Heat Training for Western States

With the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run now only 16 days away, I'm in the throes of heat training. As most know, Western States is a very hot race, especially in the "canyons" section, and so it's key to go into the event ready to handle temps well in excess of 100 degrees. I'm coming from Colorado, where we had our signature cool spring. Unlike those coming from other areas of the country, our natural conditions until now (it's supposed to be 90 degrees today) have offered next to no opportunities for legitimate heat acclimatization.

With no real experience when it comes to formal heat training, I have used this great article by Badwater Ultramarathon legend Authur Webb as a guide. I have also sought some thoughtful advice from previous Western States finishers like AJ Wellman (2015 sub-24-hour finisher), Matt Curtis (2014 Grand Slam champ) and Andy Jones-Wilkins (10-time Western States finisher). As such, my heat training has focused on sauna sessions and some maintenance activities like--dare I say--driving home from work in the afternoon with the windows rolled up and vents off (I have been parking on the upper deck to get my car as hot as possible). With the weather in Denver finally starting to warm up, it will also likely involve a few afternoon runs. But sauna sessions are the centerpiece of the strategy as they are widely considered a "best practice" for Western States training (not to sound corporate).

Going into my Western States build up, while I knew sauna time would be a critical aspect, I didn't realize how physically hard it would be. The actual time in the sauna isn't what's so hard; it's how I feel the next day. More on that in a second. When I go into the sauna, it's always with about 50-60 ounces of ice-cold water in hand. And I always make a point to drink both bottles while in the hot box. I try to pace myself so that I'm drinking at an even rate for the whole time in the sauna and take that last sip just seconds before leaving. I also make a point to take an S!Cap afterward to help replace lost electrolytes, and I have found that the S!Cap does make a difference.

How long am I in there? Anywhere from 28-33 minutes at this stage. I originally wanted to build up to a 40-minute session but I honestly cannot conceive of how that might make me feel the next day. Such times as 28-33 minutes in the sauna are way out of the norm when you're looking at the "general population." Having watched a lot of people come in and out of the hot box over the past few weeks (this has offered its fair share of humor, too), I can say that the average session for folks is 4-8 minutes. No one stays in the sauna for a half-hour or even close to it. People have been incredulous when they saw how much I was sweating and asked how long I'd been in the sauna. Never mind what they say when I tell them why I'm doing this. It's all way out of the norm. And so I tell myself that, yes, this should be hard...because it is hard.

As an aside, despite the growth in ultrarunning over the past few years, we should never lose sight of how out of the norm it is to do what we do. It's easy to forget that fact because, for most of us, our friends are also ultrarunners. But the bottom line is that 99.99% of the population has no interest in lining up for an ultra. They cannot conceive of it.

Why am I finding it so hard to sauna train? I have found that the next day I usually struggle with headaches, mild dizziness and general fogginess. Occasionally it feels like a bad hangover. Sometimes it can be draining. The mild dizziness usually clears up in a day or two but it's no fun.

Having spoken with others, it seems this is all part of the process. Heat training is hard and fatiguing and that's why many Western States runners save it for the final stages. I started a week before my taper kicked in and it was hard to balance it all. So I did what I could and now am trying to get to at least 10-12 sessions by the time I'm four days from the race, when it's all behind me. While I have truly loved the build-up to Western States, the sauna training aspect has been much harder than I anticipated. I cannot imagine what Badwater heat training would call for!

If you have any heat/sauna training tips, chime in!

And That's a Wrap on Western States Training

Well, just like that, the taper for the Western States 100-miler is here. May was a very strong month, and I was able to go into my 3-week taper with a huge (for me) 7-day stretch where I ran 102 miles and climbed and descended a combined 24,400 feet. May saw 370 miles (not including miscellaneous walking). Most importantly, I felt good through all the volume and still feel fresh and alive.

It all ended with Saturday's North Fork "50K." I quote "50K" because it's really a 32.5-mile race--and one of the best such races in Colorado with its friendly, down-home feel, great organization and tremendous post-race picnic food complete with tall cold ones. It seems the Golden Gate Dirty Thirty, which was also on Saturday, is the "in" 50K for this time of year but I'll take North Fork any day of the week as it suits me better. It's a beautiful, fairly fast course, passing through some of the burn areas from the 1996 Buffalo Creek Fire as you climb about 4,800 feet (which is a lot less than Golden Gate). Plus, it has some nice descents that are perfect for conditioning the quads.

