A Fat Adapted Eating Plan to Fuel for an Ultra

I've gotten a lot of questions about how I eat to fuel an ultra as a Paleo athlete. I thought it might be helpful for people looking for answers if I wrote a meal plan based on typical meals I eat in the week leading up to a race.

Whether or not the meal plan I've outlined below will work for you depends on how you eat in your daily life. 
 
Do you eat the Standard American Diet? You're welcome to give my eating plan a try, but it's unlikely it will work well until your body learns to use fat as fuel. For a greater understanding of fat burning vs. sugar burning, this article gives a good explanation. 

I also recommend reading It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig and The Paleo Athlete by Stephanie Gaudreau. While I found some of its advice outdated, I also learned a lot about fueling from Loren Cordain's The Paleo Diet for Athletes.  
 
Are you just starting a Whole30? It typically takes a couple of weeks for your body to adapt to the changes in your diet. Be patient with the process and go easy in workouts. I don't recommend starting this way of eating if you have your A race in the next 3 weeks.

Have you been avoiding processed carbs and grains and feel you are fat-adapted? My way of fueling should work best for those who fall into this group, but everyone is different. Maybe you don't like chicken, or you're allergic to onions, in which case you'll need to substitute something else.  

Do you eat Vegan or Vegetarian? You can sub organic tofu or lentils for the protein in any meal (full disclosure - I haven't tried it myself). If you currently rely heavily on grains for fuel, your body may need to learn to use fat as fuel before this type of eating will work for you. The Whole30 folks have options for you if you're interested.

Below I've listed four days worth of meals I typically eat leading up to an ultra. This is what works for me. You may have success following this plan, but everyone is different. Keep experimenting until you find what works best for you.

At least four days before my long run/endurance event I make sure I am carb loading, Paleo style. That means eating starchy vegetables two or three times a day. The ones that pack the most punch are sweet potatoes, butternut squash, beets, rutabaga and parsnips. 

My favorite packed-with-carbs recipe is Velvety Butternut Squash from Well Fed. It makes a big casserole dish full and we nosh on it all week. 

Cooking takes time. I love it and can spend hours in the kitchen making wonderful recipes, but I've kept things super simple here so those of you with little time can benefit. My best time saving tricks:

1. Frozen veggies: A few minutes in the microwave and they're ready.
2. Raw veggies: Sliced bell peppers, cucumbers, jicama, snap peas, celery and baby carrots are quick to prep and portable. 
3. Make ahead: On Sunday evening, I shred rutabaga, roast sweet potatoes and beets, boil eggs, cook a couple of different meats, chop onions, slice cucumbers and bell peppers, and make batches of food for the week.
4. Buy prepared foods like roast chicken or hit a hot food/salad bar when you don't feel like cooking. Just check the ingredients carefully.

I am a huge fan of Melissa Joulwan and her Well Fed and Well Fed 2 cookbooks. I highly recommend both, whether you are Paleo, Vegan or Standard American Diet. Her veggie recipes are particularly outstanding (you will probably moan audibly) and she offers many helpful shortcuts to make your life easier.

With each meal I include:

• a palm to 2 palm sized portion of protein (meat, seafood, poultry or 3-4 eggs)
• good fats like half an avocado
• LOTS (2-4 cups) of veggies (starchy and green)

Below I've given you a protein, fat, green vegetable and starchy vegetable suggestion for each meal. I don't always manage to eat a starchy vegetable at each meal. Sometimes I skip the green veggies or eat a little less protein depending on how active I was that day. Feel free to experiment with different combinations.

I'm not a nutritionist or a medical professional of any sort. This is how I eat to fuel my runs. It may or may not work for you. Please consult your doctor before you take the drastic step of eating the real food listed in this post instead of packaged, processed stuff with preservatives because that would be the prudent thing to do (is this a suitable legal disclaimer?). 

