Latest / 12 Months to Marathon / Episode 114- Are You Fuelling Your Running Properly? Interview with Dietitian Bec Bennett

Transcript

Episode 114- Are You Fuelling Your Running Properly? Interview with Dietitian Bec Bennett · 12 Months to Marathon

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_04: Hello and welcome to the 12 months of Marathon Podcast with me, John Hill, the running podcast for the over 35s with Marathon Dreams, episode 114.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_04: I'm joined by a very special guest today, all the way from Australia.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_04: I'm joined by Beck Bennett.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_04: Beck, how are you?
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'm well, thank you, John.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for having me on the show.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm very excited to be here.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely wonderful.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_04: Me too.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_04: I'm very happy.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_04: We're very, very, very happy to have you.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_04: So let's get into it then.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_04: So I will I always let sort of Beck do the full introduction.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_04: I'll just give a bit of background.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_04: I got first got sort of hold of or got following Beck on Instagram because you know how it works.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_04: People like your post, you like theirs, and then I'll I'll sort of check back out on there.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_04: And it seems that she was talking to the same sort of people that I was talking to.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_04: So I thought, actually, let's put a different spin on this.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_04: Because am I right in thinking that do you work with women only?
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_04: Am I right in thinking that?
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Is that uh well, so on my page, yes, I do.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry, specifically, my page is dedicated to mostly women over 40.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_04: Well, those of you who know me know in a different life, in a different part of what I do, I actually run a women-only group fitness programme for women over 40 as well.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_04: So um that's something that I also do, and I I mainly work with people in the running programme 35 plus or over 40.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_04: So, um, so a little bit about Beck from what I know, I'll let her go into more detail.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_04: So, Beck's a dietitian, marathon runner, specialises in, as we've said, helping women in their 40s with nutrition and fueling.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, I wanted to get Beck on primarily for the nutrition angle, because I have been very involved with nutrition in my other fitness endeavours, uh, my own personal journey for for a good while.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_04: I've got a nutrition diploma myself, and I've I it's one area that I've been very focused on myself and also working with people.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_04: And secondly, it it's a bit of a transition for me, as I talk about with a lot of runners on here, because because I've been overweight, you've got to sometimes balance that fear of food or call it that, with oh, I need to eat more now because I'm running all these miles.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_04: And when I speak to people who've gone on the weight loss journey and gone into running, there's definitely a common theme there between um, you know, that fear of carbohydrates, particularly, and the yeah, the thing.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_04: So, yeah, obviously, this is I I won't waffle on because I want to get your take on that.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_04: But yeah, that's why I wanted to get back on Reddit to really give a bit more detail around that area because there is a lot of shoot me down if you need to.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_04: It's a very simple area.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_04: I think fueling is very simple.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_04: I don't think it's complicated, it's not easy, but I don't think it's very complicated.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_04: And I think sometimes because you've got everybody from the slow 5k to the sub two-hour marathon talking online, there's a wide range of this is how much you need and this is what you need to do.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_04: So hopefully, Beck will allow us to give a little bit of clarity on that.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_04: So, two questions in one beck to start with.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_04: Give us a little bit of your background, how you got into running first, and then there's a second question, which I'll ask once we've done that.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, sure, no worries.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: So um, I guess I I would say I've always been a recreational runner, sort of my my whole life, um, you know, through high school.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: I was never competitive at it.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: I just did it for enjoyment, never, you know, trained specifically, just ran because I loved it.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then really kind of it's sort of turned it up a notch, I guess you could say, during COVID, um, when we had the fairly strict lockdowns.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the only things that we could really do was um either walk or run.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: So I started to kind of pick up my running um and my runs just got longer and longer.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I started to investigate, well, you know, how can I actually improve on this?
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so started to investigate training programs and um and then one day sort of realized that you know my long runs were actually getting quite long.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I thought, oh, I reckon I could probably do a marathon.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: And that's sort of where it all kind of sort of started, and and it's sort of been, you know, the rest just history, uh, as they say.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I guess that's that's a bit of a um, you know, a snapshot into my running journey, really.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_04: And in terms of your sort of race experience, how many marathons have you done?
