Back in April of this year, I made a change to my diet and started eating a paleo / or primal style diet. If you missed my original post about what that entails, you can read it here.
Part of my motivation for overhauling my diet was because I believed it would improve my running performance and allow me to use primarily stored body fat, rather than sugar as fuel. I wrote about my quest to become a fat burning beast back in May. You can read the post here.
I have to admit, despite what I had read and heard about going paleo and what it might be able to do for my running, I had my doubts. Having been a sugar burner all my life, I didn't see how it would be possible to run for 3 hours plus, in a fasted state and not chugging down loads of gels and energy drinks before, during and after the run.
But on Sunday, that's exactly what I did. As part of my training for the Chester Marathon, I ran 22 miles at an average of 7:59 minute miles. That's just under 3 hours of running. What did I fuel myself on? Well, I got up, had a coffee with cream and that's it. On the run, I consumed 750ml of water and nothing else. The statto's can see my Strava activity here.
I'm not going to say it was easy. After all, I was running at PB pace. But I felt stronger as the run went on. I never had any sugar crashes or came close to hitting the wall. Not only that but I recovered really quickly after the run. I didn't get back and feel like I had to eat all of the food in the house and was still able to commit to the list of chores Mrs M had lined up for me!
Without even training for speed, I have PB'd in the 5k and 10k since going paleo. Losing a stone in weight will do that for you. Plus, I am saving a fortune in 'nutritional products' as I am not having to buy gels, energy drinks and recovery shakes.
Obviously the big test will be Chester. Not forgetting the small matter of the High Peak 40 ultra marathon a few weeks beforehand but after eating paleo for 5 months, I do now feel like I can call myself a fat burning beast!
I created this blog to chart my progress as a recreational runner who began eating paleo / low carb-high fat in April 2014. I comment on trends in running, racing, books and nutrition/fitness. As well as running gear and tech. I am a 'middle of the pack runner' who started running in 2007. I live in Nottingham, UK with my wife and 3 cats. You can follow me on Twitter: @runrforlife
Showing posts with label paleo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paleo. Show all posts
Thursday, 11 September 2014
Monday, 4 August 2014
A quick update on how eating paleo is affecting my running
21 miles, 3 hours 50 mins, 2,439 foot of ascent and 2,726 calories burned. Fuelled by a couple of handfuls of nuts and seeds and 4 dates.
On Sunday I ran the second half of the High Peak 40 route with Mike, Al and David. The plan was to have some fun in the Peak District and recce the second half of the route. Having switched to eating paleo in April, it was also going to be my longest run on this diet and the first real test of how this change of nutrition would affect me on a longer run.
Before I get into that though, I want to thank Mike for organising the run and navigating the route, Al for giving me a lift and David for picking up the navigation when Mikes recollection of the route let him down! As always it was great to run with them and a beautiful day in the Peak District.
Overall, I have been sticking quite closely to the paleo style of eating. I relaxed this whilst I was on holiday, allowing myself more alcohol, desserts and ice cream! That little diversion aside, I am really enjoying what I am eating and don't really see myself changing from this lifestyle.
When I woke on Sunday, I didn't feel hungry but conscious of the day ahead, I thought I better eat something. My breakfast consisted of home made nut muesli with a couple of blueberries and some almond milk. I also had a Nespresso coffee with full fat cream. This would have been about 7:45am. We started running at about 11am and my plan was to just eat when I became hungry. I didn't actually need to eat anything until 2 hours 20 mins into the run, even then I wasn't that hungry or facing any sort of crash. I just had a handful of nuts and seeds.
Over the next hour and a half, I consumed another couple of handfuls of nuts and ate 4 dates. At the end of the race, I drank a home made smoothie consisting of frozen berries, almond milk, Greek yoghurt, peanut butter and honey, and ate a Trek bar. This would have been about 3pm.
We travelled home and I didn't eat anything until about 7:30pm when I had a normal sized meal of home made beef burgers, basmati rice and a salad. About an hour later I had a coffee with cream.
Yesterday was an amazing day of running with great people in a beautiful setting but it also served as a really good experiment and test of how my long run / race nutrition is adapting to the paleo diet. I have to say, I was really pleased with how it went. I never felt like I was going to bonk and whilst I wouldn't say that I had endless energy, I was really pleased with how my body responded both during and after the race. I would usually want to eat all of the food in the house on returning from a 20 mile run!
