Triple digits plus one! Also, day one of my carb load test. My second 20 mile run is coming up in three days on next Saturday, so I decided to test out a formal carb load nutrition plan. I’ve always been of the mind that a carb load really isn’t necessary, especially for a vegan runner. I get so many carbs in my normal food. However, I also get fiber because the foods I eat are not usually the same as you would use for a carb load. So, I decided to give it a try while I’m in training.
According to the nutrition plan on Featherstone Nutrition and based on my own body, I am supposed to take in around 500 carbs a day for 3 days before my run. I already get about 100 carbs a day on my regular eating plan so I plan to add an additional 400 simple carbs from the food list I downloaded.
Day 101
Today was a really busy day that started early, so I had to push my run to the evening after work. It was easier and more comfortable to run on the treadmill this evening rather than outside in the dark. After such a long day I just wanted to check it off my to do list. I ran my 5 miles at a conversational pace and followed it up with 8 sets of 20 second strides while watching Schitt’s Creek on Hulu.
I had been carb loading all day to the best of my ability. With so many meetings my eating schedule was thrown off and I wasn’t able to prepare my food like I normally would. I managed to get 250 grams of additional carbs in over the course of the day and some after my run. I was already starting to feel bloated, so I picked up my water intake.
Not one to miss a goal, I crammed another 100g of carbs in just before bed, even though I’d already had a late dinner after my run at 6 P.M. That was an absolutely horrible idea and I paid for it dearly. I was way too full and bloated to sleep. I felt awful and will not do that again.
Day 102
Carb loading went a lot better today. I was able to get in all of the additional food at a more comfortable spacing. I also decided to use drinkable carbs (Skratch Vegan Recovery drink) as an alternative to solid food which helped keep me from getting that overfull feeling. I’m not sure if it was the carbs or just a good run, but my 5 mile marathon goal pace run felt good and I easily increased my pace without raising my heart much. As a matter of fact, my heart rate remained in my conversational pace zone on average even with the increased pace.
I decided to wear a different shoe today and pulled out my New Balance Revel V2’s. I normally wear these for hill repeats but they felt good today on my marathon pace run. Sometimes I forget how good these shoes feel.
Day 103
Final day of carb loading today. Still noticing a lot of bloating and discomfort. I don’t think I can drink enough water in a day to keep the bloating down but I’ve increased it anyway. I’ve gained 4 pounds since I started this carb load and I’m sure it must be water retention. I’m not concerned about the weight gain since I know it’s temporary and inflated due to circumstances. I’ve read that if you’re sensitive to the number on the scale you shouldn’t step on one during a carb load. I’m interested in the stats and it doesn’t bother me, so I’m keeping track.
Workout today was cross training and runner’s strength conditioning. I had an early meeting to be at today, so I shortened my runner strength program to just a half hour. I also got in a half hour spin bike ride with iFit. I started a new training program in Thailand. It’s so beautiful and I learned a bit about the culture and area that I wasn’t familiar with.
Conveniently, during my meeting we had lunch delivered from the local Mexican restaurant. They had a veggie burrito that was vegan so I decided to forego the lunch that I’d brought and ordered the burrito. It was rice, beans and grilled veggies wrapped in a flour tortilla. I figured, how much more could I ask for on a carb loading day! However, about halfway through eating the burrito laden with salsa and onions, I wondered if I’d made a wise decision. So, I stopped putting salsa on the other half. Oh well. I guess we’ll see how restaurant food and onions work out on a 20 mile run tomorrow.
Workouts
Day 101
- 5 miles at conversational pace on the treadmill
- 8 20-second strides
Day 102
- 5 miles at marathon goal pace
Day 103
- 31 minutes cross training on spin bike
- 35 minutes runner’s strength conditioning and MOBO board