The Brazil 135 and Fat Adaptation

Two weeks have passed since my trip to Brazil to pace one of my athletes, Linda Quirk, founder of Runwell, in her quest to finish the Brazil 135.  Needless to say, it was everything that I expected with a million little surprises.  I posted the course elevation chart on my last post and I have learned that what you see on paper does not do any justice in real life.  The Brazil 135 was true to its promise of being one of the hardest races on the planet with over 30,000 vertical feet covered.  

I will be brief in my race recap as I could go on an on but will instead focus on more of the highlights that I encountered on my 7-day adventure, most notably nutrition.

1. Sleep is not overrated.  I don't care who tells you that, we need it!  This was the longest I had ever stayed awake, beating my record by about 20 hours and my body felt it toward the end.  Staying awake for about 52 hours was daunting and as some of our crew would attest, lack of sleep plays funny tricks on our mind.  Two of our crew members thought they saw a UFO in the middle of the second night.  Turns out it was a streetlight with a motion sensor!  Funny times.

2. Training for a hot and humid race in the winter of Colorado doesn't work out so well.  We saw very little rain (uncharacteristic for this race) and thus, the heat and humidity were intense (at least for this Colorado boy).  I was profusely sweating most of the days but the nights brought much needed reprieve.  Regardless, it was a huge shock to my body!

3. My nutrition experiment of following a low carbohydrate (60-80 grams per day) and a high fat (~60-70% of total calories) regimen worked beautifully.  Here is a short recap of what I consumed:

• 50-60 grams of carbohydrate per day while in Brazil.  
• The morning of the race I enjoyed a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, cheese and two slices of pineapple with a glass of water.  After that, my nutrition turned interesting since my duties as a run pacer were very inconsistent.  There was another crew member of my athlete’s team who was also able to pace her so he and I took shifts in leading our athlete throughout the course en route to the finish. 
• Aside from drinking water and consuming some electrolytes (from the products The Right Stuff and Saltstick), I consumed almost no calories during my running shifts.  The longest run I had with my athlete was 13 miles but a separate, shorter distance run, took us five hours to complete.  My nutrition plan was to consume calories during my time in the car so I would only have to carry supplies (food, water, electrolytes, clothes) for my athlete in my pack that I wore on my back.
• This strategy worked out very well and allowed me to fuel prior to any run segment that I did with my athlete.  While my nutrition over the 45 hours and 40 minutes (her total time to finish) was sporadic and somewhat difficult to calculate hourly totals during running, I was able to keep a food log which included mostly the food I consumed while riding in the car.  Here is a list to give you an idea of what I ate over these two days, which consisted of me running approximately 65 miles with my athlete:
• Generation UCAN: 6 packets, chocolate, protein enhanced
• Mrs. Mays granola bar: 2 total (these are wonderful bars made of seeds, nuts and a little dried fruit; they contain 22 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbohydrate and 10 grams of protein)
• Cocoa almond butter: 1 packet
• Peanut butter: 4 tablespoons
• The Right Stuff electrolyte solution: 2 packets added to water
• Saltstick electrolyte capsules: 6
• Clif Mini Mojo bars: 3
• Quest energy bar: 1
• Foodie Fuel: 4 ounces (a great new snack food I found that has a good ratio of carbohydrate to protein)
• Zone Bar: 2 (my athlete brought these and I did not plan on eating them but tried a bite and it really satisfied my hunger well)
• Almonds: 4 ounces
• Trail mix: 1 cup (nuts, dried cherries, a few chocolate chips)
• Melba toast: 8 pieces (we found this in a local grocery store; they were little 2x2 inch squares and I wasn’t planning on eating them until I tried them and again, they satisfied my hunger without disrupting my stomach; I put the peanut butter on them)
• Snickers candy bar: 1 (I always bring these to ultra runs as a just in case of emergency; during the last 9 miles to the finish, it took us 5 hours and I left the car with only a Snickers bar in my pocket with the rest of the food and water for my athlete; our car was not able to follow us due to extreme conditions on the trail so I had to revert to eating this to help get me to the finish line)
• Water: I cannot even begin to guess how many ounces I had as my intake was extremely sporadic and hard to monitor but rest assured, I was hydrated as indicated by the frequency and color of my urine.

