My history:
42 y/o MOP. Triathlete since 2001. In the 90s I played baseball (dabbled in XC running in jr high), went to college on a baseball scholarship, then broke my ankle, lost my scholarship, and started powerlifting.
Returned to running in 2001, started cycling in 2001, and learned freestyle swimming (sorta).
My dietary history is:
1) While weightlifting I emphasized protein and a low fat diet. I could never lose the last 10 lbs off my abs, probably because of all the extra sugar in the low-fat foods that I was eating.
2) Since starting triathlon in 2001, I have been able to eat anything that I want and stay 150-160 lbs. That doesn't mean that I ate as though there was no tomorrow, but simply that I ate for performance (fruits and veggies) and health (balanced macros) with the privilege of eating ice cream 2-3 times per week with no weight gain.
3) Starting in 2013, I started changing some things in my diet. Mostly because my wife was trying different diets...
a) In 2013, we did paleo.
b) In 2014, we did paleo for athletes, and I started using the Hammer Nutrition philosophy and Hammer products.
c) In 2015, we did vegetarian.
d) In 2016, we did vegan.
e) Now in 2017 (as of two weeks ago), we are doing Ketogenic.
Also note that in 2015, I did my first IM since 2003. Hammer says that on race day that you eat nothing before starting the race unless you can eat at least 3 hrs before the race start. Otherwise, you eat a gel 10 minutes before the race begins.
I like to sleep at 0400, so in that 2015 IM so I had a gel before the race start and used Perpetuum on the bike and gels on the run. I used to be fast when I was in my teens and early 20s (well, "fast" as in I ran 6 min miles), but now I'm slow (probably from running ultras since 2007 and the fact that I do not have access to a track and little motivation to do speed work and now running 8-10 min miles). Eating gels makes me feel slower, but without calories I cannot finish a 6-12 hr "race." I had my nutrition planned for the 2015 IM, and I wasn't hungry, just fatigued. I carried on the bike plenty of fuel.
I also have tried 1st Endurance with similar results- except the EFS liquid shots make me feel slower than perpetuum and slower than standard gels (all brands of gels). Something about the way these carbohydrate products sit my my stomach that makes me feel slow... like if I speed up that I'll vomit, or most often, that I simply cannot speed up without having to eventually slow down more overall (average speed), or, for instance, while running that I would have to stop running and start walking.
Yesterday I did the Buffalo Springs 70.3. This was my first race since the 2015 IM, so I was a little rusty, but in decent condition. Actually, probably stronger overall (due to lots of PT and weight training, yoga, and pilates), but less trained in triathlon specific training. I awoke at 0445, ate nothing and had a single gel 10 minutes before starting the swim. I took 2 gels with me on the bike along with a single 16 oz bottle of HEED. I was surprised to see that the bike course contained NO nutrition except Gatorade Endurance. I have done the BSLT 70.3 eight times and yesterday was the first time that I've seen no gels on the bike course (although I admit that I didn't stop to talk with anyone about it, just that none were being offered by the volunteers as we passed by on the bike).
At yesterday's 70.3 I almost bonked, but survived on the Gatorade once I realized that a bonk was imminent unless I slammed the Gatorade (my electrolyte picture allowed me to not have any GI distress when I slammed the Gatorade). I was starving and was actually looking forward to eating gels on the run course - I was that hungry. But again, as usual the gels that I ate on the run didn't feel like fuel, just more like goop that staves off a bonk.
Now, I know that I've given some of you a lot to chew on (maybe pun intended?), but here's what I'm really driving at: I think that during a race or long training session that you have to supplement carbohydrate, but I've read that some people are able to operate on fat and protein after training their bodies to burn fat during long sessions.
Can a person "race" on fat and protein if properly trained? How do you feel about eating more fat and protein (such as on the Ketogenic diet) and how does that affect your daily training, specifically, your energy levels? Do any of you have input about your diet and ways to improve your performance WHILE ALSO IMPROVING YOUR DAY-TO-DAY HEALTH?
Thank you!
