For Distance Runners

[alliecat1095 128]

Hi there!!

Ooohhh....been there' date=' done that! What I have noticed is on days of runs, no coffee or other heavy caffeine drinking. Also,NO running gels, Beans, or other fancy goo for me while running. Complete laxative effect for me.

What do you normally consume before running? Within a couple of hours? Is it the same thing most of the time?[/quote']

I drink a shake at 7 am, 10am I might have a yogurt or almonds and I run at noon ( my lunch hour) ...

But it doesn't matter what time of day I run cause I've tried early morning, noon and evenings. It doesn't happen every day .

No I do not consume gels , Beans or any fancy goo...

Thank you for the info....

[alliecat1095 128]

The only thing I do is eat about 1.5 hours prior to running. This usually gives me time to take care of business. However on my short runs I eat the same thing about an hour before running and I never stray from my usual Cereal. I have been super lucky because I haven't had to stop before.

I worry about trying new energy gels and chews while running for this very reason. I stick to what I've tried out of fear. Good thing it has been working for me so far. How's ur Fiber on the days before u run? I eat a lot of Fiber rich food and I try to ease back the day before running.

I wish I could be more help. Hopefully someone else can shed some light.

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I basically eat the same things, Protein shakes, yogurt, almonds and Protein Bar for Breakfast and am Snacks, for lunch and dinner ckn (salad) , tuna (salad) , fish, ribs and hamburger meat.

I hardly eat fiber.. I only have room for 2-3 oz of Protein ..and when I need fiber I add chia or flax seed to my shakes.

Thank you for your help...

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Yesterday, I ran 45 minutes for 4.5 miles on my treadmill. This time I set my speed at 5.6 mph versus 5.8 mph in order to measure heart rate at a slightly lower rate. The last few weeks has been running 5.8 mph and I have not been measuring heart rate until yesterday.

I noticed my heart rate was 135 bpm at about 30 minutes in when running 5.4 mph. I was able to easily carry on a conversation, even after running for 30 minutes at 5.4 mph. It felt to me like a fast jog and was about 3/10 effort. I then increased my rate to 5.10 mph and noticed that after 5 minutes my heart rate was up to 176 bmp and effort was 7/10 (35 min in). This was way too high to sustain for longer than 10 minutes ( for me). I backed the speed down to 5.6 mph and measured my heart rate again at 146 bmp (40 min in). This was reasonable, but I could not carry a conversation very well with my brother in the same room. 5.4 mph seems to be my comfortable speed.

I am sure I will be able to go faster and still keep my heart rate at 135 bpm after building up some more running experience. I don't think it is safe to be constantly running near my max of 154 bpm or higher. I am happy with being able to run 45 minutes at 5.4 bpm because I get a good workout, plenty of sweat, but still have energy and breath when finished (average, 3-5/10 effort where 1 is at rest and 10 is extremely hard).

With this said, what would be a good speed to run at if running for 1 hour or longer in order to get maximum benefits and remain in fat burning zone? I also want to prevent injury. I generally allow 2 days between treadmill runs for rest.

[danyelleb 386]

With this said' date=' what would be a good speed to run at if running for 1 hour or longer in order to get maximum benefits and remain in fat burning zone? I also want to prevent injury. I generally allow 2 days between treadmill runs for rest.[/quote']

You post great questions. I'm looking forward to seeing the responses you get.

I have a question for you. Do you switch from treadmill to outside for your running workouts or do you primarily run on a treadmill? I had quite a bit of difficulty in switching back and forth. I'm primarily an outside runner, but due to weather I had to do a couple of my runs inside. I had all sorts of pain (like pinched nerves almost). I have chosen not to run on the treadmill and crosstrain on cold weather days, but the treadmill calls out for me. Lol. I worry about not getting my mileage.

Anybody else encounter this as well?

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[Fiddleman 4,376]

You post great questions. I'm looking forward to seeing the responses you get.

I have a question for you. Do you switch from treadmill to outside for your running workouts or do you primarily run on a treadmill? I had quite a bit of difficulty in switching back and forth. I'm primarily an outside runner' date=' but due to weather I had to do a couple of my runs inside. I had all sorts of pain (like pinched nerves almost). I have chosen not to run on the treadmill and crosstrain on cold weather days, but the treadmill calls out for me. Lol. I worry about not getting my mileage.

Anybody else encounter this as well?

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I primarily run inside on a treadmill for a few reasons:

1. It is too cold to run outside, especially this last week when I went on a snow vacation in the cascade mountains ( place where I was staying had a treadmill).

2. I have not tried running outside yet because I want to build up my technique and endurance on treadmill first.

3. I want to prevent injury by eliminating a few variables like roots, rocks, holes, etc.

The last time I dropped weight ( lowest was about 30 lb heavier then now), I exclusively ran outside mostly around a loop in the neighborhood and sometimes. Much longer loop around the little town. Running outside was fine and I eventually worked up to about 20 miles at a jogging pace (probably 4.5 mph). I can't remember why I stopped running outside, perhaps it was due to an injury like bursitis.

