1/3 Marathon before The Marathon

This morning we did our last long run before next sunday Marathon. I didn't push myself much as at this point I'm mainly focusing in not getting injured right before the race :P

The run to & back work experiment #2

Ran to and from work today as a second experiment with an average pace bellow 5:00/km. The weather was kind of crappy on the way back, which was kinda lame. However, I better get used to liking running in the rain if I'm going to do that more often during Fall and Winter.

I'm taking tomorrow off and then Sunday, we're scheduled for our last long run (14km) before the Marathon next week-end.

Busy Monday #4

Yesterday was in all probability (considering we're already in the late part of September) the last of my Busy Mondays for the season. Which can of sucks, but as the weather is already changing and that the Marathon is now in less than 2 weeks, I'll won't get another opportunity to go for a longer ride until mid October ... At which time most days will be rainy (that's what you get for living in Vancouver).

Anyhow, because I'm trying to not stress my body too much for the next 2 weeks, I only went for a 80k ride to start my day:

With an average of 31.7kph, I didn't exactly ride easy, but I didn't push hard either ... Anyhow, after riding home (9km), we went for a run for which I felt a bit under-fueled (as usual ... when will I learn?) and we clocked with an average pace of 5:13 ...

My calf compression bands were in the wash (bad scheduling!) so I ran without them, for the first time in months. It felt a little weird and I could swear that I could feel my calf's muscle bouncing around a bit as I ran ... My right calf definitely felt sorer than usual after the run :-\

Run to Stanley Park (21K)

Saturday we ran our last long run in preparation for the Victoria's Marathon which is now in less than 2 weeks. I had follow my now usual feeding routine on the morning (bagel + espresso), but since we didn't correctly carbo-load the two nights before, I wasn't really feeling all that up to running an half-marathon that morning. However, I started feeling more energetic after 10 minutes or so and we completed the distance in 01:45:46 with an average pace (05:01/km) at the one I'm aiming for the marathon.

Here's the run's details on Strava:

Just like for our previous long run, I refrained from eating anything during the run, and relied on my now usual energy drink (tea + maltodextrin) to keep my blood's sugar level from diving. 

I was planning to go for a 120km bike ride this morning (Sunday), but the wife reminded me that the last time I didn't take a day break between a long run and a long ride, I injured my calf. So as a mesure of precaution since we're now within 2 weeks of the Marathon, I took the day off .. :(

Another smoothie experiment ...

Tonight, after getting home I felt like making another smoothie experiment using this time Vitasoy's Oat & Quinoa "milk" instead of soy "milk". It was good enough to warrant sharing the recipe so here it is:

• 1 cup of Oat & Quinoa milk (Vitasoy brand)
• 3 tsp of Flax/Chia meal (grounded seeds, 50/50)
• 3 small plums
• 1 medium banana

Blend till smooth and enjoy!

Busy Monday #3

For today long ride, I decided to solely rely on my energy drink, even-though I was carrying with me 12 dates (to be munched on during the day). That didn't work out too well as I was kinda low on energy for the last 10 kilometres or so. Could also have been that I only consumed half of my bottle of home-made energy drink ... Anyway, lesson learned. From now on, I'll make sure to always consume something half-way (for ride above 80km).

Here's the ride on Strava:

I made my usual energy drink, but with one little spin which turned out to taste pretty good. Instead of adding 2 tablespoon of (grounded) Chia seeds, I used a 50/50 mix of (brown) Flax seeds & Chia seeds. Nutrition wise it seems to make some sense as both seeds seems to complement each other (calcium, omega-3 ...) while providing both calories and proteins.

For post ride snack, beside my 12 dates, I had one Luna energy bar (yes, I know it's optimized for Women ...)  and one Nature's Path bar. Seems it was enough to top-up my glycogen and general energy level as I felt pretty good throughout my ride home and subsequent run:

... in fact, with an average pace of 4:54/km it wasn't bad at all. I guess, I ought to eat more during the day to fuel my following work-out. Not really a surprise ...

Notes: Michael Arnstein's lecture on Ultra-Running

Back in august 2011, ultra-runner Michael Arnstein did a lecture on ultra-running during the Woodstock Fruit Festival. The video of it is posted on his Youtube channel and it's a good watch if you are interested by some insights into the extreme, but tempting world of ultra-running.

