bananas, hamburgers, pickles, chicken, chicken noodle soup, red bull, coke, gummi bears, cookies, protein bars, Goldfish crackers, cheetohs, pringles, grapes, m & Ms, turkey, pretzels.  My plan worked famously, and I maintained consistent energy for 24 hours, no GI ussues-only 2 big bathroom trips, no cramping or gas. I also drank water, coconut water.  I did not drink any gatorade, hate it!  I also took elecrtrolyte capsules. 

 

I ate chicken, butternut squash and veggies for dinner Friday evening......not spicy, proven to be easy to digest before a big workout. 

 

For breakfast I ate:  1 RX bar, 1 banana, 1 cup coffee, 5 strawberries, handful of almonds.  I would have liked to make bacon , veggies and eggs, but woke up late. 

 

During Lap 1 I ate 4 figs. I was HUNGRY.  At the end of Lap 1 I ate:  some leftover grilled chicken, strawberries, almonds.

 

Lap 2: 1 buddy fruits (80 cals)  3 dates, 3 coconut yummy bites, drank coconut water 6 oz. Still feeling hungry but stomach ok. End of Lap 2 I ate:  2 hardboiled eggs, few sweet potato pieces, almonds. 

 

Lap 3:  starting to feel full, but stomach ok, energy ok. 1 Buddy fruit, 4 figs.  1st bathroom trip and of Lap 3....approx. 31.5 miles in.  Starting to feel crampy/gassy. Legs feel great....only issue is stomach. Small bowel movement, blood in urine. Chicken, strawberries, sweet potato pieces. 

 

Lap 4: Tired, losing energy and focus.  Fell.  Slowed down a lot. More cramps and gas. Mile 34, coconut water.  Mile 35, lots of walking, totally bonked, had to sit down.  Mile 36.....more walking, gas, cramps. DRANK Perpetuum (1 scoop about 130 cals)...energy soon returning and able to run.  Mile 37-38.....energy returning, running more, but having to stop and walk with gas/cramps. Legs feel good.  Ate a Buddy fruit.  Bathroom:  diarrhea, lots of it.  Miles 39-40.5..........run walking..........energy ok, tons of GI distress.  Mile 41:  Barely made it to the bathroom.........tons of diarrhea, tons and tons.  Last mile ran about .5, then had to walk it in..........just too much GI pain.  Ended the run at 42 miles.  

 

Any thoughts on what went wrong?  I had to have the Perpetuum or I would still be sitting out there on the trail.  

 

I am used to fueling these really long runs with mostly liquids or gels, so I am worried all the solid food was too much for my body to process.  

 

I have 3 more pretty long efforts before my 100 miler............next weekend I'll still be on my Whole30, but the other two I will be free to eat whatever.  

 

I plan to finish out this Whole 30, but I am not sure what to do for my 100 miler on 3/28.  Are there any Whole30 compliant liquids or gels, as I think I need that option combined with quality whole30 foods to get through the 100 miles without such bad GI distress.  

 

Any advice or ideas are much appreciated. I'm sorry for the long post, but I wanted to be specific about what I ate.

 

Even today, I still feel crampy, but bowel movements back to normal consistency.  Sorry for the TMI. 

 

Thanks,

 

Regina

 

 

 

 

[Loulabelle]

Bonk means something totally different in British English, I was wondering why on Earth you would stop for that at 35 miles! 

[missmary]

Any thoughts on what went wrong? 

 

Lots of thoughts. First, fueling during the race is not very important compared to fueling when you are not actively working out. Your body is designed to prevent good digestion during strenuous activity. You have to give your body something to work with during the time when you can actually rest and digest.

 

Am I shocked that you bonked during a 50 miler after having an Rx bar, a banana some strawberries and a handful of almonds for breakfast? Not even a little. I'm sorry you had such a rough time, but it seems almost inevitable, actually, based on how little you have been eating.

 

Reading your posts I see you consistently hugging the bottom limits of the meal template for most meals, with more fruit and nuts and fewer starchy carbs, less protein and less fat than recommended. The whole30 is a different paradigm from how you ate and fueled your workouts in the past. At this point it seems like you need to do some thinking and decide if you were happy with how things were going before (in which case, go back to it!) and if you weren't, if you are ready to commit to really doing this whole30 thing. Committing to the whole30 as an athlete means getting comfortable with a lot more volume of food at meals. A lot more protein. A lot more fat. More starchy carbs (probably at every single meal for you). Lots and lots of vegetables. 

