Training for 60 Miles

So as I mentioned before I am doing the Susan G Komen 3-Day. It is a a 60 mile walk in 3days so they really encourage training for distance walking. So I signed up for their training guides. I figured that I would add it to my exercise routine and even use it to change it up a bit. They come on Friday before the week so you can plan it accordingly. Then it usually includes a training tip and a fundraising tip.

I received my guide for next week this morning. The exercise seems easy enough and I have already figured out when I will schedule it. Then I keep reading it and thought the nutritional tips seems intriguing. Not because it sounds like what I should be doing, but because it is the complete opposite of what I have been learning in the past few months. Definitely thought provoking that there are so many different perspective on what to eat during training. I definitely won't be following their recommendation when it comes to nutrition but thought some of you would find it interesting.

Your 24-Week Training Schedule for This Week

Training Tip of the Week: Nutrition for Weight Loss & Performance
Food is fuel and carbohydrates such as breads, pasta, cereal, fruits and vegetables are the primary source for your muscles during exercise. Proteins such as cheese, meat and nuts provide long-term storage energy and help build muscle glycogen (sugar) stores. With your increased exercise you will be burning more calories and while now is not the time to go on any drastic diets, if you are overweight, it is a good time to begin following a healthy, well-balanced diet.

The key to weight loss is taking in fewer calories than you burn. Your training program will increase the number of calories that are used therefore, if you maintain your current caloric intake, you should experience some weight loss. Your goal should be weight loss of no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week. You do need to eat enough calories to support your increased activity, so listen to your body. If you are feeling weak and tired after a long walk, you may not be eating and drinking enough carbohydrates.

Remember that the addition of strength training during your cross-training days will also help to burn fat tissue while building muscle tissue. Muscle burns more calories than fat; however, it also weighs more than fat. Do not weigh yourself more than one time per week. Instead, take notice of how your clothes fit and how you feel.

During training: Eat small amounts of carbohydrate every hour. The average person burns 100 calories/mile; this is equal to one small apple, 1/2 of a banana, 16 ounces of sports drink or 3/4 of a sports bar.

Post training walk: Consume carbohydrate-rich foods 1 to 4 hours after your long walks to replace your muscle glycogen stores and prevent next day fatigue. Do not binge eat. In your training diary, add a column for calories consumed. Keep an estimate of your energy expenditure and gauge your intake appropriately.

 

That's awesome! I would only say instead of the carbohydrate rich meal, for us VSGers, change that to a fat rich meal and you will burn fat like there's no tomorrow.

A lot of nutritional advice out there is pretty bad IME. Most nutritional information is not based on science and data and many in the field don't keep up with the latest research either. 

For example, there is nothing in that advice about having a recovery snack after your workouts! Our muscle are primed for protein 15 to 45 minutes after we exercise and if we give them 100-200 calories of food in a 3:1 carb to protein ratio, our muscles repair much better than if we give them only carbs! And that's advice given to normies, not bariatrics.