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Fruits + Cereals + Almond milk #vegan #duathlete

Brewing energy drink ...

Run to Stanley Park (26k)

Since we had timed our run to minimize the chance of (literately) running into the Lululemond organized half-marathon down-town, by the time we got to where we may meet the event, they had already cleared the trail. It's only as we got closer and closer to Stanley Park that we started to notice here and there on the floor spent energy gels :) Anyhow, our run went well. I was afraid I'll get that mysterious calf pain I have been experiencing for a few weeks, but it wasn't really the case (I did feel it on my left calf for a bit around the 9k mark). I was wearing compression bands on both legs, just in case ...

As I couldn't find Honey at home when preparing my energy drink this morning, I used Maple Syrup instead. It doesn't have a glycemic index as high as Honey, but definitely higher than Agave Syrup. I was a little worry the drink (which is a cold tea) may taste a little weird, but it wasn't the case and it was actually a lot less sweeter than with Agave Syrup.

After the run, we took the little guy to the outdoor swimming pool at Second Beach. Cooling the legs in the pool was kinda nice, however, since the pool is right on the seawall, it's windy and kinda cold so we didn't stay too long.

Carbo-loading & Energy bars!

So we just carbo-loaded some with a pretty yummy Kale/Lentils/Pasta soup (with Tofurkey sausage) made by da wife. I think she's planning to post the recipe online so I'll link to it when she's done so. She also made some "Larabars" for tomorrow run. It's a different recipe than the one from last week. I'll see to get the recipe as well ;)

Speaking of carbo-loading ...

The wife and I (and the kid in his running stroller) are doing another long run tomorrow (part of our Marathon training). I'm pretty excited about it since it will be the first time in 9 years than I will have gone above the distance of 21k (the last time was at the Paris Marathon back in 2003). To prepare for that run (25k), we only ran twice this past week (11k each time) and I have been taking it a little bit easier on my commuting rides.

Following my post from last night, I realized that my homemade energy drink wasn't actually what I needed during a long run (or ride) since I have to reload some glycogen as fast as possible and that Agave Syrup has a low Glycemic Index (bummer). I may have to switch back to Honey until I can get some Maltodextrin which seems to be a favorite of many endurance athletes.

<3 Castelli

Notes: Pre & Post Workout Nutrition (and a bit on Carbs)

Here's a couple of the things I noted down a few days ago while listening to episode #73 of the Tri Talk Triathlon podcast on the subject of nutrition needs around a workout.

Pre-workout (only if +60 minutes long):

• 2 to 4 hours before: 500 kcals of healthy carbs
• 60 minutes before: 1 gr per kg of body mass (4 kcals/kg)

Post-workout (only for intensive workout; e.g. +3hrs bike ride):

• if less than 6 to 8 hours to recover (to top-up glycogen level before another workout)
• carbs: 1.2g per kg of body mass per hour (+60 glycemic index, up to 5hrs post workout)
• proteins: 0.6g per kg of body mass per hour
• if more than 6 to 8 hours to recover
• eat when convenient (no need for high glycemic index)
• top off glycogen level like above, but no need to do it every hours

If you are a n00b when it comes to nutrition, like myself, this beg for some background explanations (disclaimer: I'm no nutritionist, I'm just an idiot trying to make sense of what I read! Please correct me when I'm wrong): 

Carbs refers to any food that is rich in complex carbohydrates (e.g cereals, bread, pasta ...) or in simple carbohydrates (e.g. fruits, sweets). A carbohydrate is basically sugar (glucose & fructose) used by the body as stored energy. The Glycemic index indicates how quickly a particular carbohydrate is absorbed. Therefore, consuming a high glycemic index carbs allows for the body to re-load glycogen in the muscles (and liver) faster. 

Glycogen is synthesised by the body from the sugar present in the blood and stored in the liver (for use by the body) and in the muscles (for their sole usage). It is only when the liver and muscles are at their maximum capacity than the body will turn glycogen into fat. Carbs with low glycemic index (e.g. fruits, vegetables, whole wheat pasta, grains) consumed 12 to 18 hours before an event will be stored as glycogen instead of fat (see carbo-loading). However, as Fructose is ineffective at raising muscle glycogen levels, a meal high in glucose should be preferred (e.g pasta, bread, rice, potatoes).

The University of Sydney has a web site dedicated to Glycemic Index, with an handy way to find carbs with high (or low) glycemic index.