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Half-Marathon Training


Keisha Engley

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So, I'm an 18 y/o female about 154 lbs. I Crossfit as well as run. I've started half-marathon training and I just ran a ten mile run and I felt OKAY during my run, but now it's a couple of hours post workout and I'm feeling super nauseous. For breakfast, I had 3 eggs with asparagus and spinach for breakfast with coconut oil. Then my run was four hours or so after I ate breakfast, but I ate some coconut flakes before my run. I then ate a salad with spinach, avocado, salmon, cucumber, and celery about 30 minutes after my run. I'm feeling pretty light headed. And I've drank about two liters of water so far today. I have been trying to stay away from nuts and fruit and just getting my carbs from my veggies and sweet potatos. Am I eating something wrong? I completed my Whole30 last month and was about 80/20 Paleo for the 5 months or so prior to that. I'm still eating Whole30 compliant. Am I dehydrated, not eating enough carbs, not eating the proper foods before/after my run?

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I agree-maybe try drinking some coconut water (check the ingredients!) I'll eat a banana with some almond butter and sprinkle a little bit of sea salt on it after a good long run-sounds weird but I love the sweet/salty combo!

Good luck with your training! You just started and you're running ten miles already? Phew! I take it this isn't your first? :) When is your race?

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Personally, I think your post-run meal was entirely too carb light. Pre-run, your choice was ok but after running 10 miles, you've likely depleted your glycogen stores. That is when the window is open to replenish most effectively and the salad you ate was virtually carb free. I would add winter squash or sweet potato to your post-run meal and I bet you'll feel better the next time.

Hopefully a moderator will weigh in here...

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Personally, I think your post-run meal was entirely too carb light. Pre-run, your choice was ok but after running 10 miles, you've likely depleted your glycogen stores. That is when the window is open to replenish most effectively and the salad you ate was virtually carb free. I would add winter squash or sweet potato to your post-run meal and I bet you'll feel better the next time.

Hopefully a moderator will weigh in here...

Running 10 miles doesn't necessarily deplete your glycogen stores, particularly if you are running in a low heart rate zone (the ideal zone for long training runs). Some people can run 10 miles and only burn about 30-40g of glycogen, which is far below the amount of glycogen most people can store.

My bet is still on salt.

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Running 10 miles doesn't necessarily deplete your glycogen stores, particularly if you are running in a low heart rate zone (the ideal zone for long training runs). Some people can run 10 miles and only burn about 30-40g of glycogen, which is far below the amount of glycogen most people can store.

My bet is still on salt.

Maybe some people can, but for me, 10 miles (LSD) would take me about two hours. You better believe that two hours of constant exercise would require some high quality carbs for replenishment.

We also don't know the OP's running conditions. 2 hrs of LSD running in a northern climate would not cause much in the way of sweating, so additional electrolytes would not be needed at all. If she was in a tropical environment, of course, that would be different.

There are really too many variables to know for sure.

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Maybe some people can, but for me, 10 miles (LSD) would take me about two hours. You better believe that two hours of constant exercise would require some high quality carbs for replenishment.

We also don't know the OP's running conditions. 2 hrs of LSD running in a northern climate would not cause much in the way of sweating, so additional electrolytes would not be needed at all. If she was in a tropical environment, of course, that would be different.

There are really too many variables to know for sure.

Replenishment, yes, but it would be hard for somebody to get depleted (zeroed out) on 10 miles. You should be burning more fat than CHO for a long run effort.

With respect to climate - one still sweats quite a bit when running, regardless of the temperatures. I've found my hair soaked with sweat after a run in single digit windchills.

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Dehydration and low blood sugar can lead to light-headedness and nausea, and this might be contributing to how you feel. I get this nausea after a long run (>25 miles) I can have it for 1-2 days afterwards. I'm just fine during the run and for a few hours after. The nausea starts after my next meal. I've put a lot of thought into this because I need to eat after these runs to rebuild I haven't figured it out yet though, but I have a few theories.

First, I'm wondering if there's something about the blood being diverted from the stomach to muscles that either slows my gut or upsets it. Second,if I'm dehydrated and under-fueled, I feel light-headed/fatigued/nauseated so I eat and drink less than I should, and the cycle perpetuates until I recover from it. It's probably both scenarios in my case.

All suggestions so far are great, and I'll add another for consideration to go along with my first theory: Maybe the post-run meal should be less veggie-fibery? For me, the idea of eating spinach, celery, and cucumber after a long run (which as noted above is all relative to the individual runner) turns my stomach. I look for softer foods after a workout, like a soft poached egg, avocado, sweet potato, and the like. What you eat and how much depends on where you are in terms of metabolics and fitness.

Keep experimenting! And good luck :)

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