As a side bar bananas are absorbed fairly quickly. Are you sure the bloating is from food and not from lack of salt? Is the bloating first, then eat, then gut goes south? Try some chips or s!caps.
Well, right now, unless it's hot and humid, I take one S!cap per 26-oz bottle of fluids (Ultra or Amino), which I down within 8-10 miles, trying to drink some about every 15 minutes. Along with that, I have been eating approximately 1/4 of banana every 15 minutes and adding in pretzels, bagel chips, fig newtons. The bloating doesn't start 'til in the late mileage - maybe around Mile 19 or so. We ran 22 miles last weekend, and by Mile 20+ I was on my 3rd bottle and had taken my 4th salt. I mainly took it because I was getting nauseous and was wondering if that was part of the problem. I also ended up eating the last little bit of stuff that I had.
Cripes, you almost need a degree in science to figure all this out! I don't think I could go without solid food. Along with the nausea, I get hungry. I will definitely take your advice and ask what I can anticipate being provided at the aid stations.
Thanks!
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
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Well, right now, unless it's hot and humid, I take one S!cap per 26-oz bottle of fluids (Ultra or Amino), which I down within 8-10 miles, trying to drink some about every 15 minutes. Along with that, I have been eating approximately 1/4 of banana every 15 minutes and adding in pretzels, bagel chips, fig newtons. The bloating doesn't start 'til in the late mileage - maybe around Mile 19 or so. We ran 22 miles last weekend, and by Mile 20+ I was on my 3rd bottle and had taken my 4th salt. I mainly took it because I was getting nauseous and was wondering if that was part of the problem. I also ended up eating the last little bit of stuff that I had. Cripes, you almost need a degree in science to figure all this out! I don't think I could go without solid food. Along with the nausea, I get hungry. I will definitely take your advice and ask what I can anticipate being provided at the aid stations. Thanks!
At first I was concerned that you were light on salt but now I'm thinking maybe too much. It's not easy to determine one's salt needs. So a few more questions. Have you weighed yourself before and after a run? How frequent or seldom are you urinating? How much salt in general do you use in your food?
My line of thought on salt. Ultra has 200 mg per jug, Amino is 70 (I'm rounding just a bit) S!Cap 340 mg plus the salt from the chips and pretzels. If your add up those numbers that's salt for some very hot weather. Too little salt and too must salt stop your stomach from absorbing fluid and thus bloating. Feel free to look up hypo and hyper natremia. In both cases you stop peeing. The classic case is too little and you take a S!Cap and pee like a racehorse.
Weight yourself before and after a run. In most cases we strive hard to keep our weight up. In a 100 that uses scales, 7% and you're out, 5-6% you sit. OTOH if you gaining serious weight after a 20, I'm back to an imbalance of salt on the plus side. Sounds to me like better than 2 s!caps worth of sodium per hour.
An additional issue is pace. if your really horsing the pace your digestion slows down.
How many hours you are taking to cover 20 miles? Do you eat anything before you run? You seen to be packing away a lot of stuff, especially Na, for a 4 ish hour run.
Have you weighed yourself before and after a run? My weight stays pretty much the same, with maybe only a pound or two difference. How frequent or seldom are you urinating? In a 6-hr period, I'll go approx 2 times. How much salt in general do you use in your food? Except for adding salt during cooking, I never add additional salt to my food. An additional issue is pace. if your really horsing the pace your digestion slows down. I was pushing it as much as I could this past Saturday, but we run with my friend's dog, which slows us a bit, as was she. How many hours you are taking to cover 20 miles? It took us 6 hrs to cover 22 miles. If I'd been by myself, it would've taken maybe just a little less time. I'm no speedster. Do you eat anything before you run? I eat a bowl of oatmeal about an hour before I run. We run early, and I can't bring myself to get up any earlier than 1.5 hrs before I have to be there. I start drinking from the beginning, but don't start eating until an hour into the run. Between the fluids and food, I'm trying to get in approx 240-260 calories/hr. I really "die" if I don't get it in me. I'll back off the salt (1 per 1.5 26 oz bottles?) and see if that helps the bloating.
