Just curious what this means. Training with low carbs always makes me tired, sluggish and light headed.

Knocked out 4 this morning. Wanted 5, but was out of time. Man when that alarm goes off at 4:15 the snooze just calls to me - one more time - one more time. I wish there was a better way, but it's before work or nothing. So I suck it up.

Hopefully I'll drag myself out for 5 Friday.

I am either crazy or determined - I just signed up for my first half marathon. My longest run ever was five miles and that was about 19 years ago - I kid you not. My longest recent run was four miles. But I do have nine months to train for it so I'm hoping I can get there. If nothing else, I can walk it as the cutoff time is four hours - I can manage an 18 minute mile pace, I hope! Very excited!

I asked my boyfriend (the scientist, I don't understand these things) to explain it to me again and he said:

People who jog/run (i.e. not sprinting) on low-carb diets train their fat metabolism. It basically means that once the glucose in your muscles has been used up from long distance running, your body switches over to burning fat quicker and easier than someone who has only ever trained eating a high carb diet. This prevents the hitting a wall feeling. Of course, you can combat this by using those weird gels etc, which are normally pure glucose.

I feel much less sluggish training on low carb (not very low carb), but I think it is a horses for courses situation...

Ahh, ok that makes sense. Thanks!

I think I'm "addicted" to running. When I don't run I get "snippy" and "short patienced" with people...what's going on????:?: It's like running makes me able to deal with stress better. Anyone else feel like that?

i sorry claire... i completely disagree....l your body will first revert to burnig protein (MUSCLE) beofre it burns fat for fuel.... fa burning occurs when doig low intensity movement... think sleeping and eating a microwave dinner lol...... running out of glucose in the muscles is what runners call "hitting the wall" the fat burning theory is great in principle though..;... however you can avoide SOME muscle cannabolism by consuming riduculously klarge amounts of protein (this poses its own problems though)

i am in no way saying you cant run and do low carb......,.

Absolutly! I get so restless if too many days pass between runs. But that first run after a rest feels SO good!

Hmmmm...This makes sense too and explains why my body fat is higher. Now I'm confused. Fortunatly, for me anyway, I refuse to do low carb, I find balance just too important to me. To avoid muscle loss I've been trying to get more protein and lift heavier. Running does seem to give me a little of the skinny fat look in my mid section, which I've made me new mission to eliminate. But I want to do it without decreasing my running too much.

ETA: MK, did you check out NROL for Abs? I was wondering what you thought of it. A trainer at my gym told me that I was more advanced then the moves I was doing and was wondering if he was just a typical uneducated trainer or if maybe the program was a little on the easy side. I feel worked when I do it, but there is an element of easiness to it.

Joyfulloser - I think running is great stress relief physically, and for me it allows my mind to wander and often I work through problems or issues while I run. I find 3-4 times a week is perfect for me - doesn't allow the stress to build up too much between runs, but gives me some rest or cross training days as well.

On the low carb thing, I would imagine it would be hard to run distances on very low carbs, but I don't know where the threshold is. I think most of the run "aids" like Gu and Shot Bloks are high carb, as the body can use that quickly for energy. And of course there is the always-popular carb loading dinner the night before a distance run! My DH wants pasta for dinner before our big 5k on Saturday, so I'm humoring him. :) I personally feel better when I get most of my carbs from fruit, veggies and a small amount of whole grains like quinoa or whole grain bread, but I haven't run further than four miles so it remains to be seen what sort of carbs I will need once I start to increase that distance.

I had a great run this morning - at 5:40am, the weather was perfect - right around 47 degrees, very slight breeze, the sun was just starting to turn the sky pink. I went out with the intention of doing a slow two miler and ended up doing a slightly faster than expected 2.5 miles. I was definitely in the zone today! Let's hope that carries over to the 5k, though I am running that with my first-timer friend so I'll be going at whatever pace he wants. Can't wait to start "racing" again!

I feel better when I'm active. It doesn't necessarily have to be running, it can be anything that is reasonably vigorous. Once I get moving, it just feels good. The endorphins kick in, I feel happy, invigorated -- and more in control. When I'm sedentary for a day or two, I feel sluggish and a little depressed.

I believe the human body was made to move .... it feels good and is good for us.

I think it depends on what you class as low intensity. I was told that if I am running in training pace (140-160bpm), that is classed as low intensity. However, when I do interval training I always eat a piece of fruit or some beans as a snack beforehand so I have some glucose to burn. I always thought if your heart rate is between 140-160bpm, that is low intensity, and 160+ is high?

