Concurrent Strength & Endurance Training 2016: Cycle IV

I'm still not sure how effective the low carb and carb load ended up working? One thing I did notice towards the end of the race is eating gummy candies almost immediately picked my ass up in the race so maybe it was more effective than I think. I almost think the high sugar candy taste cause my brain to have a major insulin release or something.

I'm pretty much full on carbs these days. I've always avoided refined sugars but am beginning to doubt my logic. Trying to find information on it is like a minefield of medical contradiction. I think if you are exercising consistantly, sleeping and hydrating well then fuel becomes fuel, much like a car it only becomes beneficial when you turn the ignition and use it.
I've always worried about insulin spikes, sugar rushes and crashes, but I wonder if that only becomes a problem if you are sedentary. I always crave sweet things when I'm on a long run, there must be a reason for it.

Hope the lakes went well!
 
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I'm pretty much full on carbs these days. I've always avoided refined sugars but am beginning to doubt my logic. Trying to find information on it is like a minefield of medical contradiction. I think if you are exercising consistantly, sleeping and hydrating well then fuel becomes fuel, much like a car it only becomes beneficial when you turn the ignition and use it.
I've always worried about insulin spikes, sugar rushes and crashes, but I wonder if that only becomes a problem if you are sedentary. I always crave sweet things when I'm on a long run, there must be a reason for it.

Hope the lakes went well!

Hey it did go well thanks! These two articles are interesting to read and seem to dispel most myths out there. But yeah that seems to be the perfect way to describe carbs as fuel, fats and proteins can be much more stable for your daily intake.

http://www.completehumanperformance.com/nutrition-athlete-part-1/
http://www.completehumanperformance.com/nutrition-athlete-part-2/

Carbohydrates: The real focus of performance nutrition should be around carbohydrates and timing of their intake. Generally speaking, if adhering to the roughly amounts of each other macro listed above, the remainder shoulder generally come from carbohydrate sources. But what sources?

As mentioned earlier, there’s far less difference between many carbohydrate sources than many seem to realize- whole grains in general have little nutritional advantage over more refined grains, and even many sugars are far more equal than the general media seems to state. (For example, even the much-reviled high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is nutritionally identical to table sugar, and within seconds of entering the digestive tract the disaccharide in table sugar is quickly broken down to the two monosaccharides in high fructose corn syrup.) Waxy maize, marketed under various brand names (including the UCAN brand targeted towards endurance athletes) is essentially corn starch, and has no special properties- one may as well consume mouthfuls of flour or grits. So what DOES matter?

Generally speaking, higher fiber carbohydrates DO satiate longer, particularly when consumed with other nutrients. Athletes should almost never consumer carbohydrates on their own during their standard meals; fats and proteins do more to slow gastric emptying than does the inherent “glycemic index” of various carbohydrate sources. The exception to this is immediately prior to and during exercise- immediately prior to SHORT duration activity, many individuals can benefit from a quick carbohydrate top off from simple sugar sources, in the neighborhood of 0.5g/kg/hour of activity. Note if consumed more than half an hour before activity, the system will release a large amount of insulin (as activity level will be low but blood sugar high) which will negatively impact performance, so it is critical this be done within a short window of activity start.

During activity, athletes benefit from carbohydrate AND protein sources, as carbohydrates alone can cause both GI upset and hinder fluid uptake. (The mechanism for this has to do with how water is absorbed in the gut- both sodium and several amino acids are used as exchanges for water molecules in the cells lining the GI tract, and without amino acids in the gut it is difficult to hydrate properly… leading to sugars remaining in the gut and not being absorbed either). My recommendation for long duration athletic activity is 0.75g/kg/hour of carbohydrate and 0.25g/kg/hour of protein (from either branched chain amino acids or easily digested whole food sources like milk or whey), in conjunction with adequate fluid.

Following activity, provided one’s diet is on point, the post-workout “anabolic window” does not truly matter. If an athlete has been consuming sufficient calories before and during a workout, then any regular meal within several hours of activity should be sufficient.

