As a runner I've become dependent on carbs. I load up on carbs before a long run or race. Carbs are my energy source during my runs. Carbs aid in my recovery post-run or race. This has been ingrained in me for the last 6 years. My journey to switching over to HFLC, specially a Ketogenic diet, has not been easy and will continue to be difficult.
I have many reasons for why I'm switching to HFLC which is why this time it might actually stick. In the past I've used it intermittently, trying to "carb-cycle" while training. I did not have enough self-control for this. My high carb days turned into REALLY high carb days and then it was that much more difficult to get where I needed to be on low carb days. That being said I did have some short term success with it. Speaking of success on HFLC, my husband has shown me that it's possible. Last year he lost over 90lbs in 6 months. Lastly, I have discovered that HFLC is prevalent in the world of ultra running. I've done a lot of research on this diet with regards to running, wondering how in the heck it's even possible. Well once your body becomes fat adapted, it turns out that you are able to tap into fat energy stores that you wouldn't normally on a high carb diet. This allows you to run for longer!! What a concept!
Disclaimer: I am not going to go into big detail on the specifics of HFLC diets or Ketogenic diets. Rather I will be discussing my journey into switching over and how it's affecting my running.
So I am day 7 into my Ketogenic diet and still going strong. Yesterday was a true test for me. I had a 22 mile long run planned and I was very nervous about how Keto was going to affect my ability to run that far. From my research and following the diets of a couple of my fave ultrarunners (Timothy Olson & Dean Karnazes), I knew it was possible. I developed a game plan and just trusted the process. Well.....let's just say I'm still in the experimental stages. There are definitely things that worked for me but things that did not work either. The 22 miles were completed (!!!) but not without some struggle.
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| Low Carb Long Run Fuel |
Right after I turned around and hit the halfway mark is when things started to go south for me. I felt strangely sleepy. My skin was cold and clammy. I felt nauseous and dizzy. I was almost out of water so I texted my husband to bring me water. I continued to run while I waited for him and kept telling myself that my symptoms were all in my head and that I could push through this. Then as soon as I stopped to refill my water bottle, I did not feel well at all. I felt like I was going to pass out and had to lay down in the car. This feeling would not subside so I came back home to re-evaluate. What was going on?! Did I need carbs? Did I just need more water? More electrolytes? I tried to just listen to my body. I drank some more water with Nuun and ate some strawberries. Then I laid down because I was STILL feeling light-headed and nauseous anytime I was upright. I was cold too so I went outside and laid in the sun. I'm not sure how long I was there but I ended up taking a short nap. When I woke up I felt much better. Time to go back out!! I filled my bottle with more Nuun, ate a pickle for good measure, packed some almonds in my handheld and went out to run the last 10.5 miles of my run.
The last 10.5 miles went off without a hitch. I got back into "the zone" that I was in earlier, soaking up everything around me. The most surprising thing was how good my legs felt! I've read that HFLC is good for inflammation and that must be true because normally at the end of a 20+ mile run my legs would feel crampy and I'd barely be able to keep them moving but not today! I was actually able to move after my run today too. Normally I'd be posted on the couch all day but surprisingly my legs still had energy left in them. Now a day later I have zero soreness whatsoever. I also noticed during my run that a recurring issue in my left foot is no longer there. Typically 2 miles into my runs (like clockwork) the ball of my left foot would start to hurt and my toes would go numb. Most likely the result of something called Morton's neuroma. This would last for several miles and sometimes force me to walk because it was so painful. I had zero issues with this at all on my 22 mile run. Amazing!
Final takeaways from yesterday's run - 1) Eat more calories/fat prior to my run, especially any runs over 10 miles. 2) Increase salt intake EVERY day and take in more electrolytes during the run. Now that I've analyzed yesterday's run and done some research, I'm fairly certain that I became hyponatremic yesterday. This has happened to me one other time, during my marathon in Savannah, and the symptoms are quite similar. Even though I had electrolytes on hand and was mindful to keep taking them, it just wasn't enough. Being that I was only on day 6 of keto, I probably had lost a significant amount of salt. That combined with the fact that I'm a "salty sweater" (I lose more salt in my sweat than most people) probably led to my issues mid-run. I'm looking forward to making some changes and seeing how I do next run. 3) HFLC has also positively influenced my running and with that I'm hopeful that I'll be like superhuman Dean Karnazes in no time!