I am hoping that as a I train for Chester, I will be able to encourage my body to become more fat adapted. Watch this space!
On Sunday I ran the second half of the High Peak 40 route with Mike, Al and David. The plan was to have some fun in the Peak District and recce the second half of the route. Having switched to eating paleo in April, it was also going to be my longest run on this diet and the first real test of how this change of nutrition would affect me on a longer run.
Before I get into that though, I want to thank Mike for organising the run and navigating the route, Al for giving me a lift and David for picking up the navigation when Mikes recollection of the route let him down! As always it was great to run with them and a beautiful day in the Peak District.
| A great group to share an excellent day of running with |
Overall, I have been sticking quite closely to the paleo style of eating. I relaxed this whilst I was on holiday, allowing myself more alcohol, desserts and ice cream! That little diversion aside, I am really enjoying what I am eating and don't really see myself changing from this lifestyle.
When I woke on Sunday, I didn't feel hungry but conscious of the day ahead, I thought I better eat something. My breakfast consisted of home made nut muesli with a couple of blueberries and some almond milk. I also had a Nespresso coffee with full fat cream. This would have been about 7:45am. We started running at about 11am and my plan was to just eat when I became hungry. I didn't actually need to eat anything until 2 hours 20 mins into the run, even then I wasn't that hungry or facing any sort of crash. I just had a handful of nuts and seeds.
| Plenty of natural obstacles to negotiate! |
Over the next hour and a half, I consumed another couple of handfuls of nuts and ate 4 dates. At the end of the race, I drank a home made smoothie consisting of frozen berries, almond milk, Greek yoghurt, peanut butter and honey, and ate a Trek bar. This would have been about 3pm.
We travelled home and I didn't eat anything until about 7:30pm when I had a normal sized meal of home made beef burgers, basmati rice and a salad. About an hour later I had a coffee with cream.
Yesterday was an amazing day of running with great people in a beautiful setting but it also served as a really good experiment and test of how my long run / race nutrition is adapting to the paleo diet. I have to say, I was really pleased with how it went. I never felt like I was going to bonk and whilst I wouldn't say that I had endless energy, I was really pleased with how my body responded both during and after the race. I would usually want to eat all of the food in the house on returning from a 20 mile run!
| Some of the beautiful Peak District scenery |
I am hoping that as a I train for Chester, I will be able to encourage my body to become more fat adapted. Watch this space!
Friday, 13 June 2014
A brief observation on GI distress
Prior to going paleo just over 2 months ago, if had you asked me if I suffered from any sort of GI distress or digestive problems, I would have said no. I was always regular, maybe a little too regular sometimes. Certainly 6 movements a day was not unheard of! Far from being an issue, I saw this as a sign of a healthy constitution.
After going paleo, I noticed that my movements were less frequent but other than that I didn't really give it too much thought. Last night we celebrated my mother-in-law's 68th birthday. Naturally, we had some champagne and a few glasses of red wine. The meal was paleo (homemade lamb tagine) save for 2 spoonful's of couscous but I did follow it up with a slice of pecan roulade and a slice of tarte aux citron (both of which were shop bought).
Fast forward to this morning and did I feel rough?! As I mentioned above, I had a couple of drinks but nothing close to making me feel that bad. My stomach was lurching and I had to take an emergency pit stop halfway through my run! Then I realised, prior to going paleo, I used to feel like this most mornings. I was a big proponent of Tony Audenshaw's "2 poo strategy" (listeners to Marathon Talk will know what I mean). In fact, mine was often a 3 poo strategy.
I appreciate that this is not the most pleasant of topics to write about (or indeed have to read!) but I wanted to highlight the fact that in my pre-paleo days, I felt that my GI health was good and perfectly normal. It is only now that I have made these nutritional changes that I am able to look back and see that what I experienced this morning was anything but normal!
After going paleo, I noticed that my movements were less frequent but other than that I didn't really give it too much thought. Last night we celebrated my mother-in-law's 68th birthday. Naturally, we had some champagne and a few glasses of red wine. The meal was paleo (homemade lamb tagine) save for 2 spoonful's of couscous but I did follow it up with a slice of pecan roulade and a slice of tarte aux citron (both of which were shop bought).
