etruscansunited wrote: »

velocitykate wrote: »

I am a runner. Not a fast runner and I definitely have problems with motivation when It's wet or cold. But I run.

3 weeks ago I started a low carb diet and have so far lost 3.5 kg (around about 8lb). I am very pleased by this and will definitely continue as I still have more weight to lose and this is the only diet I've tried when I'm not continually hungey.

But running is a struggle - I suppose I must be hitting a bit of a mini wall each time I run because my body wants to burn carbs and there aren't any. I feel like I am running through treacle, and I am even slower than I was before.

Is this something which is likely to improve as my body gets used to this new woe? Or will I always feel like I'm running through treacle?

I have a 10k coming up at the end of March. Should I just go back to eating carbs for a few days before it, or should my body get used to this - many thanks for any advice

It will improve and evwntually one day it will nir be there but it could take a lot longer than you might have expected.

Been there. Done that. Still learning. I base my experience on running, published research not gurus web celebrities fads or eminent experts plus extensive experience with science based sports coaching pedagogy.

Allowing for huge individual variability and without knowing your personal variables, my perception from actual experience and from observations is that training adaptation to endurance based running while keto adapted takes a lot longer than it takes simply to adapt to keto nutrition for daily living.
Having considered hundreds if not thousands of published papers relevant to this, this topic is very sparsely dealt with. Yes a few can be named but there's actually a huge gap overall. This is promising since thus means there is a lot more to be explored in a scientific manner.

I disgress above to highlight the point that there is little reliable and established published science to guide you. So most of what you see on blogs and in posts (including this post) and hear is hypothesis. If someone is also selling you a product or a service, caveat emptor.

Briefly, for you to consider from my n=1:
Pre keto+ insulin dependency -> could hardly walk up a steep hill.

Keto + insulin dependency -> could potter up and down hills for 2 or more hours, without any running training. Difference could only be attributable to keto adaptation. Learnt to experiment with exogenous salt prior to starting.

Keto + insulin dependency + training from the beginning -> now actually running non stop at pace up and down hills. Essential point is that I restarted training as though i had never before. Or, put another way, I hypothesised that the entire physiological system for running at pace needed to be re-engineered from "ground up".
It is working for me.

You might not have my insulin dependency challenge, but perhaps it only shows more acutely (a) keto works for endurance based running and (b) it requires comprehensive retraining of the entire system needed for running.

That is, just keto adaptation alone is insufficient and also don't assume you can just continue running as for pre-keto without training on keto adaptation.

How long will that take? That's a huge question.

No published papers address that. Looking to raw science in cell metabolism and lots of other physiological systems, I guestimate it will take at least 6 months for substantial and sustained adaptation to keto adapted high paced running and up to 18 months to be optimally adapted.

6 weeks is too soon to expect not to have the heavy treacle experience while running at higher pace.

A silver lining is that tou can use this time to build up functional strength for your running.
This will improve your performance, reduce injuries and improve your lifetime health.

Since you indicate you are more of a light recreational runner (and that's great), consider adding a short session somewher sometine doing something strenthy that you like.
Even walking up a steep hill would be OK.