I am blaming the treadmill. It is all it's fault!
Few days in a row on the machine will get me to have weird aches and pain.
This week I ran mostly at the gym..every day except the one day when I went on my trail and came face to face with a freak (see previous post for that). Yesterday I got out of bed and I could tell something was not right. I went to the gym anyway because I am an idiot. I have a half marathon to run in 9 days! I have to train! So It turns out I should have rested. I iced all day and rolled on the iced bottle and tennis ball and did this:
Today I am resting. Boooooooo
I need to do my last Long Run this weekend. I had planned for 10 or 11. We will see how it goes. I don't want to make things worst of course. So maybe it will be just 8.
Any tips or advices about how to deal with this are WELCOMED and APPRECIATED.
I am once again looking for fueling solution for my long runs and half marathons races.
For the newer readers, welcome, I have GI issues. Lots of them. I also get dehydrated easily and I loose a lot of salt. All this sent me to the medic tent 4 out of 5 Half Marathons.
Every thing I have tried so far did not work.
This is what I tried
The sports beans are the ones who gave me the least issues but I can only take 1 at the time and that is not enough. After 5-6 in my system, I get reflux and that is no fun at mile 9. I also tried other gels like Cliff and the honey stinger chews.
For the salt problem I have been taking these
They did help but again not enough. I get a nice crust on my face and white lines on my hat for 6 miles and up. Heat or no heat. Obviously it is worst in the heat and I live in Southern California so the heat is here a lot.
I found these and I bought a bottle
This is the difference between the 2: for Sodium it is 40 mg vs 215 mg.
On my last LR I tried this
They are delicious.
I did not get any reflux.
It is a bit of a pain to carry and also to eat on the run, I did not eat the whole waffle all at once. I only ate one for a 10 miler.
I know that to get those down I need to stay hydrated.
Speaking of liquid, on the last LR I had one bottle with NUUN and the other with just water instead of 2 NUUN bottles. NUUN used to be OK on the runs but during the Holiday Half Marathon it gave me heartburn and reflux and I could not drink it pass mile 9 and ended up dehdrated of course.
This is all very frustrating for me. I hope that this new combo: salt sticks-waffle-water-NUUN will work better for me. I am testing it again this weekend and on January 15 for my next half marathon. Last week I took a salt stick tablets every 30 min.
Do you use these waffles? How many do you eat?
For new readers: anyone with GI issues uses something I have not tried ? Anyone with salt lost issue that have success with the salt sticks?
24 comments:
I sweat..like crazy to the point where hot weather training was a bit scary for me. I have replaced my usual water that I carry with water + the Vega line including its electrolyte replacer. No GI issues and makes me feel way better.
Rest up!!
I'm lucky that I don't have much in the way of GI issues - but sometimes GU will set wrong so I've been trying the Honey Stinger gels -- I like gels because I can't chew anything after about mile 5 and the Honey Stinger ones are honey and go down way smoother than Gu. If the waffles sit well with you, it might be worth a try. Also, a friend who can't do Gu can do those gels.
Good luck with the water/nuun combo. I loose a lot of salt too but doesn't seem to impact me much at the half distance but I'm definitely taking in all info because for the full I have a feeling it will be a whole 'nother ball game. :)
A friend of mine with a mean stomach swears by Smart Water to get her electrolytes. You can buy at grocery store or Target.
Have you tried the Accel gels? They have a thinner consistency, so they're easier to squirt in your mouth. More importantly, for me, is that they have some protein in them.
I recently tried the Honey Stinger waffles and so far, so good. I might try folding them in half so I can more easily bring on long runs.
Good luck!
Um...I dealt with Plantar Faciitis for 18 months, if you recall. Oh the things I learned along the way (and taking time off isn't necessarily a fix, it can actually make it worse as the plantar tightens up). Email me if you want me to share the things I learned (or I have a blog post up about it a few months ago I could dig up for you).
Yeah, that GI stuff is another story - everyone reacts so differently to and experimentation is a must for each. I have issues with a lot of the sugars in those gels and bars (all that you have listed above), including the Honey stinger Waffles. For a long run, the thing that works best for me is Hammer's Perpetuem. Another thing to think about is what you put in your body BEFORE the run, not so much during. No caffeine, no sugar, no fats, even wheat can mess up your stomach. Hope you find a solution!
Have you tried other gels than Gu and EFS? I can't tolerate Gu either. A couple others mentioned Accel gels and Honey stinger gels. I have tolerated these fine. The one I tolerate the most is Hammer gels. I can't tolerate any of the sports beans or bloks. I use Nuun so really not of help there but I have heard of people using Perpetuem.
So sorry to hear about the PF - sucks.
As for your nutrition, I thought of this post: http://nofsahmof3.blogspot.com/2011/10/guas-in-g-u.html while reading about your issues. Maybe worth looking into?
Have you tried putting gels in your water bottle? Maybe the Honey Stinger ones, if they don't upset your system, though I'm thinking watering other brands down may help with absorption and reduce the GI issues. Maybe. Good luck and I hope you figure something out!
Thanks for sharing the PF video. I blame the treadmill (and speedwork) for the top of my foot hurting. I wonder if I could do the opposite of your video to help the top, haha.
