Bari-athletes and food

[AnA92212 577]

I had my surgery on 4/27/15. Started working out 3 weeks after. Started running in December of 2015. Have ran 2 5Ks, signed up for another and a 10K in May. Also for a half marathon in November. I have a training plan and I am not worried about the actual running, its the fuel aspect of it. I can't "carb load" or whatever...lol. The trainer recommends the gel packets every 30 minutes to 1 hour of running. (my hubby is doing a marathon in December). I am concerned about the calories and if they will make me sick. I do have an appointment scheduled with out nutritionist but she is not a patient nor a distance runner. Just wanted some advice for week of race and race day nutrition.

[stacyrg2 350]

on runs longer than 5 miles, I make sure to fuel during. I tried numerous things and found that Clif shot bloks work best for me. I take 1 blok every 2 miles. Each blok is 33 calories and I find that it leads to a steady stream of energy in my system. When I run 1/2 marathons I add in a mid run snack of either teddy grahams or pretzel sticks (both surgeon and NUT approved) The teddy grahams also deliver a quick jolt of energy since they're mainly carbs, but they do have a few grams of Protein in them. They also basically dissolve in your mouth and are easy to eat. They've never made me sick. I sometimes have trouble with cramping during longer runs, and the pretzel sticks work for me. Again, mainly carb, but the salt helps ME with my runs. I ran the Hollywood Half Marathon this past weekend and brought teddy grahams with me. I wish I had the pretzels because I had a cramping issue after the race. I found it is all finding what works for you. Some people swear by Gu . . . but it makes me want to hurl. I found the main thing is making sure I have a steady stream of energy and liquid during the race so I don't die or dehydrate. I was given permission by my surgeon to ignore the no eating and drinking at the same time rule during a run since the shot bloks need the Water to properly break down in your system. Good luck finding what works for you.

Oh, and you can carb load . . . I worked with my surgeon (who is a runner) to develop a plan. I increase my carbs 203 days before a race. I typically stay under 50g a day, but the week of a run, I increase to 80 or so. I don't go crazy eating plate fulls of Pasta or loaves of bread, but I will add in some potato, oats, etc. and I've never had a problem. It doesn't make me crave carbs, nor does it lead to out of control weight gain.