Running out of energy after 10 miles

CarsonRuns

It takes me about 1 hour and 45 minutes to run 10 miles. Its my slow run. I am trying to increase the distance and I'm not really worried about time. I drink a pre-workout drink of my husbands that is supposed to give you energy but I am still struggling after about the 10 mile mark. I was just hoping there was something I could drink or take that could give me some energy to finish the last 3 miles.

My guess is that you are hitting your "ceiling". The best way to get past it is to push through it. If you get tired at 10 miles or at 1:45, go longer. Go to 12 miles, or to 2 hours. In time you'll get stronger and your body will adapt and it'll get easier.

To your question... A little caffeine might help, but that's not really addressing the problem.

There is also the question of the other runs that are being done during the week. If you are doing two runs of 3 miles and trying to go 10 for your long run, then you won't have the fitness to support it. Aerobic fitness is built from the culmination of all the runs, not just the long run. So, maybe increase the distance of your mid week run to somewhere in the 6 mile range. This will go a long way with address what, by all appearances, is just a lack of fitness to support the amount of running you are attempting.

tadpole242

No benefit at all, period? Again, your time was under 2 hours, so I don't doubt that you could do it without additional cals. But try going for 3 or 4 or 6 hours. Would you need cals then?

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2010/01/exercise-and-weight-loss-part-3-fat.html

At race pace, the average runner has enough energy stored for at least two plus hours of running. At less than race pace the body is more than able to burn fat to supply all the energy that the body needs. So running flat out race pace for two hours and yes I’d say have a carb boost, but on a LSD training run, (Long Slow Distance) you’ll burn body fat, and unless you’re @10%BF most of us have enough to keep us going

jacksonpt

No benefit at all, period? Again, your time was under 2 hours, so I don't doubt that you could do it without additional cals. But try going for 3 or 4 or 6 hours. Would you need cals then?

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2010/01/exercise-and-weight-loss-part-3-fat.html

At race pace, the average runner has enough energy stored for at least two plus hours of running. At less than race pace the body is more than able to burn fat to supply all the energy that the body needs. So running flat out race pace for two hours and yes I’d say have a carb boost, but on a LSD training run, (Long Slow Distance) you’ll burn body fat, and unless you’re @10%BF most of us have enough to keep us going

Excellent, thanks!

CarsonRuns

No benefit at all, period? Again, your time was under 2 hours, so I don't doubt that you could do it without additional cals. But try going for 3 or 4 or 6 hours. Would you need cals then?

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2010/01/exercise-and-weight-loss-part-3-fat.html

At race pace, the average runner has enough energy stored for at least two plus hours of running. At less than race pace the body is more than able to burn fat to supply all the energy that the body needs. So running flat out race pace for two hours and yes I’d say have a carb boost, but on a LSD training run, (Long Slow Distance) you’ll burn body fat, and unless you’re @10%BF most of us have enough to keep us going

Which race pace? Mile pace? Marathon pace? At LT, which is somewhere between 10K pace and HM pace depending upon your fitness, the glycogen is only going to last from 60 to 90 minutes. At MP or below, you can get hours with the combination of glycogen and fat.

myfitnessnmhoy

I am training for a half marathon and as soon as I get to about 10 miles I am beat...I have been slowly increasing to add mileage every week but need an extra boost. Any suggestions for a mid run energy boost to get me through?

Setting aside the technical arguments of whether there is a benefit in general to a snack or calorie intake during running for most athletes and exactly when that point is reached, the fact is that eventually everyone runs out of energy and needs a replenishment - and it certainly sounds possible that you may well have depleted your reserves at about ten miles at your current level.

The thing is, you can try things without committing to them for life. You've slowly built up to ten miles, so there's nothing magical about this point where you suddenly lack the physical endurance to do 10.1 miles. Yes, it will get easier, but if you are actually feeling fatigue you may well have used up your reserves.

If you want to find out whether it's simple caloric depletion, get something that has about 100 calories, even if it's a gel pack (I'd recommend the caffeine-free varieties) or keep it simple and eat a jelly baby / gummy bear from time to time for a "continuous energy drip". Try it for a training run or two. If it helps, you may well have found your problem and you know the solution.

If it doesn't, run harder and break through the ceiling!

BrianSharpe

No benefit at all, period? Again, your time was under 2 hours, so I don't doubt that you could do it without additional cals. But try going for 3 or 4 or 6 hours. Would you need cals then?

Exactly!

Depletion rates & fat utilization also vary with the fitness level of the runner. A newer runner is more likely to need a little pick me up than a more experienced one.

I'm not sure I'm following you. Are you agreeing that gels and the like are of no benefit to most athletes, regardless of the time/distance they are going?

Or are you saying that it is based on how long they are running? i.e. the average runner doesn't need anything at 90 minutes, but may very well benefit from something at 3 hours.