Except for the fact that I saw a dead motorcyclist on US 285 going home, it was a great day at North Fork. I finished in 5 hours and 21 minutes, good for 8th overall out of 128 finishers. Going into North Fork, the strategy was to run it very conservatively (as in all-day pace) and essentially use the race as an aided long training run. I was able to hold to that strategy through about 21 miles, getting passed by quite a few runners, and then it fell by the wayside a bit when I "decided" to amp up the pace and see how many folks I could reel in.

As we entered one of the burn areas in the late morning, I had a nice view of several runners in front of me. It was at about that time that my iPod turned to Bob Seger's "Shakedown," a great tune from the eighties (I've always been a Seger fan). With the competitive juices flowing and the legs suddenly alive, I picked up the pace and by mile 23 was running sub-7s, absolutely hammering the downhills. I passed, by my count, every single runner that had overtaken me in the first 20 miles and was looking for more. And I was feeling good despite the heat starting to pick up. My legs, after feeling tired in the first 20 miles from a lot of running in the past few weeks, all of a sudden felt light and my turnover was solid. My quads were in great shape. It was time to run.

So in the last 10 miles, I was able to gain a lot of ground and even passed a runner about a 1/3 of the way from the finish line, crossing feeling quite fresh. Zero stomach problems. I continue to wonder at the effects of my sharp reduction in sugar, which I began earlier this year.

Today, all feels good--just some minor soreness in my hips and ankles but otherwise the ship is sturdy. I put in an easy 7-miler this morning, followed by weights and my fifth sauna session. I'm looking to put in 10-12 total sauna sessions. Not really interested in any bank robber suit runs, though I admire the commitment quite a bit. The taper plan is to cut mileage by about 35% each week going into Western States, with very little the week of the race as I super-hydrate.

I've been running ultras for 13 years and it's not every day that you can go into a race feeling solidly good about your training. I feel like this has been a hell of training cycle and so I can line up at Western States feeling confident that I can finish and ideally go sub-24 hours...or much better. My quads are there and the heat training is progressing.

The word that best describes this whole process--from start to race day--is simple: Gratitude. I am grateful for this opportunity.

Dreaming of Running 100 Miles from Squaw Valley to Auburn

First things first: Congrats to my friend, Jason Romero, who ran across the country in about 60 days, averaging 50+ miles a day in the process. That is absolutely remarkable and it puts Jason in very select company. Oh, and did I mention that Jason is legally blind? Check out the details at his run website.

***

With my taper now 5 days away, I feel really good about my Western States training. All along my goal has been to get my mind and body to the place where I could line up at Squaw Valley Ski Resort on Saturday, June 25 at 5am and feel good about my fitness. And that's where I now find myself. In the last 16 weeks, I've had 8 weeks of 70 or more miles, 2 weeks of 80 or more miles, and 2 weeks of 90 or more miles. Then you throw in the X factor, which is the fact that I have a deep base, having run 3,200 or more miles nine years in a row (and counting). So the base is there and has to count for something! This week, with the North Fork 50K on Saturday, I'll be looking for one more 80+ mile week and then it's taper time.

I've not just been running. I'm also heat-training in the sauna, which has been critical because we have had the signature cool spring here in Colorado. I could write a whole blog on sauna training and what I've learned (and maybe I will). A session is anywhere from 28-33 minutes and I plan to work up to 40 minutes about two weeks out. I did a 33-minute session last week (same day as a 10-mile tempo run) and it kicked my butt for days! I'll usually drink 50 ounces of cold water while in the hot box and take an S Cap. It's all about teaching your body to process fluids as efficiently as possible while in hot conditions, like the American River canyons. Badwater legend Arthur Webb has some great material on heat training.

Plus, I've been doing some core work and today I restarted (low/moderate-intensity) upper-body weight training. I felt that all the weight training I did last summer and into the fall really helped me at Javelina since you need about every muscle in your body to cover 100 miles in the fastest possible time. Alas, limited time has meant I couldn't weight train much over the spring. But today I restarted, and I think it'll really help me in these last four weeks as I tighten the bolts and get the ship ready for battle on June 25.

Having read a lot on Western States, it's readily apparent to me that succeeding at that race comes down to two things: heat management and strong quads (unless you want to add a third element: a positive attitude!). My big goal is to run the last 38 miles after Foresthill at a good clip. If you can leave Foresthill with the quads in good shape, you are set up for a successful race because a lot of the final 38 miles is downhill (with some notable exceptions). If your quads are shot at Foresthill, you can still finish but it may be a grind. I fully intend to run that last 38 miles at a good clip and cross the finish line with a time I can be proud of. Which brings me to goals. My goals for Western States (tiered, as always):

1. Finish. Finishing is always the #1 goal in any 100-miler.
2. Under 24 hours. Do I want the silver buckle? Oh yeah.
3. Every man/woman for himself/herself.