I hope you are able to figure out your pinched nerve issue.

[alliecat1095 128]

DUE TO COLD WEATHER I AM GOING TO TRY AND RUN ON the treadmill this evening I am also an outside runnner.

If it poses a problem I will just bundle up and run outside. Brrrr....I am sure its not as cold where you guys are at.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

DUE TO COLD WEATHER I AM GOING TO TRY AND RUN ON the treadmill this evening I am also an outside runnner.

If it poses a problem I will just bundle up and run outside. Brrrr....I am sure its not as cold where you guys are at.

20 F. Is that cold enough for you. Lol! When I went snow shoeing, I had bout 5 layers of clothes on. Sure, I was roasting due to the workout, but I will take that over freezing my tail off. Let us know how the treadmill running goes.

[abetterme4.2 268]

Yesterday' date=' I ran 45 minutes for 4.5 miles on my treadmill. This time I set my speed at 5.6 mph versus 5.8 mph in order to measure heart rate at a slightly lower rate. The last few weeks has been running 5.8 mph and I have not been measuring heart rate until yesterday.

I noticed my heart rate was 135 bpm at about 30 minutes in when running 5.4 mph. I was able to easily carry on a conversation, even after running for 30 minutes at 5.4 mph. It felt to me like a fast jog and was about 3/10 effort. I then increased my rate to 5.10 mph and noticed that after 5 minutes my heart rate was up to 176 bmp and effort was 7/10 (35 min in). This was way too high to sustain for longer than 10 minutes ( for me). I backed the speed down to 5.6 mph and measured my heart rate again at 146 bmp (40 min in). This was reasonable, but I could not carry a conversation very well with my brother in the same room. 5.4 mph seems to be my comfortable speed.

I am sure I will be able to go faster and still keep my heart rate at 135 bpm after building up some more running experience. I don't think it is safe to be constantly running near my max of 154 bpm or higher. I am happy with being able to run 45 minutes at 5.4 bpm because I get a good workout, plenty of sweat, but still have energy and breath when finished (average, 3-5/10 effort where 1 is at rest and 10 is extremely hard).

With this said, what would be a good speed to run at if running for 1 hour or longer in order to get maximum benefits and remain in fat burning zone? I also want to prevent injury. I generally allow 2 days between treadmill runs for rest.[/quote']

For the first couple of runs, I would encourage you to run at the comfortable 5.4 mph "comfortable speed" to stay in the fat burning zone. After you do it a couple of times, throw in a couple of 5.8 mph bursts (interval training) to build up your tolerance and will increase your speed over time.

20 mins at 5.4 mph

2 mins at 5.8 mph

20 mins at 5.4 mph

2 mins at 5.8 mph

16 mins at 5.4 and cool down

Then, gradually adjust the number where you will have 3 bursts at 5.8 and cut down the 20 mins to 18 mins at 5.4 and will still keep you close to the 1 hour mark.

Over time, you will have increased your pace to maybe 5.6 and run further during the one hour.

Hope this helps. If its not clear, just let me know!

Stay motivated!

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Yesterday' date=' I ran 45 minutes for 4.5 miles on my treadmill. This time I set my speed at 5.6 mph versus 5.8 mph in order to measure heart rate at a slightly lower rate. The last few weeks has been running 5.8 mph and I have not been measuring heart rate until yesterday.

I noticed my heart rate was 135 bpm at about 30 minutes in when running 5.4 mph. I was able to easily carry on a conversation, even after running for 30 minutes at 5.4 mph. It felt to me like a fast jog and was about 3/10 effort. I then increased my rate to 5.10 mph and noticed that after 5 minutes my heart rate was up to 176 bmp and effort was 7/10 (35 min in). This was way too high to sustain for longer than 10 minutes ( for me). I backed the speed down to 5.6 mph and measured my heart rate again at 146 bmp (40 min in). This was reasonable, but I could not carry a conversation very well with my brother in the same room. 5.4 mph seems to be my comfortable speed.

I am sure I will be able to go faster and still keep my heart rate at 135 bpm after building up some more running experience. I don't think it is safe to be constantly running near my max of 154 bpm or higher. I am happy with being able to run 45 minutes at 5.4 bpm because I get a good workout, plenty of sweat, but still have energy and breath when finished (average, 3-5/10 effort where 1 is at rest and 10 is extremely hard).

