Hydration, Electrolytes and Protein

Hi all! Sorry for the radio silence - life and work got in the way. :P Hope you've all been enjoying your training and nailing your goals. Ultra Trail Australia coming up in two weeks (formerly The North Face) in the Blue Mountains, NSW. I'll be there for the 100km along with a strong contingent from a Victoria. Looks to be an awesome run with great scenery and some massive elevation - over 4000m for the 100km with a lot of steps. Hope to see some of you there! So for this post I thought I'd follow on with the nutrition thread and cover the other elements of mid run nutrition as well as some recovery pointers. Again, this isn't comprehensive but should make a great starting point for beginners and something to try in your own "experiment of one".

The most important intake while running is obviously your water. Not enough water is usually the immediate response as to why, but it goes beyond just that. Dehydration is obviously going to affect your running and eventually stop you outright but it will also prevent you from digesting your calorie intake (however you take them) to the point where your body will decide to purge what it can't deal with. Excess water just sounds uncomfortable and requiring frequent toilet stops but is actually the most dangerous problem a runner can face. When combined with other issues (including use of anti inflammatories and insufficient electrolytes) it can cause your body's sodium to become so diluted that it can even result in organ failure and death. This is why, despite a lot of marketing hype, it is always better to drink to thirst. While there are good guides for water intake (such as 300-500ml an hour), this varies so much depending on conditions that it is better to experiment and find out what feels right for you. Start with 300ml an hour (500 in the heat) and see how that feels. You don't want to slosh, but you don't want to find your mouth dry at any point. Generally this is fairly instinctive but running can make you forget to even think about those signs.

Another aspect that comes up a lot, but can be much further removed in terms of importance, is electrolyte intake. The general argument is that you lose electrolytes, so you need to replace them. Some research agrees but more and more points towards your body already having enough stores that the loss is not an issue (especially in a western diet). I still take in a basic amount, but haven't really experienced problems when not using them (that's just my experience and your own may vary). The other argument is that it helps with camping. This is a fairly well embedded idea but is based off older research. More recent research has indicated that while the salty taste has a near immediate neurological effect on cramping, that's from the taste response, not actually ingesting it. The true cause of cramps is still relatively unproven from what I've read thus far but points more towards moving beyond your range and capacity for a long duration. In my experience I have found that anyone with good flexibility seems to very rarely cramp (if at all).

The last point I'd like to touch on is protein. This is a particularly touchy one for many runners for three main reasons I've seen: don't want to bulk up, don't like the taste or idea and worried about stomach issues mid race. Let's start with some of what's going on while you run. When you start your run, you have stored energy as glycogen which can last up to an hour. It is very easy for your body to consume. Along with that your fat stores can fuel you, but at a slower rate (which can be improved but is still not quick). Over long duration and harder work outs you become catabolic. A good definition I found is: A catabolic state is a condition that is mainly caused by excessive training coupled with a lack of adequate nutrition, especially protein. It results in numerous undesirable side effects in the body, such as extreme fatigue, joint and muscle pain, and sleeplessness. So you need to fuel adequately to delay it, but also take in protein to minimise it. There is some evidence to such protein taken while running will help for which I use a BCAA powder which I feel helps me recover faster and stronger. However there is definitive evidence that you need to consume protein after a hard work out in order to recover appropriately, particularly soon after finishing. Even if you consume a good diet with a good amount of protein, it's the availability post run that matters. You might say "but I'm not trying to build muscle" but unless you're not that interested in getting stronger and faster, then you're slowing down your recovery, and thus your improvement, significantly.

I hope some of this helps you in your training. Remember this is what I've found works for me, as well as many others I've come across. There will always be exceptions and often there are alternatives, but I highly recommend you try some of these approaches. Keep in mind though that many things done right won't be as much about what you notice, but what you don't i.e. Fatigue, soreness, bonking. Would love to hear all your own experiences on these and your thoughts on what helped you. After UTA I'm looking to get stuck into some other ideas I've had for In2Trails including some basic technique sessions. Enjoy your running!

Calorie Intakes and Fuelling Types

Some incredible running going on this weekend! Buffalo Stampede had some amazing accomplishments and so great to see people take on those insane hills and come out on top (pun intended ;) ). I thought I might start off the first of a series of posts on nutrition.

This topic, like many others in running, can be a little controversial so remember this is what I've read, the advice I've received and what works for me, not necessarily the perfect solution and certainly not the only one. I am certainly no nutritionist so I'll be sticking to mostly pre, mid and post race fuelling, not general dietary advice. Tonight I'm going to focus on mid race fuelling, specifically calorie intake basics and fuelling types.

Most companies now agree that 200 calories an hour is a good target when running 2 hours or longer, although many people can process more (up to around 280). For runs under an hour you can go without for training and maybe throw in a gel for events and in between 1 and 2 hours 100 calories an hour seems plenty. Larger builds would ideally use a bit over the 200 for long runs. Some people cannot process a full 200 and may feel sick after 150 and then that is what you have to work with. I do strongly suggest trying different water intakes (particularly if you aren't drinking much at all) and eliminating gastrointestinal issues, which may be as simple as probiotics (not always).