Here are my notes:

• ultra-running is defined as any run longer than a marathon but it is really an "extreme state of existence" with 4 stages to be passed in order to experience it:
• physical (most people stop running when their body doesn't want to go further)
• mental (continuing to run when your body says "no")
• emotional (using your emotions to keep going forward)
• spiritual
• ultra-running is a life humbling experience which also is a catalyst for changes
• ultra-running is a very addictive sport
• how to become an ultra-runner: 
• body fat > 5% is weight you don't need (2-4% for women)
• the lighter you are the less injury prone you will be
• a low body fat make it easier to cool during warm weather run
• better blood circulation and lower calories intake requirements
• a fruitarian diet is simple, low fat and have a high water content
• it takes a long time to become an ultra-runner, your body need to be build-up over time to handle the requirement of running all the time. You will need to be patient and take it slow.
• you need to train accordingly to the type of ultra race you'll be doing (e.g cross-country vs. road)
• sleep is very important, you need lots of it
• shift your internal clock to match the start of the race when it is early in the morning a few days before
• stop eating 3 hours before going to bed
• avoid drinking too much so that your don't have to get-up to pee during the night
• use earplugs, eye mask and hat
• equipment
• toe socks (help avoid blisters)
• lightweight racing type shoes
• no difference between man or woman running shoe
• add 2 size to man shoe for woman shoe size
• woman shoe large sizes are usually over-stoked and thus on sales more often
• sunglasses
• GPS watch
• head lamp (when running in the dark)
• good lightweight backpack (that can fit tightly so that it doesn't bounce around)
• insulated water bottles
• get your exercises as part of your lifestyle (e.g. running to/from work)
• doing doubles is a good way to train (e.g 9k in the morning, 9k in the afternoon)
• staying motivated
• having training partners
• listen to some good music 20mn before running to "pump you up"
• listen to music during the run (Dean Karnazes' "music makes the miles go by")
• stretching doesn't matter [?]
• race nutrition
• salt tabs
• gas-x to alleviate gas issues (digesting food you are not used to during the race)
• caffeine towards the end of the race (as a stimulant)
• dates
• compression socks: give it a try but it may not be beneficial
• marathon training: 2 high-intensity workout per week
• ultra-race training: lots of comfortable running for extended period of time
• to avoid side stitch, run on an empty stomach (eat 12 hours before the race)
• "you are better than you think you are, you can do more than you think you can" (Leadville's race director)

Being "The Flash" ... for once

I surprisingly had one of my fastest (if not the) 8 km run yesterday with an average pace of 4:24/km ... I said it was surprisingly since it looks like I'm at the onset of a Bronchitis (which I get most of the time I catch a flu). Anyhow, my left thigh was still a little painful, but once I got warmed-up it didn't bother me. I could have run a little faster actually, but my co-worker (with whom I have been running frequently for the past 7 years) couldn't keep-up and started falling back.

Clearly, there's no way I could maintain that pace for a marathon ...

Run to Stanley Park (30k)

Saturday run to our now usual long distance target went pretty well. This time around, I didn't forgot to drink my espresso two hours before we got going, however I followed the tips from Allen Lim, and decided to not take any food during the run itself and only rely on my usual energy drink (minus the Chia seeds) just to keep my blood sugar level elevated (and replace my electrolytes).

Since the infamous wall lives around the 30km mark for most people, I was curious to see if I will run into it (didn't ran into it last time I ran a marathon either) ... And, It wasn't the case as I feel pretty energetic all the way (with an average pace of 5:10/km). Obviously the 2 days of moderate carbo-loading plus a bagel (with peanut butter, chia seeds and one banana) 3 hours before the start of the run was enough to fuel me throughout the run. As a measure of precaution, I did carry a bunch of dates ...

Two days prior to the run, I started feeling one of these weird pains at the top of my left calf, not unlike other pains I have felt recently on my calfs. So I wore my compression bands (on both calfs) as prevention most of the two days and, of course, during the run (as usual). In the end, I didn't feel any calf pains during the run (nor after), just some mild knee pains. However, starting yesterday afternoon (so 24 hours after the run) my left thigh started being painful (rectus femoris?) when at ease. I cycled to work this morning and didn't feel anything special. Anyhow, I'm supposed to run this late afternoon so I'll see how it goes ...

Overall, I have to say that since I started wearing compression bands on my calfs when running, my calf pains have pretty much vanished. I know there's a lot of debate on the effectiveness of them, but it appears to be working for me ... or that's just a coincidence.

Here's the run details on Strava:

...

