2012 Campaign Underway
No, I’m not running for political office, just a brief preview of the 2012 Ultra season. I wrote this one week ago on April 1st. You can also check out posts on the Vasque blog. Check it out and thanks for reading. DC
April 1, 2012 is now upon us, and with it, the official start to my 2012 ultra-running season. As I type, recovering from the Elk Mountains Grand Traverse back-country ski race from Crested Butte to Aspen, CO, I am amazed that it is sunny and 70 degrees outside. This is tremendous weather for this time of the year in Gunnison and although there will be many challenges throughout the Western USA this summer due to the low snow-pack and lack of moisture in the high mountains, the one benefit to those who live in the mountains is clear: much earlier access to dry trails and high mountains. Already, there are 14,000’ peaks within an hour drive of my house that I can get up and down on foot without much snow, which is at least 6 weeks earlier than last year. The training opportunities are unique for my sixth season of competing in ultras. Heck, the season itself will be unique.
With regards to training and fitness, this past winter was the best yet. Running every day, coupled with timely long runs, quality strength training, numerous cross-country ski outings, and a very clean nutritional approach has left me the fittest I’ve ever been on April Fool’s day. As a cross-country ski coach, this winter season was one of the best for the team and athletes I work with. Numerous top regional results and many strong National performances helped to continue the upward trajectory that the Crested Butte Nordic Team finds itself on. I leave the official ski race season with much inspiration and motivation to better myself as a coach, runner, and person.
Launching into more structured running-specific training is now the name of the game with the main focus of my training being the Ultra Trail Mt Fuji (UTMF) 100 miler on May 18th in Japan. I look forward to finalizing my preparation and fitness for what will be my first international race experience. The final buildup of training during April and early May will primarily consist of moderately high volume running with some large ‘sprinkles’ of intensity thrown on top. I will be running approximately 100 miles per week with two days of solid intensity training per week. Strength training will also continue to be a central component of the training approach with an emphasis on core and explosive leg strength. During this final buildup to UTMF, I will also be attempting to defend my title at the Spring Desert Ultra 50 mile race in Fruita, CO on April 21st. Throughout this race, and all the training, I will be visualizing competing for the win in Japan. Fired up for this opportunity.
After racing in Japan, I will be taking time off from training while leading a two-week long summer ski training camp in Bend, OR for several of the skiers I work with. This training camp will be a great way to get these high-school aged athletes pumped up for a summer of training, and it will also serve to keep me active, fit, and strong as I look toward to rest of the summer. Once home from this camp, toward the end of June, my training will build back up and I’ll also be helping my friend and training partner Tim Parr at the Hardrock 100 in the middle of July. Parr will no doubt be harboring aspirations for a victory at Hardrock and I’ll be psyched to be there trying to help him accomplish that ambitious goal. Beyond pacing and crewing at Hardrock, I will also be racing the Grand Mesa 50 mile event at the end of July in Cedaredge, CO, which will be an awesome way to gauge my fitness and get in a beautiful race at high altitude.
This is where my season will turn vastly different from any other I’ve had so far. August will come but I have already decided not to race the Leadville 100 in 2012. This may come as a shock to some of you that have followed my exploits for the past 5 years. A quick reading of any blog post I have ever written will leave you knowing at least one thing; “I Love Leadville.” Even though I have decided not to race in 2012, after 5 consecutive Leadville 100 finishes, including 3 podiums, and 2 victories, I know it is time to take a break from this great event. I still love Leadville and I will always. Instead, I will be using August as a month of solid preparation for the inaugural Run Rabbit Run 100 miler in Steamboat Springs, CO on September 14th. This will be a deeply competitive event with a large prize purse on the line and I can’t wait to race it. Post-Steamboat I will be prepping for the Stump Jump 50km on October 6th in Chattanooga, TN.