You are right about the losing muscle if you do high intensity on low carb though. I'm slowly reintroducing them in the run up to the half marathon, so I can sustain myself through the long trainings.

Kudos for getting up at 4:30am to go running, I could never do that!!

ncueno-- havent looked at it..... i think i sid this before, i think you would hsve GREAT success with the regular, originall NROL (for men or women) it has strength building phases and fatloss....... lots of deadlifting, squatting, pushpressing, lunging, etc.....

No run today but I got up at 5am and cleaned the downstairs of my house. Too much tile (ie, the entire downstairs level) and living in the desert and owning a horse and four cats means the floors just get nasty after a day or two - let alone a week which is how long I slacked off this time around! I am so looking forward to the 5k tomorrow - it's been about a year since I last did one and I really miss the excitement of the race, even when it's a small one like this one (about 500 in the 5k and 700 or so doing the half marathon). Plus I'm doing it with my husband and a friend I work with and that's always more fun - we can celebrate and whine afterwards together! And the weather looks to be gorgeous tomorrow - possibly even a bit too warm, with a high of 76, but hopefully at 8am it won't have gone much out of the low 60's.

^Kudos to you for running in that heat. I couldn't do it.I ran on the treadmill when I was in the desert. Good luck on your 5km. Tell us how it went!


I agree. I think exercising is addictive in the sense that it releases endorphines and you feel really good. That feeling subsides once you become lazy, and then you get tired.


---
Well after the first 5km that I ran (the last post), I ran another 5km two days later. It was a bit harder than the first one, probably because I was still pretty tired from it. I was so happy that I finally went outside for a run today. The snow and coldness has been preventing me from doing it, but today was above 0, and the roads were pretty clear.

I was surprised that I felt so good. All that treadmill running helped. I didn't quite do 5km, but I ran 2 miles. It was good for the first time out. I'll keep at it. I enjoyed running outside so much more than the treadmill. The sun, cool breeze....wow!

I found a really good website called www.mapmyrun.com in which I started mapping my runs and it calculates the distance for you. I'm doing a challenge to run 30 miles in 30 days. Also training outside for my upcoming 5km run end of May.

"Well after the first 5km that I ran (the last post), I ran another 5km two days later. It was a bit harder than the first one, probably because I was still pretty tired from it. I was so happy that I finally went outside for a run today."

I have done all my 5K training on the treadmill. I ran in my first 5K race on Sunday, which also happened to be the first time I made it all the way to 3.1 miles. The farthest I had ran was 2.5 miles before this. Two days later, I am still sore. I never get sore on the treadmill. I am not sure if it is due to running on cement, the increased distance, OR the fact that in all the excitement I totally forgot to stretch afterwards. Probably all three! So worth it though!

Well, I think I got my first injury:( I landed funny off a curb while running yesterday. I'm not sure what happened but I was turning to cross the street and my ankle twisted an I feel. I got up and kept going because I was so embarrassed. All the people waiting at the light were doing their darnest not to laugh, it was awesome. The pain subsided as I kept going, but when I got home my outside ankle had swollen to about the size of a golf ball. This morning it's still swollen and a little tender but not too bad. So probably just twisted, worst case a mild sprain. Just ST and yoga today so we'll see how it feels tomorrow morning. Other than that I had a good long run Sunday and am just 6 miles from 200 this year!

The 5k on Saturday was really fun, though it was definitely hotter than I expected - I wished I'd carried water instead of relying on the aid station, and I wished I'd worn shorts instead of 3/4 tights! But it was so much fun to run in a big crowd. DH and I finished together in 36:06 - slow but we both had issues (I was struggling with my need for water, his lungs were not working too well!). My friend in his first 5k left me in the dust and finished in 35:18, so I was really pleased for him. He's definitely going to do more runs. DH's friend who came from LA to visit won his age group - he smoked the course in 21:43 and was 13th overall, so we all had a good day. The half marathon was super fast - the winner did it in just over 1hr 15, and he was hauling butt as he came through the finish. That's a pretty good time on a flat road course, but this is a slightly hilly hard packed gravel course - there's very little paved trail, so I was mighty impressed! We're already signed up for another 5k on April 2, a road course this time, so I'm hoping to get my time down a bit.

I'm relegated to the treadmill for now as it's pitch black in the mornings when I would like to get out and run, but I plan on running outside on the weekends and possibly an evening or two. Now I've got the competitive spirit flowing again, I can't wait to better my times!

Jules - well done on your race! And well done on signing up for another.
ncuneo - sorry about your injury, but at least it should heal if you give it some time and probably better than having a pesky 'overuse' injury.