As I mentioned, I did not consume many calories during my run pacing thus I cannot calculate hourly totals.  I can however, say in confidence that I consumed roughly 800-1000 calories less per day than I normally do at home.

Even more important and relevant to metabolic efficiency, is what my athlete consumed.  I was able to keep track of her nutrition during her 45 hour and 40 minute effort and the results are not shocking if you subscribe to the metabolic efficiency concept.  Here is a summary of her nutrition throughout the race:

• Generation UCAN, 12 packets, chocolate
• Zone Bar, 2, Sweet and salty
• Melba toast with apricot jelly, 6 pieces and 4 tbsp jelly
• Snickers bar, 1
• The Right Stuff electrolyte supplement, 5 packets
• Saltstick electrolyte capsules, 4
• Water, not sure how many ounces 

Totals for her per hour:

• Calories: 79
• Carbohydrate grams: 13
• Protein grams: 5
• Fat grams: 1
• Sodium milligrams: 300

She had never attempted a race this long and her goal was to come in under 48 hours of which she accomplished with 2 hours and 20 minutes to spare.  Nutrition was never a limiter and as you can see, she managed a very good effort on very few calories per hour due to being incredibly metabolically efficient.

All in all, it was a very successful trip for both my athlete and myself.  She will be submitting her application for Badwater as her time in Brazil provided her a qualification time.  As for me, I plan to getting back to short course and high intensity triathlon training while continuing my nutrition experiment and further test my theory of being fat adapted for higher intensity endurance training.

Stay tuned...it will get even better after I recover my body and move into speed work!

Coach Bob

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30,000 Feet

As I write this last blog entry before my Brazil trip, it is 8 degrees and snowing in Colorado.  One-week from now I will be somewhere in the remote area of Brazil just outside of Sao Paulo "enjoying" heat and humidity and pacing my athlete Linda Quirk of Runwell during the Brazil 135 ultramarathon.  It is an honor that she chose me to be her pacer but since I am her coach and sport dietitian, it makes sense because I know her well.  My "job" during this race is to get Linda to the finish line in under 48 hours.  Not many athletes have the distinction of doing this and no matter the weather, terrain or any other obstacles, she will cross that line under the cutoff!

I have not been able to find much information about the race other than some YouTube videos and a bit of info on the race website but one thing I did find was the elevation chart (see below).  From what I understand, there is roughly 30,000 feet of climbing and only about 12 miles (out of 135) that are flat.  Up or down will be the mantra of the race!

But it gets even better.  Not only is there some serious vertical ascending and descending, there will also be Mother Nature as a challenge.  The weather, as of today, is supposed to be in the 80s during the day and 50s/60s at night (depends on the elevation) with a 50% chance of rain on both days of the race.  Because the race is mostly on dirt roads/paths, this will make it a slippery, muddy mess of fun!  Of course there is that little thing called humidity, which is my arch enemy.  I can and will deal with it but it is not my choice environment to train or race in due to my high sweat rate and fluid loss.  Needless to say, my electrolyte intake will be consistently high in an effort to remain hydrated.  Generation UCAN (chocolate) will be my main source of energy and I will be bringing a new found product, Foodie Fuel, as a snack along with some other higher fat, lower carbohydrate snack bars that I have found.  Eating will be an adventure, always is in a different country, but my trip to the 2008 Olympic Games in China prepared me well for this!

My daily eating has been spot on for the last few weeks, still following a controlled (lower) carbohydrate and higher fat nutrition plan.  I am more metabolically efficient than I have ever been and while my physical training did take a small dip due to an IT band scare, I am more than physically ready to embark on this challenge.  My longest run has been 25 miles which is good "money in the bank" or as ultrarunners call it, "time on feet".  I have been doing a good deal of crosstraining, strength training, swimming and mental preparation for the task at hand.  In fact, while my long run miles have been compromised, I made sure to run more frequently (4-5 times per week) for shorter runs.  Time on feet...time on feet.  An ultrarunners friend.

I can honestly say that the three aspects of completing this journey (nutrition, physical and mental) are all in check.  The challenge really comes when we hit the ground in Brazil and after the race meeting as I then begin to map out the paces we need Linda to maintain to make it to the checkpoints in time en route to her sub 48-hour finish.  Of course then there are the small details such as not getting lost, making sure both of us stay hydrated and fed and dealing with sleep deprivation for 2 days!