Fast forward to this morning and did I feel rough?! As I mentioned above, I had a couple of drinks but nothing close to making me feel that bad. My stomach was lurching and I had to take an emergency pit stop halfway through my run! Then I realised, prior to going paleo, I used to feel like this most mornings. I was a big proponent of Tony Audenshaw's "2 poo strategy" (listeners to Marathon Talk will know what I mean). In fact, mine was often a 3 poo strategy.
I appreciate that this is not the most pleasant of topics to write about (or indeed have to read!) but I wanted to highlight the fact that in my pre-paleo days, I felt that my GI health was good and perfectly normal. It is only now that I have made these nutritional changes that I am able to look back and see that what I experienced this morning was anything but normal!
Labels:
GI distress,
GI health,
nutrition,
paleo,
paleo diet,
running
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
A quick update on my quest to become a fat burning beast!
So, I have been eating a paleo / primal diet for just over 2 months now.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I have found the transition to a low carb diet really easy and I am someone who has always eaten a lot of carbs and sugary snacks.
Mark Sisson says that a good way to test if you have become a fat burner (also known as fat adapted), it whether you can skip a meal without feeling feint, ratty or any other symptoms you would usually associate with missing a meal. Previously, I would have struggled going even a few hours without a meal or a snack and my wife could always tell when I was heading for a sugar low because I would become really short and snappy! I am now at a point where I can comfortably go for 6 hours without feeling the need to eat. Often, that window will have included some exercise.
When I adopted this way of living I felt that the challenge was always going to come when I wanted to teach my body to burn fat (rather than carbs / sugar) during my long runs. I feel I am well on my way to becoming fat adapted and I have been able to run for over an hour and a half without any fuel (and even in a fasted state). This is running at my sub-aerobic threshold of less than 135 BPM (or 75% of my max heat rate). The trouble is, currently this equates to roughly 9:30 minute miles. My target mile pace for Chester Marathon is 8:00 minutes per mile. As you can see, I have some work to do in order to be at 75% of my max HR whilst running at 8:00 minute pace!
Having run an easy 10k on Saturday, I tried for a fasted 9 mile effort at marathon pace on Sunday. I don't mind admitting that I found this harder than expected and simply wasn't able to hold the pace in the final few miles. It is all well and good being able to go for 6 hours without needing to eat but I need to ensure that I have enough fuel for my runs, so this was a good lesson in this regard.
I have faith in my training plan (which starts on 17th June). I used the same plan for Berlin last year and I remember how my fitness improved on those longer, marathon paced efforts. Of course, I was a sugar burner last year, so it will be interesting to see how my body copes with those longer training runs this time around. Watch this space!
As I mentioned in my previous post, I have found the transition to a low carb diet really easy and I am someone who has always eaten a lot of carbs and sugary snacks.
Mark Sisson says that a good way to test if you have become a fat burner (also known as fat adapted), it whether you can skip a meal without feeling feint, ratty or any other symptoms you would usually associate with missing a meal. Previously, I would have struggled going even a few hours without a meal or a snack and my wife could always tell when I was heading for a sugar low because I would become really short and snappy! I am now at a point where I can comfortably go for 6 hours without feeling the need to eat. Often, that window will have included some exercise.
When I adopted this way of living I felt that the challenge was always going to come when I wanted to teach my body to burn fat (rather than carbs / sugar) during my long runs. I feel I am well on my way to becoming fat adapted and I have been able to run for over an hour and a half without any fuel (and even in a fasted state). This is running at my sub-aerobic threshold of less than 135 BPM (or 75% of my max heat rate). The trouble is, currently this equates to roughly 9:30 minute miles. My target mile pace for Chester Marathon is 8:00 minutes per mile. As you can see, I have some work to do in order to be at 75% of my max HR whilst running at 8:00 minute pace!
Having run an easy 10k on Saturday, I tried for a fasted 9 mile effort at marathon pace on Sunday. I don't mind admitting that I found this harder than expected and simply wasn't able to hold the pace in the final few miles. It is all well and good being able to go for 6 hours without needing to eat but I need to ensure that I have enough fuel for my runs, so this was a good lesson in this regard.
I have faith in my training plan (which starts on 17th June). I used the same plan for Berlin last year and I remember how my fitness improved on those longer, marathon paced efforts. Of course, I was a sugar burner last year, so it will be interesting to see how my body copes with those longer training runs this time around. Watch this space!
