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Newbie runner advice please

M

minimam

Member
Messages
21
Location
Sunderland
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi
After some advice regarding what to eat before a run. I'm controlling my T2 successfully with diet (LCHF) and exercise. I joined a beginners running club 3 months ago and I'm amazed at how I have improved. I do two session a week and can now run 4 1/2 miles without stopping Wednesday night was my first 41/2 mile run but found it very difficult, I've got my breathing sorted but my legs felt like lead ha. Next Wednesday we are going to be doing 5 miles and leader of group is hoping we will be doing 12 min miles
I think my problem is energy related. I go for my run at 7pm and have not eaten since lunchtime. What should I be eating on my run days to help me?.

I'm well impressed with myself, have gone from zero running to 4 1/2 miles in 12 weeks. I'm 54 and running with other beginners much younger than me.

Any advice greatly appreciated.
 
I'm really not too sure with T2. I'm T1 and find that a bread roll before a run, topped up with jelly babies every 1k when running gives me plenty of energy and keeps my BG levels up whilst running.
 

That's a fantastic effort minimam!

So, the trouble you may experience when you exercise on a low carb diet, is that particularly if you are working hard during your run, you will be burning through your glycogen (glucose) stores in both your muscles and your liver. Although the body can replenish these stocks on a LCHF diet, it take a little while, and is not as straightforward for the body to recover compared to eating a load of carbs.
Consequently, if your body hasn't had time to re-stock adequately, you will feel very sluggish and leaden on the following run.
If you are running a few hours after you have eaten - consider having a snack; doesn't necessarily have to be carb, but protein/fat with some slow release carb would be good. Might help give you a bit of a boost - but make sure you just test to ensure you stay in the safe range.

In the 30mins or so directly after your run, you have a 'window' of opportunity where your body is in 're-stocking' mode, and theoretically you can take on board carbs without seeing the usual blood glucose rise.
You have the potential at this point to feed this need and help your body make a nice speedy 'recovery'.
There is a 'but' here - part of the joy of having diabetes, is that the liver doesn't put on the brakes to supplying the necessary glucose into the bloodstream after you finish exercising. Consequently you can experience a blood glucose rise after finishing your run - and obviously you would not want to exacerbate this problem by eating yet more carbs!

Really this is going to be a case of trial and error. Test your bloods at the beginning, and at the end of your run. If at the end you are within a safe range, try taking on board some carbs - check bloods again and see how much of a blood rise (or not) you get.

Sorry there is no quick 'one size fits all' fix for you, but hopefully you at least have a better understanding of some of the mechanics involved.

You may find it useful taking a look at the exercise section of the type 2 diabetes kit bag on the TeamBG website. http://www.teambloodglucose.com/TeamBG/Kit_Bag.html
Also, you may like to read Andy's story as the type 2 case study - our very own Andy12345 on the forum! Seek him out for advice, as he's a fantastic ambassador for T2D and a great guy all round! Also, take a look at any of borofergie's posts - another T2D runner on low carb and a mine of information.
Happy running, and keep up the great work.
TeamBG are going to be booking in more park runs soon - hopefully you will be up to joining us for a run!
 
hi, well done i think i know why you are finding it hard at the 4 1/2 mile mark....

because running 4 1/2 miles is bloody difficult!

i never even considered eat carbs until doing 20 miles and then not many, no reason on earth to not do running on lchf there is a growing opinion amongst endurance athletes that ketogenic running is better because they dont hit the wall (apparently) i didnt hit the wall doing the london marathon, it was more a painful quick sand lol

ok think back to how hard your first mile was, now how easy it is, one day 4 1/2 will feel like a warm up, if it wasnt hard, there wouldnt be any point in doing it and you wouldnt get the impossible to describe sense of achievement, try the 12 minute miles until you have to slow down, then just shout "ill catch you up" and run at whatever pace you like, you have to run for you, its too hard to keep going for someone else,

i reckon your doing amazingly well

ok after my babble ill attempt some advice, hydrate like mad when your not running or about to run, then drink only if your thirsty before and during the running, excess water swooshing about dosent help at all, you dont need to drink at all upto 10 miles unless its insanely hot, as long as your body is well hydrated before hand, once you go above 10 miles thats another thread

eggs i found a nice running food, dont know why, a couple of hours before you run, but after lots of reading about this, different people get on with different strategies, some people are eating at the start line

also i reckon (just my opinion) that 4 times a week is the perfect amount to go out, any more is too much, any less dosent keep the lungs working enough, it dosent have to be far, but a mile plus, 3 times a week, then your club run will pay dividends, before you know it , mile plus will feel too easy and you will just keep going, this was just my experience, i may be way off, trial and error i suppose

keep going your amazing!




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Thanks everyone for all your advice. Also, did the 5 x 12 min miles with about 10 seconds to spare omg it was so exhausting but I DID IT. Felt amazing after. I will not be able to run at all next week as I had surgery on my nose yesterday and have 10 stitches in my nose/cheek. I'm already having withdrawal symptoms. Can't wait to get back into my running gear.

Sheila
 
always surpriisimng what you can actually do when you get into actually doing it. It may seem daunting ahead of time, but onece you realx into it you can really enjoy it.

Sounds like you did a cracking job.

As Andynumbers says there is a growing low carb athletic scene for endurance athletes, adn if you are not an insulin dependent T2 I would look into it if I were you to make sure you are doing it right. Personally I need to get out and do more fasted sessions myself as well.

The book I'm about to start reading is the Art and Science of Low Carb Performance by Volek and Phinney, available as an e-book or paperback.

One thing yoou could think about, depending how it fits into your lchf diet is something like a slice of maltloaf with cheese or nuts and dates, both fairly low GI, and unless you go OTT with them, you should still be in a position where you have a net energy deficit during your run.
 
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