Off to work for me. Hoping to fit in a lunchtime run today although it could be a bit hot, which i suppose that's good for me, except then i have to sit around the office with a bright red face all afternoon!

I hope you are felling better , i can Imagen to be injury and not be able to run ( because I can't). The i don't want to is a different history.

I wish you a quick recovery ....

Jessica.

Sorry to hear about that! I've had 4 ankle sprains in the past 2 years and I'm glad yours was a mild one. Be careful that it's healed up before you run on it again. For me, adding extra balance elements (single leg squats instead of regular etc) to my cross training workouts helps strengthen it.

Thanks for the well wishes guys! I went to the gym and did ST and yoga last night, it was looking pretty good and I iced it and elevated. It's still pretty swollen today. It looked good this am way down, but right now it's as big as it was yesterday again. It doesn't hurt unless I turn it too far, so I'm going to go to the gym tonight for a few miles on the treadmill and see how it feels. I have a brace so I'll used that to keep it from turning. I've promised myself to really listen to it, because I don't want to make the mistake of running on it too early, which I probably am doing, but never having had a sprain before I really don't know what the severity of my sprain is. I assume the lack of pain is a good thing...the swelling does concern me a little though. I'll be sure to ice it some more tonight. I just really don't want this to turn into a situation where I have to take several days or weeks off. Wish me luck!

Hi 3FC runners, I have a question for you all!

I LOVE running and used to do a lot of it when I was a teenager. Bad joints (those which crack and pop frequently, especially after exercise) run in the family and I definitely have that gene. I also have been tentatively diagnosed with a hip condition called hip impingement in my right hip, which basically means the bone/socket do not fit together properly and there's a good deal of popping and cracking from that joint specifically.

My orthopedic surgeon (for whom I have little respect due to several missteps we've had since he treated me) only tentatively made this diagnosis, wants me to see a specialist, and doesn't want me doing ANY physical activity. I take his opinions with a grain of salt, especially because I'm living out of the US right now and won't be able to get the hip taken care of for at least another year.

All this to say I'd love to know what others' experiences have been with running and joint problems. Obviously I'm supposed to be doing only low-impact activities, but right now I"m using pain as my guide for when I think I can handle running and when I need to cut back.

Would love to hear your thoughts. Happy trails :)

sorry, can't help. My joints seem ok. ITB is my ongoing drama.
Sorry to hear that things are complicated (and expensive?) for you though. Sounds like you've got a sensible attitude, hope others can help!

Bah. Haven't run since the 5k on Saturday. It's too dark in the mornings at 5am, and I'm not getting home from work til around 9pm right now due to client demands, so unless I want to just suck it up and go on the treadmill at the gym (which I KNOW is what I should do!), I can do nothing more than whine. I have been spinning and weight training, so I'm not being completely idle, but there's really no substitute for running!

Indiblue - sorry to hear you're having joint issues. I had my knee worked on in November - surgery to remove a piece of torn meniscus, but they also then diagnosed me with arthritis - so I had two weeks recovery, six weeks physical therapy, and started working out again in the gym at around 10 weeks. I do a lot more strength and balance training now, following a bunch of exercises from my PT, and I'm very aware of my knee when I run. Ice and Aleve (per my surgeon and PT) are my friends. I don't know much about hip issues, as the only hip trouble I have is a tender IT band which is addressed with a foam roller (self-inflicted pain of the highest degree) and stretching. Hopefully you can find a medical professional, be it a surgeon or another form of professional, who can offer you some advice and a treatment plan.

So I chickened out yesterday and didn't run. The swelling just really concerned me. Today I wore a brace all day and it feels fine. I'm going to the gyn for ST and yoga tonight so I think I'll do my usual 1 mile warm up run and see how it feels. If it feels good and the swelling doesn't look too bad then I think I'll run tomorrow.

I feel so out of wack not being able to get my usual runs in. I'm so used to my schedule. And of course getting injured and not being able to run has been a huge fear of mine since I know what a key component to my weight maintenance it is. But I just don't want to be stupid and create a worse injury forcing me to have to take more time off.

I'm of no help in the joint department either. I'd say just listen to your body and do what feels right to you.

Thanks all for the input. I too have ITB issues that are likely related to my hip impingement. Should be spending more time with my foam roller :)

The advice about just following your own body is one I've generally adopted. Not exercising, which is what my doctor would prefer, is not optional, and running is just such a great activity. I'll continue to follow this common sense recommendation. Thanks!