Friday, 16 May 2014
Dukeries Ultramarathon 2014 - The perfect entry level ultra
In my view the Dukeries Ultra offers runners a perfect introduction to ultra marathon races. It is friendly, scenic and not too hilly. Here is what the official website says about the race:
The route follows a 30 or 40 mile loop taking in some of the most beautiful and undiscovered sandstone villages and historical sites in England. Starting in the heart of Sherwood Forest and keeping mostly to forest trails and footpaths, the route passes charming lodges, through Cresswell Crags and skirts the Welbeck Estate. It crosses Clumber Park and through peaceful farm land before looping back to pass by the Thoresby Estate before returning to Sherwood Forest.
I had this race on my wish list after the positive feedback I received from +Mike Wells who ran it in 2013. The race provides you with a choice of a 30 mile option and a 40 mile option (as well as a relay team option for the 40 miler). Having only done one ultra previously (the White Rose Ultra in Oct 2013), I opted for the 30 miler.
This proved to be a good decision as Mike had managed to talk several of his #runchclub colleagues into doing their first ultra. This would mean there would be a good group of us, which as well as Mike (@mikew30) would include Ian, Alex (@alexloach) and Chris (@NikeAi2). Also running with us would be Conrad (@conwild), who had travelled up from St Albans. Conrad was one of those people who I 'knew' via Twitter but we hadn't met until that day. We also met up with Steve (@seesteverun) who was doing the 40 mile race.
I must admit to being a bit blasé about my race 'preparations'. I'd opted not to do a spring marathon, instead focusing on trying to improve my speed over 5k and 10k (more on that another time!). The upshot being I hadn't run more than about 15 miles for about 6 months. As I neared race day this fact began to loom large. That said, I felt pretty relaxed on the day. Meeting all the guys beforehand definitely helped to put me at ease and I do like that more relaxed vibe that seems to surround ultra events. It became apparent that I had seriously overestimated how much kit I would need. Looking around the hall, I had the largest rucksack by a long way!
I got to the race HQ at Walesby, Nottinghamshire early as I wanted to see the 40 milers go off. They were starting at 8am and the 30's at 9am. The race HQ was a sports and social club. There was plenty of parking on site, and plenty of room inside to accommodate the runners. They had even invited an ultra runner store to open a small stall in case anyone needed to make any last-minute purchases. There was plenty of room to get changed and for once, the toilet facilities were more than adequate! The race briefings were helpful and succinct and the registration was a breeze. We saw Steve and the other 40 mile runners off and before we knew it, it was our turn!
By the time we set off, the rain had largely cleared and it was pretty mild. There was a bit of a breeze but the weather was much improved on when I had woken that day at 5am. So, I set off in a group which included Mike, Conrad, Alex, Chris and Ian. We were chipping along quite nicely, averaging about 8:30m/m until the first checkpoint at around 6.5 miles. I should say now that although the race was advertised as 30 miles, It was likely to run to just over 32 miles, due to a diversion around Clumber Park. We fell in with other little groups along the way. I enjoyed talking to Baz, a doctor from Sheffield who, despite his relaxed demeanour and fancy dress outfit (some sort of fleecy skeleton onesie!) was actually using the race as a training run for Comrades! This is another thing I like about ultras. You can end up spending quite a lot of time with a complete stranger and because of the pace, actually hold a meaningful conversation with them.
I didn't really have any time target going into the race, so when Mike said they wanted to go through 13 miles on about 2 hours, with a view to finishing around 5hrs 25mins, I was happy to tag along. Most of us made it through 13 miles bang on target time. Ian had begun to slow, so he and Alex were a little further back. At this point were still well under sub nine minute miles. By about 16 miles it was clear that my lack of long run preparation meant I was going to struggle to keep this pace up. Mike and Chris were already starting to pull away. Around this time Conrad started to have some problems with his ITB. His pace had also dropped and he needed to stop to massage the problem area. I was quite happy to stay with Conrad. Honestly, the walk breaks were quite welcome. That said, I was staring to find a comfortable pace and, at that stage, I felt that finishing in under five and a half hours was still realistic (little did I know!)
Conrad works his way through a rapeseed
field under blue skies
I have to say that some of the scenery on the run was fantastic. Cresswell Craggs and the Welbeck Estate being two real highlights for me.
