W7:3 Fasting, timing, pacing, slowing

[ktsok]

Well… I got out there, did the 25 minutes, and within a few minutes of stopping, felt OK.

But the contrast between the last run, which felt easy, and this one, which is best described as ‘battling’, felt disappointing. I knew I hadn’t ‘cracked it’ and not all 25 minute runs would feel easy henceforth… but, but, but… maybe…

I had intended to run yesterday, but work was busy and I ended up finishing later than planned, and not carving out some time to eat. I have been doing the 16:8 fasting for the past few weeks (eating within an 8 hour time frame every day and just water/herbal tea/black coffee outside of that). It was almost 3pm and I had an hour before a 2-hour meeting was due to start. I was at the door in my running togs and suddenly realised that I really, really needed to eat. So I deferred.

I’m climbing later today and there is work to be done before, so the run had to happen early. I started work early, then shot out the door into the grey day.

I thought I’d try not looking at my watch. I do have a habit of checking it frequently, and that doesn’t feel very zen (my fantasy of the pinnacle of running).

It was OK for the first 5 minutes or so, but instead of easing into the comfortable part of the run, it started to feel harder, and that discomfort remained throughout. I realised I hadn’t hydrated properly, and that this was a stress factor - I had quite a vivid fantasy of a marathon-esque water station waiting for me down the path, swigging a mouthful and tossing the cup to one side to be collected by a minion. I concentrated on my breathing, but it was another battling effort to keep it nice and slow. I could feel myself heating up and turning pink, despite the morning chill.

I kept going. That’s the story here really - I kept going. I could have stopped. I considered stopping! But I didn’t.

I managed to speed up half-heartedly for the last 10 seconds and stopped dead on 25 minutes - I felt I couldn’t have run a step further in that moment.

Of course, I had set out too fast (again). My average pace over 3.5k was 7:11. No wonder I felt uncomfortable! That’s my equivalent of a speed run. HR Zones 1, 2 and 3 were barely discernible blurs in the race to threshold and maximum. I visited 184bpm several times - my average was 171bpm. My poor heart. It had barely had a chance to realise we were awake.

On reflection:

a) I don’t like feeling rushed and it has an impact on how I run;

b) the watch is helpful for me. I (clearly) don’t yet have an instinctive feel for my pace. Sometimes the planets align and it’s all working seamlessly together, but more often, I’m not gauging it right.

c) a small glass of water and a sip of coffee cannot compensate for a full night of moisture loss from mouth breathing;

d) I am really looking forward to longer, sunnier, drier days.

Keep… on… running!

[PaulS83]

You went full-on skunk. Fasting and dehydration will do that to a heart. Particularly if it's out of routine.

But, done, beaten, accomplished! Next opponent.

A night of mouth breathing... You've gone and gotten me mental-imaging you asleep wearing a black eye-mask, with your mouth gaping and gag-snoring to the point that pictures are rattling on the walls.

It's a strange thing, my brain.

[ktsok Graduate in reply to PaulS83]

Yup. A skunk run and a skunk sleep.

[Jell6 Graduate in reply to PaulS83]

I'm trying to ignore "gotten"😱😱😱😱

[PaulS83 in reply to Jell6]

Kind of you to overlook “mental-imaging”.

I like the word gotten, even if it isn’t actually a word. You don’t go round telling kids there are no such things as unicorns do you?

Or do you?

[Jell6 Graduate in reply to PaulS83]

Are you saying there are no such things as unicorns?🦄🦄🦄🦄

[PaulS83 in reply to Jell6]

🤐

[ktsok Graduate in reply to PaulS83]

My son swears that I killed Santa for him. I try not to tell outright porkies, so I fluffed my answer slightly and he saw through me 😬

He has never asked about unicorns… maybe because they aren’t lucrative. He sussed out that ‘believing in the tooth fairy’ was in his best interests - and tries negotiating rates via mum.

I am continuing to overlook the image of the image.

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Jell6]

Jell! Are you a stickler for grammar and punctuation?!

[Jell6 Graduate in reply to ktsok]

😬😬😬

[Jell6 Graduate]

The notification fix worked! Well done for pushing on💪💪

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Jell6]

Cheers medears. Sheer bloody mindedness and a finish line helped x

[LeeU Graduate]

Well done on completing the run.Fasting and running is fine and a great way to aid weight loss.

