Longer distance running after RNY...

Ultima_Morpha

...anyone doing it? I'm regularly running 10km. I logged 40km last week and going for 50km this week. I think my husband and I are headed for a half marathon at the end of the year but I'm concerned about running for 2+ hours without refueling in some way and it seems that most options are too sugary. I've been very careful about my sugar intake so I don't know my actual tolerance for it.

I'm just shy of 11 months out from surgery, have reached my goal weight (though I might revise that goal for the second time now that I'm here).

I've kept a good balance of carbohydrates in the form of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains because I just lose the will to run if I cut them too tight. Protein is around 60 grams a day...mostly from protein shakes and dairy.

I would appreciate any input y'all have.

anbrdr

Wish I had an answer for you. My knees have decided that long distance will never be my thing!

Ultima_Morpha

anbrdr wrote: »

Wish I had an answer for you. My knees have decided that long distance will never be my thing!

Thanks. I did some more Google searching and found some good information. It would still be good to hear from someone who had been through it themselves!

Do you know the nature of your knee problems? I thought I had joint problems, but added some hot, sweaty, power yoga into my routine and feeling a lot less pain since strengthening my hamstrings and hip flexors.

cabennett99

I'm interested in others experience as well - I'm 19 months post RNY, down 150 pounds. Spending 1 to 1 1/2 hours a day on stength training, kettle bells, and aerobic machines. Recently worked up to jogging intervals, and now my body is saying it's time to start running in earnest again. I also thought I'd never run again due to joint pain (knee & back); but I find those are considerably improved, and the more I push the better my knees feel - so I'm taking it slow and seeing what my body let's me do. I also started doing Yoga a year ago, which has become an essential part of my routine, and which clearly is helping me with everything else. My body is used to working out on an empty stomach when I get up at 4:30 am; followed by a breakfast of protein (eggs & cheese). So I think I'm fine with that food routine until I start doing longer runs (45-60 min+). At that point I'll probably eat a banana or other fruit, maybe a piece of toast, before my run. I don't eat much sugar (added), or processed carbs (bread, rice, pasta); and intend to try to maintain a diet of produce & protein as I move into maintenance and increase my running...but realize I'll probably have to develop some form of healthy relationship with carbs.

All that said, at the age of 56 I'm mindful of a college buddies mantra - "All runners eventually become swimmers".

cmchandler74

I was training for 10K but slacked off when I started experiencing hip issues. I've tried running here and there since then but the hip thing keeps coming back when I try. I'm afraid I may just be a walker from here on out. The running is awesome for weight loss, but I'm pretty much at my goal now anyway and I don't want to trade one set of health issues for another for something I've never really fallen in love with doing anyway. The biggest thing I miss is being able to finish my steps in half the time I'm able to when I'm walking.

ki4eld

What are your macros? I ask because I can't imagine long workouts on 60g of protein per day. That's low.

I regularly run 6mi daily, plus 3-4mi of walking, 60min of yoga, and upper body weights or HIIT 3x a week. I don't need any type of additional fuel until I hit 15k. Then, I need electrolytes and BCAAs. Eating food just makes me sick and after mile 10 or so, it's just going to make me crap myself. As a matter of fact, most of my workouts are in the mornings and are fasted, since I only eat from 4-8p each day.

If you're doing heavy workouts, I suggest you look at reconfiguring your macros to a more athletic approach. I'm 45yo, 145lbs, and my baseline protein is 105g. I get that every day, even if all I do is blink and fart. As I exercise, it goes up to the tune of 15% carbs, 20% protein, 65% fat. I never make the fat macro, but the add-back has to equal 100%, so everything else went to fat. On very heavy training days, my protein macro can be around 200g. However, my macros are specifically set for "athletic" and "baseline with exercise add-back" to allow me variable training days. That may be an approach that works for you.

I absolutely couldn't workout hard on 60g a day. I'd be catabolizing muscle left and right.

5BeautifulDays

Ok...I have been sleeved (8/26/14), so I don't know how different our nutrition plans are, but I'll share my experience. In February I ran a half and used a single 100-calorie packet of sports beans plus some power ade to fuel it. I should have skipped the power ade because it upset my stomach--classic mistake of drinking something that I hadn't already trained with. But I wouldn't worry too much about the little bit of sugar you need to fuel in the middle of the run--just practice with a variety of fuels so you know what works for you. The far more dangerous minefield is learning how to eat and how to fit in enough healthy carbs to fuel 30 miles a week. You're burning thousands of extra calories...and you need to eat some of them back or you're going to burn out. You also need your protein. I wound up having to pretty much eat 6-8 little meals a day at the height of my training. And let me tell you, the other side of the race is the hardest part. When you're used to eating a lot more and have to taper your appetite with your running taper...well, that sucks!

Good luck, and enjoy your training and your half. I'm back to base-building until a little later in the summer, but have another half planned in November and I'm so excited to get started again!

ETA: I also usually run mostly fasted, first thing in the morning. I usually have a coffee with a scoop of protein powder before I run (with enough time to hit the WC before heading out on the trail!) and then a small meal when I return.

Ultima_Morpha

@ki4eld and @5BeautifulDays...thanks for the information about your personal experiences! It is really helpful. I actually managed to run 71.5km last week! I finished the week at the same pace as I started the week and felt like Super Woman...but then I was VERY tired. I rested yesterday and I did an hour of kettlebells with Jillian this morning. Was thinking of trying some speed work on my 5k tomorrow.

I re-read my original post and realized that I should have written AT LEAST 60 grams of protein a day. I don't actually track my intake (I know, I know) but I would estimate that I get close to 100 grams a day on a running basis.

My surgeon is a vegan (and wrote a book called Proteinaholic) so, after the initial healing period, he would much rather that we go at least vegetarian. I won't be doing that (because bacon), but I do eat a much larger proportion of fruit and vegetables than I ever did and have many vegetarian days.

I do most of my running in the morning too (otherwise just too miserable in South TX) and try to be awake 1-2 hours before heading out. I usually have a cup of fully caffeinated coffee and another decaf (usually with some protein shake or powder added) and something light to eat...yogurt or cottage cheese. I usually drink my protein shake when I get back and eat again when I finish with it (usually about 4 hours after my breakfast).

I probably just need to suck it up and try some of the options out there and be prepared to deal with the potential consequences. I'll try those 100 calorie sports beans! I'm going to try and cut some G2 with 50% water and see what that does for me.

5BeautifulDays

@amandacanales The sport beans I use are made by jelly belly and I got a box on Amazon. They're pretty good but not so good you'd want to eat them if you didn't have, to, lol!

You should take a look at the monthly running challenges (community, message boards, challenges, "June monthly running challenge"). It's a great group of people supporting one another no matter what your mileage goal per month is. I've learned so much about how to be a better athlete there!