With this said, what would be a good speed to run at if running for 1 hour or longer in order to get maximum benefits and remain in fat burning zone? I also want to prevent injury. I generally allow 2 days between treadmill runs for rest.[/quote']

I found 2 methods, both slightly technical, but they work. The first is Stu Mittleton's method based on Phil Maffetone's method. It goes like this....180 minus your age gives you the upper limit of your MEP zone (most efficient pace). Subtract 10 from that to get the lower limit. Also, he says to add 10 to both the upper and lower limits if you are in good shape and do more than 3 hours of cardio a week, add only 5 beats if you workout but do less than 3 hours a week. And subtract 5 if you're just starting out. So for me that would be 180-44 (age)=136 + 10 (because I do more than 3 hours of aerobics per week) = 146 beats per minute which is my upper limit to my MEP zone. Subtracting 10 would give me 136 for the lower limit, putting my zone between 136-146 bpm. According to Stu that's the most efficient zone but it's a combination of fat burning and sugar burning. But the fat burning zone or MAP (mostly aerobic pace) is from that lower limit to minus 20 from the lower limit. So 116-136 for the fat burning zone for me. Unfortunately, when I run on flat roads my heart rate is usually between 140-145, so I guess I'm not in the fat burning zone. I can't seem to run slow enough to get it to drop that far. I have to walk to get it below 136.

The other method is the Karvonen method. I like it because it takes into account your resting heart rate, which is a direct indicator of your fitness level. 220 minus age minus resting heart rate multiplied by .7. Then add back your resting heart rate. This gives you your target heart rate. For me that would be 220 - 44 (age) - 48 (resting heart rate) =128 x .7=90 + 48 (resting heart rate)=138. That's my target heart rate and its very close to the one I got on Stu's formula. Now subtract 10% from that to get to the lower limit (which is more fat burning) or add 10% to get to the upper limit (which burns more sugar).

Typing them out like this they both seem complicated but they really aren't once you break out the calculator. I'm not really sure either one is necessary....but you did ask. Other people will simply advocate for the spoken word method. Take it right up to the point where you can't quite hold a conversation, then back off just enough so you can, and you're in the fat burning zone. I believe this method will work for MOST people, but maybe not everyone. I think something that screws me up is I'm in better cardio shape than my running would indicate. For instance, I've ridden my bicycle at a fast clip 90 miles in a day, and been on many 50 mile rides in very hilly terrain. But even then I couldn't run half a mile. Supposedly for every 4 miles you can bicycle you can run 1 mile, but that's never been true for me....probably because I've been an avid cyclist all my life but always avoided running.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

I also want to add, I have no access to a treadmill. Today I did a 5 mile trail run in 37 degree weather. Yes it was cold and damp, but I never noticed it. I had a track suit on plus a layer of under armour tights (top and bottom) and a heavy cotton long sleeve shirt. Seems like a lot but it really wasn't, but I was very comfortable. In fact I had a good sweat going. I will say this about the trail, you cannot daydream, you cannot lose focus. I was studying the ground the whole time for rocks and roots. In some places, the roots are like stair steps on the up and down terrain. But it makes the running so much more fun. I've also read that it improves balance and helps reduce certain overuse injuries like patellofemoral syndrome because you are always slightly changing the range of motion. I have no evidence of this obviously but it makes sense.

I am still a firm believer that the best thing anyone can do to prevent injury is to study the minimalist or barefoot running style. Time may change my mind on this, but since I've been doing it all my knee aches have disappeared. And I walk around with a torn ACL and 2 torn meniscus which I'll always have because I never had surgery.

[alliecat1095 128]

20 F. Is that cold enough for you. Lol! When I went snow shoeing' date=' I had bout 5 layers of clothes on. Sure, I was roasting due to the workout, but I will take that over freezing my tail off. Let us know how the treadmill running goes.[/quote']

Hi, well the treadmill was much harder on my knees and it tired me out much faster.. It could be cause its the 1st time and its at an incline.

I ran 1 mile in 22 minutes( speed at 3.2) and I walked at a fast pace (2.8) for

13 minutes.

After I ran I did 35 minutes of zumba...

[danyelleb 386]

Hi' date=' well the treadmill was much harder on my knees and it tired me out much faster.. It could be cause its the 1st time and its at an incline.

I ran 1 mile in 22 minutes( speed at 3.2) and I walked at a fast pace (2.8) for

13 minutes.

After I ran I did 35 minutes of zumba...[/quote']

Oh bah! Stinky treadmill. I'm glad u got some Zumba in. I'm sticking to bundling up in cold weather gear. 32 degrees is not bad- certainly not compared to 20! Eek! I'm sorry the treadmill didn't work out for u.

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[Butterthebean 8,146]

Oh bah! Stinky treadmill. I'm glad u got some Zumba in. I'm sticking to bundling up in cold weather gear. 32 degrees is not bad- certainly not compared to 20! Eek! I'm sorry the treadmill didn't work out for u.

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Well, I've gone and done it now. Registered for a half marathon on April 13. Into the fray I go....

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Well' date=' I've gone and done it now. Registered for a half marathon on April 13. Into the fray I go....[/quote']

Wow, that is great and very impressive.

[danyelleb 386]

Well' date=' I've gone and done it now. Registered for a half marathon on April 13. Into the fray I go....[/quote']

Woot! Woot! I'm excited for you! We were both c25k runners and now look at us!! Can't wait for the post about your experience! Wtg!

Just realized I used a lot of exclamation points. I swear I'm not crazy, just excited and happy for you.

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