Distance running and nutritional fueling

Are there any distance runners (etc) here?  I'm training for a half marathon and ultimately a marathon.  My longest distance to date is 10k but I know I'll need fuel for the longer distances.  I abstain from sugars and carb heavy meals due to reactive hypoglycemia.

A book I'm reading states that the RH phenomenon doesn't occur during bouts of heavy exercise due to the rapid consumption of the sugar/carbs by the body.  It never has a chance to spike the blood glucose to trigger the crash.  This is speaking about non-ops as it's a general population book.

Does anyone have any experience with using race nutrition supplements/fuels (Gels, Gus, etc) with RH?  I'm leary to try them and would prefer alternatives if possible, but that statement I just read has me wondering...

When I'm NOT running, I do dump and (possibly, undiagnosed) have had what seemed to be RH events on very rare occasions after high sugars. I don't usually do any GU or blocks for distances shorter than 10mi but have been known to do one during a Half and did a couple during my full (MCM) and had no problems with blood sugar issues. I really do believe what that book said, as my body seems to just use up the GU for fueling the run and doesn't have time to go into dumping mode.... I would try & experiment with them during long runs, just to see how your body does on them. I also have tried Sport Beans and Gatorade blocks and do prefer those to GU gels, as you can take those over time instead of in one dose - - more to do with how hard the GU hits my pouch/guts than BG issues. But get samples, try on long runs, see what works for you. I almost always use a Premier Nutrition shake as recovery too, for runs >45min.

On top of the fact that you use them up, your digestion system also slows way down. I think that helps too.

I started my fueling on runs longer than 15 miles, in reality I should have started at 10 miles and more.  (Hydration too)

I tend to use the more natural gels (if that can really be true) called Honey Stingers.  Less artifical stuff in them and I can chew em up like a gummy bear.  I tend to eat one gummy per mile on longer runs.

Knowing that I am planning on 10+ miles of running I actually start the gummies at mile 5 or so usually.  They have not caused me any dumping issues, but I don't have much of those regardless.

I also tend to "carb" up before the run, the night before and the morning breakfast if I have time for it to settle first.  Bagels, or Toast+Peanut Butter are my fav.

As you increase in mileage you WILL likely need to increase in your total carb intake.  YMMV, but mine went up quite a bit and one struggle now is to back off that after my mileage has dropped after the marathon.

Best of luck with your running goals, you CAN do it!!  I already signed up for the half marathon for next fall, the full was a lifetime achievement but the HALF was actually "fun."  If my legs/training ever get to the point I could run a full in under 5 hours I will try it again.

For now I am concentrating on another challenge, going for 100 push ups in a row!  (Running 1-2 times a week at most now, 4-5 miles each)

Sam

Hi Sam, how does a person know when they are ready to progress from walking to running?  I know this sounds stupid but I feel like I want to run, I just don't know how to go about it.  I had really bad knees before surgery but have lost 118 lbs.  I have about 28 lbs to go to reach goal.  I keep trying to increase my walking pace but I just can't do it.  I guess I've got short legs.  I walk with other people who don't seem to be exercising yet I'm scurrying to keep up.  Any advice?  Thanks!

Start by running for 30 seconds and taking a minute or two to recover, catch your breath, then run another 30 seconds!  That is literally the first "step" and if you can handle that, then look up the Couch to 5k training plan and go from there.  My start was "running" behind my nephew on his bicycle (training wheels) to keep up with him as he practiced.  I had no idea my knees could handle the running!

My knee was so bad I could not walk around the mall, that is when I decided to look at surgery.  I was almost identically at the same point you are when I first started by 5k training with the Couch to 5k program (got an app for my phone) and it was pretty tough.

I had NO endurance and my first run at 60 seconds I was ok, but the 2nd and 3rd run that day were TOUGH but I made it through mentally.  Never thought I could make it longer but sure enough the next training day I could!!  Next week I was running 90 seconds.. next week was 2 minutes and beyond.

I ran 3 5ks that year, 2012!!  I started training on April 15th and ran my first mud run 5k in June and first real street 5k on July 21st!  (35:44)

Fell in love with it, and 4/15/13 I decided I could do more... I trained and ran my first marathon, 26.2 miles in October 2013!!!

Now what is funny is my normal morning runs are 3.5-4 miles (5k and change!)  Weekends I may run 5-7 miles and when training, my LONG runs were 15-20 miles on a Saturday.

ALL of this from a guy whose knees hurt so bad I could not WALK around the entire mall in June 2011

YOU CAN DO it...

Sam

Look at Generation UCan. 

Look at Bob Seebohar's Metabollic Effeciency Training.  Pretty much eat a well balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and veggies and you should have fuel for a couple hours the Gen UCan is a non sugar based Super Starch that gets most people 3 hours worth of fuel.