I anticipate the 2012 calendar year to be filled with adventures on and off the trail. These races and the training required will keep me engaged in the outdoors, and with the ever-constant pursuit of fitness and physical challenge. My wife Annie and I are also looking forward to this summer being an amazing first full summer with our daughter Jordan, who’ll be turning 1 year old this July. No doubt we’ll be hiking, biking, running, and walking with her all over the place. She has brought incredible joy into our lives and we still can’t believe how fortunate we are to have this incredible kid in our lives. Anyway… here’s to a tremendous spring and summer; both on and off the trail. Thanks for reading. Live well. Train well. DC
Highs and Lows 2011 (part 2)
The drive home from crewing and pacing at the Western States 100 was a time of reflection. I was convinced that I needed to sit out the Hardrock 100, which was only 12 days away. I simply did not feel well in body, mind, or spirit. Exhaustion had crept into every facet of my life but somehow I convinced myself that racing would be a good idea. Essentially, I did not want to miss out on an opportunity to race Hardrock. I toed the start-line feeling pretty good and ran well for 35 miles. Beginning at the base of the single track climb up to the summit of Handies Peak though, fatigue engulfed me and I was forced to slow down. I did not feel good above 11,000′ and I quickly lost my 7th place position. By the time I made it to Grouse Gulch at mile 42, I began to seriously entertain the notion of dropping out. Good friend Rich Smith was there to pace me and as we headed up Engineer Pass the nausea and exhaustion began in earnest. I must have puked 10 times on the climb, but Rich was there to ensure that I kept plugging away. I specifically recall being hunched over on exhausted legs, dry-heaving, and telling Rich that “I have no idea how the hell I am going to finish.” (Definitely a low point of 2011) He paused and stated simply and without a hint of drama in his voice: “By putting one foot in front of the other.” This resonated with me, but first I had to get some calories and liquids back into my system. We sat at the top of Engineer for at least 30 minutes while I wallowed in my self-pity, snacked on a few items, and drank some liquids. Rich remained positive and I was really glad to have him there with me, because I would likely still be sitting at the top of the pass had he not prodded me into action again.
There comes a point during every race when ‘something’ kick-starts the lethargy out of you and drives your brain, heart, and body toward the finish-line. That point came as Rich and I began the descent from Engineer Pass to Ouray. The initial 400′ or so of vertical descent is on a muddy/snowy/grassy slope that was tough to negotiate, especially after developing cold and stiff legs by sitting for 30 minutes. Rich and I slipped simultaneously on the treacherous slope. I caught myself without issue, but Rich caught himself with an outstretched hand and managed to dislocate and break is middle finger. (A definite low point of 2011) (See picture below). He did not scream, swear, whine, complain, or even really say anything about it. He calmly stated: “Duncan, I think I broke my finger.” That was that. We headed onward at a faster clip. Indeed, now it felt as though we were moving with purpose and urgency. To keep the swelling down, Rich ran with his hand above his head for the entire descent into Ouray. Without a doubt, this was the most entertaining part of the run. (A high point of the season!) Thanks to Rich and his family for the sacrifice of the weekend!
Rich Smith’s Finger. Hardrock 100, 2011. Sense of Urgency.
My energy was solid and my body felt like it was coming back around as we clipped into Ouray. Annie had come down from Gunnison with a few friends to watch me go through Ouray! I was so excited to see her there. (Remember, Annie was about 2 weeks away from her due date at this point). I believe I had slipped back to 13th place by this point, but I was determined to finish as best as I could. With Jerry and Adam pacing me the rest of the way and a full night between me and the finish-line, there were many highs and lows. Eventually we trooped it out and I finished in 8th place at 30 hours and 57 minutes. I was underwhelmed with the placing, (My worst ultra result to date)(A definite low point), but I was ecstatic with my first Hardrock 100 finish. There is nothing quite like it. The 2011 Hardrock 100 blew my mind, humbled me, and left me wanting more. (A high point of 2011).
Rich Smith, myself, Adam St. Pierre. Hardrock 2011. Kathy, Hannah, Jerry and Allison also!
With Hardrock now behind me, Annie and I waited anxiously for the arrival of our first child! Annie had a perfect pregnancy without any issues and she handled it splendidly. Jordan Elizabeth Callahan was born on July 30, 2011 at 6 pounds 6 ounces. She and mom were both healthy and happy and Annie and I launched into parenthood. We are so excited and thankful to have a beautiful, healthy, and perfect baby girl in our lives. We could not be happier. (A HIGH POINT OF 2011 AND OUR WHOLE LIVES!)