The trick is to do whatever exercise you're doing in the most fasted state, so if your doing a 16:8, the ideal time would be 17 hours or just over into your fast,

Then, once you've finished your run, you should either be in or very close to the start of your eating window.

Forget fruit, you need some protein within the first hour after the run.

I practice a 20:4 fasting schedule, I used to run in a morning but changed it recently to bring it inline with my gym sessions, which are normally between 5-6pm.

I finish the run/gym session, shower and then cook/eat.

[ktsok Graduate in reply to LeeU]

20:4, that’s a small window! How long have you been doing that? And did you build up to it? I think I’d find it hard going - and it wouldn’t work on climbing days, where I need to fuel up or there’s no power. Plus weekends mean pancakes with my son!

I made the mistake of getting stuck into work and went 19 hours, which I’m not used to. I probably could have run, but there wouldn’t have been time to eat before the meeting, Plus I’m trying to eat a lot healthier - mainly vegan, although I’m still eating eggs, and food prep takes me longer as it’s unfamiliar.

[LeeU Graduate in reply to ktsok]

Last January/February I changed my diet, started going Keto 'style', said I wasn't going to go full Keto.

I'd tried just about every other diet, never done weight watchers as, to me, that's weight loss through embarrassment if you don't lose any that week - no offense intended to anyone who does it, it's my own personal opinion.

Well, Keto 'style' turned to Keto, which then turned to Ketovore and then finally into a dirty-ish Carnivore diet.

I used to be a 3 meals a day person, yogurt, jam and granola for breakfast, fish finger or chicken wrap for lunch and then a dinner in the evening.

As I progressed through the Keto to Carnivore phases I found I wasn't hungry as much, I didn't deliberately aim to cut meals out but I wasn't going to eat unless I was actually hungry.

I've done several 48 and even 72 hour fasts, none of which have been an issue, which, if I'm honest was a massive surprise.

I'm doing the C25K again for the second time in 12 months, I did complete it last year but, as usual work got in the way of life and I ended up not running.

This time, my base speed is 25% higher than it was last year and I can hold this pace quite easily, another surprise if I'm honest.

Yes, I take supplements, I take EEA during exercise, Creatine about an hour before and then a protein shake afterwards and this is whether it's running OR in the gym.

I'm down around 100lbs from where I was a year ago (almost to the day), I'm doing 3 runs a week, 3 gyms sessions a week and I'm loving it. Gone from a 44" waist down to 36/38" and 4xl tops to xl/xxl depending on brand.

I've not lost overly much weight since October due to the weightlifting, etc, but I'm far healthier/fitter than I've ever been.

It's changed my life.

[ktsok Graduate in reply to LeeU]

That’s incredible Lee. 100lbs. Really well done, and great to hear you are healthier and fitter than ever. It sounds like you needed a radical change and have experimented and found a routine that works for you. Bravo.

[Tasha99 Graduate]

well done. It’s difficult juggling a diet with running. You’re doing great. Cold and wet days have there benefits regarding running - I find summer very tough 🥵

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Tasha99]

You are so right. I too like the cold for running - across crisp and crunchy grass fields. It’s this grey sogginess that I dislike!

[Tasha99 Graduate in reply to ktsok]

I’m surprised you could understand my message 🤣 I’ve edited it now. I LOVE a grey, rainy run - my favourite ☔️

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Tasha99]

Good for you! It isn’t so much what’s coming from above - it’s the ground underfoot. I like to run round the fields and tracks where I live, but they are complete mud baths at the moment.

[Katnap Graduate]

You will be well prepared for when the hours of daylight increase and conditions become milder.

Are you planning on moving on to the Bridge to 10k after graduating?

🐱 Katnap 🐱

[ktsok Graduate in reply to Katnap]

I’m not sure what I’ll do yet… the knees will dictate the pace/distance/time. I really couldn’t walk properly for a long time and it was pretty miserable. I don’t want to be there again! I can feel the occasional tweak when I overextend, and now my fitness is improving, am having to resist the temptation to go a little faster, a little faster… need to be careful.

Old dreams of getting to the 10k, half-marathon, etc, no longer resonate. Having said that, the doc said I’d never run again, and I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to walk again pain free. Ok, I need opiates to get up mountains, but here I am, walking up and down stairs and jogging for 28 minutes! So who knows?

I’d like to be able to run 5K again, and I’d like to run regularly, to stay fit. I’m getting there

[Katnap Graduate in reply to ktsok]

Great idea! Always feels like a win-win when you complete a plan 💪🐱