 

I know I've said this to you before, so I'm sorry if it seems like I'm a broken record but if you want to make this transition, you have to actually make these changes wholeheartedly and for a sustained period of time. Going part-way there is just causing misery.

 

Has anyone linked Stephanie Gaudreau for you? She's a friend of the program and has done some teaching/workshops with Dallas. Maybe her experience as an athlete (and her books about fueling for workouts) might resonate. Take a look: http://stupideasypaleo.com/books/

[Regina Runs Far]

I have added a lot more food daily, and my weekday workouts and long work days are pretty good right now........I carry around a cooler of food for when my appointments run into each other and I cannot make it home at mealtime, or am in my car at mealtime, or if I go straight from work to the gym.  My weekday workouts feel good.........crossfit and 5-8 miles would be a typical 2 a day, so about 2 hours of exercise.  At all the main meals I eat until I am full.........getting a little more meat, veggies, cooking with ghee, coconut oil, eating an avocado per day divided between two of the meals and a sweet potato per day....usually half at dinner and have post workout, but sometimes some at breakfast.  I am usually hungry just a few hours after I eat, even if I eat until I am full.  I'm not as hungry when I arrive home for dinner, although sometimes a little hungry because it is often 8 or 9 pm before we are eating dinner. 

 

So you are saying I should eat more at meals.........even after I feel full?  I just can only eat so much before I am full. 

 

I think not eating during the race or workouts would be no problem with anything up to marathon distance 3.5 hours........but these ultras are 9-11 hours for a 50 miler and 23-30 for a 100 miler.....I cannot imagine being able to put away enough dinner the night before and breakfast morning of to last that long.  I guess I always learned with long workouts to eat little bits at a time and stick with liquids or gels so it is easier to digest.  

 

The main reason I'm doing this Whole30 was just to totally clean me out, reset things, sleep better, less stressed out, and to get my personal sugar dragon, wine, under control.  Those things are all happening and I could not be happier.  I feel great all the time.  

 

I intended to eat eggs, veggies, bacon and sweet potatoes yesterday, but we just woke up too late, so I had to grab it on the run. I'm more worried about the diarrhea than the bonking...........I think I can fix the bonk with a better morning meal and better meals the day before......I had gotten stuck at the office all day Friday unexpectedly, so had not brought enough food to last from 11am until 8 pm when we had dinner..........

 

But, I am wondering what gave me the extreme diarrhea....................... 

 

I plan to continue clean eating for the most part, but never do another whole30 as I am peaking for an ultra or other big race, but in a recovery or base period.  

[missmary]

But, I am wondering what gave me the extreme diarrhea....................... 

 

I know you said you have done well with both but the fructose from the Buddy Fruits or the soy protein isolate in the Perpetuum are likely causes of digestive distress, especially during an athletic event.

 

If you are getting to the upper end of the template regularly and find it is not enough to fuel your activity I would recommend adding a fourth template meal into your day. The template is not designed for ultra marathoners; you may need even more.

 

I have no first-hand experience fueling during this long of a run, but ultrarunnergirl (also a forum moderator) may have specific tips for you. Her blog is here: http://ultrarunnergirl.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

[LucieB]

Four FIGS!? LOL, That would have enough for me right there. I haven't had the level of GI stress you describe (yet), but I know dates and grapes on a run get me terribly bloated and cramped. I'm sure figs would be worse! 

 

But seriously, I was sorry to read your story! It sounds terrible, but maybe a good lesson can be learned for your next long runs and maybe the race. If I had to take a guess, the figs, chicken, and almonds were the biggest problems. Almonds can cause gas, and the protein in chicken would be hard to digest. Fruit fiber, fructose, fat, protein -- Sounds like your poor stomach threw it's hands up and said "ENOUGH, I can't do this while we're running!" and hit the flush button, thus causing the diarrhea. 

 

I'm not entirely sure from your recent post, but it sounds like you might abandon the Whole30 at least during the running? You can still hit the reset button, improve sleep, and break bad food habits outside of training by staying to the Whole30 guidelines in the rest of the day by eating meals with clean foods according to the template. I know and understand the desire to eat clean and avoid gels and sports foods, but those foods are designed the way they are for a reason -- they are easy on the GI system while training. It will take time and experimentation to find the real foods that can mimic the sports foods for you. I don't know if you have the time before your race to figure this out? 

 

And not to sound like a broken record too, but my advice again is to decide what is more important to you right now: the nutritional challenge or the race? Maybe get through your training and your race using the fueling strategies that have worked for you in the past, or maybe a blend of old and new ideas, then revisit the full Whole30 in recovery after the race?