Jordan Elizabeth Callahan. Beautiful girl. Annie and I are so stoked.
This ‘post-Hardrock’ window saw me launching a full-scale assault on all of the summits in and around the Gunnison Valley. Seemingly every day I was getting above 11,000′ and picking off 12,000′ summits. Some of these were pure hiking endeavors, while others were hard running efforts. I found perspective the higher I went and I sought out many great mountains. Parr and I of course hit up many of the mountains together. Scott Drum and I headed to Mt Sneffels. Ryan Burch, Scott and I ran a fantastic loop around the Castles near Gunnison. We topped out over 13,000′ on West Elk Peak and then completed the 28 mile outing. (Without question, this time period was a major high point of 2011).
Mt. Sneffels. Scott and I headed up this 14,000′ peak 1 week after Hardrock.
The Castles Formation. Drum, Burch, and I made a great day out of circumnavigating this area.
Early August came on the heels of having a child, racing Hardrock, and after a 3 week binge of high altitude. These three things left me drained heading into my taper for and racing of the Leadville 100. In retrospect I was not emotionally or mentally ready to tackle another 100 mile event. I was not focused and my ambition was lacking. My body was ‘toast’ and certainly not ready to perform at a peak level, but somehow I convinced myself that I would be able to rise up to the challenge at Leadville. It was not to be, and I was a non-factor from start to finish. There were times during the race that I was suffering so bad but my pacers kept me moving. My quads were destroyed from about mile 40 on and it was all I could do to keep grinding it out. Leadville was a uniquely humbling experience and I am thankful for all of the support from my friends who once again came up to Leadville to crew, pace, and watch me run myself into the ground. Thank you for being there on the good days and the bad. You can read my full Leadville 100 2011 race report here. One thing I noticed about the 100 pictures from 2011′s Leadville is that my head is down in every picture. I never look up. Here’s an example from the Mayqueen Aid Station: (A 2011 low point)
Mayqueen Aid Station. Mile 86.5. The 2011 Leadville 100. Annie encourages me.
After Leadville came some much needed rest, a period of re-focusing, and large dietary changes. I spent the fall helping coach the Crested Butte XC Running Team. The boys won the first team State Title in school history, with 2 of my xc skiing athletes being leading scorers and in the top 10 overall. (Definitely a high point of 2011!). Annie and I adjusted to being first time parents pretty darn well, mostly on the back of Annie’s superior skills of prioritizing, organizing, and scheduling. Jordan has been a great kid and so far rock solid with regards to eating, sleeping, and staying on a schedule. Again, a testament to Annie’s abilities as a mom. Training throughout the fall and into winter has largely consisted of 4 or 5 runs per week for a total of 30 to 40 miles, mostly done at a ‘trotting’ pace. My body rebounded from the horrendous summer and as the New Year has dawned, I know my body’s endocrine system is back to normal ranges of hormone secretion. My energy is high and body is lean. No doubt the high energy is a result of having a renewed sense of purpose; raising a child! I have completely altered my diet from mostly carbohydrate-centric to a grain-free, ‘optimized-fat-metabolism diet’. The staples of oatmeal, jam, bread, pasta, rice, and cookies have been replaced with eggs, butter, way more veggies, dark chocolate, and nuts. I have never felt leaner, ever. I would like to detail this a bit more at some point in the near future.
Thanks for reading the final accounting of the 2011 season. Next up on the dockett is finalizing my plans for the 2012 season, developing my training plan and nutritional strategy to an even better level, and enjoying the process of transformation from ‘out-of-shape’ to extremely fit. I love that process and how it plays out in every other area of life as well. Here’s to an awesome beginning to 2012. Be on the look out for another post in a week or so lining out the upcoming running season’s goals, races, and priorities. Live well. Train well. DC.