DAY 1 (4 days before your event)
Breakfast
Protein: 3-4 eggs OR  ground meat with 2 eggs on top
Fat: Coffee blended with coconut milk (the cooking oil I fry my eggs in counts too)
Green veg: Some fresh or frozen spinach or any leftover veggies I have
Starchy: Rutabaga hash (shredded rutabaga + chopped onions + spices cooked in coconut oil, ghee or olive oil)

Lunch
Protein: Bunless burger or any leftover meat I have on hand
Fat: Homemade mayo on my burger and/or guacamole for dipping my veggies
Green veg: Raw veggies like sugar snap peas, baby carrots, bell pepper strips, jicama
Starchy: 1/2 sweet potato, a couple of handfuls of blueberries & strawberries

Dinner
Protein: Shrimp or Chicken Curry Bowl (sautee onions & veggies of choice in coconut oil, add shrimp/chicken, stir in 1-2 tsp green curry paste or curry powder, add 1 cup coconut milk, simmer 'til hot). 
Green veg: I add broccoli and/or green beans and spinach in my curry bowl
Starchy: Velvety Butternut Squash

DAY 2 (3 days before your event)
Breakfast
Protein: Frittata with spinach, red bell pepper, onion
Fat: 1/2 avocado or homemade mayo + Franks' hot sauce atop frittata
Green veg: I use broccoli or spinach in my frittata
Starchy: Shredded rutabaga hash, strawberries

Lunch
Protein: 1 can wild sardines and/or hard-boiled eggs tossed in salad
Fat: 1/2 avocado, cubed into salad
Green veg: A big salad. I like red peppers, cukes, arugula. Try different combos.
Starchy: A big helping of roasted beets

Dinner
Protein: Pan-fried chicken thighs with onions, garlic and lemon OR a grilled steak
Fat: Olive oil or ghee to cook chicken and spinach
Green veg: Sauteed spinach, garlic and pine nuts
Starchy: 1/2 - 1 sweet potato OR Japanese sweet potato fries (if you have any leftovers these are great cold in your lunch salad)

DAY 3 (2 days before your event)
Breakfast
Protein: Ground pork or turkey sauteed with apples and cinnamon + scrambled eggs
Fat: Coffee blended with coconut milk or 1/2 avocado
Green veg: optional, sometimes I skip them or eat a few forkfuls of kimchi
Starchy: I count the apples above as my starch here.

Lunch
Protein: Leftover chicken thighs or steak
Fat: 1/2 avocado or olive oil and vinegar dressing on salad
Green veg: Big salad with veggies
Starchy: Roasted beets in my salad

Dinner
Protein: Ground beef, onions, spices, roasted spaghetti squash, tomato sauce
Fat: Large handful of olives or 1/2 avocado. I also use olive oil to cook my squash & greens.
Green veg: Frozen broccoli or spinach, I mix mine in with the sauce
Starchy: 1/2 - 1 sweet potato, a couple of handfuls of blueberries & strawberries

DAY 4  (the day before your event)
Breakfast
Protein: Leftover frittata or 3-4 hard boiled eggs
Fat: Coffee blended with coconut milk (or make homemade mayo and make deviled eggs!)
Green veggies: fresh or frozen spinach, sauteed or some kimchi
Starchy: Velvety Butternut Squash

Lunch
Protein: Leftover ground beef, spaghetti squash, sauce
Fat: Drizzle of olive oil over spaghetti squash or 1/2 avocado
Green veg: Frozen broccoli microwaved or baby carrots, celery, bell peppers
Starchy: Leftover roasted beets

Dinner
Protein: Salmon cakes (I use oregano instead of rosemary)
Fat: Coconut milk in the green beans below, homemade mayo on my salmon cakes
Green veg: Green beans sauteed with garlic, spices, coconut milk (from Well Fed)
Starchy: Roasted root veggies - I like a mix of parsnips, butternut squash and carrots, cut into one-inch cubes, tossed with melted coconut oil and a little kosher salt and roasted at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until done to your liking.

SHOPPING LIST* (approximate amounts. I'm sure I've left something out ...)
eggs - 2 dozen
avocados - 3 or 4
rutabagas - 2-3 medium
onions - 2 or 3
green onions - 1 bunch
Raw veggies: bell peppers, baby carrots, celery, jicama, snap peas, cucumber
garlic - 2 heads
apples - 2 small
sweet potatoes, Garnet or Jewel - 3-4
Japanese sweet potatoes - 2
butternut squash - 2 large
spaghetti squash - 1 medium
beets - 3-4 medium
parsnips - 4 or so
carrots - 1 bunch
blueberries - 1 pint
strawberries - 1 quart
spinach/arugula or other fresh salad greens of your choice
ground beef  - 1 lb
ground turkey or pork - 1 lb
chicken thighs OR a steak
shrimp - 1/2 lb
wild sardines in water - 2 cans
wild salmon - 1 15 oz can
kimchi - try it!
green beans - 1 lb
lime - 1
frozen broccoli
frozen spinach or kale
coconut milk - 3-4 cans
tomato sauce - look for sugar free, I like Rao's or Amy's Family Marinara
green curry paste or curry powder
olives - 1 can
mustard
coconut oil (unrefined)
olive oil and/or ghee (clarified butter)
vinegar (to make your own salad dressing)
slivered almonds
Frank's Hot Sauce

