Run Run Away

Question:

||| |||   I also read the ||||| "Going Against the Grain" book. |||| |||| |||| Is it worth reading also? ||| ||| Yeah it’s good, but you may not learn anything you don’t already ||| know or suspect ||| ||| Are you the Ignoramus from rec.running? There is such a hatred from ||| some people there for low-carb. I eat this way out of necessity, ||| now, and I feel so much better. I also run better but I am not ||| going to defend myself against the close-minded wheat-eaters. || || Yes, I am Ignoramus from rec.running. Some people there are so || emotionally attached to wheat etc, any time I mention that I run and || am on low carb, those people become practically berserk. It is || ridiculous to watch. Kinda the same thing over in the biking newsgroups. Don’t really need to make a big deal out of it though….unless someone starts knocking LC while not having a clue….

Response:

  I also read the "Going Against the Grain" book. Is it worth reading also?

Yeah it’s good, but you may not learn anything you don’t already know or suspect Are you the Ignoramus from rec.running? There is such a hatred from some people there for low-carb. I eat this way out of necessity, now, and I feel so much better. I also run better but I am not going to defend myself against the close-minded wheat-eaters. Donna

Response:

I would take some electrolyte pills with me, or some such. Gatorade is a sugary drink with some electrolytes added.

Of course I ran without using Gatorade and can certainly vouch that its not necessary.  However, one of the main goals of training for marathons is to learn want you can ingest before and during the run (what your stomach can handle) and how much (water, fuel, etc.) you need to finish strong. One of the best pieces of advice I got before my marathon was from the medical advice flyer the NYRR gave out to the runners in their goodie bag.  It suggested taking one of the small salt packets you get from "take-out" and downing it with water after the halfway mark.  So I took a risk and downed most of one at around mile 15-16 — it made a world of difference.  I felt amazingly better within 3-5 minutes and made the rest of the run much more enjoyable. I’d suggest that when you get further into your training and start doing the 15-20 mile runs you give the salt pack a try.  I think that if I had my long runs prior to the marathon would have been better. Also, I’ve also been a volunteer for the NY marathon a few times.   This year I was responsible for helping sequester the elite women runners at the start on Staten Island.  So when you get closer to a marathon there’s a few other bits of info to pass along. — Rudy – Remove the Z from my address to respond. "It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!"   -Emiliano Zapata Check out the a.s.d.l-c FAQ at: http://www.grossweb.com/asdlc/faq.htm

Response:

Have you read "Slow Burn" by Stu Mittleman? He is an ultra-long distance    runner who believes in a low-carb diet. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0062716123/102-9038329-… I am a runner who has never been overweight, except when I gained 50 lbs twice when pregnant. I developed mysterious hip pain last year and when I gave up gluten, and most grains, I lost the hip pain. I also read the "Going Against the Grain" book. Donna – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Please accept my most heartfelt congratulations. Life is so much better this way. I have a similarly fascinating story. I had knee pain for the last several years, up to when I was obese. I really like to run, but could not do it more often than 1-2 times per week. After that, I lost weight by eating less and exercising (moderate carb), became slim (at normal weight), but knee pain stayed with me, unfortunately, although it became slightly better. Because I was hungry all the time maintaining my weight, I decided to try LC to control hunger. So I gave up all bread, pasta, grains potatoes etc. My knee pain is now GONE, without any additional weight loss. I run literally every day and am very happy. I ran a 1/2 marathon and experienced ZERO knee pain afterwards. By the way, I ran a low carb half marathon, no gatorade etc. i Durng a brief station stop, I ran fromthebus to go to the John, and ran back. Not far….. but NO KNEE PAIN. Over 50  pounds lighter, no wonder. I kept telling myself that when I was lighter "Someday" I might run. I even bought running shoes and tucked them safely away. Beginning to look like it is time to actually do it. Unless I can invent a reason not to. Maybe if someone can breakthis weight stall for me, then I’ll have a reason not to run YET. Jim

Response:

