Hit the wall in my long walk/run..advice?

[casjen]

It is so bleepin cold here I just couldn't walk outside yesterday. My lungs were burning from the air. I am training for the Princess which is right around the corner! I am behind b/c I had a rough January but I'm back in gear and ready to go. Healthy etc.

I did do 6 miles on the treadmill today running/walking. Turns out I can run more than I thought! I had wanted to do 7. I didn't feel physically tired, meaning I felt like I could really keep going. But my leg muscles just conked out on me. They kind of locked up.

I am pretty sure this is b/c I hadn't taken anything in besides a bit of water.
I did stuff myself full of lunch about an hour before my workout. I had protein, avocado and carbs to try to fuel myself and I think that worked b/c I felt fine to go go go.

Do you think I should try GOO or sports beans? I am super worried to try them b/c I have colitis and tend to have trouble digestively without sucking down goo. Also, someone told me Goo tastes like snot so I am not so interested in eating it.

Should I drink Gatorade instead of water? Maybe dilute it? I am planning my next long walk/run and do not want this to happen again. Or worse, at the maarthon!

 

[dislvr74]

I'm no expert, but I would suggest trying Gu or Sports Beans or Gaterade. I get leg cramps if I don't have anything other than water after about 6 miles. My general rule of thumb is to eat a package of sports beans every 45-60 min. During a half, I usually end up eating two packages and I drink Gaterade at most of the water stops. I do take water instead of Gaterade when I am eating my sports beans.

I got VERY ill after using Gu in a race (even though it was fine during training) and now I can't even look at the stuff. I switched to sports beans and haven't had any problems since. You'll just have to experiment a bit to find what works for you.

I'm sure the more experienced folks here will have better advice for you!

 

[treehugnmama]

i TRIED the cliff blocks this weekend on my 8 mile....it was like a big gummy bear (kinda) deffinatley didn't taste like snot lol

 

[JimB.]

Several points to consider (from my strictly non-professional point of view):

1. Probably should have eaten more than 1 hour prior, especially if you ate a lot. Digestion requires blood flow, which means that you may have had reduced blood flow (& therefore reduced oxygenation & fuel) for your legs.

2. Personally I hate running on treadmills. They are hell on my legs. They just pound the poop out of them. When I am help prisoner on one, I just crank the incline up as much as I can and walk briskly. It gets my HR almost as high.

3. Do not dilute powerade or gatorade unless it is the powdered stuff. If it's bottled, diluting it changes the mixture to the extent that it reduces the osmotic pressure and it won't get to your cells. Water is better than diluted bottled drinks. For some reason, it's ok to dilute the mixed stuff.

4. I hate GU/Cliff gels. I can tolerate certain flavors of Clif shots. I use ACCEL gels/ They are 20% protein, which (allegedly) helps your muscles use the cards efficiently. Plus, the chocolate flavor is the only flavor of any gel I can tolerate. I made the HUGE mistake of trying a "double espresso" clif shot during the Disney Marathon this year. The results were very .

5. I DO use cherry sport beans, but just to have a couple in my mouth to suck on. Don't use them extensively for fueling purposes.

6. Lastly - don't sweat this stuff. Just relax & have fun. If you end up walking a bit more than you planned, it's no big deal. AT this years Mickey, my legs blew up & my left foot's PF went haywire & I basically walked most of the last 6 miles. Ugh. But I was there, I finished upright, I got my medal & had I good time. Mission Accomplished.

 

[crewmatt]

hey, yea it def sounds to me like you need to alter a few things

1-You dont want a super meal before a workout, your body has to spend energy digesting it. 2 hours before is fine, but 1 hour is probably a little too close. Also too much protein in that meal can also sap your energy levels. My recommendation is to eat something small before the workout, and then eat afterwards. This way you'll be full longer and not sap too much energy

2-You need to replace electrolytes - for these drinking powerade or gatorade or something like that every other sip should be fine (if you want to rotate). If you don't want to rotate then you can drink it every time

3-drink BEFORE you get thirsty, not after. There is something to be said about training yourself to be able to go longer without water (to handle a situation like happened in chicago where they ran out), but that is a seperate training goal, and should only be thought of once you've reached your distance levels, maybe during your taper or something. If you are dying for water before you drink chances are your performance is already suffering and by the time the fluids get to your system you'll probably overdrink. several small sips beat 1 large gulp.

4-I personally use food for races longer than an hour/hour and a half and notice a very nice boost. I really like clif shot bloks and the jelly beans. I'm not a fan of the gu's, little too messy for my taste. If you're going to consume one of these, always follow consumption with water. Also if you're going to be using these in a competition, practice working out with them. Nothing you ever do on race day should be new.

Sounds like you're makign awesome progress, I could never go 6 miles on a treadmill. - 20 miles outside no problem, 4 miles on a treadmill and I start coming apart (anyone know why?) Best of luck

 

[solar]

As for the "digestive" issues- that's part of the reason you get a few things now while training and find out what works for you

I heard people rave about GU - so I tried the chocolate one, tasted like choc. icing - but it hit my digestive track FAST! Yikes...not positive for me, so i kept experimenting - not for me....tried sport beans - worked okay, just too intense of a flavor...tried shot bloks, found a cola flavor (like a big gummi bear like mentioned) - these work well for me.

Everybody is different, and it's really finding how your body responds to them.

It's been an interesting experience, but I'm SO glad I figured this stuff out during training. Now I can confidently pack my cola shot bloks and know I can use these without a problem...if you can experiment before the big day - your body will thank you

Energy bars, regular food, everyone is different - good luck!

 

[heatherlynn444]

I would at least try gu/beans for yourself and not just go off of what someone told you. I like certain flavors of Gu better than others put I like gu better than the chewy stuff b/c it gets stuck in your teeth!

 

[crewmatt]

Yea, everything is certainly your own preference, the shot bloks def stick to your teeth a little, but water usually dissolves them down. If there's a large race/marathon/triathlon or something happening in your area, they usually have samples out where you can just try them. Also some have caffeine in them some dont. I dont usually consume anything with caffeine in it (dont like soda coffee or tea) and I dont really notice much of a difference between the 2 types. It is night and day for me on a longer run, like 2 hours or so, if I eat something like that an hour in its really like knocking half an hour or so off the run.

 

[Bookwood]

I like Power bar gels I start using one when I hit 6 miles on the long runs. Usually for a "daily run" (4 miles ) I'll have some Power Zero - I just like flavored water better, but when my longs hit 5 miles or above I'll add Power Ade and then the gels. If your worried about digestive issues- definately try stuff out before race day.

 

[thndrmatt]

+1 for PowerGel, after experimenting with the various kinds of gels I found the PowerGels to be the most liquified from the heat after being carried on my waistband during the race, which made them almost "drinkable" rather than having to choke down a thick substance which was my experience with some of the other brands. I can take one while still running 10-20 yards from the water stop, chuck the wrapper while grabbing a cup, wash it down with a solid 6-8 swallows of water, and I'm g2g for another 30 min or so depending on outside temperature. That usually means every other stop, with the in between stops being where I take sports drink.

 

[FFigawi]

Definitely do a lot of experimentation to find what works best for you as far as goos, jelly beans, or bloks are concerned. Even within the same brand, one flavor or formulation might work better than another. Personally, I like to carry a variety of them with me for a marathon because eating the same thing over and over gets a bit dull. I use Clif Shots, Clif Bloks, and Sport Beans to mix it up a little. I don't like the GU, Power, or Hammer brands, but that's my own preference.