If making homemade mayo, also buy:
dry mustard (if you don't already have some)
light olive oil (not extra virgin, it will be too bitter)
1 lemon

*In compiling this list, I'm assuming you have some spices on hand already, like paprika, salt, pepper, oregano, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, red pepper flakes, ginger, cayenne - not 100% essential, but it can make the difference between your food being bland or mind-blowing!

For more on fueling for an ultra, including what I eat during a run, go here.

I hope you find my suggestions helpful. Happy eating and good luck in your racing and training. Enjoy the journey!

On Witnessing Greatness

This weekend I had the privilege of pacing a legend-in-the-making.

My good friend Katie did what has been done by only a few other mortals: She finished the rugged 108 mile, four loop, 32,000 feet of climb TWOT 100.

To put that in perspective, that's more climbing than any of the 100 milers that comprise the Grand Slam. Hard Rock 100 has just slightly more climbing -- 33,000 feet.

Elevation charts by Keith Knipling

Steady, strong, upbeat, relaxed, consistent, happy, focused. She was all of these. She never wavered in her resolve and she never faltered, though she did have a few choice words for Hankey Mountain as she began climbing it for the third time.

As we marched around that rocky, punishing course, I was struck anew by the beauty of this trail. The hours of blackness in the night, steady drizzle, fogged-in views, blood-drawing briars, ethereal mist, stunning fall colors against dark, rain-soaked trees ... I felt truly alive and ever-so-grateful to be out there.

And was I ever-so-grateful that I only had to complete one loop!

Katie Keier, it was an honor to share in your momentous accomplishment! I haven’t been this inspired, or felt this full of possibilities in a long time. My heart thanks you from its depths.

As for my quads, they have a few choice words for those long descents ...

Fat Adapted: Running an Ultra on the Paleo Diet

I went Paleo in March of 2013. My body felt better, younger, more energetic than ever, but my endurance running suffered during the transition to becoming fat adapted.

27 days into the Whole30 Program, I ran a 50 miler but fell prey to terrible leg cramping. 

Three weeks after, I ran a tough, hilly 20 miler and felt strong all day. Six days later at Capon Valley 50K, I added nut butter, banana and dried apricots to my fueling regimen but ran out of gas and walked it in.

I kept tweaking my nutrition, but I couldn't seem to find a winning combination.
What was different? I'd ingested a bun-less burger during my 20 miler, perhaps protein was the key! 

In my final long-ish, hilly run before my big race, I ate a packet of VFuel (which contains protein). Since the run was a mere 3 hours, there wasn't time to take in much nutrition. Probably not a fair shake, but discouragingly, I sensed the onset of cramps in the final two miles.

Desperate to figure out a way to make my ultrarunning work without sugar, I recalled that Devon Yanko uses Vespa as her fuel. After some research, I decided to use Vespa Junior for my 70 miler. Having failed with my other concoctions, what did I have to lose?

According to the Vespa website, it helps the body utilize fat stores for energy, especially if your daily diet is Paleo/low carb. You still eat some carbohydrate during the run, but much less than you'd otherwise need. It also appealed to me because I could avoid consuming a lot of sugar.

I consumed one Vespa Junior 45 minutes before the race began, then one every three hours during the race. I waited an hour or so after taking the Vespa and then I ate a sweet potato baby food squeeze packet or a few bites of a LARABAR every 15 minutes for carbohydrates. I drank plain water, but in a departure from strict Whole30 protocol I nibbled on Nuun tablets for magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium. I hoped this would stave off any leg cramps.

This plan worked beautifully for 63 miles, at which point my legs began to feel excruciating pain. So this was what ultrarunners Olga King and Larry King had experienced! I whimpered a bit in the final miles, glad that this was not a 100 miler.

