Comrades eating tips from Norrie

The fear of not being able to achieve our aims is intertwined with the excitement of the forthcoming 90km challenge.

Similarly we know we have to cut back on the training which means this week will probably drop to between 70km (for the sub 2:30 marathoner) to a mere 40km for the (4:30 marathoner).  However, we also become aware that we are still as hungry as we were three weeks ago in peak training.

The fact is that our body takes a few days to catch up with the reduction in energy expenditure and so is still craving food so it can store up calories in case you try that 3-4 weeks of excessive training again…  

This identifies the normal swing of the pendulum from a period of exceptionally high activity to a dramatically low level of training. 

Unfortunately, the desire for calories and macro nutrients of protein, fats and carbs lag a few days behind, which sees us feeling even more lethargic and on a mission to eat.

As we are trying to address the issue of accumulated muscular training damage, the initial over-eating of both calories and protein does not have much impact, but by the end of the first week the bloating is beginning to impact on confidence... 

In fact, a considerable portion of the weight gain relates to the excess carbohydrate that we are continuing to consume despite the lower activity level.  

Each gram of carbohydrate requires three grams of water to be absorbed into the muscles and this accounts for much of the bulking that occurs in the first 3-4 days.

Even runners on the so-called high fat low carb diet will experience this effect as they increase the amount of rest and reduce the amount of exercise.

This is the natural carbo-loading of a taper, which we need to welcome as it will help ensure we begin the Comrades with full tanks in the muscles and liver.

It’s worth noting here that the amount of carbohydrate burnt during training is related to the speed of your running.  

If you want to drain your body of carbohydrates, do say 20x35 seconds on a treadmill set to your best mile time and 1% incline with 25 seconds off the belt recovery between each. Allowing for a warm-up and cool-down, the session is about 50 minutes of training. It is a way to keep everything in tip-top condition and will deplete carbohydrates.

Trying to train at a high intensity after such a session will be harder if your stores are not replaced, and depending how soon another really fast effort is required, it would be best to have some (about 25-40g) of carbohydrate immediately after the session, so as to kickstart both the carbohydrate absorption and the insulin reaction to pull protein and other nutrients into the muscle.

Keep in mind that even on the low carb high fat diet (Professor Tim Noakes puts the carbohydrate requirement at 200grams) what is being suggested here is not out of this range. See page 30 of The Real Meal Revolution.

The use of a meal replacement type drink, such as High Energy, is ideal for after the fast session, as it combines not only carbohydrate, but also protein and even medium chain triglycerides, a fat associated with exercise energy.  This covers energy replacement, rebuilding and repair of muscle damage and energy from fats. So, this is also a useful drink to consider as part of your nutritional strategy on the day of the race.

By contrast the rate of carbohydrate depletion in a Comrades-paced run is minimal and so the normal conversion of fat into energy will tend to replace anything lost overnight. Its is the reduced training, the tendency to slower running and the maintenance of normal eating, that results in the higher than normal levels of carbohydrate and hence also the addition of water to maintain the carbohydrate stores.

So the message in this second and third week of taper is to cut back slightly on your overall eating (your body will guide you, particularly if you have moved to the high fat diet as the body is not confused by insulin swings), and don't get overly concerned about the increase of 1-1.5kg in weight as about three quarters of that will be water.

If you are doing some short, faster work then its still a good idea to have a bottle of quality carbohydrate (20-40grams) such as the High Energy, or if your exercise has resulted in major sweating, then try Replenish so that you combine the carbs with the improved rate of hydration.

Either way do not let the reduction in training, the increase in weight or your tendency to feel as though you are not running sufficiently nag your mind.

Instead – remember this is all a natural process of preparing, repairing and building your body up to be ready and at its peak for the 89th Comrades Marathon on 1 June 2014.

You’re on your way to a great run!

(File Photo:Gallo Images)

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