Advice please graduates!!!

[happyharris]

Hope you don't mind me picking your brains again!

I am 49 and graduated a couple of years ago and since have been running regularly up to about 14k, however.. Last year had a string of illnesses/ injuries and stopped running. I piled on about 2 stone ( previously had lost about six using healthy eating and running)

I am now back on it, have lost a stone and entered a half marathon (September) and am running 5k twice a week and 10-14k on a Sunday. I have a busy lifestyle and ride a horse and walk my dogs as well as work in the mornings at a stables.

I just have no energy and feel that my legs never seem to recover after each run, I have never stretched but religiously do my 5 min warm up/ cool down

I eat about 1200 - 1300 calories a day, low fat, highish carb diet.

What are your thoughts? I really want to go out feeling fit for my runs!!

Thanks guys xx

[AncientMum Graduate]

Perhaps you need to have a bit of a rest. You're running nearly 20k a week. Maybe you need to cut your milage for a few weeks and allow your legs to recover. Good luck

[happyharris Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

Rest! Yes please

[MarkyD Graduate]

I'd have said that your calorie intake is a bit low, given your active lifestyle and the 24km that you're running each week. Obviously, you want to lose the remaining stone and so a diet and exercise are needed. But if you're going to train for a half marathon you may want to start with some professional nutrition advice. Your weekly mileage is going to go up, and I have a 80-100 calories per km rule-of-thumb. Do be aware that I am no expert, and I'm sure that some of our friends here will give more informed advice.

[happyharris Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

Thanks MarkyD - I appreciate your help x

[Rignold]

That is not very much in the way of calories, and high carb/low fat is a pretty good recipe for low energy/ not much weight loss. I would strongly suggest you consider reversing that ratio. Have more fat, but in the form of good fats, and cut out starchy carbs and all processed grains and refined sugar. I warrant in a week or two you will have tons more energy and have the weight under much better control.

Try bulletproof coffee in the morning in place of a solid breakfast.

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat, as they say in Crossfit.

[happyharris Graduate in reply to Rignold]

Thank you - I will give it a go!

[Coddfish Graduate]

Another vote for changing your diet to more fats, less carbs, at least cutting out refined sugar and reducing starch, and probably increasing your calories a bit. I am amazed you are able to do what you are doing! Basically what Rignold said, except I wouldnt cut out breakfast.

[Rignold]

I'm not advocating cutting out breakfast. Bulletproof coffee is coffee with two tablespoons of grassfed butter or coconut oil blended into it. It gives you a big dose of available fat - about 400cal - in one hit, and is a great energy boost, without any carbs to slow you down. It sounds a bit odd but is actually delicious - properly blended it emulsifies and is like the smoothest latte you have ever had,

[mrstickle in reply to Rignold]

oooh now that sounds like a yummy coffee Rignold, would Malibu work?

[Rignold]

butter blended into Malibu?

[happyharris Graduate]

Sounds interesting!!

[flossieflyblow Graduate]

I hate to put a damper on things, HH, but as you're 49 is it possible that you're peri-menopausal? If you've had heavy periods ormaybe surgery and blood loss it might be worth having your blood checked for anaemia. If you decide to do this, make sure that they check your ferritin as well as haemoglobin. Hope you perk up soon!

[happyharris Graduate in reply to flossieflyblow]

A possibility! I hadn't thought about that.. Thank you x