I still count my race at Laurel Highlands 70 Miler as a fueling success. While I was sufficiently trained for the distance, I was certainly pushing the upper limits of my distance range. 

Hopefully, in my next ultra, I'll have the same success. I'll be sure to post about my results. For now, I'm enjoying all that summer has to offer.

Laurel Highlands 70 Miler: A Modern Day Fairy Tale

Once Upon A Time, a girl with pigtails ran the Laurel Highlands 70 Miler (in 2006). She was met with wonderful cool weather and helpful spirits and she completed her journey with aplomb.
 
She ventured forth again in 2008, but the Evil Rains came and she failed. She knew she couldn't let Evil triumph, so she returned once more to fight the good battle. This is her race report. It's a modern day fairy tale!


Self-Doubt. I don't think I've ever had more anxiety about a race. I was filled with doubts. I didn't believe I had the mental toughness to push through when things got difficult. I didn't want it badly enough.

Problems. I had good reason to feel pessimistic. Since changing my diet to Whole30/Paleo, I'd only had a SINGLE successful long run. The fuel I'd been trying and tweaking only got me so far in each race. The taper was upon me and I'd run out of time to test any other methods. I would be trying an entirely new fueling system in the longest race I'd done in seven years. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

Betrayal. My beloved Vasque Transistor FS, the shoes I've worn during all my long trail runs for the past three years, were causing me ankle pain even on short runs. I'd have to rely on my Asics road running shoes and my seldom-worn (and never tested on trail) Brooks Pure Cadence for most of the 70 miles. 

Experimenting with Potions. I had decided to try Vespa Junior for my fueling strategy. The ingredients read a bit like a recipe for witch's potion:

• Filtered water
• Orange juice
• Honey
• Royal jelly 
• Bee propolis 
• Wasp extract
• Eye of Newt (ok, kidding on this one)

According to the website, it helps the body utilize fat stores for energy, especially if your daily diet is Paleo/low carb. You still eat some carbohydrate during the run, but much less than you'd otherwise need. It also appealed to me because I could avoid consuming a lot of sugar.

The plan: Consume one Vespa 45 minutes before the race began, then every three hours. I'd eat baby food squeeze packets and LARABARS for carbohydrates. I filled my hydration pack with good plain water, and took a page from my favorite American Women's 24-Hour Record Holder and ate pieces of Nuun for my electrolytes. Fizzy!

I reigned in my pace out of respect for the difficult course, and to assess whether my fuel was going to work. I felt curiously optimistic.

There's a bit of climbing in the first 9 miles ...

Magical Occurrences. I started the race not truly expecting to finish, but determined to enjoy the miles I ran. I made a promise to myself to stay positive and not let a single complaint escape my lips. I felt well-rested and strong. My improved climbing ability thrilled me. The temperatures stayed cool. Hubz crewed for me, and his steady, take command style was the perfect fit, as usual. My fuel seemed to be working.

Three Pairs of Shoes. My Asics GT-2000 road shoes worked better than expected on the wet, steep trail. One drawback: I felt every pebble and twig. By Mile 39 my feet were tender, so I switched to my Vasques, hoping they'd work. But they had turned against me. Within a couple of miles, they began to hurt. The next chance I had, at mile 46, I swapped them for my yet-to-be-tested-on-trails Brooks Pure Cadence. They were the good fairy in this tale. Cushioned and protective, roomy in the toebox yet snug enough to prevent my foot from slipping, they delivered me through the perilous woods.



Leaving Mile 57 Checkpoint. It's not yet dark, no idea why my headlight is on.

Solitude. I ran alone from Mile 20 on, but for a few short conversations with other runners. I was making up time and feeling good, and enjoying the silence. Memories of my last race here came flooding back as I recognized each section of trail and drank it in. I couldn't wait to see what awaited me around the next bend.  

Rejuvenation. All the anxiety, doubts and worries I'd been carrying drained away with my rhythmic steps. A deep peacefulness settled into my soul.

I didn't want it to end. Until about six miles from the finish, I was enjoying every moment. Yes, oh yes, I was sore and stiff and hurting, but what I was gaining was worth all that and much more.

