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The Official OGBoards Running (and Cycling) Thread: (Insert Season Here)

@hoops:

I'm not much of a runner, but this is what I think: most Americans get way more than the recommended amount of sodium from processed foods - the recommended amount is 1500 mg/day (although the body does fine on as little as 500 mg). You're probably meeting the minimum requirements from your diet already even if you're not buying processed food/cooking with salt (here are some sources of sodium: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09354.html). However, if you're really drinking a lot and eating pretty low-sodium, you might want to bump it up just a little since you are a fairly high-mileage runner (like maybe eat a handful or two of pretzels before heading out to run?)

Regarding potassium, I think a banana is about 500 mg of potassium and the daily requirement is 2000 mg - here are some other good sources of K: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09355.html

Also, just be aware of water intoxication/overhydration...I believe this is mainly a problem if you were to chug a ton of water either right before or right after exercise, though, and not so much if you're spreading it throughout the day.
 
@hoops:

I'm not much of a runner, but this is what I think: most Americans get way more than the recommended amount of sodium from processed foods - the recommended amount is 1500 mg/day (although the body does fine on as little as 500 mg). You're probably meeting the minimum requirements from your diet already even if you're not buying processed food/cooking with salt (here are some sources of sodium: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09354.html). However, if you're really drinking a lot and eating pretty low-sodium, you might want to bump it up just a little since you are a fairly high-mileage runner (like maybe eat a handful or two of pretzels before heading out to run?)

Regarding potassium, I think a banana is about 500 mg of potassium and the daily requirement is 2000 mg - here are some other good sources of K: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09355.html

Also, just be aware of water intoxication/overhydration...I believe this is mainly a problem if you were to chug a ton of water either right before or right after exercise, though, and not so much if you're spreading it throughout the day.

thanks for the help starboard. i still don't think potassium is my problem, because looking at that chart, they include celery and carrots under the "very good sources" part, and i eat myself silly on both of those every day. it says one stalk of celery has over 300 mg, and i eat on average 3-4 stalks a day.

i know the average american gets WAY more salt than they need, which is why it seems so ridiculous to me that i could actually be getting too little. but i sweat a LOT when i run, and i'm currently running a LOT. before my last marathon, my coaches actually had me start eating canned soup for a week before the race because i was cramping so often. i think low sodium is probably the issue. but i just hate the idea of increasing it.

oh well, maybe i can justify eating a bunch of mixed nuts now :)
 
starboard, can you tell me more about water intoxication/overhydration? two times now after fairly intense workouts, i've nearly passed out, gotten sick, sweat profusely, had chills, blacked out, etc (these are all symptoms that occur within 5-10 min, leaving me drained and weak) and my body rejects all food/water i try to give it. this takes place 1 to 2 hours post exercise.
the first time it happened i thought it could have been dehydration, given the circumstances (45mi bike ride, 105 degrees) but i had had plenty to drink the day before, the day of and during the ride... this past time (about 1.5 hours after spin class) it seemed like odd timing. I didn't do anything really out of the ordinary (i go to spin class regularly w/ no problem) and drank my normal amount of water. i would say i pushed myself harder than normal, but it was just weird because i felt fine after, fine for the next hour or so, and then BAM my body wanted none of what i was giving it.
 
lbe, i'm sure starboard can tell you more. but it's called hyponatremia. it's essentially when you drown yourself by drinking way too much water. it's extremely rare, but when it does happen, it usually happens to people like marathoners who are overhydrating before a race.

it's dang near impossible to have happen if you're eating at the same time though. it's not actually that you drink too much water. it's that you dilute all of the other nutrients in your body because you aren't eating/taking in as many electrolytes as you are taking in of water.

starboard could probably give you more useful info...
 
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ok; i was reading about that online yesterday (as i was trying to be sure that i wasn't actually seriously going to croak). that makes sense, as in both cases it was probably too long before i ate anything of substance but was still drinking water. first time we were waiting for food on the grill, and then on monday i didn't really eat anything after class because i knew we were going out to eat.
i thought it sounded like hyponatremia from some of the symptoms, but then most of those descriptions were talking about seizures and death so i thought maybe it was something else.

ok, good to know i'm just an idiot and need to put more in my bottle than just water (and eat something soon after class).

ETA: i realized you were telling me more about hyponatremia than actually saying that's what i was experiencing... but i think i might have experienced that on some level. ?
 