Breaking the race into thirds, it really comes down to:

• First third - go out easy and run at a conservative clip. Don't be a hero.
• Second third - stay as cool as possible (mentally and physically) in the canyons.
• Last third - run!

The key will be running my own race and not getting caught up in the hype. 

My family will be crewing me--my wife, our son, and my mom and dad. Pacing me will be two awesome guys: Mike Wilkinson, who also lives in Parker, will pace me from Foresthill to Green Gate. From Green Gate to the finish, Kenny McCleary will be running with me. Kenny paced me to my win at Mohican in 2009, but he also paced me to 6th overall at Burning River in 2007 and 4th overall at Mohican in 2008. That was a long time ago! With Mike and Kenny with me, I will be in good hands. And of course I hope my son can pace me to the finish in that last mile. I'm so grateful.

Quite honestly, Western States is a dream come true. I think about it every day and sometimes I just can't even believe it's really happening. I have done my best to train hard for this race, realizing that I don't have many more "big goes" at the 100. This opportunity means the world to me and I've done all I could to prepare myself for it because I believe deep down that Western States deserves nothing short of your best. And that is what I intend to give Western States.

I would be remiss in not mentioning the Leadville 100. It's out there waiting for me--I want that fifth big buckle. But I have to compartmentalize things right now and that means Western States is my fixation. The minute I finish Western, it's time to celebrate the achievement with some beers and In-N-Out Burgers and then start the recovery process for Leadville, which is eight weeks later.

In closing, I want to express my profound gratitude for the opportunity to run Western States. This is truly a dream come true and just writing that sentence gives me goose bumps. Bring it on!

10 Weeks Until Western States

With the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run now 10 weeks away, my training has been so-so. I have been consistently getting in 70+ mile weeks over the past few months. As we know, consistency is one of the keys to fitness. 

Unfortunately, demands on my time--on the home front and at work--have made it very hard to get in much beyond 70-74 miles a week. We all have to make choices with our time. I had planned on getting my mileage up to 80+ miles a week in April and that may still happen by month's end (this week could actually hold some promise). But as of now there have been no 80-mile weeks--just a bunch of 70s. I guess it could be worse--70 miles a week isn't bad.

Also, the weather has created challenges, which is to be expected in Colorado in the spring when it's 70 degrees one day and then dumping snow the next. There have been bright spots. Two weeks ago, I managed to get to Mount Falcon for a quality 3-hour run. The trails were in great shape and it was a fun morning on the mountain. But then more snow blew in this past weekend, covering the trails with a few feet of the white stuff. The snow over the weekend was, in fact, so severe that the 50K I had planned to race on Saturday--the Rattler in Colorado Springs--got canceled. 

This time of year, when you're a trail runner living in Colorado, you take what you can get. You run trails when they're clear and you run roads when spring snow storms come in and blanket the area. It is what it is. But it's kind of frustrating at times because I know what I need to do to be ready for Western States (lots of trail running with aggressive downhills) and the weather is making all of this quite difficult. That said, I feel pretty confident that May and early June will offer some opportunities to really take advantage of the trails and maybe even get in a Pikes Peak ascent/descent (which will be a great quad trasher). 

Anyway, with the Rattler canceled, I decided to enter the North Fork 50K on June 4. That's exactly three weeks before Western States. In 2014, I managed a solid North Fork, finishing fourth overall in the buildup to Leadville. This year, in lieu of racing it, I'll be using North Fork as one last long run. I'll be running it at "100-mile pace" and will keep my heart rate at or below MAF (~133-143). There will, of course, be times when my HR creeps up a little higher than that, especially on the climbs, but the overall goals will be to run North Fork at MAF, focus on good nutrition practices and then go immediately into my taper. It's a notoriously hot race, which is a good thing because, as we know, Western States gets quite balmy in the canyons.

As far as Western States strategy, it's really pretty straightforward. In the first third, the key will be to run conservatively. Above all, do not go out too fast and race up the mountain with reckless abandon. Instead, go out easy and don't look at the watch. I'm not sure what the snow conditions will be but if there's a lot of snow--again--I'll focus on conserving energy and staying upright. 

