Nutrition : What To Eat Post Exercise

The aspect of sports nutrition that most people have the best understanding of is re-fueling after their workouts. The benefits of replacing the energy you've used as soon as possible are much written about, and in particular the benefits of consuming the "right" balance of proteins and carbohydrates to give the muscles the best opportunity to repair themselves. But what about the amount of food and fluid and when should we be consuming it?

The text books tell us that we should be consuming 1g per kilo body weight of high GI foods up to 2 hours post exercise then 1g per kilo body weight of low GI foods every 2 hours after that. For example, if weigh 60kg so I should be eating 60g of high GI food, such as half a nutella sandwich, after exercise and then another 60g of something such as a cereal bar around 2 hours after that.

The reasoning behind taking on high GI foods first is that these are more readily absorbed by the body, so the nutrients and glucose get into your system quickly. This means that you are less likely to suffer a crash immediately after periods of exertion. This is something I've experienced myself after my longer runs in the past, to the point I would get faint and dizzy. Scary for me and those around me. High GI foods cause a spike and consequent crash in your blood sugar levels so it's important to follow up with the low GI foods to stabilise them out.

So the theory is all well and good but what does this mean in practical terms? Well examples of good post-exercise foods are:

• Fresh fruit smoothie made with yoghurt and milk
• Cereal bar 
• Slice of malt loaf
• A handful of nuts and dried fruit
• A sandwich/wrap or roll filled with lean meat such as tuna, turkey, chicken, cottage cheese 
• Rice cakes or oatcakes with jam/peanut butter or low fat cream cheese 
• Bowl of cereal and milk

If you can't stomach solid foods immediately after exercise then the smoothie, chocolate milk (not milkshake), specially designed sports recovery drink or a protein shake are all good options, not least because they will help replace fluids you'll have lost as well.

Which leads me nicely onto a final word on hydration. After any activity you should aim to replace any outstanding fluid loss (bodyweight loss) by about 150% as soon as possible. So if you're a kilo lighter after exercise than when you started, you should aim to consume 1.5 litres over the course of the next few hours. Any recovery drinks you take will contribute to this, as will rehydration drinks, tea, coffee, squash... it doesn't have to be water! Obviously it's not realistic to be weighting ourselves before and after every session but you'll have a sense of whether you sweat a lot and you can judge accordingly.

I'm going to be trying to apply this theory to myself for real after Equinox24 at the weekend... I suspect eating 60g of anything will not be a problem!

The Week Of Insatiable Hunger

This week's training:
Saturday: parkrun, 30 minute HIIT workout & 9 holes of golf
Sunday: Leg work out & 8 mile run
Monday: 4 mile run & "Hundreds"
Tuesday: 15 minutes yoga
Wedesday: 6 mile run & 30 minute HIIT workout
Thursday: 5+5 miles double run & weights
Friday: 30 minute HIIT workout

I'm feeling much more on track with my training this week. Maybe it's having smashed my PB at parkrun on Saturday morning (26:41 - my first ever sub-27!!!), getting my charity race vest or the realisation that there are only 11 days until I go on holiday and I have two relatively major running events before then but my motivation has been pretty high and I'm all sorts of focussed.

I'm still trying to complete the Sweaty Betty 30 Day Sweat Challenge workouts and succeeding so far, although they're not necessarily in the right order, and just to mix things up a little more I had that round of golf I mentioned last week. Once I loosened up a bit and discovered that I could actually hit the ball some distance I rather enjoyed it all. I'm not pretending I was any good (except for the shot in the second photo, chipped from the bag to nearest the hole) but it was fun to try something new and I definitely felt worn out afterwards. The golf course is also a rather tranquil place. I forgot I was in the middle of an urban area. It's truly amazing how golf courses can be hidden in plain sight.

I've been getting All The Post this week... bits and bobs for Equinox24 (head torch, camping toaster and table, salt and pepper pot, tent pegs, glowsticks, LED balloons), stuff for my fancy dress outfit for Bacchus half marathon (no I'm not telling you yet) and a pair of shiny new trainers. I was hoping to hold out a little longer for my trainers but I'd started to get sore spots after runs and my current pair are very visibly worn so I bit the bullet and forked out for some new ones. They've already clocked up 11 miles since Thursday and I feel rather smart in them. I won't be wearing them for Equinox24... I've got two old pairs of road shoes and a pair of trail shoes for that, and the road shoes may well get permanently retired afterwards.

