Giving it a try

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Hi all,
Now 65 I returned to running at 61, instigated by a bucket list marathon, after a gap of more than 40 years. I am now living in Malaysia where training runs need to be early or late due to the extreme daytime temperatures. I have decided to try and keep a track of my food intake in an attempt to further improve my fitness.
I am more interested in maintaining weight and exercising to improve my glutes more than anything, as my wife is complaining that I am losing my best feature!

My immediate aims are to brake the 4 hour barrier in the Penang International Bridge Marathon in November then to run consecutive sub 1:55 [107% of PB] half marathons on the 31st. December 2014 and 1st January 2015 at the Allen Double in Texas.

I have been using the food diary for a week now and I am shocked that I am consuming to much sugar, I add no sugar to anything, to the extent that there is no sugar in the house. I am careful as to the amount of processed food consumed, although I do eat around half my meals in local restaurants but tend to choose carefully. There is no differential in daily targets between natural fruit sugars and refined sugars? Everything I read regarding runners nutrition indicates eating fruit is only good?

I also can't follow the logic of only calorific allowance for exercise, do other people not sweat and need to replace their salts? I do tend to ignore my over consumption of salts for this reason on training days but it would be good to know what I should be replacing rather than just ignoring it.

Replies

  • barbaradetz
    barbaradetz Posts: 23 Member
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    keeping hydrated is the most important aspect. As you exercise, it is very important to drink water so that your body doesn't break down from dehydration.
  • Twitchyjim
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    Thanks Barbaradetz,

    Hydration is always uppermost living here in Malaysia with it's high temperatures and very high humidity. Every day water consumption is around 4 > 5 litres. Each run adds around 0.5 litres per hour of water/sports drink and runs over 15 km. I take 600 ml of Replace isotonic drink.

    cheers
    Twitchy