The latter (ie shouldn't need anything under 90 minutes or so but longer yes)

Voncreepy2

My husband just started taking L-arginine and says it is helping with endurance. http://www.livestrong.com/article/520764-l-arginine-women/

I don't know about how women should take it but you could maybe research it. It is a natuarlly occuring amino acid in our body.

tadpole242

No benefit at all, period? Again, your time was under 2 hours, so I don't doubt that you could do it without additional cals. But try going for 3 or 4 or 6 hours. Would you need cals then?

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2010/01/exercise-and-weight-loss-part-3-fat.html

At race pace, the average runner has enough energy stored for at least two plus hours of running. At less than race pace the body is more than able to burn fat to supply all the energy that the body needs. So running flat out race pace for two hours and yes I’d say have a carb boost, but on a LSD training run, (Long Slow Distance) you’ll burn body fat, and unless you’re @10%BF most of us have enough to keep us going

Which race pace? Mile pace? Marathon pace? At LT, which is somewhere between 10K pace and HM pace depending upon your fitness, the glycogen is only going to last from 60 to 90 minutes. At MP or below, you can get hours with the combination of glycogen and fat.

Sorry thought it was clear we are talking about HM pace

Turtle003

I am training for a half marathon and as soon as I get to about 10 miles I am beat...I have been slowly increasing to add mileage every week but need an extra boost. Any suggestions for a mid run energy boost to get me through?

Setting aside the technical arguments of whether there is a benefit in general to a snack or calorie intake during running for most athletes and exactly when that point is reached, the fact is that eventually everyone runs out of energy and needs a replenishment - and it certainly sounds possible that you may well have depleted your reserves at about ten miles at your current level.

The thing is, you can try things without committing to them for life. You've slowly built up to ten miles, so there's nothing magical about this point where you suddenly lack the physical endurance to do 10.1 miles. Yes, it will get easier, but if you are actually feeling fatigue you may well have used up your reserves.

If you want to find out whether it's simple caloric depletion, get something that has about 100 calories, even if it's a gel pack (I'd recommend the caffeine-free varieties) or keep it simple and eat a jelly baby / gummy bear from time to time for a "continuous energy drip". Try it for a training run or two. If it helps, you may well have found your problem and you know the solution.

If it doesn't, run harder and break through the ceiling!

Thanks for the encouragement! That is exactly why I use this site! The farthest I have gone is 11.7 miles and I struggled with it. My mid week runs are 4 - 6 mile runs every other day and then strength training every other day. I do cardio at least 6x a week. I am going to try the jelly baby on my next long run and see how I feel...if it doesn't help I'll just suck it up and keep going anyway!
Thanks again everyone!

jacksonpt

Are you eating enough for all that work?

SteveTries

The other factor aligned to all this (and closely related to the question of how much other mileage are you doing in the week) is how are you eating in the days leading up to your long run?

Whilst I'm reading comments in this thread that you shouldn't need nutrition during a HM run, I think that presupposes a body that is well fuelled when the run starts.

For example, I know from experience that if I've been following a low-moderate carb, calorie deficit diet Sunday to Friday then I go do my long run on Saturday morning I start to struggle around the 16km mark in a way I just don't experience if I move that run to Sunday and eat at or above maintenance all day Saturday.

Turtle003

Very Good points about eating enough...I am trying to lose the last 10-15 lbs of weight (lost 50 so far) and I am eating about 1300 cals a day. I may need to increase my calories but I have a hard time wrapping my head around eating more when I still have some to lose!

heybales

You are eating at 1300, AND eating back exercise calories, or just 1300?

If just 1300, you are not eating enough, you are glucose depleted, and you are just increasing your chances of losing weight because of using up some muscle.

So wonder you run out of energy.

Better wrap your mind around it real fast if you want to do this smart and right and not just shoot yourself in the metabolism.

You are probably losing slowly right now, not because of a personal choice because you heard slower is better, but because your body is under enough stress that it's going to slow everything down to save itself.

Diet is a stress, long hard cardio is a stress, pounding is a stress - too many stresses is not good at all.

Eat back all your exercise calories and see how much better your runs are. Oh, don't worry about it being in the same 24 hr day in case you do evening running, but at least before your next workout so carbs are topped off again.

You don't need any mid-race fueling, you just need normal life fueling.

heybales

Oh, as to the mid-run snacks, you must be at intense enough effort for it NOT to effect fat utilization.

If going to slow, your carb snack can just ruin using fat for the endurance part, and you'll run through those carbs and rest even faster. Requiring yet another carb snack. Terrible cycle to be in.

Near the bottom of this info.
http://www.alanaragon.com/myths-under-the-microscope-part-2-false-hopes-for-fasted-cardio.html