Conrad's ITB issue was really starting to slow him down and he was urging me to push on. I now had a bit of a dilemma. I really didn't fancy running half of the race on my own and I rather foolishly was relying on others to take the lead on navigation. Don't get me wrong, I had a map and the route details, I'm just not very good at navigating! Conrad and I had caught up with a lady called Tracy (who ended up as 2nd female finisher) and there was another small group a little way ahead. I decided to push on and had some fairly tough solo miles going through Clumber Park in the pouring rain. I eventually caught up with a lady called Lucy (who ended up as 3rd female, coming in at the same time as Tracy). I discovered that she was training for the Outlaw Triathlon and managed to juggle all of her training around having 5 children!
Conrad climbs through a sandstone ravine
After a short time we were joined by Tracy and we settled into a good pace. For some reason, I was nominated as the navigator (little did they know!) and for a long time this worked ok. My luck ran out when I went the wrong way after crossing the River Poulter. This resulted in us getting slightly lost in some woods. Thankfully we were not the only ones who had made this mistake. Before long we were joined by two other guys and between us (and with some help from our phones) we were free from the woods and back on track. I reckon this little diversion cost us about 20 mins. So much for being the navigator!
Thankfully we were about 29 miles in by this stage but extra time and distance (about a mile) this little diversion had added seemed particularly cruel, so late in the race. I have to say that I didn't particularly enjoy the last few miles of the race. This had everything to do with how I was feeling and nothing to do with the race or the company at this stage. In fact, running with Lucy and Tracy helped to keep me focused and probably meant that I ran more than had I been solo.
Unknown runner works his way through a field under
ominous skies!
The closer we got to the finish, the more we were picking up other runners. Both from the 30 mile and 40 mile groups. Those final few miles seemed to take an absolute age but as we came back into Walesby my spirits were lifted. There were a few supporters around and we even managed a little 'sprint' finish. My time was 6 hours, 1 minute and 49 seconds. About 25 minutes quicker than my last 30 mile race (and this one was closer to 33 miles!)
Again the social club provided us with enough space and shelter at the finish and we were given a choice of pie with mushy peas. I went for steak and wolfed it down! There were also showers on site which were most welcome. In all it was a great day out. I ran with friends, met some new and interesting people, saw some beautiful countryside and had a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
A quick note on nutrition. Having adopted a paleo way of eating about 6 week prior, I used this race as a test for eating natural food, rather than relying on my tried and tested method of consuming gels at regular intervals. I had a high fat/low carb breakfast and just ate dates, Nakd bars and 9 Bars during the race. It worked really well and at no point did I struggle for energy or 'bonk'. I plan to blog about how my transition to a paleo runner is going in more detail, probably when I have begun my training for the Chester Marathon.
The route follows a 30 or 40 mile loop taking in some of the most beautiful and undiscovered sandstone villages and historical sites in England. Starting in the heart of Sherwood Forest and keeping mostly to forest trails and footpaths, the route passes charming lodges, through Cresswell Crags and skirts the Welbeck Estate. It crosses Clumber Park and through peaceful farm land before looping back to pass by the Thoresby Estate before returning to Sherwood Forest.
I had this race on my wish list after the positive feedback I received from +Mike Wells who ran it in 2013. The race provides you with a choice of a 30 mile option and a 40 mile option (as well as a relay team option for the 40 miler). Having only done one ultra previously (the White Rose Ultra in Oct 2013), I opted for the 30 miler.
This proved to be a good decision as Mike had managed to talk several of his #runchclub colleagues into doing their first ultra. This would mean there would be a good group of us, which as well as Mike (@mikew30) would include Ian, Alex (@alexloach) and Chris (@NikeAi2). Also running with us would be Conrad (@conwild), who had travelled up from St Albans. Conrad was one of those people who I 'knew' via Twitter but we hadn't met until that day. We also met up with Steve (@seesteverun) who was doing the 40 mile race.
| Conrad and Mike (in tutu) take in the race briefing |
I must admit to being a bit blasé about my race 'preparations'. I'd opted not to do a spring marathon, instead focusing on trying to improve my speed over 5k and 10k (more on that another time!). The upshot being I hadn't run more than about 15 miles for about 6 months. As I neared race day this fact began to loom large. That said, I felt pretty relaxed on the day. Meeting all the guys beforehand definitely helped to put me at ease and I do like that more relaxed vibe that seems to surround ultra events. It became apparent that I had seriously overestimated how much kit I would need. Looking around the hall, I had the largest rucksack by a long way!