Have you weighed yourself before and after a run? My weight stays pretty much the same, with maybe only a pound or two difference. How frequent or seldom are you urinating? In a 6-hr period, I'll go approx 2 times. How much salt in general do you use in your food? Except for adding salt during cooking, I never add additional salt to my food.
An additional issue is pace. if your really horsing the pace your digestion slows down. I was pushing it as much as I could this past Saturday, but we run with my friend's dog, which slows us a bit, as was she.
How many hours you are taking to cover 20 miles? It took us 6 hrs to cover 22 miles. If I'd been by myself, it would've taken maybe just a little less time. I'm no speedster. Do you eat anything before you run? I eat a bowl of oatmeal about an hour before I run. We run early, and I can't bring myself to get up any earlier than 1.5 hrs before I have to be there. I start drinking from the beginning, but don't start eating until an hour into the run. Between the fluids and food, I'm trying to get in approx 240-260 calories/hr. I really "die" if I don't get it in me. I'll back off the salt (1 per 1.5 26 oz bottles?) and see if that helps the bloating.
I agree, cut back. Maybe 1 cap everyr two hours. The chips, pretzels and drink should be enough. Northern Cal is in the 50's roughly? And something with fats. I was serious about the candy bars or at least some trail mix which has nuts and raisins.
Anywho, good luck and let us know how you make out. By the way, great picture. I just looked to see location and a very sexy photo.
Thanks, Doug. I really appreciate your insight. Yes, we can generally expect 50s for our winter runs. I'll cut back on the salt. Tomorrow, it's brownie bites for the fat. Oh! And I forgot that my friend is making banana bread bites with chocolate chips for me. Love her!
Re the photo - It took hours to get it just right. Glad you approve!
...---...
San Francisco - 7/29/12
Warrior Dash Ohio II - 8/26/12
Chicago - 10/7/12
Thanks, Doug. I really appreciate your insight. Yes, we can generally expect 50s for our winter runs. I'll cut back on the salt. Tomorrow, it's brownie bites for the fat. Oh! And I forgot that my friend is making banana bread bites with chocolate chips for me. Love her! Re the photo - It took hours to get it just right. Glad you approve!
With that feed bag, I wish I was was on the left coast, I'd be like a stray dog at the back door.
Ansel Adams would approve!
I'm having a terrible time with nausea and bloating.
While experimenting with different foods, I found that taking some form of ginger helps me a lot.
Ginger Ale, ginger snap cookies, and ginger candies (bought online at Zombie runners)
Maybe give that a try if you haven't already?
good luck
"Famous last words" ~Bhearn
Runner - The one time I tried to take a gel, I almost puked all over myself. But Oreo brownies?!?
Gumbee - I use ginger when I'm desperate 'cause I don't really care for the stuff. Yes, ZombieRunner's good about including freebies with purchases.
While experimenting with different foods, I found that taking some form of ginger helps me a lot. Ginger Ale, ginger snap cookies, and ginger candies (bought online at Zombie runners) Maybe give that a try if you haven't already? good luck
I carry Tums in a race for those times my stomach goes south. In my earlier races, specifically 100's I'd have issues the last 20-30 miles. Tums and watered down Coke seemed to get me to the end. In my case I was doing too many carbs and not enough fat and ended up with a sour stomach.Clip and some fatty foods turned my oven down.
As for Lady Zig, I think at this time she should experiment to try eliminate what seems to be predictable in short runs. I my case and many others, we don't have the problem in training since long runs are much shorter than the race. There is always that no man's land where you just don't know. Goes for your entire system not just food.
Doug
I totally agree with the fatty food aspect, on my 45 mile run on Saturday just gone I had a peperami when I started to feel light headed and fuggy.
I have a feeling it was all the fat, salt and protein that took me to the other side....plus I just needed something tasty.
Jerry A runners blog-updated daily
Happy
http://www.natureskills.com/pemmican_recipe.html
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/natbltn/200-299/nb257.htm
Sounds a lot like Peperami (which I assume is the same as Pepperoni?).
In my case I was doing too many carbs and not enough fat and ended up with a sour stomach.
Interesting.
At what distance(s) do you find that you need to mix it up a little (adding fat or protein)?