When the heat kicks in, especially in the canyons, the key will be to stay hydrated and use every opportunity to cool myself. I'm planning to have a third bottle on hand that I'll use to douse myself with stream water. Above all else, I think staying as cool as possible (physically and mentally) at Western States is of utmost importance. I feel that I learned a lot about cooling myself at Javelina in 2015. That aside, with the steep ups and downs in the canyons, I'll just do my thing and put one foot in front of the other and try to enjoy the experience. Western States is a dream come true!

In the last third of the race, where there's a lot of downhill, I really want to have the quads to take advantage of the descents. In order to have the quads ready for this stretch, I need to train as much as I can in the mountains, and that's why I'm feeling some urgency for the trails to stay open and not keep getting covered with snow! I want to stretch it out and run the last third of Western States. I know I have the ability to cover the last third of a 100 in a pretty quick fashion and so it's vital that the quads still be in good shape when I leave Foresthill (mile 62).

The goals at Western States:

1) Finish - always the #1 goal for any 100-miler

2) Sub 24 hours - really want that silver buckle!

3) Every man for himself!

After Western States, the name of the game will be recovering in time for Leadville 56 days later. This will involve some limited running, some cross-training and some hiking up in the mountains--but nothing strenuous.

Western States: The Super Bowl of Ultrarunning

Since giving up added sugars and desserts last month, I am quite confident I:

1) Recover faster between workouts
2) Sleep better
3) Have more stable energy
4) Benefit from greater mental clarity

I am sure of all four of those, especially #2, which, admittedly, could be a key driver for the other three...... I do not miss desserts and I have come to love nothing but cream and butter in my coffee. Being off sugar has a transformative effect. But I am still far from a low-carb runner. That said, I eat way fewer carbs than the average American (and probably the average runner). I have found that, as my carb intake has dropped, I crave fat, which makes sense because it's the body's preferred fuel.

***

It's hard to believe but in a little over three months I'll be at Squaw Valley Ski Resort getting ready to run 100 miles on the most storied ultra course on Planet Earth. The excitement is building. I have wanted this opportunity for over ten years and at one time in my life thought it might never come.

My only regret is that this opportunity didn't come sooner, like when I was younger and a little more fleet-feeted. Then again, I was more immature in those years and might not have fully appreciated the experience. Bottom line: Western States is the gold standard and pinnacle for ultrarunners.

Pacing me at Western States will be Mike Wilkinson and Kenny McCleary. Kenny, who's in the 50-state marathon club and also has run a marathon in every Canadian province, paced me at Burning River in 2007 and Mohican in 2008 and 2009. He promised me years ago that he'd be there if I ever got into States and, sure enough, he's going to be there. Mike, an ultrarunner, has never run States but it's on his bucket list and this will be a great opportunity for him to see the course, experience the race, and help a buddy. I am grateful to both of them and to my wife, our son, and my parents, who will also be there.

This past weekend, my wife and I watched "Desperate Dreams" (note: the YouTube page says 1982 but it's really 1983), a grainy documentary that chronicles the 1983 Western States 100. In that race, Jim King, 26, and Jim Howard, 29, battled it out until the bitter end. King reportedly went off course by an hour after leaving Red Star Ridge (it was a big snow year), losing his lead by several positions. Yet he managed to regain the lead only to lose it to Howard with a half-mile to go as the runners were at Robie Point with the Placer High School track only steps away (they both talk about it in this interview shot 30 years later by IRunFar.com). Howard won in 16:07 and King in 16:08.

As the drama unfolded on screen, I kept thinking about "Unbreakable," which chronicles the 2010 race in which Geoff Roes overtook a seemingly indestructible Anton Krupicka before the Highway 49 crossing. As an aside, I've always thought it so sad Anton didn't get a win at States. He was entered into the 2008 race, which got canceled due to wildfires. As almost anyone would attest, that was the year Anton would have won States...only it was called off. Sad.

Circling back to the two Jims, I would argue--and this is just my take--that guys like King and Howard would be just as good and probably better today. Howard was a 2:18 marathoner and ran a 2:32 marathon while in high school. 2:18 back in the early 1980s was smokin' fast. With modern technology, gear, etc., those guys would be dominant today. If you watch "Desperate Dreams," you'll know what I mean. King weighed about a buck thirty-six back then and his stride was smooth as silk.

Western States has seen its fair share of drama. I still remember when Brian Morrison collapsed from exhaustion and dehydration on the track during the 2006 race, losing his win to disqualification. Last I heard, Morrison is returning to the 2016 race. Then you have Gunhild Swanson's crazy exciting finish last year.