Ah, the fun of ultrarunning is back!  Bring it on Brazil.

Until my return...

Coach Bob
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Welcome to 2013!

Ah, the holidays are over which only means one thing: remorse.  I know, not the most positive descriptor but let's face it, way too many people overindulge in delicious food over the holidays, feel bad about it after the fact then set New Year's resolutions to rectify the issue and feel better about themselves.  I myself experienced the first part of it for sure as I did engage in the luscious holiday offerings but I have been to this rodeo before.  I know that when this happens to me, I enjoy it and not let it affect my psyche.  Enjoy and move on.  The important thing is how you respond to this speed bump or "miss".  Life is way to short to get down on yourself.  It happened and it will continue to.  Hopefully, you are able to control it but more importantly, you are able to control the response it has on you.  Like I said previously, enjoy and move on.

Okay, back to the topic at hand.  Welcome to 2013 everyone!  Personally, I have had a great introduction to the New Year as I have had a much needed rest, have spent time with my family and have continued to refine my preparation for the Brazil 135.  Two weeks from today, my athlete Linda Quirk from Runwell will be embarking on her journey to complete the Brazil 135 in under 48 hours and my role is to make sure that she does it.  It will be the first time that I have been a pacer and on a crew and I am very much looking forward to the adventure!

I have been refining my daily nutrition on my lower carbohydrate, higher fat plan and have reduced my long runs to add more frequent runs (due to issues with my IT band).  I am training much more intelligently for my pacer duties and have been able to continue my 2-3 times per week swimming (including 100x100's on New Year's Eve) and have ridden my secret weapon (Powercranks) about 4-5 times per week.  My run volume can support running a 20 miler pretty easily right now but I am being conservative with 2 weeks to go to make sure I have no IT band flare-ups.

I haven't been able to do follow-up blood work or another metabolic efficiency testing as I have been fighting a cold but I am just about 100% again and hope to have both of these done before I leave for Brazil.

Stay tuned for my next blog which I will post before Brazil and remember, focus on the journey, enjoy food and family but without remorse or future doubt.  Head into 2013 by looking through the windshield and not the rear view mirror.

Coach Bob
Fuel4mance
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Speedbumps

Whenever there is behavior change, there are setbacks.  I refer to these setbacks as "speed bumps" because it really isn't a major setback but rather something that makes you slow down and proceed with caution.  I had one of the speed bumps last week in my preparation to pace one of my athletes for the Brazil 135 in January.

The week prior, I had covered 22 miles for my long run so I had plans to progress to 24-25 miles the following week (actually 9 days later).  The run started out great as I shared a few miles with my wife then parted ways for a few miles and then had the opportunity to run with one of my athletes, Brandon, for about 6 miles.  All was good, energy was high and I left Brandon around mile 15 to continue on my long run journey.

At mile 19, I began feeling a bit of discomfort along my left IT band and knew immediately what was  in store.  I had IT band issues during the early days of Ironman racing and had "fond" memories of the imbalance.  I was about 6 miles from home and continued on, slowing my pace, in hopes that it would not make it worse.

It wasn't until about mile 22 when I really started to feel it and had to alternate slow running with walk breaks.  I even picked up a smooth rock along the way and would massage the muscle belly in my gluteal region during my walk breaks as that alleviated some of the pain.

Upon arriving home, I immediately rolled on my TP Therapy Grid and begin some self massage to help the recovery.  As with almost any IT band issue, it is usually not the IT band itself but the muscles above it that cause it to track differently across the knee, causing pain.  I could pinpoint that it was my piriformis and spent a bit of time nurturing the muscle.  The next 2 days were a bit painful but after that, and very aggressive rehab with the Grid and massage, I was able to walk without pain.  

It is obvious to me that my body is not happy with the somewhat abrupt increase in running miles in preparation for the Brazil 135.  My new plan to be able to pace my athlete for Brazil next month is to run more frequently but cover moderate distances (12-18 miles) rather than one monster long run per week.  Frequency often times supports better mechanics and overall fitness.  Acknowledging this speed bump and making slight alterations will allow me to get in more quality miles without as big of a stress on my musculoskeletal system.