Purdy new shoes!

Speaking of Equinox24, I've still got masses of stuff to organise for it, not least food shopping. My kit list is longer than any I've ever had, even longer than for any holiday I've ever been on! Our band of misfits, otherwise known as The Dynamos, seems to be gelling well over email and we've all sorts of ideas for making us feel even more of a team at the event. I can't quite believe it's come around so quickly. 

But of course before then I have Bacchus which I'm running purely for fun. I will not be chasing a PB and will definitely be breaking all the normal rules of running and sampling the wine on offer at the water stations. My mum and dad are coming up to support and join in the revelry and I'm hoping it will be a really fun day. This does seem to be one event my parents are particularly on board with... mum's even gone as far as to ask when I'm going to do the Marathon Du Medoc... soon, mum... soon.

All this activity is making me want to eat All The Food so you must excuse me while I go to find something to eat that isn't cake.

What are you preparing for at the moment? What's your favourite long run food?

What Is : Training Periodisation?

The world of fitness is full of jargon. I'm not sure there's a runner left who isn't familiar with the term "fartlek" (but probably plenty who can't help but snigger) but there's still plenty of terminology that you may not be so familiar with. I certainly, have only relatively recently come across and started to understand the term "periodisation".

Periodisation is really just a term to describe the introduction of planned variations into a training programme. This commonly involves alternating phases of specific types of training and training loads. But why would we want to do this? Well it's seen to be an effective way to make progress and reach a higher level of performance. If you do the same thing all the time, while you may make improvements initially, you will soon plateau.

The approach is used a lot in programmes for new exercisers, increasing the intensity of a CV workout every few weeks to continue to overload the body (which is how improvements are made) whilst reducing the risk of overtraining and injury. The variation also helps to keep the training interesting and challenging.

Now to introduce a few more terms. Periodisation of a training plan typically has three cycles that fit together: 

• microcycle - typically up to 7 days
• mesocycle - anything from two weeks to a few months
• macrocycle - the overall training period, maybe a year or two 

To illustrate, an Olympian's macrocycle is going to be 4 years, and within that time they will have several mesocycles (perhaps an endurance phase, a strength phase and a power phase), each containing a number of microcycles (maybe increasing the number of reps of a strength exercise over the course of a week, before dropping back but increasing the weight). 

Periodisation can be applied to just about any sport and running is no exception. Runner's World have a really good article giving examples and guidelines. I won't recreate it in full here but if you're interested in finding out more about how periodisation could help you prepare for your next PB then it's a good starting point. It outlines the three mesocycles of a base phase (endurance), preparation phase (building speed) and peak phase (race simulation).  The article also outlines the microcycles in terms of the percentage of time you should be dedicating to endurance/long running, strength training/hill running and speed work (there's those fartleks again).

Although I'm following a training programme at present I'm not sure it's periodised so I'm keen to try applying these principles to my Spring marathon training plan which I'll start at the end of the year. Are you already familiar with periodisation? Is it something you actively use or are interested in introducing to your training?

Back To School? I Never Left!

I thought it was about time I did a bit of an update on my studies. September always brings with it that back-to-school feeling but I'm feeling it's effect less this year because I've barely stopped studying all year.

Although I'm now a newly qualified PT, I'm not done with my courses. The PT certification is just one part of a bigger diploma I'm working towards. Since I completed the Level 3 PT course I've taken (and passed) modules in Nutrition for Exercise & Sport, Pre- and Post-natal Nutrition and Marketing. I have just two modules left for the diploma, Pre- and Post-natal Exercise then GP Referral, which should be done and dusted by the end of March 2015. Outside of the diploma I'm also taking a course in Suspension Training at the beginning of December and my Leadership in Running Fitness in October. I'd had the LiRF course on my wishlist for a while but an exciting opportunity prompted me to get it booked up ASAP. All will be revealed in due course, I promise.