With spring in the air, it's hard to believe that in only three months, I, too, will be soaking in the experience and running that storied course.

On the training front, all is falling into place. I'm gradually increasing my mileage and am at the place where I'm clicking off 70+ mile base-building weeks without much of an issue. Weekly hill repeats are now under way (this is the workout that seems to give me the biggest bounce). As this is Western States, the Super Bowl of Ultrarunning, I fully plan on being in the best shape of my life by race day. That will be a tall order because there have been some races in the past where I was clicking on all cylinders. But I'm certainly gunning for peak fitness going into States and I am willing to make the sacrifices to get there.

Knowing my mileage will be there (though these days it sure is hard to get in 100 miles in a single week due to busy schedules), my focus is on two key areas:

1) Getting the quads downhill ready. It sure would be nice if all the snow in the mountains would melt!
2) Being ready for the heat. There's a sauna with my name on it!

I am confident I'll be ready in both regards.

I also know that the better shape I'm in for Western States, the better my recovery will be so that I'm ready for Leadville 56 days later. If all goes to plan, I genuinely believe Western States will help, not hurt, me going into Leadville. My quads will be very strong after States. With those 56 days being about recovery, I'll also be well-rested going into Leadville. Plus, this will be my sixth Leadville, so I have experience and course knowledge on my side. I will place no pressure at Leadville on myself; if I need all 30 hours, that's OK. States will be a different story; I will want to run my best race possible, but at the same time I know how important it is to go into a race relaxed and confident.

I hope your training is going well and that 2016 is your best year yet!

Western States Announces Zero-Tolerance Policy on PEDs

Despite my best efforts not to mix my work with this blog, I can't help but share the video from an amazing event in Boulder where I presented. The event, "Liquid Sugar: Drinking Ourselves to Disease," was held at eTown and had some incredible speakers. My very short talk starts at about the 41-minute mark and is only about 8 minutes long. Check it out. All of the speakers were top-notch. I am definitely bald and need to just shave my head bare!



***

I'm getting over a horrendous back injury that kept me from running a step for three days. Not sure what happened but on Monday morning I woke up and ran a few miles and did a lower-body workout. While making breakfast afterward, I could tell my back wasn't right. Soon afterward, I had trouble walking. Tuesday was horrendous--I literally could barely walk. Wednesday was slightly better but still awful. This morning, I was finally able to run but my back was still stiff and so my pace was slow. I decided I'd run only if I had no pain. The worst seems to be behind me. My best guess is that I sprained my back. Last weekend I did ski and do a few tricks--maybe that tweaked it and then the running and weights on Monday sent me over the edge. Not sure but this was a brutal injury and I'm so glad it's finally getting better.

With that, what was supposed to be a good week, in which I wanted to get in 75 or more miles, is looking to be a total wash. That said, it's all good because the training has been solid so far this year. Western States and Leadville are fast-approaching and I'll be ready for them!

***

A few weeks ago, the Western States Endurance Run board announced a new policy on performance enhancing drugs. Here's the actual policy:

The Western States Endurance Run has a zero-tolerance policy regarding the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Any athlete who has been determined to have violated anti-doping rules or policies, whether enforced by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), or any other national sports federation is ineligible for entry into the Western States Endurance Run. The Western States Endurance Run reserves the right to conduct pre and post-competition testing for any and all performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) listed on the current WADA Prohibited List. Any athlete who refuses to submit to anti-doping controls, if selected for testing, shall be disqualified and subject to a lifetime ban from the Western States Endurance Run.

The new policy was announced on WSER's Facebook page. Perusing the comments and reading other feedback, I was honestly blown away by some of the questions. Most folks commenting offered positive feedback but quite a few seemed bent on picking the policy apart with bizarre questions about false positives, therapeutic use exemptions, Lance Armstrong (why can't he just go away?), etc. A few charged that this rule was nothing but a way to keep Armstrong from ever getting into States (I'm all for keeping him out).

Maybe I'm simple-minded but the policy seems straightforward-enough to me. Whatever the case, reading some of the comments, it was another display of the pattern of a growing number of self-important ultrarunners pretending we're "elite" athletes when in fact most of us are just weekend warriors who will never, ever be tested because we'll never, ever win any races.

And, for those who are still freaking out over whether or not they're accidentally taking something on the WADA list that will get them a lifetime ban, here it is.

***

Now, go run!

Goodbye, Desserts!