I chose to leave my camera behind. No matter. No photograph can capture the way the waning sunlight sets the field of ferns aglow at Bearpen Hollow, nor the satisfying cadence of running those gentle downhills. It can't convey the cloying scent of the flora and damp grass, the sounds of alternating calls of birds as they settle in for the night, the peeping of frogs in the darkness, the staccato of thousands of light rain drops hitting the tree canopy but never reaching you, the silence in between.

I have often remarked that the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is my favorite. Yet I was repeatedly surprised and moved by the surrounding beauty as I ran. I felt grateful to be out on these trails. I was so glad I decided to run despite my qualms.



A Happy Ending

Ultrarunning and Fueling on Whole30

I have had mixed success with fueling on the Whole30 Program.  

Below I recount my personal experiences running long distances on this diet. I based my evaluation on three major runs: 44 miles at Bull Run Run, a 21-mile training run dubbed Kerry's Death March and a 50K race at Capon Valley. 

First things first: I would not recommend racing in the first 14 days of the Whole30 program. Almost everyone experiences very low energy and lackluster workouts during this period as the body adapts from using carbohydrates to fueling with fat.

Let's start by analyzing my DNF at mile 44 of Bull Run Run 50 Miler. It fell on Day 28 of my Whole30. While my body had adapted to using fat as fuel, I believe the diet itself was not to blame, rather, I failed to properly carb-load in the days leading up to this race.

The Carb-Loading Fail. My meals for three days prior to my race (by pure accident) included almost all low carbohydrate vegetables: 

• Spinach 
• Asparagus 
• Brussels sprouts 
• Jicama 
• Zucchini 
• Tomatoes  
• Salad greens

I should have been adding fruit to my meals and eating high carb veggies such as:

• Sweet potatoes
• Winter squash
• Beets  
• Parsnips 

What I Used as Race Fuel. Below is my race nutrition. My energy was steady all day.

• A blend of sweet potato puree, applesauce, apple juice and coconut milk 
• a couple handfuls of dates
• half a banana 
• LARABARS (5 or 6), Lemon and Cherry Pie flavors 

The Good. Here's what I noted about how I felt during Bull Run Run vs. typical past ultras.

• I never felt like I was bonking. 
• No bloating or sloshing. In fact, I can't remember a race where my stomach felt better.    
• Even energy throughout the day. It was different than the sugar "highs" I used to get on gels and junk food - but notably, the lows that accompanied them were also absent.

Alkalinity and Acidity. If you scroll down to the bottom of this discussion, you'll find some interesting answers on severe cramping during endurance running. Based on the pain/sensations described, this is exactly what I experienced during Bull Run Run. I've never cramped that badly before, to the point of being unable to walk. 

In short, my low carbohydrate intake left my pH too low going into the race. That resulted in horrific cramping - and nothing I ate or drank during the race could have remedied that. The die had been cast.

Success on Kerry's Death March Training Run. KDM is a wonderful and very tough 20+ mile loop in Shenandoah National Park. It has significant climbing and is ideal for Laurel Highlands 70 training. I completed this leisurely-paced 5+ hour run and felt AMAZING all day long, with steady energy throughout. In addition to the fuel I used at Bull Run Run, I ate a burger in a lettuce wrap at Elkwallow Wayside. It's possible this additional protein and fat contributed to my overall success.

Middling Results at Capon Valley 50K. I ate sweet potatoes like they were going out of style in the two days leading up to this race. I added dried apricots and cranberries to my fuel quiver, and I ate some bananas and orange slices at the aid stations. Again, I'm not certain my results here can be attributed to my diet alone. I had pain in my right hip during the entire race as a result of a new climbing technique I implemented at KDM. Furthermore, my legs were still fatigued because I hadn't tapered. In the last miles, when I'm usually raring to get it done, I did a lot of walking and frankly didn't care a bit about my time.
 
We Are All An Experiment Of One. My ultrarunner friend Katie (read her Whole30 report) has had really strong runs using the sweet potato puree + applesauce + coconut milk blend. Katie PR'd by an hour at Bull Run Run (she was on Day 28 of the Whole30, like me). She has gone from mid-packer to making the podium at a couple of races. Keep your eyes peeled for It's up! Katie's ultra fueling post to learn about all of her fueling secrets.
 