| The 40 mile runners set off under dark clouds |
By the time we set off, the rain had largely cleared and it was pretty mild. There was a bit of a breeze but the weather was much improved on when I had woken that day at 5am. So, I set off in a group which included Mike, Conrad, Alex, Chris and Ian. We were chipping along quite nicely, averaging about 8:30m/m until the first checkpoint at around 6.5 miles. I should say now that although the race was advertised as 30 miles, It was likely to run to just over 32 miles, due to a diversion around Clumber Park. We fell in with other little groups along the way. I enjoyed talking to Baz, a doctor from Sheffield who, despite his relaxed demeanour and fancy dress outfit (some sort of fleecy skeleton onesie!) was actually using the race as a training run for Comrades! This is another thing I like about ultras. You can end up spending quite a lot of time with a complete stranger and because of the pace, actually hold a meaningful conversation with them.
I didn't really have any time target going into the race, so when Mike said they wanted to go through 13 miles on about 2 hours, with a view to finishing around 5hrs 25mins, I was happy to tag along. Most of us made it through 13 miles bang on target time. Ian had begun to slow, so he and Alex were a little further back. At this point were still well under sub nine minute miles. By about 16 miles it was clear that my lack of long run preparation meant I was going to struggle to keep this pace up. Mike and Chris were already starting to pull away. Around this time Conrad started to have some problems with his ITB. His pace had also dropped and he needed to stop to massage the problem area. I was quite happy to stay with Conrad. Honestly, the walk breaks were quite welcome. That said, I was staring to find a comfortable pace and, at that stage, I felt that finishing in under five and a half hours was still realistic (little did I know!)
Conrad works his way through a rapeseed
field under blue skies
I have to say that some of the scenery on the run was fantastic. Cresswell Craggs and the Welbeck Estate being two real highlights for me.
Conrad's ITB issue was really starting to slow him down and he was urging me to push on. I now had a bit of a dilemma. I really didn't fancy running half of the race on my own and I rather foolishly was relying on others to take the lead on navigation. Don't get me wrong, I had a map and the route details, I'm just not very good at navigating! Conrad and I had caught up with a lady called Tracy (who ended up as 2nd female finisher) and there was another small group a little way ahead. I decided to push on and had some fairly tough solo miles going through Clumber Park in the pouring rain. I eventually caught up with a lady called Lucy (who ended up as 3rd female, coming in at the same time as Tracy). I discovered that she was training for the Outlaw Triathlon and managed to juggle all of her training around having 5 children!
Conrad climbs through a sandstone ravine
After a short time we were joined by Tracy and we settled into a good pace. For some reason, I was nominated as the navigator (little did they know!) and for a long time this worked ok. My luck ran out when I went the wrong way after crossing the River Poulter. This resulted in us getting slightly lost in some woods. Thankfully we were not the only ones who had made this mistake. Before long we were joined by two other guys and between us (and with some help from our phones) we were free from the woods and back on track. I reckon this little diversion cost us about 20 mins. So much for being the navigator!
Thankfully we were about 29 miles in by this stage but extra time and distance (about a mile) this little diversion had added seemed particularly cruel, so late in the race. I have to say that I didn't particularly enjoy the last few miles of the race. This had everything to do with how I was feeling and nothing to do with the race or the company at this stage. In fact, running with Lucy and Tracy helped to keep me focused and probably meant that I ran more than had I been solo.
Unknown runner works his way through a field under
ominous skies!
The closer we got to the finish, the more we were picking up other runners. Both from the 30 mile and 40 mile groups. Those final few miles seemed to take an absolute age but as we came back into Walesby my spirits were lifted. There were a few supporters around and we even managed a little 'sprint' finish. My time was 6 hours, 1 minute and 49 seconds. About 25 minutes quicker than my last 30 mile race (and this one was closer to 33 miles!)
Again the social club provided us with enough space and shelter at the finish and we were given a choice of pie with mushy peas. I went for steak and wolfed it down! There were also showers on site which were most welcome. In all it was a great day out. I ran with friends, met some new and interesting people, saw some beautiful countryside and had a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
A quick note on nutrition. Having adopted a paleo way of eating about 6 week prior, I used this race as a test for eating natural food, rather than relying on my tried and tested method of consuming gels at regular intervals. I had a high fat/low carb breakfast and just ate dates, Nakd bars and 9 Bars during the race. It worked really well and at no point did I struggle for energy or 'bonk'. I plan to blog about how my transition to a paleo runner is going in more detail, probably when I have begun my training for the Chester Marathon.
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