 

I fueled my 40 miles this weekend with baked potatoes. They worked, but I'm going to try brining them for next weekend to make them taste more appealing. Salted potatoes are easy to find at ultra aid stations so that's what led me to try them now. Have you tried those on a run yet? 

 

Lucie

[ShannonM816]

During Lap 1 I ate 4 figs. I was HUNGRY.  At the end of Lap 1 I ate:  some leftover grilled chicken, strawberries, almonds.

 

Lap 2: 1 buddy fruits (80 cals)  3 dates, 3 coconut yummy bites, drank coconut water 6 oz. Still feeling hungry but stomach ok. End of Lap 2 I ate:  2 hardboiled eggs, few sweet potato pieces, almonds. 

 

Lap 3:  starting to feel full, but stomach ok, energy ok. 1 Buddy fruit, 4 figs.  1st bathroom trip and of Lap 3....approx. 31.5 miles in.  Starting to feel crampy/gassy. Legs feel great....only issue is stomach. Small bowel movement, blood in urine. Chicken, strawberries, sweet potato pieces. 

 

 

I've got nothing to add on the running/fueling part, not my area of expertise, but just to throw this out there -- I see 8 figs here. When I was little, we lived in a house with fig trees in the backyard, and when my grandma would come visit, if the figs were ripe, she would go and pick a handful of figs to eat to make herself go (she's apparently chronically constipated and eats laxatives like candy, always has).  So, just to say, not really a surprise to me that they'd have that effect on you.

 

I do hope you find something that works for you, and that you never have an experience quite like this one ever again.

[Regina Runs Far]

Thank you thank you thank you everyone. So many good ideas, and resources out there.  This is such a journey of discovery for me.  Of course I never do anything the easy way.  I think I will do another Whole 30 probably after this race, or might wait until after my 100k in May......although that is a fun one with my boyfriend in Italy part of a vacation.  But, probably wait until June, but keep the eating cleaner and alcohol only to weekends between now and then.  I'm going to finish out the next 8 days compliant b/c this weekend's runs are 15/25/12.....which I feel is very doable.  I'm thinking the figs and dates gave me the diarrhea b/c that is the big thing that I have not eaten probably in years, and not so much of it at once.......8 figs.........8 dates.........in 5 hours, plus the other stuff.  The sweet potatoes worked great on my 18 and 15 milers last two weekends, as did strawberries and the buddy fruits........but I hear to be careful with the buddy fruits.  Maybe I just cut out the figs and dates.  Hard boiled eggs also worked ok just before and during the other runs, as did turkey, pickles almonds.  I know the Perpetuum didn't cause the diarrhea, b/c I only drank 1 small 6 oz of it, which had just one scoop (130 cals).........and my stomach was already on the way at that point, I was just trying to get back up and it has some caffeine in there.  I have mixed it up very concentrated...........2-3 scoops in 8 oz and no issues for 24 hours.  I'm going to do some tweaking for this weekend's B2B long runs, take some things out, add some things in, and see if I have a better result.  For the big race on 3/28, I plan to use a combination of new and old ideas.  This has been so interesting, and I'm learning so much, trying new foods etc.  I want to be as healthy as I can be over the long term, both in my sports and in my life!! 

 

I'm sorry if it sounds I'm not totally committed to the Whole 30!  I am committed to better health!  Because I don't have weight to lose or any real bad health conditions to address........this is a different journey for me.  

 

I will say I am sleeping so much better, and I feel as calm as I can be in my moods, well as calm as someone can be with my personality!!!  Really relaxed and happy for me!  My recovery 5 miler yesterday felt great, and I was up early on my feet volunteering at a water stop for 3 hours with tons of energy the day after the 42 miler, then worked yesterday afternoon and ran last night.  All good things!  Yeah! 

[ultrarunnergirl]

I know how frustrating it is to be doing your first Whole30 and still trying to run ultras.

Fructose is a real problem for many as far as gas/digestion. It's also not very effective fuel as it must be processed by the liver.

Lots of info on my blog (link below) on fueling.

I think what Miss Mary is trying to tell you is that you cannot expect to do the Whole30 and expect ANYTHING to be the same as it was before, especially while full on training. Your body is changing its source of fuel. That is HUGE. Think about I f you went to Hardrock and tried to run there without time to acclimate to the elevation. You wouldn't expect the same results, would you? This is a physiological change and it can't be rushed.