This week I signed up for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge. It is a challenge to help you earn points towards prizes, but the goal is to keep you accountable for doing healthy things during the holidays to help reduce the chance of gaining those holiday pounds, which always seem to get me. Although I have been active this week, I have been lacking in the eatting my veggies department. I did make a yummy eggs and veggie bake which will help me get in my carbs via vegetables for the week with protein as well. I am preparing for my 23 mile run this coming Friday, so I need to work on loading up with my carbs so I don’t bonk. When doing my 7.71 mile run on Saturday my tank was emptier than it should have been. I had a good run, but at the end I was feeling the bonk coming on when my sugar dropped. If I had gone any further I think I would have had some trouble.

I read some good information about preventing a bonk by Lee Hoedl

ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE 2013 DISNEY WORLD MARATHON WEEKEND
Tip #3: Avoid Bonking – Formula: 1/3 Body Weight of Carbs

We should all be deep into our intermediate and longest runs of our training by now. If so, then you might already be familiar with “bonking.” We have all probably experienced it, at one time or another: cold sweats; bleary-eyes; slowed pace despite a high perceived exertion. A “bonk” occurs when your muscles become depleted of glycogen. In essence, it is a period of low blood sugar.

…The physiological impact of bonking is too great to allow it to happen. In the absence of muscle glycogen, the body actually turns on itself breaking down muscle to create glycogen through other means. We never want to see the breakdown of lean muscle mass, that’s one of the things that helps us prevent injury.

Bonking can be avoided by fueling yourself properly during training. Never step out the door without at least two gels (or one energy bar) more than what you believe is required for your workout.

You should have at least one third of your body weight in carbohydrates per hour. For example, if you are going on an 18-mile run, you run a 10:00/mile pace and you weight 180 lbs, this would be your formula (in addition to properly fueling your body before walking out the door):

Hour 1: 6 miles completed; Consume 60 calories (1/3 of 180 lbs) of carbs
Hour 2: 12 total miles completed; Consume another 60 calories
Hour 3: 18 total miles completed; Consume another 60 calories

This is why the sports drinks can be so helpful at the water/Powerade stations and why you should not skip any water stations – they not only hydrate you, but also can add to those easily consumable carbs needed. So don’t “bonk” – practice your long runs with whatever carbs you prefer (Gu gels, Clif bars, Clif blocks, Mike n Ikes, M&Ms, etc.). Find what works for your stomach, stick with it and be ready to avoid the “bonk” on race day.

My Week’s Activities:
Wednesday – bike 30 minutes
Thursday – Branford Turkey Trot 5K, then after Thanksgiving dinner we took the kids for a walk to a park and played hide and seek.
Friday – took the kids for a walk at my mom’s house
Saturday – 7.71 mile run (set a faster pace for that route than my previous pace and didn’t go over 10:46 min/mile)
Sunday – stretching and hoping to take a walk

I am nervous about my 23 mile run, as I always get nervous before it. But I am mentally mapping out the route in my head and what I will listen to on my ipod and preparing for it. I survived my 20 mile run very well, so I think I’ll do just fine with this one, too!