The very good news about that 25 mile run was my nutrition.  My energy level remained very constant during and I only consumed 100 calories worth of chocolate Generation UCAN, 20 ounces of water and 3 SaltStick capsules during my 3 hour and 30 minute effort.  Prior to the run, I had my normal breakfast/smoothie concoction that I have written about previously.

I have also been experimenting with my daily carbohydrate intake and periodizing it to my training sessions (some days less, some days more carbohydrate).  More on that in my next blog post.

Lesson of the day: you will encounter speed bumps in life and sport.  What matters is how you let them affect you and what you will do once you encounter them.  While I was a bit upset at this IT band issue at first, I was able to turn that negative energy into developing a new plan that will still help me achieve my goal but by following a different path.

In life, there are many paths we can take.  Some right, some wrong.  Sometimes you don't know if they will lead you in the right direction until you embark on the journey.  Be sure that you constantly reevaluate your path and have a plan in case one path doesn't work out the way you had planned.

Until next time...Happy Holidays!

Coach Bob

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Training Adaptations

I have been emphasizing my nutritional changes throughout my nutrition experiment (with good reason) but I have had many comments and questions pertaining to my training and the adaptations taking place.  Since I am fresh off my long run, I thought I would review what has been happening in the last four weeks in terms of my training.

First off, I have been sick for the last 10 days (which led to laryngitis for 4 days).  I am just getting over this now and combined with my crazy travel schedule as of late, I admit that finding the time to run, swim and strength training (I'm not cycling too much) has been challenging.  The illness put a damper on my long runs but my basic goal the past five weeks was to try to hit the pool 2-3 times per week and run 3-4 times per week, even if the runs were short on a hotel treadmill.  Doing an ultra is all about time on feet and I'm not new to this type of training regimen.  Any opportunity I have to walk around or be on my feet has been beneficial.  Thus, all of my presentations and walking endless miles through airports and parking lots have actually been a blessing in disguise!

Let me get to my long runs and provide you the progression that has happened in the last five weeks:

• Week of October 15: long run of 18 miles, felt great, average pace of 8:27 min/mile, 751 vertical feet gained; weekly TSS of 268 (a measure of training stress score that I monitor in Training Peaks)

• Week of October 22: long run of 14 miles, felt great, average pace of 8:15 min/mile, 794 vertical feet gained; weekly TSS of 287

• Week of October 29: Metabolic efficiency testing week; long run consisted of 7 miles during my test; weekly TSS of 108

• Week of November 5: long run split due to time, treadmill runs of 2x8 miles separated by 4 hours, average pace of each 7:38 min/mile; weekly TSS of 87

• Week of November 12: long run of 13 miles, felt great, average pace of 8:15 min/mile, 741 vertical feet gained; weekly TSS of 136

• Week of November 19: long run of 22 miles, felt great, no calories on this run and only 20 ounces of water that took just over 3 hours, average pace of 8:15 min/mile, 1470 vertical feet gained; weekly TSS of 306

It appears that my physical training adaptations are progressing, even in spite of not putting in many miles (or as many as I should with the ultra 7 weeks away!).  This further supports the fact that exercise, while a very important part of the metabolic efficiency improvement equation, only accounts for up to 25%.  The most robust changes come from altering the nutrition.

This high fat, moderate protein, low carbohydrate nutrition plan has been nothing short of spectacular for my body and I hope you can see by the distances, vertical feet gained and paces, that my body is adapting from the physical side as well.

Just a small tidbit (because I know I will get asked) about today's 22 mile run:

• 7:30: breakfast of 3 eggs fried in coconut oil, 4 sausage links, 16 ounces of smoothie (pineapple, banana, coconut, coconut milk, half and half, olive oil, chia seed gel, whey protein powder, ice); roughly 35 grams of carbohydrate

• 9:45: pre-run snack of 1 tbsp natural peanut butter with 1 tbsp homemade chocolate coconut butter; roughly 8 grams of carbohydrate

• Long run: 20 ounces of water, no calories, energy level was fine

• Post-long run: not too hungry but dehydrated, had 3 ounces of pineapple juice with water, 10 almonds and iced tea (caffeine free); roughly 8 grams of carbohydrate

I am off to enjoy my recovery by putting on my 110 Play Harder compression tights.  Tomorrow morning is masters swim practice with Coach Susan from Elite Multisport Coaching, which always promises to be challenging!

