Food and Nutrient Proportions

Proportions
Before exercise: 16oz an hour prior to exercise 


During exercise: 200-400 kcal/hr @ 8-15% protein / 85% complex carbs; 10-27 oz fluid /hr (3-9oz every 15-20 mins) with sufficient electrolyte content (electrolyte amount is VERY individual - see below).


After exercise: 50-75 grams of carbohydrates and 15-20 grams of protein within 30-60 minutes

http://www.livestrong.com/article/73948-muscle-recovery-runners/

Running Doctor

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-301--13482-0,00.html?cm_mmc=nutrition-_-2010_05_06-_-nutrition-_-DIET%3a%20Digestive%20Issues

I will attempt to play "doctor" by collecting all of the factual (as factual as Google results are) data and opinions on problems during running such as "you need electrolytes to avoid cramping" and translate that into "cramping - possible electrolyte deficiency". Pretty easy, huh?
Muscle cramping, cessation of sweating, nausea - dehydration 

Muscle cramping and stomach discomfort - over-hydration and nutrient/electrolyte dilution in blood. The body can absorb 15-20 (27) oz of fluids per hour

Muscle cramping, weakness, nausea - especially in hot weather - lack of electrolytes (calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium (in the form of sodium chloride), and manganese).

Fatigue - too much protein, causing an overabundance of amino-acids in the blood, which are converted to dioxide, water, and ammonia; while excess ammonia is toxic to the body; not enough protein (for 90min+ exercises), causing the body to use muscle as a protein source and increasing ammonia production. During endurance workouts 8-15% of consumed calories should come from protein, the rest from complex carbohydrates.

Burst of energy followed by fatigue, mood swings - too much simple sugar in diet causing an insulin spike followed by a crash.

Bloating, nausea - too much solid food during exercise stresses the body requiring additional energy for digestion.

Slow muscle recovery, weak immune system - not enough calories consumed to make up for energy required for training. During an endurance race the body's requirement is ~200-400 kcal per hour.

Irritability, restless sleep, elevated resting heart rate, inability to reach peak heart rate during training, fatigue several days in a row - over-training.

Links  
http://www.time-to-run.com/training/articles/10mistakes.htm

04/22: 5mi - MB Wk13

PLAN: 5mi
RAN: 5mi @ 9.5-9-9-9-9.4
LOC: LTF after work
EL: 6+

This week has been tough mileage-wise, and I've been feeling sore and weak on the runs. So I decided to take it semi-easy - a constant but my ultimate target pace of 9m/mi to build up some muscle memory.
It got a little tough at the very end and I went down to 6.4 on the last mile, but overall felt really good.

Also I've found the ONE Coconut water at Jewel and decided to try it out today - the stuff tastes SO gross... I was afraid it was going to make me gag at the end of the run and stopped drinking it. But I think it kept me hydrated VERY well.

Finished up with some VE climbing - my legs didn't kill me nearly as much today as the last time I tried this combination!

Electrolyte Replacement

Electrolyte Replacement

A great (but somewhat lengthy) article by Steve Born on this topic can be summarized as follows:

1. Electrolyte replacement during exercise is a necessary procedure that is also highly individual. We don't believe that adopting the "one size fits all" or "everything and the kitchen sink" approaches can adequately fulfill proper electrolyte replacement. Our philosophy is that because every person's electrolyte needs are different, it's important to provide a product that allows the athlete to tailor the dose according to their needs, needs that can only be found through experimentation in training.
2. The human body needs very minute amounts of sodium to function normally: 80-300mg, while the average athlete stores at least 8,000 mg of dietary sodium in tissues. Therefore, what is required is a low-sodium approach to electrolyte replacement that emphasizes a balance of essential minerals that cooperatively enhance the body's natural hormone and enzyme mechanics. In essence, we want to work with our body, not against it.
3. Steve promotes Endurolytes by Hammer Nutrition for their balance of: Calcium & Magnesium, Sodium & Potassium & Chloride; Manganese, B-6, and L-Tyrosine

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Scott Dunlap is a Blogger neighbor who has a great post about Coconut water, which naturally contains a ton of potassium, magnesium and a small dose of sodium; among having other great health benefits. He recommends brands ONE (sold at Jewel and Whole Foods) and Zico (at Fruitful Yield stores in the Chicagoland area).


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04/06: 4mi - MB Wk11

PLAN: 4mi
RAN: 4mi with a short walk
LOC: Hidden Lake
EL: (-)

Bleh. Today sucked. I felt weak, mentally drained; maybe the fact that I had a bug in my eye for half the run had something to do with it; maybe it's just the abundance of bugs in general - those little tiny white ones that will unavoidably enter once orifice or another; maybe the weather. Yuck. It was pre-rain, very warm, humid, with very little wind. I had to walk for ~2min at the start of mile 4 because I felt like I was getting extremely overheated.
Or maybe it is the pizza and other junk food I had for lunch. Time to start a Nutrition page.
I just hope this is not the result of Monday's extra credit and won't ruin the rest of my week.

Also, HL is getting to be a real drag. I need to find an alternative for my 4-5milers.

I've added "EL" = exertion level to my heading, theoretically a 0-10 scale with 10 being most difficult.
It's a very tough judgment call because it seems that most of the time it's the mental not the physical that gets me down; I think for now this will be more about how I feel about the run rather than how difficult it really was; or at least a (+) for "great" or (-) for "sucky".