So to sum up, regarding carbohydrates, what guidelines should an individual follow?

1) Avoid eating carbohydrates on their own during normal meals

2) Only consume simply carbohydrates on their own IMMEDIATELY prior to activity

3) During activity, consume simple carbohydrates in conjunction with a small amount of protein

4) Carbohydrates should still constitute the majority of an athlete’s diet, as low carbohydrate levels during activity are far more detrimental to performance than low protein or fat levels.

5) There is no hard and fast rule regarding whether or not carbohydrates should be consumed at night. The only critical point to remember with carbohydrates is that, in general, the “harder” to digest they are (i.e. the less refined), the further IN ADVANCE of exercise they should be consumed.
 
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Hey it did go well thanks! These two articles are interesting to read and seem to dispel most myths out there. But yeah that seems to be the perfect way to describe carbs as fuel, fats and proteins can be much more stable for your daily intake.

http://www.completehumanperformance.com/nutrition-athlete-part-1/
http://www.completehumanperformance.com/nutrition-athlete-part-2/

Thanks for the links Abide:) The articles seem to cut through the nutritional BS like no other i've read. I'm not sure if I qualify as being athletic these days, but the advice seems direct, clear and something I can definitely work with.
 
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That's interesting you are thinking about doing the conditioning piece, I have been thinking about that too. I've been getting the need to add a little faster conditioning work in to the routine. Maybe a modified cfit thing or something. Let me know how it goes for you breaking it up like that.

I ended up missing beer a lot especially as I had to skip all the pubs in Scotland. It was definitely easier to handle here since that is one of my favorite things to do in the UK. Good thing I get to do my pub crawl. Hot day in the pool with the family would also require a nice crappy American light beer too.

I'm still not sure how effective the low carb and carb load ended up working? One thing I did notice towards the end of the race is eating gummy candies almost immediately picked my ass up in the race so maybe it was more effective than I think. I almost think the high sugar candy taste cause my brain to have a major insulin release or something.
Yah, rethinking the whole EOD lifting/aerobic routine. A little of everything everyday. It started by reading about the Bulgarian method's ED lifting, then thinking more and more how silly we are to program our fitness routines so rigidly, like factory work, then reflecting on the fact that my body adapted just fine to cycling eight hours a day while traveling.

Yah, my routine is a beer as soon as I get home, then a glass of wine for dinner. It's been like that since I got married and I found I could no longer work in the evenings.

I found out I'm mildly hypoglycemic in my early 20s. My doctor suggested eating protein at every meal, in order to keep my blood sugar levels from spikes or troughs. Seems to work pretty well. Might also explain why so many vegetarians seem grouchy, but maybe it's just their disappointment in liberals. I'm also a big believer in eating a lot of protein (and drinking a lot of water) first thing in the morning, and then trending more towards fruits and vegetables as the day wears on.

I've also followed the idea of adding carbs when I need more calories for a long time. That is, I have sort of a baseline nutrition, and then if I go for a long run or bike ride, just add carbs to make up for the caloric deficient. Contrariwise, if I'm sedentary, carbs are the thing I cut, although I do feel that when I'm not lifting I can also cut protein intake as well.

Tomorrow's my birthday, hard to turn 39 once again. If I'm ever going to get back on the exercise bandwagon, tomorrow is the day.
 
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I'm also a big believer in eating a lot of protein (and drinking a lot of water) first thing in the morning, and then trending more towards fruits and vegetables as the day wears on.

I've been reading up on a lot of pro athletes diets recently and high protein breakfasts seems to be the flavour of the month, as long as the food is clean and not processed. I'm not sure of the science as it's not ketogenic but supposedly helps with burning fat as fuel.

Happy Birthday Lee :singing:
 
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I've been reading up on a lot of pro athletes diets recently and high protein breakfasts seems to be the flavour of the month, as long as the food is clean and not processed. I'm not sure of the science as it's not ketogenic but supposedly helps with burning fat as fuel.