Until next time...

Coach Bob

coachbob@fuel4mance.com

Fuel4mance

Chocoholic no more!

It's no secret that I love my chocolate (at least I didn't think it was!).  Always have and up until the last few weeks, I thought I always would.  My nutrition experiment has had many profound changes as you have read about in my previous blog posts but none more shocking than my recent response to chocolate that I had.

After initially beginning my high fat, moderate protein and low carbohydrate experiment on October 1, 2012, I immediately noticed that my cravings for anything with sugar in it subsided.  I have to admit that it was a bit odd but I listened to my body and did not feed it anything that it did not want.  About a week ago, I decided (even though I wasn't "attracted" to it) to try chocolate again to test the waters out a bit.

I chose my favorite of course, dark chocolate, and begin with one small morsel that I allowed to melt in my mouth.  I like to enjoy these pleasures slowly because, as I always tell others, your taste buds are on your tongue, not in your stomach.  There is no rush to get the food down the hatch, especially when it comes to something as delicious as chocolate!  So, my chocolate experiment went something like this:

• Old self: "oh boy, I can't wait, this is going to be SO good!"
• Eat chocolate, let it dissolve in my mouth...
• New self (adapted to low carb, high fat diet): "Hmmm...that doesn't taste like I remember it.  Should I try another?"

Okay, so when I ask myself if I should try more chocolate, there is something going on.  In the past, I would shovel in my mouth without question but now, now I am questioning it?  What's going on?

Well, of course, I know exactly what is going on.  This nutrition experiment is such a robust way of controlling blood sugar (and improving metabolic efficiency by the way), that my sugar cravings have disappeared.  I'm not sure how I feel about this based on my past relationship with chocolate just yet but I will tell you that living life without cravings now is liberating.  I no longer begin my days wondering when the cravings will rear their ugly heads.  I now have control over my body more because of optimizing my blood sugar and I am able to listen to my hunger and satiety cues much better now that my sugar cravings have been put to rest.

This is more support of the intense relationship between nutrients and hormones as it relates to eating.  No matter how you do it, be sure to put controlling your blood sugar as top priority in your life as you enter this holiday season.

Oh, and if you are wondering, for the first time in a VERY long time, my Thanksgiving dinner consisted of turkey (white and dark meat) with mayonnaise on top, a small serving (like 6-7 pieces) of green bean casserole, 5 of my cauliflower/bacon/cheese "biscuits" and my choice of beverage was half and half/coconut milk mixed with one scoop of Life Time Fitness chocolate whey protein powder (yes, I brought it to Thanksgiving dinner because I knew I needed some fat!).  My normal gorge of dessert was replaced with having one bite (yes, I was able to stop quite easily) of my wife's homemade pumpkin/cream cheese roll.

There you have it...next up is another Metabolic Efficiency test in a couple of weeks followed by a very comprehensive blood work panel that will explore many other health markers, thanks to my friends at Life Time Fitness.  Results coming...

Coach Bob

coachbob@fuel4mance.com

Fuel4mance

The results are in...

Survey says...well, I'm not quite sure there are words to describe the results that I have discovered in the past 4 weeks of my nutrition experiment.  Before I divulge the quantitative data which, to be honest, was the icing on the cake for me, let me recap what I have been up to these last 4 weeks.

I have completely overhauled my daily nutrition from being vegetarian to consuming animal products.  This has proven quite enjoyable in taste, blood sugar control, energy levels and recovery from training. Many have asked what my daily nutrition looks like now versus then so here's a snapshot to help understand:

Before

• Vegetarian based diet consisted of fruit based protein smoothies, copious amounts of trail mix with dried fruit, beans, nut butters, tofu and other soy products (ie-fake meat) and at least 4-5 servings of fruit per day.  Dark chocolate was a huge craving that I tried to fight off daily.