An even bigger land mark for me was getting my REPs application approved. That's right folks I'm now on the Register of Exercise Professionals! This definitely marks a new phase for me in my PT journey. I am looking at starting up my business proper and trying not to get overwhelmed at the prospect. Even when I've completed my formal studies I will still have so much to learnt, about business and myself. Little by little this is becoming a reality and I'm thrilled about it.

Is studying something you enjoy? Any courses on your wish list? Any advice for a fledgling PT?

A Set Back And The Mystery Of The Vanishing Time

This week's training has looked like this:
Saturday: parkrun
Sunday: Rest day
Monday: metafit
Tuesday: 1 hour at the driving range & 30 min HIIT workout
Wednesday: Rest day
Thursday: 4 mile run & metafit
Friday: 5 mile run, 30 min HIIT workout & 15 minutes yoga

You'll see there are more non-running workouts featuring in my training this week. This is partly because I've decided to take part in the Sweaty Betty 30 Day Sweat Challenge. It's part of their brilliant "get fit 4 free" campaign. You can take part in free workouts in store if you're lucky enough to have one close by, otherwise there will be online workouts (HIIT, yoga and other challenges) available throughout the month as well as recipes, tips and inspiration. I've not run nearly as many miles in the last week as I'd planned to and it's thrown me a little off track. Having these extra workouts has complimented what I have done and given me a bit of a boost.

Sunday was meant to be a long run day, but some drama and a very disturbed night's sleep meant that I felt completely wiped out and unable to join a couple of people for what was looking to be a really fabulous 22 mile run along the North Downs and Greensands Way. I'd even made a cake for post-run refueling (which got demolished by my work colleagues on Monday instead). So I decided to take it easy on myself, and gave myself permission to only do things I wanted to do. This resulted in a lie-in, breakfast in front of some Friday Night Lights (my latest box set obsession) then several hours on my allotment.

I'm a big fan of the headspace meditation app and have been using it daily for some time. I've recently completed 30 days of meditations on focus and I realised, when I was taking a lunch break at the allotment, that running and gardening are just about the only two activities I am totally present in. I become so engrossed in what I'm doing that I lose track of time or forget about things that have been bothering me before. I want to practice applying this to other things I do.

I finished the day with some batch cooking in an attempt to deal with the wonderful gluts of fruit and veggies around at the moment, and spending some time on a couple of craft projects I'm working on. The day was nothing like what I'd planned but exactly what I needed. Best of all I didn't feel at all guilty for not working out.

And the week has continued to improve from there. I got a PB for 2014 at Woodley parkrun on Saturday which was totally unexpected. It happened to be their 100th run and somehow I missed the memo about wearing blue. I wore green... Tuesday marked my first trip to the driving range. I've been challenged to 9 holes of golf tomorrow and it was deemed necessary for me to get some practice in. By golly that made me ache! Wednesday's rest day coincided with a day in the London office and dinner with my folks at Jamie's Italian in Threadneedle street. They do the most amazing chocolate macaroon dessert which I urge you to try.

And finally I'm delighted to have received my running vest from Hospiscare, along with a really lovely note from Celia, the lady I've been chatting with on email about all my events. The first event I'll be wearing this at is Equinox24 in just TWO WEEKS TIME! It's a pretty bright orange which can only help with being seen during the nighttime portion of the event. I can't believe it's come around so quickly. I thought I was all set but got a bit panicky on twitter during the week. But twitter is full of lovely people and so one packing list, some reassurance and some head torch recommendations later and I'm feeling much more settled. Last minute team changes haven't helped but we're finalised, focused and ready for fun, facepaints and flapjacks :)

Thanks to everyone who's donated/sponsored me so far, you are stars! If you haven't yet sponsored me please consider doing so at www.justgiving.com/VikkiRunning/ Every donation you make will be matched by my employer so you will be making double the difference. Thank you.

What's the best way you've found to cope with a set back in your training? Any tips for Equinox24?

Nutrition : What to Eat (and Drink) During Exercise

As my workouts are getting increasingly longer in preparation for my Autumn and Winter events, I'm starting to think more about how I should fuel myself during these sessions, to get the best out of them. My Personal training studies have covered this and I thought it might be useful to share what I've learnt.

Eating

If your workouts are usually 60 minutes or less, then you won't need to think about eating during a session. Your body generally has enough energy stored in the muscles to cope with an hour or so but after that those stores benefit from being "topped up".  As I'm now doing longer sessions, in preparation for my longer events in the autumn and winter, I'm having to think about fuelling up on the go.

