Love2, it is my understanding after some pretty extensive reading, that you need carbohydrate to exercise intensely. Even easy running gets a large percentage of its energy from carbohydrate. It is just the way the body works. If you run out, intense exercise pretty much stops--you bonk, or hit the wall. I've done it, it isn't pretty! Fat burning can go on much much longer, but it doesn't provide as much energy as quickly, like you would need for running.

Having said that, I know there are people around here who do lower carb diets, which would tend to deplete the glycogen stores, and still manage to run, quite happily at that. I don't understand how that works, but obviously it does for some people. You could try that and see if it works for you--everybody is different. For me, I need my carbs, and when I increase mileage, my cravings for them goes up as well. And if I don't eat more, I'll literally start to feel sick.

From a weight loss perspective, a calorie is pretty much a calorie. There's a pretty good thread on the exercise board somewhere about the myth of the fat burning zone.
I think this is the link: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52700
I also found a Runner's World article that has similar info for running:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/...-0-628,00.html

Anne

Hi all. Life is seriously getting in the way of a few things I like to do .... like coming to 3FC. However, I did do the couch 2 5 K thing today. It's glorious outside about freezing and bright bright sunshine. Once I kept running past my allotted time because there was a car coming and I wanted to look like I knew what I was doing.

Just didn't want you alll to thinkI'd fallen off the earth.

Be well ....

Only Me -- I know exactly what you mean by balmy at -1C, it was in Cornwall yeasterday and it felt like summer ...

On calories I seem to run on about 1500 or less during the week and 1800-2000 on weekends and I am doing ok ... I guess, but I'm just a begginer ... Most times I eat oatmeal and eggwhites just about 20 minutes before I go out for a run and I feel really good and have a good meal of something similar, carbs and protein, when I come back... Lately I'm not dropping many #s but I sure find the mirrors nicer than they used to be ... The more I run the nicer they are ...

day two of marathon training is today. yesterday was fantastic. only 3 miles but i very smooth, well paced three miles. today and for the rest of the week i run four miles. this is more than i usually run which is why i am doing this, to make myself run more.


welcome to the thread love2. i personally can not survive without carbohydrates. i am way too active to go without and my body tells me when i need them. i stick to about 15-1700 calories a day except on my free day which i bump up to about 2000-2300. i lose wight when i run though. i see results almost imediately. of course, i hav not tried to run very long distances yet. i am hoping that by the time i have built up to my long distance running in about tow months, i will have lost all the weight i want to because i am sure i will be bumping up my food intake.

susan, good to see you around. don't let life get in the way so much.

Goodmorning all! I didn't run this morning, but I did take a second run yesterday afternoon to bump my total up to 5 for yesterday.

Anne, the whole carbohydrate element is very interesting. Thanks for the articles, they were enlightening. The reason I'm low-carb is because I'm diabetic. I don't really have much choice. It does seem though that maybe I should be moving my carbohydrate consumption around in my schedule. I usually run at 5am, and never eat beforehand. If I ate most of my carbs w/dinner the night before, do you think that would help, or would they already be burned overnight? When you talk about bonking, I've had that feeling before, but it's usually in that I feel like I can't get enough air, not so much a muscle thing. My last few runs in the morning, the first mile I don't think I'm going to make it, and then my body adjusts and I'm fine for the rest of the run. Do you think it could be a carb thing?

Any thoughts and advice are quite welcomed.

Okay I am not the only one who now thinks -4C feels warm.

Anyway I have gotten back into running and into WL. I gained A LOT during Christmas and my DL time so anyway I am back working on it and I hope by the end of this year I'll be where I want to be.

I am running 6K tonight!!


Ilene: I live on oatmeal and eggwhites... I adore them!!

Anyways, cool runnings all!

Ali

It was lovely here today again. I kinda forgot the protocol for couch 2 5K so I ran two hydro poles and walked one but on the way back I ran one and walked one. It still felt way way more accomplished than any attempts I made last year.

Love2, I run early in the morning, and just found I do better if I eat something first, banana usually, or something like Ensure if it is a longer run. But as long as it's a short run, less than 50 min or so, it isn't that big a deal either way. With the diabetes, though, you probably should check with your doctor.

Ali, good for you for getting back into it! Susan, sounds like you are making excellent progress. Laura, good going on your marathon training!

I have a run/walk planned for first thing in the morning. Turns out my fatigue I was attributing to being pregnant was actually some kind of illness that had half my coworkers at home asleep yesterday as well! So, I'm kind of looking forward to tomorrow to see how it goes.

Anne

well, my four mile run yesterday went great. this training program is definitely something that i don't feel like is over my head so far. today is my first rest/cross train day. i'm going to do some upper body and core strength and some yoga. i feel like i need a really good stretch today.

long distance runners- Do you carry a cd player or radio when you run. right now i have a cd player with a hand strap that i carry when i run no problem but i am afraid that when i really up my mileage it is going to become a pain. i'm looking at a couple of different options and was just wondering what everyone else did.

My run went really well this morning! A little slower, acouple of walk breaks and I felt great. 3.5 miles in about 44 minutes. I'm more optimistic I'm going to be able to keep this up for a while.

Laura, I generally don't run with music since I tend to run on roads/highways and I need to be aware of traffic. I did get a small MP3 player for Christmas that I did an 18 miler with, since I was running on a designated path. I just clipped it onto my hydration belt. The biggest pain for me was the headphones--they kept banging up against my sunglasses and getting knocked out.

Anne

I ran 8K on the treadmill yesterday... I know it's warmer out, but since I paid for the gym membership I might as well use it..

Tonight it is 9.5K outdoors...

These long runs are really paying off, I am already down to 143 and weigh in is not till Friday! Things are looking good.

Happy trails everyone...

Good morning all! I ran my designated 30 minutes this a.m., and my mileage was up to 2.84. I figured that since I can't add more time in during the weekdays, that I'd work on speed a little at a time. I'm happy with the 2.84.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Laura? I don't run long distance but I do have an mp3 player with a velcro strap that fits around my upper arm.

alright, its day four of my marathon training. another run 4 miles day. I can't put it off though because i have to be at work at 10. i did some yoga last night and drank a ton of water before bed. i felt like a million bucks this morning so I am feeling motivated to get out there. man i can't wait for the spring.

8k run this am in just under 45 minutes. But I took my head band off fairly early on in the run and I shouldn't have. The tips of my ears should not be the most painful thing on my body after running. I forgot that -12C isn't really warm, it only feels that way compared to -20C.

Laura, I don't run with music due to safety considerations since I run alone. I would think a small mp3 player with an arm strap would be the lightest, most comfortable option though. Those things are tiny!