Question! For the more seasoned runners - there's a race coming up on June 25, which in my town means 6am temperatures of around 80-90 degrees (but it's a dry heat!). I've done the 5k before, and it's a rolling hills course - no "Heartbreak Hill" but definitely up and down the whole way. The 10k is the same course only further out and back. I am running 3 miles comfortably and I run hills every time I run outside as there are no flat streets around my house. I'd like to tackle the 10k in June - am I being reasonable that I can double my distance in three months? Not running for time or anything - just to finish.

I did a weight training circuit yesterday that has left me with that bad but it's oh so good muscle soreness today. I think what did it was doing squats in between my upper body sets, then doing the leg press, hack squat and calf raise machines. Took today off but I have a 3.2 mile run planned for tomorrow - starting to build up to longer "long" runs. Can't wait - the weather should be perfect this weekend!

Jules - of course you'll be able to do 10km by June. You've already got running legs. Just keep gradually increasing the length of one run a week, or have a look on line for training programs.
10km of hills in the heat is a tough slog, but it's a great target and sounds like a good next step for you!

I"m just back from my 'long' run of the week at 17km. It absolutely chucked it down with rain all the way round, but it was nice! And i feel very virtuous now!

Abosolutly Jules! I trained for a half marathon last year in 18 weeks and up until that point 5 miles was my longest run. Just keep increasing your milage every week. You'll do great.

So I finally ran, ankle feels fine when I'm running but a little tender when I walk, weird. It's not swollen anymore so I think I'm recovering well. I'm being careful though as I don't want to exasterbate the situation. Hoping for a good long run this weekend, not sure how far with the ankle and all.

Ncueno-- dont...please- just give it a little time. doint force it. If it still has pain or sweling, you are especially at risk for making it worse.... and even IF it is feeling better, if it jusdt recentky happend it is NOT better..... take a spin class.. take a week off from running. DOnt make the same mistakes ive made.... you wont lose any fitnss in a week or two. TAKE CARE IF IT.. you KNOW you need to rest more, so take this opportunity to do so :)

Ran 5 miles at the park this morning (outdoor trail with hills)...the weather was sooooooo perfect, it was beautiful...I almost forgot what made me fall in love with running...it was running outdoors in this kind of weather.:)

Ok..I must be some kind of "freak of nature"...cuz I was totally scared wondering if I could pull the same 5 miles outdoors as I do indoors on my treadmill. Keep in mind I do NOT do hills, programs, etc. I just run at about 5-5.5 mph, no incline, for a little over an hour 4 days/week...simple.

Mannnnn.....I took off like a thoroughbred (sp?)...not stopping or slowing down even at this pretty steep hill on the trail I ran. After the 3rd mile, it was clear that I could run forever...haha! I barely broke a sweat and never got out of breath. It was down to what my muscles and joints could endure. It was a first...and it was a wonderful experience.

Last time I visited this park was back in end of November...I had worked my way up to 2 miles (if memory serves me correct) and that was a struggle. Today I was SKINNY CHICK running circles around everyone else at the track (well..maybe not everyone, but most)...it felt good...and for the first time...I realized something special.....


I'M A RUNNER!:carrot:

joyfulloser - those sort of runs are the best! Well done, and it certainly sounds like you've done the hard yards on the treadmill, so you definitely deserve a lot of amazing fun-filled runs outside! Hurray for you!!

I am going to be running the Hills and Heels 1/2 Marathon on 5/1/11. I am working my way up in mileage. Did the long run for this week today. 8 miles. It went really well. The worst part was the wind, which here in Texas, is brutal this time of year. It was pushing so hard I barely had to hold myself upright. I got back home, looked in the mirror and thought "holy cow, I am really tan". Then I realized it was dirt. LOL

You are all doing so well. I rarely post here, but I read constantly. Ncuneo, I hope your injury is feeling all better very soon. Please don't push it though. I had bursitis in my left knee in Dec. and I didn't want to stop running, so I kept going. Stupid mistake. If I had let it rest originally for a week I would have been fine, but in my infinite lack of running wisdom, I figured "no pain, no gain". Well, I ended up having to have cortizone shots and a one month break. I had planned on running my first half marathon on 3/27, but because of me pushing myself, it put me behind training for 5 weeks. Please take care and be gentle with your legs. They are SO important.

Oye, I wish I would have checked in here earlier! I ran 9 this morning. BUT the good news is it didn't hurt at all and the swelling is 90% gone. The only time it hurts is a little bit in the morning, more like stiffness. And it hurts some when I turn it too far. It actually feels worse just walking, once I start running it doesn't hurt at all. It did swell a bit yesterday, no running but I ran Friday and walked a lot yesterday, but this morning like I said hardly any swelling, even after the run.

