10K UnderWay. Week 2, Run 2....... Holy Smokes This Shiot was hard today

Hang in there Heavenly! c25K is a great place to start!

Run #2 was not bad. It does not make a difference which run it is for me. My hard runs vary. The harder it is for me to get up, the harder it is for me to get started. I am usually ok after 10 minutes in. Running with my eyes closed is not good.

Absolutely cannot eat before run. I have some water and a couple of the vitamins (just depends on which ones I pop while I am getting lunch packed). All I want to do is drin****il about 10am. Tummy hates any food coming its way before 10am.

No smells other than the normal noises and smells. Running gets the gas moving! I am not as lean as you Lee so no muscles being eaten away.

Way to go to all! Bring on run #3 (maybe I'll do the elliptical tomorrow - it has been getting a little jealous of the treadmill since I started running again).

After a hard workout, some runners will notice a pungent, strong odor that smells a lot like ammonia fumes. For some reason, that smell is most distinctive after a very, long hard run or a hot, tough race. When runners are milling around together after a race, you can often smell it.

Could this smell have anything to do with running? And if so, is it dangerous? Or a warning sign that trouble (or an injury) lies ahead?

First, this ammonia smell is—in fact—ammonia. And it is produced everytime anyone runs hard. Whether you smell it or not is a different story, but your body produces ammonia on every hard run.

Ammonia is actually a by-product of protein metabolism. When you run hard and long and your body lacks adequate carbohydrates, your body burns protein for fuel. When this is burned, the distinctive ammonia smell presents itself afterward.

The fact that ammonia is produced on every run doesn’t mean the smell is noticeable afterward. Usually, the smell is only present when there is the carb deficit. This increase the ammonia levels in your muscles and then the ammonia is picked up by your blood and carried to your respiratory system. When this occurs, you can usually smell it. In addition, some of the ammonia will show up in your sweat.

The smell usually isn’t anything to worry about. But if it persists run after run, you probably aren’t taking in enough carbohydrates. If you emphasize carbohydrates before, during and after running and the ammonia smell is still around, you should get checked out by a physician.

This isn’t dangerous at all. But it is a not-so-subtle warning from your body that it needs more carbs (rather than more protein) to continue training long and hard. Especially when so many Austinites are into marathon training at this time of year.

The solution is easy: Eat more carbohydrates to fuel your muscles better. If you’re running longer than an hour or two on the weekends for marathon prep, you need to make absolutely certain you’re eating enough carbs before and during the run.

After loading up the night before your long run, simply drink a cold sportsdrink (which has carbohydrates) every 15-20 minutes while running. Also take energy gels which contain cars, but don’t take the gels with a sportsdrink.

If your carbohydrate intake is adequate to fuel your running, the ammonia smell should disappear. Your body will still be producing ammonia, but you probably won’t be able to smell it.

Awesome gatormom

Looks like everyone had a great run today except for me  LOL.     I wish I could run in the evening but I have to do it in the morning or I will make excuses not to do it.   I can do extra runs in the evening but my primary workout has to be in the morning.

Can you believe we only have one more run left in week 2,  man it is going by so darn fast.

The next run is on Friday.