42 y/o MOP. Triathlete since 2001. In the 90s I played baseball (dabbled in XC running in jr high), went to college on a baseball scholarship, then broke my ankle, lost my scholarship, and started powerlifting.
Returned to running in 2001, started cycling in 2001, and learned freestyle swimming (sorta).
My dietary history is:
1) While weightlifting I emphasized protein and a low fat diet. I could never lose the last 10 lbs off my abs, probably because of all the extra sugar in the low-fat foods that I was eating.
2) Since starting triathlon in 2001, I have been able to eat anything that I want and stay 150-160 lbs. That doesn't mean that I ate as though there was no tomorrow, but simply that I ate for performance (fruits and veggies) and health (balanced macros) with the privilege of eating ice cream 2-3 times per week with no weight gain.
3) Starting in 2013, I started changing some things in my diet. Mostly because my wife was trying different diets...
a) In 2013, we did paleo.
b) In 2014, we did paleo for athletes, and I started using the Hammer Nutrition philosophy and Hammer products.
c) In 2015, we did vegetarian.
d) In 2016, we did vegan.
e) Now in 2017 (as of two weeks ago), we are doing Ketogenic.
Also note that in 2015, I did my first IM since 2003. Hammer says that on race day that you eat nothing before starting the race unless you can eat at least 3 hrs before the race start. Otherwise, you eat a gel 10 minutes before the race begins.
I like to sleep at 0400, so in that 2015 IM so I had a gel before the race start and used Perpetuum on the bike and gels on the run. I used to be fast when I was in my teens and early 20s (well, "fast" as in I ran 6 min miles), but now I'm slow (probably from running ultras since 2007 and the fact that I do not have access to a track and little motivation to do speed work and now running 8-10 min miles). Eating gels makes me feel slower, but without calories I cannot finish a 6-12 hr "race." I had my nutrition planned for the 2015 IM, and I wasn't hungry, just fatigued. I carried on the bike plenty of fuel.
I also have tried 1st Endurance with similar results- except the EFS liquid shots make me feel slower than perpetuum and slower than standard gels (all brands of gels). Something about the way these carbohydrate products sit my my stomach that makes me feel slow... like if I speed up that I'll vomit, or most often, that I simply cannot speed up without having to eventually slow down more overall (average speed), or, for instance, while running that I would have to stop running and start walking.
Yesterday I did the Buffalo Springs 70.3. This was my first race since the 2015 IM, so I was a little rusty, but in decent condition. Actually, probably stronger overall (due to lots of PT and weight training, yoga, and pilates), but less trained in triathlon specific training. I awoke at 0445, ate nothing and had a single gel 10 minutes before starting the swim. I took 2 gels with me on the bike along with a single 16 oz bottle of HEED. I was surprised to see that the bike course contained NO nutrition except Gatorade Endurance. I have done the BSLT 70.3 eight times and yesterday was the first time that I've seen no gels on the bike course (although I admit that I didn't stop to talk with anyone about it, just that none were being offered by the volunteers as we passed by on the bike).
At yesterday's 70.3 I almost bonked, but survived on the Gatorade once I realized that a bonk was imminent unless I slammed the Gatorade (my electrolyte picture allowed me to not have any GI distress when I slammed the Gatorade). I was starving and was actually looking forward to eating gels on the run course - I was that hungry. But again, as usual the gels that I ate on the run didn't feel like fuel, just more like goop that staves off a bonk.
Now, I know that I've given some of you a lot to chew on (maybe pun intended?), but here's what I'm really driving at: I think that during a race or long training session that you have to supplement carbohydrate, but I've read that some people are able to operate on fat and protein after training their bodies to burn fat during long sessions.
Can a person "race" on fat and protein if properly trained? How do you feel about eating more fat and protein (such as on the Ketogenic diet) and how does that affect your daily training, specifically, your energy levels? Do any of you have input about your diet and ways to improve your performance WHILE ALSO IMPROVING YOUR DAY-TO-DAY HEALTH?
Thank you!