I don't have GI issues, so I'm no help. But, I do carry water in bottle and Gu Brew in the other. The Gu or Nuun always make me burpy, so having straight water as a choice is helpful. Good luck with the waffles. Rest is good for your PF...
The answer for GI issues is, unfortunately, experimentation since everyone is different. I try to see if I can tolerate what is on the course (better than carrying it if I don't have to) and more recently am getting more into real food (salted potato, etc). Google some of the Dr. Allen Lim stuff - I found it interesting.
During summer long runs in New Orleans I sweat A LOT. I bring two things: Vitamin water Revive (with potassium) and oatmeal (cooked, in a baggie) with salt. The drink and oats have neough calories and my sodium and potassium levels stay up. My tummy can handle this ok.
Have you tried FRS energy chews? I get them from GNC and they are the only thing I can eat that my stomach can tolerate. Also for your PF try KT tape. It has saved me on many runs! Good luck!
One thing that I read about helping PF was sleeping in an ankle brace/boot. I used one of my husband's old lace up ankle braces. It keeps your foot flexed. I didn't use that for PF, but it was a huge help when I was dealing with Achilles tendonitis during marathon training. And it's an easy, cheap thing to try.
apparently people who sweat a lot are often low in magnesium, which can create a lot of issues. Maybe its salt and magnesium combined creating issues for you? Good luck figuring it out!
I have friends who swear by the salt stick caps and one in particular that loves Perpetuum. With Nuun is it maybe the fizzies that are causing problems? I make mine as much as a day ahead of a run in order to ensure it's more "flat".
Can't help much here...maybe:
Have you tried old fashioned power bars? Cube them into little bites for easier carrying...
Actually, will that waffle cut up?
Did you ever try mixing a gel in plain water?
I'm not a big fan of gels, but I've been wanting to try the waffles...hope you find the perfect combo:)
Hi Caroline! Just found you through Terzah! Great blog and I feel your pain!! I've dealt with major reflux which, for a time, made me believe that I should stick to 10Ks and shorter. Funny, I was only able to use Sports Beans for the last half of 2011. I've worked up to Shot Bloks and (woo-hoo) they are working great (and easier to get down). And, yes, those Honey Stingers are wonderful but a real pain to take along.
My family doc is a super runner and he was really helpful figuring out how to fix my reflux between pre-race diet, portions, and meds. Made all the difference! He also believes that the Hammer products are easier on the gut but I haven't tried them yet. I would food journal the few days before your race - beware fatty and acidic foods. Also, have your big day-before-your-race meal for breakfast or lunch. Don't eat a huge dinner. Your glycemic stores will do just fine and your gut will be calmer.
The waffles are great. Cut up into little pieces and then put in ziploc. The vega line is great because it is all natural. I know and ironman woman who can't take any magnesium while working out. There's only one drink she found I called carbo pro http://www.trisports.com/capucoca.html. Good luck. It is such a trial and error and you must be so frustrated by it. And here's to hoping foot feels better. I had a really bad calf strain before my last half marathon. And a wise friend told me about someone she read about who had out in all the training but 2 weeks prior to big race injured. And the advice to him was to rest until race day. He did and PR'd. Okay. Maybe it's an urban legend but I rested my calf before my half and PR'd. It's so hard tho! Good luck!
1. Plantar fasciitis. I felt a similar pain and I was scared. But the physio said that it is only a problem of shoes, I needed a little insert under my internal arch. It worked.
2. I drink only water during the workouts and Gatorade or similar after it.
Good luck and take care. Better a race less than a long stop.
I heard good things about the salt sticks, but never tried them. I have a sensitive stomach and always go with Gatorade and water, it depends on the day what my stomach likes. Do you have a hydration belt? I bought one with 4 bottles and it is perfect to carry different drinks! :)
I just bought some of those same salt supplements. I only have the salt problem on 10+ miles, so I'll try them next weekend.
I have no GI advice, so sorry. It seems like you have some good ideas going.
For the PF, have you used a tennis ball to roll the bottom of your foot. It hurts/feels good like a foam roller and really loosens everything up. I don't have official PF, but the bottoms of my feet hurt occasionally and the tennis ball works great. I leave it next to my bed and just roll my feet a bit when I'm getting in to bed. Easy reminder.
Good luck next weekend!
I hope your foot feels better ASAP!
I just watched that whole stretch video and it looks like an incredibly painful, but effective stretch. I may give it a try, just to stretch out my foot a little, they felt tight after my long run this morning.
I also suffer from salt loss and cramping late on long distance runs. I moved from Endurolytes to Salt Sticks and did much better. When racing, I took one every half hour along with about 100 calories. There are some excellent articles on electrolyte and caloric replacement over on Hammer Nutrition's website.
Whatever you decide, my words of advice is to get it all dialed in during training. Take your final two long runs and fuel, hydrate, and replenish just like you would in a race. That's the time to find out that something is going to give you problems!
My PT told me that most often PF results from weak glutes/hip muscles. And often there is a trigger point in the lower leg that will help release that tight feeling in the foot. I hope it is resolved soon. Being injured really bites :(
The GI thing... where gu used to work for me, now it doesn't. Dates are good. I think I'm going to try the Hammer stuff. Good luck to you, girl. This issue must have some sort of solution!
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