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ok; i was reading about that online yesterday (as i was trying to be sure that i wasn't actually seriously going to croak). that makes sense, as in both cases it was probably too long before i ate anything of substance but was still drinking water. first time we were waiting for food on the grill, and then on monday i didn't really eat anything after class because i knew we were going out to eat.
i thought it sounded like hyponatremia, but most of those descriptions were talking about seizures and death so i thought maybe it was something else.

ok, good to know i'm just an idiot and need to put more in my bottle than just water (and eat something soon after class).

don't get fooled into thinking that just using gatorade or something will totally fix the problem. it helps. but the levels of sodium in gatorade are still below the levels of sodium that naturally happen in your body. so if you're over-drinking gatorade, you can still wind up with the same dilution problem (although the problem would happen less quickly than with water). you should probably have some food or salt tablets or something like that too.
 
don't get fooled into thinking that just using gatorade or something will totally fix the problem. it helps. but the levels of sodium in gatorade are still below the levels of sodium that naturally happen in your body. so if you're over-drinking gatorade, you can still wind up with the same dilution problem (although the problem would happen less quickly than with water). you should probably have some food or salt tablets or something like that too.

truth. thanks :)
 
Short run today, a little less than 2 miles. Felt good physically, struggled mentally.
 
You guys probably shouldn't be worrying about over-hydration. It is potentially very dangerous, but you have a fairly good idea of what your body needs; just pay attention to your body because everyone is different.

LBE, you should DEFINITELY start packing a snack to eat immediately after your workout. This was something that I was never taught until fairly late in my career, and it made a huge difference in both recovery and performance. Someone with a better physiological understanding of the situation can clarify, but make sure to eat something no more than twenty minutes after your workout, and a high-protein meal within an hour later, if possible.

Also, as we have discussed before, go with chocolate milk with dinner.
 
I'm not a super expert here and probably don't know as much about it as I should, but I agree with phan...I really wouldn't be too worried about the over-hydration thing. From what I've read, it's more common among "back of the pack" marathoners/endurance athletes that overestimate how much they need to rehydrate (they're drinking way more than they need to replace what's lost via sweat).

lbE, I've started keeping a bottle of gatorade (and sometimes a banana) in my car to drink/eat immediately, on the way home, after cycling. I had a couple of episodes last summer when it was really hot and I overdid it and felt like I was about to pass out. I will sometimes drink a protein shake after a little while too if it's been a pretty hard workout.
 
for the record, i'm not even remotely concerned about overhydrating. that's why i said it's very rare and almost impossible if you're still eating. that's also why people (doctors) don't talk about it that often. they're concerned that people will take hyponatremia really seriously, and then not drink ENOUGH. dehydration is way more of an issue than hyponatremia.
 
Great speedwork session at Alexander Graham. Did the first mile at about 6:25 pace, then 2 800s, and 4 400s with rest breaks in between. I really think I'll be able to PR again in the half marathon on Saturday.
 
This is the only thread I didn't post on....sooo

Keep running guys, I will enjoy the bacon and the poontang..


OK, so now I know where my teamate IO hangs out... good to know
 
So I hurt my knee on the soccer field Saturday morning retrieving a ball while coaching my 5-year old daughter's soccer game. Doc says it may pe a torn meniscus and that the ACL may be a little torn. I had ACL reconstruction 24 years ago when I completely tore it freshman year playing Carolina rules intramural football.

Soooo, this may end the running chapter of my life. I know for sure that I'll be out for a few months at least.
 
So I hurt my knee on the soccer field Saturday morning retrieving a ball while coaching my 5-year old daughter's soccer game. Doc says it may pe a torn meniscus and that the ACL may be a little torn. I had ACL reconstruction 24 years ago when I completely tore it freshman year playing Carolina rules intramural football.

Soooo, this may end the running chapter of my life. I know for sure that I'll be out for a few months at least.

dang, that sucks. good thoughts for a swift recovery...
 
in for this thread. i'm starting to run more, i usually run 2.5 miles each time. a friend told me the best workout is HIIT (run hard for 15 seconds every minute) so i do that as well. i'm in charlotte so i'll definitely need to check out the mallard creek greenway.
 
just had a lovely 3mi run; felt like poop but DAMN it's pretty outside.
 
Need some help/advice:

I've recently switched back to running outside after running inside on a treadmill all winter. I've probably run 6 or 7 times outside now, usually going about 3-3.5 miles each time. I've been getting pain, numbness, general discomfort in the bottom third of both of my legs (basically the bottom half of my calf to right above my ankle). I don't know if this pain is from switching to running outside, lack of stretching, shoe issues, etc.

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. TIA.
 
Need some help/advice:

I've recently switched back to running outside after running inside on a treadmill all winter. I've probably run 6 or 7 times outside now, usually going about 3-3.5 miles each time. I've been getting pain, numbness, general discomfort in the bottom third of both of my legs (basically the bottom half of my calf to right above my ankle). I don't know if this pain is from switching to running outside, lack of stretching, shoe issues, etc.

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. TIA.

I'd assume its from lack of running outside. A cushy treadmill is vastly different than concrete and blacktop.

You could be aggravating some muscle that is used more by running on a solid surface.

That'd probably be my guess.
 
I'd assume its from lack of running outside. A cushy treadmill is vastly different than concrete and blacktop.

You could be aggravating some muscle that is used more by running on a solid surface.

That'd probably be my guess.

try alternating days on the treadmill with days outside. or days on trails instead of the treadmill.

you should probably also reevaluate your shoes and make sure they're still good.
 
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