Relaxing legs in the Skytrain (with Matcha frappe) #duathlete

Notes: Dr Robert Lustig talks with Jimmy Moore

Back in early 2011, podcaster and low-carb advocate Jimmy Moore interviewed Dr Robert Lustig on the subject of fructose and carbohydrates (episode #429 of his podcast). I though it was interesting enough to warrant sharing the notes I took while listening to that episode:

• low carbs diet: can be good but is it necessary for the majority of the population (on a long time scale)? Most people get tired of it after 6 months (see Dr. Gary Foster's study), some people may requires more or less carbs, depending on their physiology
• fiber plays a crucial role in your metabolism and: 
• high fibre intake lower the chance of colon cancer
• slow the rate of absorption of sugars (improves hepatic response and helps regulate insulin release)
• helps with satiety signalling
• helps with fatty acids absorption (which helps limiting insulin release)
• what prohibit leptin signalling? High level of insulin does (fructose contribute to that) and that make you eat more
• obesity : not everybody problem is linked to fructose consumption (everybody is different)
• we cannot change our biochemistry, we can only change our environment (food and food consumption)
• blood sugar goes up when the liver cannot keep up with a sudden sugar load
• whole grains: good because of the fiber (even better if the grains are intact, e.g. not flour)
• normal fructose consumption isn't the problem, high intake is (7 times more than our ancestors)

Consider this as a follow-up to a previous post on the subject of fructose.

Notes: "Up close with Allen Lim"

Greg Kopecky over at slowtwitch.com published today an interview he did with Dr. Allen Lim of Skratch Labs, which, I though, was an interesting read for anyone researching the complex subject of sport nutrition.

Here's my notes:

• during a race, you have to get the calories in to offset your glycogen depletion, BUT you also have to stay hydrated; energy depletion really is only a problem for elite athlete, amateurs usually have plenty fuel "on-board"
• "Drink your hydration and chew your calories": separate hydration and electrolytes from calories intakes (for a more efficient ingestion)
• for less than 3hrs event: taking in a bit of sugar (e.g energy drink) to maintain blood glucose level will help feeling "energized" [without having to load-up on actual (un-needed) calories]
• average stored calories glycogen pre-race: 28 to 42 kcals per kg of body mass
• elite athletes will burn from 800 to 900 kcals per hour or race
• an athelete should aim to replace half of the energy expenditure per hour
• 1g carb = 4kcal
• what to eat during a race:
• simple/normal food
• high glycemic index
• low fiber content
• athletes should experiment in making their own race food

So, it looks like I have been doing it right so far, except taking on too much calories during our longer run. Maybe this week-end I'll lower my calories in-take (during the run) and see how that goes.

Tapering

With a flu and another long training run (30 km) coming up this week-end, I'm tapering a little. I'm still cycling to work (but on easy mode), but yesterday was our last run. Which, BTW, was crappy:

Just like the past week, I felt low on energy (I had a bit of food during the day) but in reality it was the flu (which my kid gave me, thanks ...) which was hitting "hard". Contrast the average pace of 05:24 with Tuesday's 5:04:

Oh well ...

Labour day long ride

For today ride, I headed out to climb Cypress Mountain in North Vancouver (technically, it's in West Vancouver). This is a pretty popular climb for local cyclists with about 910 meters of climbs from the shore (Marine Dr). Since I was going to leave from home, I knew it was going to be a relatively long ride ... and it was with a moving time clocking at just over 4 hours:

I wasn't disappointed by the ride, it was pretty nice. The Cypress' climb was easier than I was expecting and while it is somewhat long, it's a pretty constant grade. In fact, I though the climb from Marine Drive to the Highway (on 21st street) was a lot harder than the actual climb. Passing trough downtown on the way back was a bit less fun since the traffic had picked-up in the couple of hours since I had gone in on my way up north. The temperature was pretty constantly dropping as I climbed and it was clearly chilly at the top. The downhill was pretty fun (with a top speed of 75kph, wheeeez!) albeit freezing (I was dressed warmly for the late season). 

Here's a few shots I took (on the way down):

To fuel myself, I prepared my usual energy drink and packed 10 dates. I didn't have any eating schedule in mind and just snacked on some of the dates here and there. At no point in the ride did I felt low on energy not did I feel any digestive issue. I made sure to drink some of my drink each time I had dates. Since I had gotten-up to close to the start of the ride (5:30am wake-up time) I didn't eat anything before starting the ride. Probably not optimal, but I have an hard time eating so close to a ride (or run).

The n00b's recovery drink

We went for a 10k run this morning after taking Saturday off. When we got back I thought about making a recovery smoothie. However, since I have not yet looked into details to what are the things such a drink should contain for post workout, I mostly worked off things I recalled from what I heard in the (sports) podcasts I listen to (e.g Zen and the Art of Triathlon) and it was yummy:

Here's the recipe:

• 1.5 cups of Almond Milk
• 2 small Plums
• 1 medium Banana
• 3 tsp Chia Seeds
• 4 Dates

I used SparkRecipes to estimate the nutrition info, and it seems pretty decent to me (carbs, protein and electrolytes) but hey, what do I know? ...

I shared the smoothie (about 2 cups) with the wife and the kid, but I had probably 2/3 of it.