Highs and Lows
I will remember the spring and summer of 2011 forever. As I was looking through my photo albums from the past few months, it struck me how incredible this year has been. My experiences in running and in life throughout 2011 have been tremendous. A boat-load of travel, training and racing took place. Annie and I welcomed the birth of our daughter, Jordan Elizabeth Callahan. We are still in awe every day about our amazing kid. Here is a brief snap-shot of the highs and lows from the 2011 spring and summer running season.
- Ryan Burch and I at the finish line of the 2011 Moab Red Hot 55km
The season started off ‘awesomely’ way back in February with the Moab Red Hot 55km. After a sluggish start to the race, I moved up and felt much better by the finish line to finish in 5th place. It was a good start to the year with a body that was less than ideally prepared for a 34-mile run. Heading to Moab in February was a welcome retreat for Annie and I too. This was definitely a high point to the start of the season.
- My buddy Brian Gregg on his wedding day with his ‘dudes-men’
With the cancelation of the May 2011 Mt Fuji 100 mile race in Japan (the cancelation was for sure a low point), I made several changes to my season. Many of these changes were positive, as I was able to race and win the Spring Desert Ultra 50 miler in April. It felt good to take home a victory again. That win was a definite high point for the season. Way better than a victory though was the chance to head to a good friend’s wedding! The Mt Fuji Race was scheduled for May 20, 2011 but my buddy Brian was getting married that weekend in Washington State. No way I could do both. When the race was canceled, I was elated to be able to head to Brian’s wedding in Winthrop, WA. Brian and his wife Caitlin are tremendous human beings and I am thankful to know them both as friends. Heading to Brian’s wedding? A definite high point of 2011. During this trip, I was also able to race the Sun Mountain 50 mile which was conveniently in the same area. Despite some course marking issues, I greatly enjoyed being part of this race and taking home another victory. Immediately after the race, I knew this was the best I had felt as a runner in over 2 years. The lower altitude certainly helped, but mainly I took the positive feeling in my body as a good sign that my training was on track. The Sun Mountain 50 mile was a high point of 2011.
Once home from Washington, I put my nose to the grindstone and accomplished quite a bit of training. Over the Memorial Day weekend, I felt a shift in my energy, effort-levels, motivation, and physical feeling during training. At the time, this shift was subtle, but in retrospect I now see this was the period of 2011 that ruined me for months to come. On the eve of a massive ski training camp trip in Bend, OR with two of the XC ski athletes I work with, I felt stiff, fat, stale, and exhausted. I had no drive or gas in the tank, and was beginning to worry about the upcoming month of travel, training, racing, and life. How did I respond? Quad Americanos. I consumed coffee like I had a death wish. The stimulant masked the feeling of exhaustion, but enabled me to drive myself further into the ground. (The ski camp itself, and the quality time with my two athletes was DEFINITELY a high point of 2011) We came home from Bend and I was certain I should not race the San Juan Solstice 50 miler in Lake City, CO. Due to a case of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) I toed the start-line anyway. Turns out, this was not a great plan.
- Forrest and Boucher slept on top of the van as we camped on our road-trip to Bend, OR
- Skiing in June near Bend. Awesome 10 days of running, skiing, and strength training. Dudes got fit.
- Exhausted. Large. Lacking Confidence. Drained. Finish line of the San Juan Solstice 50 mile
After a ‘less-than-stellar’ race (The worst day of running I have ever had) (A definite low point!) at the San Juan Solstice 50 mile in Lake City, CO, I was relieved to be heading out of town and re-stoke the fire by crewing/pacing/spectating at the Western States 100. My friend Adam was racing his first 100 mile event and I was stoked to help pace him. Adam ran well, crushed the finish, and earned his first belt buckle. I was also able to see 35 miles of the course while I was pacing. A high point for sure. This trip also served as a chance for me to see my grandparents and uncle who live in the Northern California area. I do not see this part of my family all that much, and it was fantastic to get to visit with them for 24 hours! A great high point of the summer.