Happy Birthday Lee :singing:
Bacon and eggs are trendy? I just sub nuts and dried fruits but it's basically the same idea. I think the whole idea of eating nothing but carbs aka cereal for breakfast was just a big marketing scam promulgated by the subsidized grain cartel, helped along by all the bogus studies on cholesterol, low-fat, etc.

Thanks, had a nice relaxing day, a nice fat, bloody ribeye with a bottle of Garnacha, a rare nap, and a Netflix comedy double-header with the family--"Little Man" and "Coming to America." Made a Picasso strap for my family to give me, to go with my Picasso bass.
 
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Yah, rethinking the whole EOD lifting/aerobic routine. A little of everything everyday. It started by reading about the Bulgarian method's ED lifting, then thinking more and more how silly we are to program our fitness routines so rigidly, like factory work, then reflecting on the fact that my body adapted just fine to cycling eight hours a day while traveling.

Yah, my routine is a beer as soon as I get home, then a glass of wine for dinner. It's been like that since I got married and I found I could no longer work in the evenings.

I found out I'm mildly hypoglycemic in my early 20s. My doctor suggested eating protein at every meal, in order to keep my blood sugar levels from spikes or troughs. Seems to work pretty well. Might also explain why so many vegetarians seem grouchy, but maybe it's just their disappointment in liberals. I'm also a big believer in eating a lot of protein (and drinking a lot of water) first thing in the morning, and then trending more towards fruits and vegetables as the day wears on.

I've also followed the idea of adding carbs when I need more calories for a long time. That is, I have sort of a baseline nutrition, and then if I go for a long run or bike ride, just add carbs to make up for the caloric deficient. Contrariwise, if I'm sedentary, carbs are the thing I cut, although I do feel that when I'm not lifting I can also cut protein intake as well.

Tomorrow's my birthday, hard to turn 39 once again. If I'm ever going to get back on the exercise bandwagon, tomorrow is the day.

Funny how that is intuitive to you. To be honest I have never really thought about macros before and still hesitate to follow them now but there is logic behind your way. Actually doing the low carb thing was probably the most miserable I have ever felt so I am not doing that again. Just finding that comfortable medium is my goal. Although I am sitting around 197lbs so I probably should start cutting weight again... the never ending goal.

Yeah it was the Bulgarian lifting for you and the dan john easy strength for me about the every day lifting. I think the Bulgarian system where you max everyday might be a little overkill but as long as you load and restrict reps right it seems to work pretty well. By the way with all the extra back work I have been doing I noticed during my run the complete lack of upper back soreness from carrying my pack. Seems to be a big benefit for me.

Happy belated B-day Lee, sounded like a nice one.
 
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Funny how that is intuitive to you. To be honest I have never really thought about macros before and still hesitate to follow them now but there is logic behind your way. Actually doing the low carb thing was probably the most miserable I have ever felt so I am not doing that again. Just finding that comfortable medium is my goal. Although I am sitting around 197lbs so I probably should start cutting weight again... the never ending goal.

Yeah it was the Bulgarian lifting for you and the dan john easy strength for me about the every day lifting. I think the Bulgarian system where you max everyday might be a little overkill but as long as you load and restrict reps right it seems to work pretty well. By the way with all the extra back work I have been doing I noticed during my run the complete lack of upper back soreness from carrying my pack. Seems to be a big benefit for me.

Happy belated B-day Lee, sounded like a nice one.
Yah, I dunno. I think when you're reasonably fit and healthy, your body tends to tell you what to eat, so follow your intuitions. For me it's basically protein + fruits and vegetables, then add more starchy carbs as needed. My favorite carb is sweet potato, then mixed grain rice. Lately I've been enjoying bread once in a while too, after a few years of having no taste for it.

I forgot about the Dan John influence, which you told me about long ago. I guess it's more a matter of reading the right thing at the right time, and when I was discovering Greg Nuckols' stuff I read his take on the Bulgarian method, and that's when it clicked. Anyway, still just empty words on my part. Did manage a bike ride yesterday. Felt great. It's hard to explain this exercise avoidance I've been in. I think it's mostly not wanting to start over, after making decent gains last fall and Squat PRs. Also, without the running component, it's just harder to get psyched.

