Butterthebean

Ha....I'm a shift worker at a chemical plant and I work 530 to 530. 7 days a month and 7 nights. Because I live in the country but work in the city I leave the house at 400 to get to work. When I'm working day shift there is no way I'm getting up early enough to run before that. But I get alot of days off each month and I try to take full advantage of those. I'll do my long run each week on an off day. When I work nights I run before work. But when I work days I have no choice but to do a couple of runs. Usually those are my shortest runs. Last nights run was something unusual. I don't know where I got the energy.

I read the book, bought the DVD, and then took the workshop. I benefitted from all three. The book is the most detailed, thorough explanation of the whole system. The dvd gives a simpler, easy to follow plan. But the workshop helped me understand which facets I was doing right and which I was doing wrong. It's hard unlearning old habits and learning new ones. It takes some mental focus in the beginning but it certainly gets easier. I am by no means "there". But I am improving. Last night I felt like my run was doomed before I finished the first mile. I was so tired even before I started. Somewhere around the middle of the 2nd mile I felt invigorated. The fatigue was gone. By mile 4 I felt I could run all day. Miles 5 and 6 were my fastest of the run. Keep in mind I only intended to run 3. But I just forgot about that because I was too busy enjoying the fact that the more I ran the more I felt rejuvenated. It doesn't click for me like that every single run but it happens with more and more regularity.

I don't understand how you can keep up that level of exertion on such low carbs. I can't come close. Everything I've read says the average person has 60-90 minutes of glycogen at hard effort, then they run out and hit the wall (they actually switch to burning fat but when you burn through your glycogen and switch over its not a very comfortable feeling). I seem to hit the wall much sooner at hard efforts. More like 30 minutes. Yes my carbs are relatively low for a runner but I don't think they are any lower than yours. Could my glycogen storage just be that much less than the average person? That might explain why in my old life I felt the need to eat carbs every 2-3 hours. Also the fact that I was insulin resistant and yet continued to live off of high glycemic carbs day in and day out....that didn't help. And of course, everything you read about nutrition for running talks about eating 55-65% of your calories as carbs. I can't do that. And then there is the Stu Mittleton/Phil Maffetone camp that says you can burn fat for fuel instead of carbs. Well I've done this so they are correct. I've run several runs over 6 miles on virtually no carbs with no issues....except that I had to run very slowly. I'm talking 12 minute miles. That seems to be my preferred speed anyway for long runs. But here lately I've had a few long runs where I was able to bump that up to 10:30 minutes/mile. I can't start out like that, but toward the end I get to feeling real good and I gradually kick it up to that speed. My 9 mile run last Friday I ran 12:20 miles the whole way and then a 10:15 mile on the very last mile. I should have been too fatigued for that. Also it was on no carbs. Tonight I ran 6 miles and I was exhausted when I started. The first 2 miles were 11:30 miles but I felt awful and wanted to quit. The middle 2 miles were 12 minute miles and I felt better. And the last 2 were 10:30 miles and I felt great. I don't really know what happened but I got stronger as I went along. All this after working a 12 hour shift at work. The only thing I ate pre run was 2 energy squares. I wish I had more ability to maintain those faster speeds. I will work on it after my half marathon is over. Till then I'm sticking to my plan.

That's the beauty of trail running. There's a port-a-potty at every tree.

That's pretty amazing. You are a beast. I'm jealous.

Am I the only one here who never needed B12 supplement? My doc never prescribed me one (which I don't understand) and I never took it....just a one a day Multivitamin. But I just had my blood work done and my B12 is right in the middle of happy. Never had any symptoms of anemia either. Looking at a list of foods high in B12, I hardly eat any of the top 5 (clams, oysters, liver, octopus and caviar) bit I do eat a lot of the 6-10 foods on the list (fish, beef, cheese and eggs). Am I unusual? Did my doc not cut away enough stomach (tongue in cheek), or am I just getting enough from food?

It's mostly water weight at that point. Very soon you will be melting away the fat. But do the math....3500 calories per pound to lose weight. You only burn so much. But still, enjoy the ride because a new healthier life is ahead of you.

Lots of people feel this way. You're not eating anything. Your body does not care for this. You're likely going through carb withdrawals as well. It's alot like the induction phase of Atkins. As far as weight loss....you need to forget about that for a while. It's not likely your body has burned any significant fat at this point. Give it time. It will.

The fiberone has zero sugar and it's probably the only processed food I eat....to me it's worth it. It's also one of the few processed foods that doesn't wake up my carb monster. Probably because there is no sugar.

Why walk when you can run?

You guys are too fast for me.

I ran my 10K and I'm ready for my half marathon. I wish it was tomorrow, but it's not for another 4 weeks. I will do maybe 2 more long runs, then taper down the last 2 weeks. I've been doing alot of trail running as well....great alternative to running on the road. When I did that first one 3 months ago, I thought I was going to die...now I prefer it. It's a blast and hardly feels like exercise. Plus...met my absolute biggest goal which was to not get hurt.

I was 300 lbs still when I started running...and yeah, my knees hurt like hellfire. Both of them. I suffered through it for several weeks, then happened onto chi-running like fiddleman was talking about. I also did alot of reading on barefoot running and minimalist shoe running....changed everything for me. The change in form and gait took the impact off my knees (and all my joints for that matter) and put it where it belongs....on my muscles which are able to absorb energy. Now I run absolutely pain free. But honestly, from the moment I ditched my big thick cushioned running shoes and went with minimal shoes (and changed my gait appropriately....i.e. forefoot strike instead of heel strike) everything got better.

Now you are the skinny b***h.

My newest high tech running shoes. Yes they are made for running. No they don't hurt my feet...they actually help strengthen my feet and lower leg muscles and allow them to work the way mother nature intended. For those of you runners wearing highly cushioned motion control shoes and/or orthotics, I highly recommend you read the book "Tread Lightly." It's a great history of the development of running shoes, and the (lack of) science behind them.

Mark, I started elliptical and cycling at 3 weeks. Started pushing myself about 6 weeks (I had hernia repair). I didn't get in a big hurry and there's no real reason to. It's a long road we're on. I actually didn't start jogging till I was 4 months out. Not intentionally, that's just when I got interested. Plus by then I was down about 100 pounds and felt quite a bit better.

That's a great time. Sounds like you had fun. Mine is in 4 weeks and I'm right on schedule with my training.

Went to a running clinic this weekend and I did a little write up about it. See the thread entitled "chi-running workshop".

Went to a running clinic this weekend and I did a little write up about it. See the thread entitled "chi-running workshop".

No I still use the chia seeds but I've cut back on my Protein shakes....thereby cutting back on the chia. I honestly think the fiber one works better anyway.

Ouch. Hope you recover quickly.