Cleanse before a big race?? (50 miler)

runfoorun

About 5 weeks ago I completed a huge milestone type race and have been celebrating a bit too much. Now I feel a sluggish, heavy and gross. I have 2 weeks before my 50 miler and I'm considering doing a week or so long cleanse before then. Anyone every done this? Bad idea? Will I feel weak on race day or better? I should have a few days to take in some clean carbs before the start. Thanks ahead of time for any input.

TavistockToad

:huh:

runfoorun

Thanks for the helpful input @TavistockToad. You rock.

TavistockToad

runfoorun wrote: »

Thanks for the helpful input @TavistockToad. You rock.

You're asking about a cleanse... What do you expect?!

runfoorun

Sooo....elaborate. Give me some knowledge. Cmon don't be trolly, be helpful. I know you have it in you.

CarsonRuns

No. Don't. You are heavy and sluggish because your body is recovering. It needs one thing. Time. I won't even go into the cleanse thing.

runfoorun

Thanks @carsonruns This cleanse stuff isn't something I'd normally consider. I guess I am a bit frustrated over the slow recovery I'm going through and I'm really wanting to enjoy this upcoming run. I will likely stay clear of it and go back to normal eating, minus the celebratory junk food.

lporter229

The slow recovery probably has less to do with your diet than you think. Recovery after a long race is tough. If you think you are feeling poorly because of your diet, try drinking more water. That might help you feel "flushed out" without depriving your body of the critical nutrition it needs for recovery.

beemerphile1

Very bad idea, there is no quick fix.

Stoshew71

I highly recommend that you rinse your fruits and vegatables under the faucet before you eat them. No wait, that is clean eating. Nevermind.

On a serious note, if you do a search on the forums for cleanses, you will see tons and tons of questions and threads, and all of them don't end very well. That is because cleanses don't have a very good popularity among the mfp faithful. It may seem that the experienced mfp'ers are bullying the newbie that poses the question, but if you read into it deeper, everyone is really trying to help them.

Long story short. Cleanses don't work. They are money making schemes, and your body has a natural way to "cleanse itself". That is the opinion of you are going to get from experienced mfp'ers that found success on here. Then offcourse you have people on here that are salesmen/women for a particular cleanse, and they will tell you why their's is different until like 20 other people come on and attempt to debunk them. Serious, you mention cleanse on here and it will attract a lot of attention, and most not very good. That is propably why not a lot of people are standing up and giving you a full detailed explanation. So many threads on here with the same topic that don't end very well. Instead of causing a debate on here, it's probably best to read some of the other threads already covering this.

But carson probably has the best advise. A big race will leave your body drained, and will need time to recover. My first half marathon in April 2014 left me sore for an entire week. I could barely walk let alone do a run. Lookup up reverse tapering.

runfoorun

Thanks for the input all!

snowflakesav

No. Your pre race recovery needs to involve building your glycogen stores and blood cells. don't try anything new.

pobalita

I'd recommend Matt Fitzgerald's "Racing Weight" to help with a sensible way to eat between now and the beginning of your next race.