Thanks, yeah, with the family life, I'm happy to stay home. My wedding anniversary yesterday, but my wife had an evening shift. Perfect weather for the pool, but I had to ground my son when he acted up at the florist. Not really fair to my daughter, but I gotta stay on top of that sort of thing or else it will snowball. Definitely my least favorite part of parenting is disciplining. We ended up staying up late anyway, waiting for my wife to come home, so got a late start today, so no early morning bike ride or lifting, and I hate going to the gym in the afternoon when it's more crowded and I'm a little afraid they tell me to put on shoes, which will mean I might have to put them on in the morning even when no-one's around, if they decide to start checking their cameras. But so far, no hint of a barefoot prejudice, so I'm probably just making excuses as usual.
 
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Another failure on the bench, maybe that race took a little more from my strength levels than I like to admit. One week left in this cycle. I might just throw in the towel for the next two weeks and hit lighter weights. Actually this is probably the best sign to ratchet it down a bit. Now what to do?
Yeah, take it easy and focus on the racing, the last thing you want is a stupid injury.
 
Yeah, take it easy and focus on the racing, the last thing you want is a stupid injury.

Yeah good plan.

I have to admit my lifting motivation is horrible the last couple of weeks. Its been very hard to not get distracted. Then I always have kids fooling around in the garage with me when I lift at night which doesnt help.

Hope you get things back on track, maybe chalk it up to periodization or something!

Edit: dang this is the last week of the cycle, that went quick. Next cycle is gonna be another strnage one. I still need to write up a race report....
 
Hope you get things back on track, maybe chalk it up to periodization or something!
Yeah, it's a funny psychology right now. Periodization is an excuse I hadn't thought of yet!

But I know that there's no real choice in the matter. Spending the rest of my days out-of-shape is not an option. Maybe tomorrow. Or get back to the garage gym routine.

The good news is that about a year ago I was cleared to lift again and got to a new PR by the end of the year. So after a couple of months of consistency I could be not be that far off from where I used to be.
 
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Yeah, it's a funny psychology right now. Periodization is an excuse I hadn't thought of yet!

But I know that there's no real choice in the matter. Spending the rest of my days out-of-shape is not an option. Maybe tomorrow. Or get back to the garage gym routine.

The good news is that about a year ago I was cleared to lift again and got to a new PR by the end of the year. So after a couple of months of consistency I could be not be that far off from where I used to be.

Yep and you will get some steady increases till you get back up to where you were.

Wrote up a race report last night finally.

https://6movements.wordpress.com/2016/08/12/lakeland-100-2016/

I need to gear up for a week long run/hike. I have never done something like this before so it will be interesting how I react to multiple back to back days. I'm tentatively shooting for 40 mile days but we will see what happens. I'll put up some details in the next cycle thread. I am actually taking a live tracker with me so I'll put up a link if anyone wants to check in on me. lol sorry about the narcissism, its more for my wife to keep an eye on me.

The leg is feeling much better still have some lingering compartment like symptoms but after two weeks of no running it seems like its mostly healed. I am still worried its gonna flare up the next week though...
 
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Yep and you will get some steady increases till you get back up to where you were.

Wrote up a race report last night finally.

https://6movements.wordpress.com/2016/08/12/lakeland-100-2016/

I need to gear up for a week long run/hike. I have never done something like this before so it will be interesting how I react to multiple back to back days. I'm tentatively shooting for 40 mile days but we will see what happens. I'll put up some details in the next cycle thread. I am actually taking a live tracker with me so I'll put up a link if anyone wants to check in on me. lol sorry about the narcissism, its more for my wife to keep an eye on me.

The leg is feeling much better still have some lingering compartment like symptoms but after two weeks of no running it seems like its mostly healed. I am still worried its gonna flare up the next week though...
Great write-up, remarkable achievement! Can't imagine doing the whole thing on a bum ankle.