Hubz had several great training runs and his recovery after hard efforts was amazingly quick. He remarked several times in amazement that he had little or no soreness after seriously tough runs. However, he bonked hard just past the halfway point at his 100 mile race this weekend and was not able to recover. Furthermore, while his energy was good and steady up to mile 50, it differed significantly from energy he got in the past from his Gatorade + Carb BOOM! mix. Even before he bonked, he said he "just didn't have another gear."   

In Conclusion, I feel unsatisfied with my evaluation of the Whole30 diet on just three big runs. I will continue to experiment with my ultrarunning fuel as well as the ratio of fat + protein + carbs in my daily diet. I'll tinker with the sweet potato blend, adding more coconut milk. I'm going to try using gels again and a few new products. Does anyone have a non-sugary fuel they use with success?

More:

• What other top "Paleo" endurance athletes eat 
• My Whole30 Results 

 

 

The Whole 30: Feeling Incredible

My life has changed. I feel like a new person since going on the Whole30 Program. Click the link to read about what the Whole30 diet entails, this post is long enough already.

Why Do This? I've been "leaning" Paleo for awhile now. I have several ultrarunning friends whose brains I've been picking. Honestly, I thought the Paleo diet was just a little over the top. I figured I could eat healthy but still have my homemade bread, good cheese and Ben and Jerry's in moderation.

Well, there's the rub. I could not. Sugar had me in its clutches. Day after day, I failed at resisting its siren call. I failed completely at moderation.

The tipping point was when I discovered that my good friend Kris had done the Whole30. Now, Kris is a Wisconsin girl. She loves her coffee with cream, and good cheese, and she's not one to follow fads. She had nothing but great things to say about her results. 

A week later I took the plunge. It was only for 30 days, for Pete's sake!

Below I share my observations and results. Please excuse my rambling style. I tend to get carried away when I talk about it.


I sleep incredibly soundly. It's kind of like going under anesthesia.
 
No more mid-afternoon slump. In fact, I have an inordinate amount of energy. I may have to quit coffee, because even 2 small cups in the morning is revving me up!

My moods are steady. No more crankiness. I'm more even-keeled, more patient. Same with Hubz.

Lean. It's not a weight loss diet, but within the first week I noticed I had lost inches from my stomach, where it usually is the last to go. Over the 30+ days, I lost nearly 10 pounds. Oh, and I never, ever went hungry.

Seasonal allergies have improved. A few times I had a bit of a runny nose, but it was a far cry from the sneeze-fests and nasal drip misery that I often have this time of year.

Stronger fingernails and toenails that grow much more quickly. 

Nose breathing vs. mouth breathing. I breathe almost exclusively through my nose now, even when running. Hubz had been a mouth breather since being diagnosed with asthma as a teenager. No more.

Food tastes better. My taste buds have changed. Every meal is exclaim-out-loud tasty. The flavors I couldn't taste before are singing. Before the Whole30, Hubz detested coconut and I didn't care for almond butter.

Some female stuff went away which I was really happy about. Ladies, if you want the gory details email me and I'll pass them along.

Overall Feeling of Well Being and Happiness: I didn't have any aches, pains or injuries so I don't have any dazzling testimonials like my friend Katie, whose year-long shoulder pain and chronic eczema disappeared, but I SIMPLY FEEL AMAZING. 

Kombucha is delicious. Experimenting with new spices, vegetables, meats and sauces was exciting. Through the Whole30, I've discovered many outstanding new favorite recipes.
 
Was It Hard? Actually, no. Perhaps because Hubz and I did this together, it was a thrilling, shared adventure. Once I committed to the plan, I really didn't miss, crave or get tempted by anything. There was one morning when someone made toast and it smelled like the most delicious food ever. But honestly, that was it. 

Additional Thoughts:
The toughest part was resisting deeply ingrained habits, like wanting to crack open a beer on a warm, sunny day and lounge in the backyard. On the other hand, I didn't find it hard to go to our post-run Tuesday night pizza joint and order steak instead, and drink club soda with lime. Putting my drink in a nice glass helped me feel like it was still a treat.

I had serious reservations about how hard it would be to quit milk/cream in my coffee so I started drinking it black about 4 days before officially starting. That worked alright, but then I discovered coconut milk. Blend some with a small amount of coffee, voila! Delicious and full of good fat!  