Although the body gets most of its energy from fat, fat doesn't metabolise very quickly so carbohydrates are the fuel of choice during exercise. You're looking to take on 70g of CHO per hour, starting about 30 minutes into your session; think little and often over the course of your workout.

What you consume is worth thinking about. Your body needs that energy source quickly so a high GI food is perfect. Bananas and dried fruits are good options if you can handle solid foods, 500-1000ml of isotonic drink also work well and tend to be easier to consume on the go or in the gym and lots of runners take gels or jelly sweets. The options are varied but ultimately it comes down to what you can stomach. The sports drink you sip in the gym probably won't be enough on a long run and you might not be able to face the gels you eat during a triathlon when you're running an ultra (for example). A cheese sandwich might appeal more!

Drinking

In addition to fuelling it's important to keep properly hydrated during exercise. Even if you're 2% dehydrated it can seriously affect your performance and your general feelings of well-being. As you dehydrate your blood becomes thicker and it takes more effort for your heart to pump it around your body.

So how to stay hydrated? You need to drink approximately 1ml of fluid for every kcal burned or 1.5 litres for every kilo lost in weight during exercise. The best way to accomplish this is by drinking little and often throughout your event or training session. I've been known to pop into pubs on my running route to top up on water. Indeed, water is all you need for sessions lasting less than an hour but a sports drink is more beneficial for longer sessions. There are three main types of sports drink, all of which have a different purpose:

• Isotonic – provide carbohydrate and maintain hydration
• Hypotonic – designed to maintain hydration
• Hypertonic – used to supply carbohydrate 

During exercise you'll want an isotonic or hypotonic drink as these are less sugary and energy dense which allows the fluid to be absorbed more rapidly. There are plenty of sports specific drinks on the market (I'm a particular fan of nuun - see the side bar for a discount code), just make sure what you're buying suits your needs, but you can easily make your own.

Isotonic

• 500ml water
• 500ml fruit juice
• pinch of salt

Hypotonic

• 750ml water
• 250ml fruit juice
• pinch of salt

A final word on hyponatraemia. This is a condition that occurs when your blood sodium levels become too diluted. You've probably read about the occasional marathon runner who has suffered from this. It tends to affect those who are new to exercise or cover longer distances like ultramarathons or triathlons, as they tend to sweat more and have longer to take on fluids. Findarace.com have recently featured a great article about this, from a personal point of view and I'd recommend you give it a read. But don't get scared off of drinking during exercise. It's important to rehydrate, just make sure you include a little sodium as well.

Now I just need to start following my own advice! How do you fuel or hydrate during exercise? How do you carry it when you're out and about?

Kit Review: Primark Gym Range

Today I have a guest post and kit review from Dee. Hope you enjoy!

I am not a serious runner, I really only run if I want to lose a few pounds, or to get a bit fitter if Vikki talks me into doing a 5 or 10k!  Because of this, I tend not to go in much for fancy running gear, the running tops I own have been with me for about 8 years or more.  Yes, I know, terrible isn't it?

Anyway, they are getting a bit tired and seem to have shrunk somewhat in length, so I mentioned to Vikki that maybe I should look in the sales for a couple of new tops at least.  She suggested I look in Primark at their sportswear, she had heard good things about the running tops in particular from the ladies in the RMR Group.  As luck would have it, I was off to London that day to the West End where there is a huge Primark, so decided to have a look (they don't stock this range in my local Primark, and that is quite a large store).

I ended up buying 3 running tops, pale green, light marl grey and a black, a bargain at £4 each! They feel lovely and soft, are seamless and nice and long.  They are a technical and fast drying fabric and also have a nice bit of detailing on them. I don't think they look cheap at all.

I went out for a run in one over the weekend to try it out.  It was really comfortable to run in, didn't ride up at all and didn't rub anywhere.  I would definitely have paid a lot more for these tops.

Primark also do leggings and crop tops, but I think I am a bit past wearing those, however if you wear  them, it might be worth giving them a try, after all, what have you got to lose at those prices?

Have you had any running gear bargains? What brands do you think do a good job of producing workout kit at affordable prices?