It is very true that you can run on less or even no calories but the evidence seems pretty universal that you will run better on more, which is not overly surprising. One alternative is to become more fat adapted by running on low amounts of calories for training, but even then some elites that use this method will still want 100-200 calories an hour in a race, which is still relatively low at their performance level. I would not recommend this approach without a reasonable amount of experience though as it is hard enough starting out without pushing yourself with reduced fuelling.

There are so many fuelling options out there now which can be broken into 3 main groups: liquid, gels / gelatinous and solid food. I'm a huge fan of liquid as it is cheap, simple and very easy to track when using a clear bottle. I ran an entire miler off nothing but liquid fuelling and never felt hungry. The flavour ranges from super sweet to very salty and everything in between but can get a bit much after a while. I break this up by using a highly concentrated mix and then drinking clean water in between so the taste doesn't hang around. I also find that with a higher concentration I can easily get the calories in regardless of weather then drink water for additional hydration as needed.

For gels and gelatinous (e.g. Clif shot bloks) you are getting very concentrated doses of calories and a little electrolytes in a convenient package and you don't need to constantly worry about them. I do find it better to take half at a time for gels though as it spreads out the intake so you don't spike and crash (more-so if you're using simple sugars) and so it's easier on your stomach. Gels can be a bit expensive but you can use them alongside other fuelling types which works well as they make a great base for your fuelling. Buying them in bulk helps as well of course.

Finally solid food is a great addition to any fuelling, although not as many will use this exclusively as the others, as it is harder to consume while running. The advantages here are flavour (great to pick you up as a treat), can help settle your stomach and most effective at preventing you from feeling hungry. I like to use apricot bars over a long run, only eating a fifth of a bar an hour but look forward to it every time!

I hope some of you find this helpful and feel free to comment and ask questions if you like! Would certainly appreciate any views people would like to offer as well. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Getting the Best Strategies for You

Hi everyone! Before we dig into any topics I'd like to put out a few general thoughts on how I approach and think about all aspects of running. In my mind there are three factors to consider.

The first is what is known to work. This to me is where everyone needs to start. It is true that we're all different but a lot of time and energy has gone into researching the best approaches and there are some incredibly experienced people with great solutions that work for most people so this is generally going to be your best bet for good results. The shortcomings here is that in some areas we don't know enough yet, the research may not be specific enough (e.g. For shorter distance or faster) and you can have valid reasons why it doesn't quite work for you.

The second is your personal variations. Some examples of these are that some people have stomach trouble and can't use certain products or go above a certain number of calories per hour. Some people have dramatically shifted heart rate ranges. Others have hypermobility and some have very poor flexibility. All these things will impact what you can and can't do. Some can be changed and that is generally the ideal but running is a personal thing and what you decide to do is important as well.

Which brings me to my third point - personal preference. This may sound at first like a want more than a need, but I've found that your own state of mind while running can be critical and make the difference between finishing and not or getting a PB. Call it placebo or whatever you like, there is scientific evidence that this impacts you physiologically and is not to be ignored.

So it's with these in mind that I offer advice, and the stages that I work through trying to help people find their ideal solution. Finally, this is of course my point of view and I'd love to hear from you all with your own views.

Hope your mid week training is going well!

My Thoughts on How This Will Work

Wow! 100 members on day two. Glad you're all as enthusiastic about this concept as I am. So first up, some further clarity about how I see this group working (although I'm always open to suggestions!). While I have acquired a bit of knowledge in my adventures, I'm by no means an expert and see myself as the facilitator for this group. Keen to get others opinions and advice out there and by all means let me know if I get anything wrong - just keep it constructive people, but I'm sure I don't need to tell trail runners that!

I'm very much open to private messages to try to discuss things with individuals, but want to encourage everyone to participate as much or as little as they like with no obligations or commitment so just check with people if it's okay to individually message them and remember some in here are professionals :) On that note I'm really keen to link in with those professionals out there and believe that will always be the best approach for when you're going for the next level or have significant problems.

I don't want posts to get lost in here so if you can, look for existing posts first and maybe even shoot me a message if you're looking for something. All formalities aside though, this is all about helping people get more out of the trails and sharing that passion with each other through support and advice, so anything to that end is great! Thanks again everyone!

Thank You!

Thanks everyone for the support of my concept and looking forward to getting moving on some ideas. I haven't explicitly added anyone to the group as I want it to grow organically and let people sign up if they're after help or would like to help others (no offence taken if you don't fit either though!) Please feel free to add whoever you like into the group that you feel might like to be a part of this. I'm going to kick things off with some nutrition discussions and some one on one assistance so if you know anyone that might be interested in that let them know.

Welcome to In2Trails!

Hi all and welcome to my new project! I've had this idea floating around in my head for a while as a space to try some new things. It exists as a complimentary group to SCTR as there won't be any organised group runs and it's not focused on social running. There may be some overlap but I'm hoping to more clearly define this space over time.

What I'm really excited about is helping people that are new or relatively inexperienced learn the basics of trail running (and some more advanced things) and then having those people share the knowledge and passion for trails on. To that end, this group is for anyone looking to learn more about trail running or anybody that would like to help others with that.

Looking forward to growing this over time but keeping it personal and engaging as well. I'll be offering some free technique sessions from time to time of about half an hour as well. Keep in mind I'm not trying to offer professional advice and networking with the fantastic coaches and therapists out there will be a key point as well to help people progress. In the mean time, keep enjoying the trails!