When I arrived home from pacing at the Western States 100, I remember telling Annie that I was pretty sure I needed to skip the Hardrock 100 which was ‘looming’ over my head a mere two weeks in the future. Not the mind-set you want to have heading into an epic event like Hardrock…. (to be continued in part 2)(stay tuned)(soon-ish to follow)…. Thanks for reading. Keep the emotions and mindset even… Keep on it. DC
Leadville 100 2011 Video
The 2011 Leadville 100 was pretty incredible. The fastest top 10 ever. The fastest 2nd place time ever by Dylan Bowman and the 3rd fastest victory ever by Ryan Sandes who took home the win with an impressive effort. Check out this awesome video from Salomon Running:
In other news, I have yet to start any structured training back up. My body and mind feel ready to begin, but I am still trying to nail down my exact objectives for 2012 and beyond. I have been greatly enjoying an abundance of strength training; both core strengthening and weight training. I am also tremendously enjoying running with the Crested Butte XC running team two times per week, including a tempo run. Being around these great young runners is keeping me on my toes. Also, I have become quite proficient at walking, as I have been walking 6+ hours per week in an attempt to combine physical activity with daily errands. Maybe a future career in race walking? We’ll see. Hope you enjoy the video. Keep planning. Keep dreaming. DC.
Evidence-based Nutrition for Optimizing Endurance Performance
There is a lot of discussion right now regarding how to eat to optimize ultra-endurance performance. Most of the new chatter seems legitimate and centers around increasing the body’s ability to utilize fat as a fuel by restructuring the daily diet. Seemingly lost in the discussion though is the traditional endurance-athlete diet of higher carbohydrate consumption. There is a gigantic body of research supporting a diet of 60% carbohydrate or more for ‘endurance fiends’. Is this the proper way to eat to maximize our ultra-endurance performance? Dr. Scott Drum lays out the argument below that we cannot neglect carbohydrate consumption. There is much validity to Scott’s well-written and science-based article. The point that most readers will make probably centers around just where are those carbohydrates are coming from. Keep the dialogue rolling! Over the next few weeks we will be posting more nutrition related articles and links to resources. In the mean time, do not settle for the status-quo. Autumn is the perfect time to re-evaluate for next summer’s ultra season. Identify the 1 or 2 changes that you need to make to better yourself and then experiment/tinker with new ideas this fall and lay the ‘ground-work’ for performance improvement in the future! Thanks for reading. Eat well. Think well. DC
Scott’s article:
There goes a saying that you are what you eat. So live it…honestly! For endurance training and racing the need to train consistently and without unwanted breaks is the “magic bullet.” To do this properly, eating habits that encompass daily, planned ingestion of perpetual motion nutrients (e.g., carbs) are of paramount importance. In short, put away the quirky diets, starvation theories that purportedly allow an ultra runner to “burn more fat,” and special weapon foods. Where you’re going you need a balanced and regimented diet with discarded notions that one particular substance, foodstuff or ergogenic aid works better than good old fashioned well planned meals.
Evidence-based research on athletes, especially endurance fiends, shows us the high importance of ingesting enough carbohydrates each day (ISSN Position Stand, 2008; ACSM Position Stand, 2009). For you see, ensuring everlasting carbohydrate stores allows optimal training, racing, and recovery. Importantly, carbohydrates are broken down for energy much more economically (i.e., with less oxygen) than stored or intramuscular fat. Of course you’re all aware that fat, especially intramuscular fat and fatty acids in the blood, will generate more overall energy (in the form of the wonder structure, adenosine triphosphate or ATP) versus carbohydrates per gram. The only problem is that you burn more oxygen, time, and energy processing the fat to ATP. If your race pace is truly below about 40-50% of VO2max and you wish to run like a turtle, then by all means force yourself to endure the sloth of a high fat (> 70% of daily intake) or low carbohydrate (< 30% of daily intake), slow motion diet, especially during day-to-day plods. With this contentious point swirling around your brain, I will gladly concede that periodically depriving yourself of carbs and ingesting a bit more fat (not too much more…) may enhance fat burning during moderate intense runs and especially over long time periods. However, I emphasize the concept of periodically doing this or using periodized eating schemes, such as suggested by Bob Seebohar, MS, RD, and author of Nutrition Periodization for Athletes: Taking Traditional Sports Nutrition to the Next Level (see his blog and webpage at: http://fuel4manceblog.blogspot.com/; interestingly, you may also notice Bob’s new book about Metabolic Efficiency Training: Teaching the Body to Burn more Fat). Remember, by training consistently and eating a holistic, planned diet high in carbs with moderate fat intake and normal protein ingestion, you’ll be on the path to enlightenment. Thus, let go of all your preconceived notions and get back to basics.