Hubz, in his own words:

1.) I like a program that expects you to follow it verbatim with no room for cheating, mistakes, or excuses. Screwed up? Start over.
2.) Starting on Day 3 and continuing through about Day 7 or so, do not keep any loaded weapons in the house. I'm just sayin'.
3.) I had to force myself to eat for the first 3 or 4 days. No appetite.
4.) Eating large amounts of healthy fats does not make you fat. It makes you skinny. Go figure.
5.) For the first 7 to 10 days, don't expect to have much energy. I had to drag myself to the gym during this period and once there, I spent considerable time just drifting around.
6.) Don't be surprised if you find yourself in front of a pastry counter just staring. Just don't touch.
7.) I love coconut milk with a small shot of pineapple juice.
8.) Hair - think I grew some new ones topside. Not many, but who's counting?
9.) Nails - less brittle.
10.) Sardines, spaghetti squash, and Marinara sauce is NOT breakfast. But it can be Meal 1.
11.) Don't snack - I'm still working on this one. Don't count calories. Eat 3-4 squares a day - protein, fat, veggies, small amount of fruit - every meal.
12.) Club soda in a rocks glass looks like corn liquor...once the bubbles are gone.
13.) Peeing. Apparently the prostate gland is a big fan of the Whole30 program. Don't be surprised if you get a call from your local firehouse asking you to ride shotgun on the pumper truck.
 
More:

• How my ultrarunning fared on the Whole30 diet
• What other top "Paleo" endurance athletes eat

 

Bull Run Run: DNF

Sara, Katie and me. My girls both demolished their PRs!

 
On a beautiful Saturday morning in April, I toed the line for my seventh Bull Run Run 50 Miler. 

I shared the early miles with my two steadfast training buddies, Katie and Sara. They were running so strong, I had to let them go. I knew they were going to own this race.

I spent the rest of my miles mostly alone, but not lonely. There are always friends passing, sharing a mile or two. I enjoyed my day on trail, just being out in the woods. Bull Run Run is a favorite in part because I get to see so many friends on the out and back section. I loved taking in the sights and sounds - birdsong, various wildflowers, the nascent leaves on the trees. "Gifts from the trail" Gary Knipling calls them, and rightly so.

I started having anterior tibialis soreness and cramping about halfway through the race.

The same issue had plagued me in the latter miles last year. It turned into an injury a couple of weeks later, eventually forcing me to withdraw from my goal race in June.

I was surprised and dismayed to experience it again as I believed it was a caused by insufficient training volume and hill work. Unlike last year, I felt my training leading up to the race was adequate.

2012 mileage leading up to the race vs. 2013

Other than my lower legs, I felt really good. My energy was steady all day but for a brief, mild low point between Miles 21 - 26 (very typical for me). I had zero stomach issues, discomfort or sloshing. I felt strong. Though my lower legs were really tender, I had been able to keep the cramping at bay by walking when they started to quiver.

As I arrived at Fountainhead (mile 38) my spirits were high. No matter my training, I am a strong closer in the final miles of an ultra. My friends were just minutes ahead and I expected to catch up and run the remaining miles in their company.

It never happened. Things began to deteriorate just two miles later, and culminated in severe pain and cramping in my anterior tibialis and ankles. At one point, it was up to my lower back and I had to lie down on a log, it hurt so badly.

The Garmin shows my meltdown. (Mileage is always short on trails).

Hubz appeared on the trail and I was so glad to see him. After what seemed like hours, we hobbled into Bull Run Marina, a mere 5.5 miles from the finish line. I sat, I waited, I ate some calories, I hydrated. I could walk the entire distance in the 3 hours before the time limit, if I could walk without cramping. But I couldn't. My race was over.

It was a humbling end to a day that had held so much promise.

But I am alright with my DNF. I did what I could that day. I simply had nothing left.

This was also my first ultra fueling on the Whole 30 program (Day 28), but I'll analyze that in another post. I cannot say definitively whether it was a factor in my tibialis cramping. Given that I had the same issue a year ago, it could be but one piece of the puzzle. 

Other factors that probably played a hand in my race:

• my last ultra race in warm weather was a whole year ago 
• dehydration 
• under-fueling
• having my period
• a surprisingly stressful week serving on a jury

I'm looking at this DNF as a valuable learning experience and a solid 10 hour training run for my A race in June: The Laurel Highlands 70 Miler.