Training for my Western States/Leadville double this summer is starting to heat up. I managed to get in 70.6 miles this week, capping it all off with a zippy 20-miler in which I paced a buddy, Mark T., on a Boston "simulation run" in the area of Chatfield Reservoir. I felt good pretty much the whole way. Being ski season, I'm getting in the miles when I can and trying to enjoy the slopes on ski weekends (without worrying about not running).

In the entire 20-miler with Mark, I had maybe 50 calories of Tailwind and nothing else (except plain water). For my pre-run fueling, I had a bowl of full-fat Greek yogurt with a banana and a little granola on top. That was about an hour before the run. My energy was stable and I got through the 20 miles without any lows. It didn't hurt that I was running with a friend.

I'm going on 12 days since implementing some tweaks to my diet. I hate to use that term "diet" because it's not really a diet--eating is a lifestyle whether it's healthy or unhealthy. But, alas, while I've always told myself my diet was pretty clean, it had its vices. Here are some examples of where it wasn't so clean. 

• For the past few years, my lunch included a protein bar--usually a Zone peanut butter and chocolate-flavored bar. Zone bars may be marketed as "healthy" but, in the end, they're candy bars--not a whole lot different than a Snickers.
• After dinner, I would have a graham cracker and a half with honey roasted peanut butter and (a lot of) dark chocolate chips on top.

These were my desserts on a daily basis, along with some sugar in my coffee (granted, I've never liked a lot of sugar in my java) plus a few other sweet concoctions here and there. That's a lot of sugar.

A few months ago, I started to notice how much sugar I was consuming and how I craved it at certain times of day--especially after lunch and dinner. I also started having problems sleeping. I realized that this was becoming unhealthy. An addiction? Yes. How addictive? Keep reading to find out.

Plus, I read a lot about sugar's impacts on our health on a daily basis (this is part of my job). At some point, I think I came to the conclusion that sugar is very bad for us. I'm not even sure moderation of sugar intake is healthy. I think sugar should be a rarity, and yet it's everywhere. Did you know Starbucks is one of the biggest sellers of sugary drinks?

But it's not just Starbucks. The problem is that sugar is in almost everything we buy at the store. It is no wonder our country faces an epidemic of diabetes (which usually accompanies obesity), and that the most common chronic disease of childhood is tooth decay. As sugar is in almost all processed foods (including "healthy" processed foods), you become addicted to it without even realizing it. It's kind of like how people got addicted to cigarettes before the whistle got blown on Big Tobacco for hooking people on purpose.

So, 12 days ago I implemented some changes to my "diet." I didn't make these changes to be a better runner. I don't need to lose weight so that wasn't a factor, either. I made them because I want to be healthier and to age well. A lot of this was inspired by my wife, who on January 1 cut out added sugars, including her beloved cereal and Dove chocolates. I watched her make these changes, and over time I started to realize that I, too, could and should do it. While I haven't taken it quite as far as she has, I feel that the changes I've made are making me a healthier person. For starters, I cut out desserts. Below are things I was deserting on that got bagged up and discarded for good.

No desserts wasn't easy! The first day was horrid. I endured horrendous withdrawal. I'm not even kidding. Day two was also tough (lingering sugar-withdrawal headache) but not as bad as day one. It's gotten easier every day and now, as I type this, I feel I've broken the "addiction." Addiction? Yes. Sugar is said to be as addictive as cocaine. I cannot imagine how hard it would be for folks who drink soda every day to break their addiction to sugar. Thank God I don't have that habit to break!

I've also made an effort to increase my consumption of vegetables, fruits and healthy fats (like eggs and avocado) while decreasing my consumption of meats (I do allow myself meat for dinner). In lieu of a turkey sandwich for lunch, I now eat hummus on a whole grain pita along with some cucumber and spinach. I'm also eating a lot of kale salad (usually with a hard-boiled egg, roasted peppers, etc. on top) and I'm finding that it's actually delicious. "Dessert" during lunch is an apple. I am still eating veggie chips. But more tweaks will come.

Since implementing these changes, I have found that my energy is more stable. My running hasn't suffered at all; if anything, it's improved. I sleep better, too. I still eat carbs--I've just cut down on how much of them I eat and I've really slashed my sugar intake.

It's a fact that, as we age, we become more and more insulin-resistant. This is usually because our bodies over time start to have issues dealing with all of the sugar (hidden and in plain sight) that we're consuming. So, as the years goes by, it's a good idea to start cutting back on the carbs. That's what I'm doing. It has nothing to do with running and everything to do with being healthier.

Here's to a low(er) carb life!

Check out this video to learn more sugar and its health impacts.