Now

• Animal based diet consists of vegetable based, high fat smoothies, very little nuts (but when eaten, I choose almonds and peanuts for their lower carbohydrate content), cheese (like it is going out of style), deli meat, ground turkey/beef, turkey bacon (transitioning to the real stuff this week), coconut butter (favorite snack), coconut milk, half and half, peanut butter in small quantities, 5-6 servings of vegetables per day, only 1 serving of fruit per day (if that), steak (love it!), chicken and of course, I can't leave out mayonnaise, of which I can eat by the spoonful!

I have been running and swimming about 3 times per week each and strength training 2-3 times per week.  All of my long runs average between 8:00-8:30 minute/mile pace and I am up to 18 miles as my longest.

As I have reported in the past, my body weight decreased by six pounds (and is still stable at the new weight), and while I did not measure my body fat, I am noticeably leaner (specifically in my mid-section).  This has also equated into better training for ultra-running and my swimming speed is the same, even though I am not doing much speed work in the pool.

All of this qualitative feedback is great and I am at the point of wanting to continue just based on what I have felt.  However, my quantitative mind has had unanswered questions and unproven theories thus I wanted to be sure that my metabolic efficiency and lab blood results supported this new nutrition program.  

One thing to understand before I share the results is that I, like many individuals, have had some genetic cards that have been dealt to me that are not too favorable.  I have family history of cardiovascular disease and have not traditionally had good blood lipids (specifically, triglycerides and HDL).  As you can imagine, any elevations of these markers (since they are risk factors of Metabolic Syndrome) would make me immediately think twice about continuing my experiment.

Luckily, I do not have to make that decision.  I performed a metabolic efficiency test and had blood work (cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides) before I began and have just repeated the tests last week at the first month interval.  Wait for it...wait for it...BAM!

Pre-metabolic efficiency test: 9/28/2012

One-month into nutrition experiment: November 3, 2012:

As you can see, my body's ability to use fat as energy is tremendous.  More importantly to note is that I could not achieve a Metabolic Efficiency Point (MEP) due to physical fatigue, not metabolic fatigue.  I had to extend one stage further than my test on 9/28/2012 but still could not achieve a MEP (I haven't been doing any run speed work so it is of no surprise that my legs wouldn't go faster!).  Regardless, I saw the trend developing and could hypothesize that my MEP would likely happen at around 9.5-9.8 miles per hour, which by the way is closer to my lactate threshold but more about that in a future blog post.

As an interesting aside, most scientific research reports that the MEP (where fat and carbohydrate crossover due to the body needing more carbohydrate) happens between 63-65% of VO2max.  While I did not have a MEP, the last stage (where I was still using 61% of my energy from fat) was 89% of my VO2max.  Interesting, isn't it?  As I continue to educate others about, when researchers were looking into this concept decades ago, they only looked at the physical exercise manipulation of enhanced fat oxidation.  They did not look at the manipulation of daily nutrition and the impact that it has on the body's ability to use internal fat stores.  

Even more importantly were my blood results.  As I mentioned, I have family history of chronic diseases and my blood lipid profile is of extreme concern to me. 

Be sure you are sitting down before you read this next part.  On my low carbohydrate diet (about 10% or less of total calories), a moderate protein diet (20-25%) and a high fat diet (>60-70%), I feared the obvious (as many of us have been led to believe in the past from a variety of "credible" sources).  Much to my surprise, it was the exact opposite!!!  

Here are my blood lipid results from 9/28 to 11/3:

• Total cholesterol decreased by 4%
• LDL cholesterol decreased by 6%
• HDL cholesterol INcreased by 13%
• VLDL cholesterol decreased by 55%
• Triglycerides decreased by 41%

Keep in mind that the fat that I am eating is not all unsaturated.  In fact, saturated fats are a large part of my diet now.  My next blood test will be a bit more in depth to determine particle sizes to get a better picture of lipid composition but for now, I am extremely pleased with the positive results of my blood lipid panel.

Well, well, well.  I now have quantitative data to support my qualitative assessments and to be honest, it was a bit shocking at first.  To be able to combine both is powerful and I am eager to move forward with my experiment with even more excitement!

Stay tuned...my next blog will detail my feelings of eating chocolate again (haven't had the urge to in the last 4 weeks so I want to test the emotional connection to one of my favorite foods).  Should be interesting!

Until next time...

Coach Bob

coachbob@fuel4mance.com

Fuel4mance