So, throw away (or at least mitigate) the impression that you have a favorite drink, food, or state of mind. Eating to fuel for endurance performance is primordially easy. Just eat a lot of calories in the ratio of approximately (give or take a few percentage points) 60% carb, 18% protein, and 22% fat (mostly unsaturated). Ideally, do not drop below 15% total fat and not too much above roughly 20% protein. The rest is easy math – eat good complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains/breads, pastas, legumes, and cereals… regularly! Notably, be sure to eat over a half plate of fruits and veggies each day (or meal), while consuming 3-5+ Liters of liquid per day, mostly water mixed with some sport drink and a few cups of coffee. Hey, most endurance fanatics can’t shake the stimulant habit and most likely shouldn’t try to. By the way, caffeine, contrary to popular belief, will not invoke dehydration if you ingest the aforementioned amount of water per day. In fact, coffee itself is a helpful antioxidant and the sympathetic overdrive it promotes decreases transit time in the gut, helping keep you regular and with a lowered chance of colon cancer, among other goodness. So, yes, sip the coffee, break some whole grain bread, drink water often, and go for a run… repeatedly!
Ok, to this point I’ve been a bit of boat rocker. To this I say “good,” now you’re listening. Remember, you are what you eat and if you eat simply and often while abiding by the above ratios in percent per day of carbs, fat, and protein, you’re gettin’ it. The magic bullet is to train, race, and recover optimally. If you deprive yourself of overall carbohydrates, training, racing, and recovery are harder to do. I know, I know, you can certainly get away with a fad diet, favorite frothy drink or food, and “think” it’s getting you somewhere when quite the contrary may be happening. Instead you’ve become a slave to your own ambition and forgot the basics. Remember, a coke or natural existing food, such as chips, peanut butter, or baked potato can be far better than the expensive elixir some advertisement or company has told you is the next messiah, especially when it comes to fueling your body during long races or training runs. Shed your doubts and return to basic eating…a lot of eating and hydrating, especially because you’re an endurance hound and need it. Lastly, I promise that if you pay attention to food labels (including grams of carbohydrate, protein, and fat), looking for complex carbs or whole grains tempered with a fair helping of protein (from both animal and plant) for good muscle recovery, and the balance polyunsaturated fats, you’ll be in optimal training, racing, and recovery nirvana.
I welcome feedback and questions. Between Duncan and myself, I assure you that we’ll listen and provide thoughtful feedback to address your needs. Additionally, know that the endurance running world (and any other sport for that matter) is chock full of interesting supplements and ergogenic aids. Some work and some don’t. For instance, most carbohydrate gels, drinks, powders, and foods really do work with regard to replenishing glycogen stores and maintaining energy levels before, during, and even after training/racing. Thus, be sure to find what works best for you come race day and especially during daily training, where most of your experimenting should occur with individualized and favorite foodstuffs.
Happy Trails,
Scott Drum, Ph.D., FACSM
Associate Professor of Exercise & Sport Science
Western State College of Colorado
Gunnison, CO 81231
Email: sdrum@western.edu
References
1. American College of Sports Medicine et al. Nutrition and athletic performance. (2009). Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 709-731.
➢ Find article online at: http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2009/03000/Nutrition_and_Athletic_Performance.27.aspx
2. Kerkisk et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Nutrient timing. (2008). Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 5:17.
➢ Find article online at: http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/1550-2783-5-17.pdf
Nutrition for Health and Performance
Just what exactly is the optimal diet for high-level endurance sport performance? This is the question I have been asking myself for a couple of years now. It seems that ultra-endurance sports have many unanswered questions regarding proper training strategies and nutritional approaches. The lack of science-based evidence pertaining specifically to ultra-running has left many asking the questions: “What should I eat?” “When should I eat it?” “Why?” as well as “How many miles is enough?” “What pace should these miles be run at?” “Is 100 miles per week the magic number?” One thing is for sure; the answers can vary widely from individual-to-individual.
