Day 3 Carb Flush- Ketosis

I am on Day 3 of my pre race carb flush. Here is my food plan for today:
Wednesday:
- Coffee & Banana

<--- Left was my mid day post client meal- chicken chunks, red cabbage and spinach in a white sauce, quinoa.

---> Right was my dinner- raw veggies with homemade mayo, bacon (mmmmm), 2 perogies, edamame.

Tonight I had 1/2 pear, cheddar cheese chunks and 3 thick crackers. O yes and this......

Sangria FTW! :)

I am wrapping up the 3rd and last day of my carb flush. Tomorrow I begin to replenish, Friday is the big homemade pasta dinner we have planned, then Saturday is bean salad and regular program pre-race day. I have completely avoided refined sugar even in my coffee (favouring extra milk over sugar). I will continue this until race day and beyond, now seemingly hyper-mindful of glycemic indexes and performance (from race day to every day!).

The Mississauga Half Marathon Clinic at the Winston Park Dr. Running Room store had its last clinic meet on Tuesday. I loved running with all of you guys! I am excited for Sunday and feel race ready. I told my clinic that at most I hoped they learned a lot training with me these past 16 weeks in a comprehensive way that applied practically to improving their running and training. At the very least I hope they had fun!

On Tuesday we welcomed Giovanni Perri of Velocity Sports Medicine to the clinic to talk race week prep. Gio mentioned 2 things that stuck with me:

1. Hydration- load up 8-10 oz per hour in the days before race day to balance hydration. Like carbo loading this is an important investment in performance.
2. Ketosis- Gio asked us if we experienced any "bad breath" symptoms on our carbo flush. None of us had. He explained that due to ketosis, the liver produces a waste product when metabolising fat in the absence of carbs. Apparently it is quite common amongst Atkins dieters. I did not know this. Gio suggested that when we experience the symptom of a "bad" taste in our mouth, it is an indication that we are flushed of carbs and now metabolising fat & protein. 

Tonight after dinner my sangria brought on an unpleasant after taste in the back of my mouth and I thought of Gio's talk. It has lingered all night and I am feeling prepped to begin my steady 2 day carbo load to race day- Thurs/Fri, Sat regular, Sun race! Perhaps it is a sign that I am flushed. Yesterday I worked out 2x and also ran a fast 4K in an attempt to push those glycogen stores. Considering I workout with almost exclusively only body weight it takes a lot to make me sore, and boy I was sore today! I pulled off the 570 rep AM workout, then last night with a couple of friends I busted out this:

• 100 Pike jump overs 25 x 4
• 10 Triple Kicks L/R
• 15 double knee raises
• 2/2/2/2 Decline ball PU/Knee curl set
• 10 Knee triple lift lateral raises L/R
• 10 Hip Circles L/R
• 10 8lb weighted Squat lateral lunges
• 6 wide jump push ups
• 5 x 5 lb Weighted ball side lunge row L/R
• 5 x 5 lb Weighted ball lunge backs L/R
• 10 ball offset tricep pu (knees bent) L/R
• 20 front lateral arm raises 3lb
• 10 face cross arm raises 3 lb
• Sun salutations & stretching

I wanted to assist in the glycogen flush by working my full body hard. I spent about 90 minutes in the gym yesterday and 20 on the pavement. That's a badass day no matter how you slice it. I am sure it helped my flush.

This morning I woke up feeling very off and crampy. Perhaps this is a symptom of the higher protein food plan. I know meat doesn't pass through the body as quickly as other foods. Interestingly I weigh about 3 pounds more since this "flush" and I attribute it to the very slow movement of meat (mmm bacon lol) through the body. I'd much rather be weighing in 3 lbs over than under on Sunday morning.

The forecast is calling for sun, 7-11 degrees. Carbo flushed I am looking forward to loading (mmmm bread), hydrating, and feel 100% race ready. Today was a rest day aside from stretching and core rehab exercises with a client, and it is great/safe/effective to stretch and work core every day. I won't be doing any more badass workouts before race day. I look forward to meeting this goal, enjoying my success (just by finishing strong, no matter the time, fingers crossed), and planning my next progression beyone Half Marathon #5. I am still a wussy, but training hard for life. I hope you are enjoying it too!