diet question
I have been trying to start training for my first marathon, however I can't get past 8.5 miles. I am running them rather fast, probably faster than what I would be running during a longer run but I feel good....until mile 7.5. The last mile my stomache cramps and I feel like I am going to...sorry guys....explode. I stop my watch after 8.5 miles and bend over trying to stop the cramps and everything since I am nowhere near a bathroom. I drive home and make a mad dash towards the bathroom and make it just in time. It's been over two hours and my stomach is still cramping and I only ate half of my dinner. What's wrong?
Today I had a bowl of honey nut cheerioes and some orange juice. For lunch I had a diet coke, PB&J sandwich, wheatables with a piece of cheese, a granny smith apple and granola bar. For dinner I had a sloppy joe and some baked tator tats. I have drank about 50 oz of water all day. I think it's mostly dehyration but I have a job where it's hard to drink water all day. Any ideas about foods I should avoid and what I should be eating? How can I make water taste better?
Comments
Two things....
1. In distance training, your weekly long distance run (the longest of the week, mine's on Sundays) should be done at a conversational pace. How fast you run your longest run of the week completely does not matter - 3:15 marathoners and sub-10:00 iron distance triathletes have told me this, and I believe them. Save your faster runs for distances you're comfortable with.
2. As you get into longer runs, diet really matters. I do my longer runs in the morning. A single bown of instant oatmeal or cheerios 1-2 hours before works for ME, but my stomach is more resiliant than most on longer runs. I have a very hard time running after dinner, when my stomach is fuller.
It might sound like a good idea to run on an empty stomach, but sooner or later, you'll need that food energy on your longer runs. So your best bet, I think, is to sort it out now. What works for you, personally, and what doesn't?
Low glycemic index foods are a good place to start, but GI is just a guide. Find something that your stomach can tolerate on a run, and stick to it.
As for liquids, I personally prefer gatorade to water. There are lots of commercial sport drinks out there, and lots more home recipes for them. Over the length of a marathon, electrolyte (salt) loss can cause you muscles to cramp badly. It's worse for some people (i.e. me) than others, though. In general, sports drinks don't taste all that great, so it's worthwhile to try a bunch (including homemade!) to find what works best for you.
I hope that helped!
Posted by: warren | April 25, 2007 09:47 AM
I do all my runs first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. I don't eat anything the morning before a marathon, either. I try to "carb up" the day before by eating high-carbohydrate foods, and pasta for dinner.
During the runs, I suck up a packet of energy gel. They're easy on the stomach.
This works for me, although I believe most people have a different approach. But my experience has been, if I have anything in my stomach, I have a 50/50 chance of cramping. So no thanks.
One thing I do have trouble with is dairy. I avoid milk the day before long runs, too. You had honey nut cheerios... with milk obviously. Maybe you could try cutting that out?
Just my $0.02.
Posted by: Michael | April 27, 2007 12:55 PM