Pertaining to nutrition, there have been many fad diets that have taken hold in the athletic community. You all remember the grapefruit and coffee diet? What about the ‘honey’ diet? I specifically remember two of my college teammates ingesting nothing but honey in the 36 hours prior to a 20km ski race. They did not perform optimally. What about carbohydrate consumption on a day-to-day basis? Should we eat 75% of our diet from carbohydrates? What about complex VS simple carbohydrates? What about sugar? Is that even a carbohydrate? Fruit? How much is enough? Can you eat too much fruit? What about the zone diet? 40% carb, 30% fat, 30% protein… is that optimal for us as endurance athletes? Fructose? Sucrose? Glucose? Animal fats? Plant oils? Dairy? Steaks? “Can I eat Wheaties and become an Olympian?” Soy sauce? Salt? Organic? Beef? Chicken? Soy? Cook my spinach? Denatured proteins? Are tomatoes acidic? “Does that mess with my blood type?” ”If I am an O+ blood type, can I still eat rice?” “Avocados are ‘basic’ right?” “What about asthma?” “How about my stomach cramp?” “What should I eat to lower inflammation in my bum knee?” “Hey, didn’t I hear that Kirk Apt eats elk liver during races?” Lastly: ”What’s the deal with the dude who eats nothing but fruit?” The questions go on and on.
In short, I suggest reading ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma’ or ‘In Defense of Food’ … both by Michael Pollan, which advocate that there is no magic diet, nutrient, or strategy to live a wholesome and healthy life. Eat simply, live simply, and don’t listen exclusively to big pharma, big agriculture, or the USDA. I tend to agree with this, but the question still looms: how can I enhance my performance through diet?
The major concept I am exploring now is that of ‘The Paleo Diet’ and also an ‘Optimized Fat Metabolism’ protocol. Simply stated; eat less (or zero) grains, fewer legumes, and drastically less carbohydrate in general and focus more on quality nutrition rather than quantity. There may be many benefits to this way of eating and living. I have been completely ‘grain-free’ and consuming substantially fewer carbohydrates over the past 5 weeks and thus feeling lean and generally good! The caveat? I have only been running about 20 – 30 miles per week. What happens when I actually begin a big block of training? Can I manage a training schedule of 80 – 110 miles per week while consuming 150 grams or less of carbohydrate per day? Is this possible? Over the course of the next few months, I will be detailing my own experience with diet and nutrition. Stay tuned for those updates and in the mean time, let the discussion begin! We (Dr. Scott Drum and I) would love to see your comments on the blog post that Scott wrote up. (This will be posted on Thursday 9/29/11) Thanks for reading. Eat well. Eat simply. DC
The ‘Race For Freedom’ 2011
The Race For Freedom 2011 is just around the corner. Make sure to register now for a great 5km trail run and race challenge! Support a great cause, have a fun time, and enjoy the 1st Saturday of October in style. See information below for the race that my wife Annie and I began last year to raise money to combat human trafficking worldwide. I look forward to seeing you all on the start line. Thanks for the tremendous support. DC
A rugged, rocky, hilly single track 5K run or hike & 1 Mile Trail Hike with beautiful views. We will also have food, music & fun! Bring your family out and support a great cause! October 1, 2011 ~ 9:30 a.m.
Bear Creek Regional Park, Colorado Springs, CO - GET DIRECTIONS
The 2011 Race for Freedom 5K Trail Challenge benefits Pearl Alliance- an organization working to end human trafficking. All race proceeds will be donated.
You can help with fundraising through Active.com when you register! Donations are tax deductible and will be sent directly to Pearl Alliance.
DONATE NOW ~ REGISTER ~ FUNDRAISE
COURSE DESCRIPTION
OTHER INFORMATION
- Professional chip timing by Colorado Race Timing
- Food, music & awards following the race!
- No dogs allowed on the course.
- Due to the nature of the course baby joggers will not fit. But kids being carried, or able to walk are welcome to participate!
SPONSORS