::::: Please accept my most heartfelt congratulations. Life is so much ::::: better this way. ::::: ::::: I have a similarly fascinating story. ::::: ::::: I had knee pain for the last several years, up to when I was ::::: obese. I really like to run, but could not do it more often than ::::: 1-2 times per week. After that, I lost weight by eating less and ::::: exercising (moderate carb), became slim (at normal weight), but ::::: knee pain stayed with me, unfortunately, although it became ::::: slightly better. ::::: ::::: Because I was hungry all the time maintaining my weight, I ::::: decided to try LC to control hunger. So I gave up all bread, ::::: pasta, grains potatoes etc. ::::: ::::: My knee pain is now GONE, without any additional weight loss. I ::::: run literally every day and am very happy. I ran a 1/2 marathon ::::: and experienced ZERO knee pain afterwards. By the way, I ran a ::::: low carb half marathon, no gatorade etc. ::: ::: Interesting that the knee pain is gone.  Maybe that does have ::: something to do with cutting out grains and potatos. I don’t think ::: the marathon on LC w/ no gatorade is significant beyond the ::: accomplishment of the marathon itself. If you run at a slow pace ::: then there should be no issues with your body relying mostly on fat ::: for fuel. :: :: You are completely right. My objective, though, is to attempt to run :: it in under 4 hours. A lot of people think that one cannot run a :: marathon without "gatorade" etc. I would like my experience to be one :: datapoint to prove them wrong (or, perhaps, I am wrong and they are :: right!) :: :: A time just under 4 hours is not exactly slow, although it is nowhere :: close to a stellar result. The merit of time will in all likelihood depend on your overall conditioning for running. If you’re a natural at it, and very fit for running, you can do more than someone who is not, without taxing your glycogen stores.  Consider doing your running while measuring heart rate.  What you’ll likely find is that if you keep your HR below a certain level, the fact that you are LC will not matter much.  But once you start going over a certain level in terms of HR, the absence of those carbs will begin to have an impact, because your body will need to rely more and more on them for fuel. The thing is, driving your time down while driving your HR up is sort of counter to the notion of running a marathon.  I mean, you want longer time in general, but you also want to be able to get that lower time without actually sprinting (or driving your HR very high).  So I would guess that if you train correctly and long enough it would be possible to turn in very respectable times running on LC. Even so, it will depend on conditioning. Peak performance will very likely require carbs. The gatorade thing is just about being deficient of electrolytes, right?  If you can have enough of them from other sources (some say bananas are best) then the use of gatorade is not required. Do you ever practice sprinting?  I can tell you from my biking riding experience that once you start driving your HR up toward max, carbs or the absence of them will be felt.  And it won’t feel good.

Response:

:: Please accept my most heartfelt congratulations. Life is so much :: better this way. :: :: I have a similarly fascinating story. :: :: I had knee pain for the last several years, up to when I was obese. I :: really like to run, but could not do it more often than 1-2 times per :: week. After that, I lost weight by eating less and exercising :: (moderate carb), became slim (at normal weight), but knee pain stayed :: with me, unfortunately, although it became slightly better. :: :: Because I was hungry all the time maintaining my weight, I decided to :: try LC to control hunger. So I gave up all bread, pasta, grains :: potatoes etc. :: :: My knee pain is now GONE, without any additional weight loss. I run :: literally every day and am very happy. I ran a 1/2 marathon and :: experienced ZERO knee pain afterwards. By the way, I ran a low carb :: half marathon, no gatorade etc. Interesting that the knee pain is gone.  Maybe that does have something to do with cutting out grains and potatos. I don’t think the marathon on LC w/ no gatorade is significant beyond the accomplishment of the marathon itself. If you run at a slow pace then there should be no issues with your body relying mostly on fat for fuel. :: :: i ::

::: ::: Durng a brief station stop, I ran fromthebus to go to the John, and ::: ran back. Not far….. but NO KNEE PAIN. ::: ::: Over 50  pounds lighter, no wonder. ::: ::: I kept telling myself that when I was lighter "Someday" I might run. ::: ::: I even bought running shoes and tucked them safely away. ::: ::: Beginning to look like it is time to actually do it. Unless I can ::: invent a reason not to. ::: ::: Maybe if someone can breakthis weight stall for me, then I’ll have a ::: reason not to run YET. ::: ::: Jim ::: :: :: :: — :: 223/172.8/180

Response:

I’m happy for both of you.  You have found a new approach to life. Your lives will be longer and more full of energy because you had the courage to change your lifestyle, and I congratuate both of you! Now, like JC says, eat less and exercise more!

Response:

:: I’m happy for both of you.  You have found a new approach to life. :: :: Your lives will be longer and more full of energy because you had the :: courage to change your lifestyle, and I congratuate both of you! :: :: Now, like JC says, eat less and exercise more! And don’t eat bread, pasta, grains, and potatoes, etc.  That’s more than just eat less and exercise.

Response:

Durng a brief station stop, I ran fromthebus to go to the John, and ran back. Not far….. but NO KNEE PAIN. Over 50  pounds lighter, no wonder. I kept telling myself that when I was lighter "Someday" I might run. I even bought running shoes and tucked them safely away. Beginning to look like it is time to actually do it. Unless I can invent a reason not to. Maybe if someone can breakthis weight stall for me, then I’ll have a reason not to run YET. Jim

Response:

I read somewhere that for every pound lost is like 4 pounds on the knee……must be that new math. Great job on the weight loss.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Durng a brief station stop, I ran fromthebus to go to the John, and ran back. Not far….. but NO KNEE PAIN. Over 50  pounds lighter, no wonder. I kept telling myself that when I was lighter "Someday" I might run. I even bought running shoes and tucked them safely away. Beginning to look like it is time to actually do it. Unless I can invent a reason not to. Maybe if someone can breakthis weight stall for me, then I’ll have a reason not to run YET. Jim

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