I promise I'm keeping an eye on it. And I hear all your concerns. Part of me has to kinda figure it out on my own, since like I said before I've never had a sprain, but I think I know my body pretty well and I think the sprain, if it even is a sprain, is really minor.

This is crazy...I'm sore today!!:?: I'm never sore after a run (on the treadmill), and I found the treadmill much harder than the outdoor run (with hills)? Perhaps the fresh air in my lungs made it easier? I'm thinkin it did, cuz today I feel totally BEAT UP!:o Will try to squeeze out a quick 5 on the treadmill today (it's a bit chilly here today in my neck of the woods).:) Trying to make 25 miles this week (close to goal weight and need to rev up my workout a bit to push through to goal).:carrot:

Thanks for the encouragement Ange82much!:hug:

That is a huge realization! Awesome!

I am never sore after running on the treadmill either. I ran outside last Sunday and was sore until Wednesday.

So, I began the C25K program with the goal of running a certain race, which I did last Sunday. I pretty much hated running through the program, and told myself I would probably drop it after I had achieved my goal of running in a 5K. But I have found myself wanting to go for a run every single day since. I ran four days in the last week since the race. It is such a great stress relief, and I can't believe I am saying this, but I have come to love running.

Hi all - I am new to this site and thread and running. I have been working on the treadmill for about 2 months and I feel stuck. I started out at 290lbs walking 3 min at 3.5 and jogging 1 minute 4.3. I quickly worked my way to 3 minutes walking and 1.5/1.75 minutes jogging at 5. Then I hurt my knee and had to stay off the treadmill for a week and no jogging for almost 3. I am finding that I can manage this pace again just fine for my first and even second round but the longer I am on the treadmill the harder it gets and I'm not increasing my endurance. I also find it really hard to focus on anything but how many more seconds I have to keep it up. My legs are not the problem, it's the cardio - mainly breathing. I really want to push through. Friday I went 2.5 miles in 40 minutes which included warm up and a bit of a cool down. My goal is a May 5k in 45minutes. Has anyone experienced this? Is it normal? Any helpful hints or inspirations?

Thanks!

It was piddling down at 5:15 this morning so I dragged my unwilling behind into the gym and did my two miles on the treadmill. What a yawn fest. My training plan that I have developed from various expert plans (Hal Higdon and the like) calls for a very VERY slow ramp up of mileage, so I'm starting at the base and in 38 weeks - ha, seems like a lifetime - I should be ready for my half marathon. I know I may not need that long, but with my knee issues and life in general sometimes being insane, I want to just take my sweet time and really focus on building a solid base to stay injury free and keep enjoying running. I have some 5k and 10k races in the mix so those will help keep me going. I just want to be outside - this treadmill thing is like punishment.

Rose - I wonder if you're doing too much, too soon? You mention you quickly worked up to longer intervals, and I think for a lot of people, we get a bit too gung-ho and move too fast (no pun intended!). Have you looked at the C25k program? That may help you with the intervals and get your cardio and endurance where you want them. I know personally when I overdo things too quickly, I get sore and discouraged and generally become crabby! If you increase your interval times slowly, you should have no problem hitting your goal in May - a 45 minute 5k is a great goal for your first race.

aimeebell - that's such a great story. I think everyone has a bit of a love/hate relationship with running to some degree, because you always get good runs and then difficult runs for no apparent reason. Do you have your eye on any other races?

rose - i don't know what the literature says best way to train is, but i'd say that what you're experiencing sounds totally normal! It's tough! Especially when you're starting out. And it definitely gets more and more difficult the more repeats you do because your heart rate doesn't fully recover between each one. But every time you're huffing and puffing like that and you're watching the seconds, you're improving your fitness and improving your running. From my position of total ignorance, i'd say focus on increasing the time but not the speed to start with. So if you were running at 4.3 speed, then build up your time at that pace for a bit. Or even better, as jules said, check out the C25K program.

jules - so what date is your half marathon and which is it? Have you done one before? It's definitely important for me to have a decent base before trying to push on too fast, otherwise i get injured, so i reckon that's a great plan you have and especially with the short races thrown in.

I dragged myself out of bed for a run this morning and didn't really feel like it. My program (a mixture of a few official ones with a few of my own tweaks thrown in) says i had to do 35min run then 4x150m sprints, and i ended up doing 56 minutes all together as the playing field i planned to do my sprints on was further away than i thought! Anyway it was a beautiful morning and i feel good now!

My half marathon is 15 May. I did the same one 2 years ago and also 3 years ago, but this year they've changed the course, so not sure yet what that means for my ambition of getting a half marathon pb! Not good i suspect as supposedly there's more hills in it now, and it was already hillyish before.