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: I've done three marathons.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: Which um yeah, so and very, very keen to do another one next year.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_04: Right, okay.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_04: Which ones have you done?
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: I've done uh Gold Coast Marathon twice and I've done Melbourne Marathon um once.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_04: Right, okay.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_04: So how did we get to back the runner and then beck the nutrition dietitian on top of that?
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's an interesting story.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: So I've been a dietitian for about 20 years and have always worked in the clinical setting in a hospital setting.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I guess really what happened for me was during my first marathon training cycle, I um was unintentionally underfueling my my my training, basically.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I um lost a significant amount of weight.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: I was the smallest I'd ever been in my entire adult life.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um without really sort of realizing, and it's funny, you can have the the knowledge, you know, in the back of your head, but you you know, you can be very good at telling people what to do, but not doing it yourself right.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um so really, you know, it didn't really pick up on much because my training was going so well.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I was getting faster and I was getting better.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so ran, you know, ran three marathons by my third marathon.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: I was starting to get little niggles, quite a few little niggles here and there.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: I would rehab them and get back to running.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: And then when I was training for my fourth marathon, which was Sydney Marathon last year, I ended up with a stress fracture uh four weeks out.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: So in my last long run.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I was in, you know, it was 27K into my 32k run.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: I was on track for a really big PB.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: I was having a great training cycle, and then you know, bam, it was all over in that one that one one instant.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_04: And so was the stress fracture, sorry to interrupt.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_04: Where was the stress fracture?
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: That was in my tibia.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_04: Your tibia, okay.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so that was a stage four B stress fracture.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so clearly I was wiped out from the marathon and I ended up being off running for almost six months.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: It was five and a half months in total.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: It was um unfortunately kind of misdiagnosed initially and a very slow recovery.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: But within that recovery, um, it was a time to reflect and kind of audit my health, I would say.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: So um it was from that perspective, it was it was a great thing for me because my health needed auditing.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and over that time I was actually diagnosed with reds, so relative energy deficiency in sport.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, so as a dietitian, that was um quite heartbreaking for me to have that diagnosis.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_04: So can I just I'm not I'm gonna I'm gonna throw myself on the altar here.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_04: I've never heard of that in that way.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_04: So does that mean just yeah, no, it's honestly not in that format anyway.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_04: So just for like in layman's terms, just for the listeners better, sorry to interrupt.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_04: Does that is that basically for my understanding, is that saying that you were underfueling yourself?
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: Correct, yeah, exactly.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_04: Right, okay.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_04: That's exactly right.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: I was underfueling myself to the point where my body was starting to shut down other important processes, basically.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: So things like bone remodeling, hence the the stress fracture, um, hormonal changes, lots of other things that were occurring in my body because my body was trying to preserve um the energy, and I was basically I was asking it to do to do too much, and I wasn't fueling that that work.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I needed to make a lot of changes to my my fueling um and just my training and recovery in general.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: So um I returned to running um in January this year, but within that, that's where it sparked my journey of hang on a minute, I've actually had to change quite a lot.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I from sort of, you know, I was 40, this all happened, you know, and I was I'd sort of run these marathons price.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: And so it was all a very strange time for me because things were changing quite a lot.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I realized that there's not enough information for women in their 40s.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: Like, how do women know what to do?
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: If I don't know what to do, and I'm a dietitian, like, how do women know what they're supposed to be focusing on?
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: So I guess that's kind of where it really um it really sparked my my interest in that specific area.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I became really determined to just help help women and if you know I can share my journey, and I think there's really something to be said for having personal experience in something and also the you know, also the the academic knowledge and background, and then sharing that.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: And that I think that is really powerful for other other people.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_04: I'll I'll just a couple of things I want to touch on there.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_04: So I think what you've what you've highlighted there is really important, and I this is this is sort of a hill I try and die on a little bit, and I shouldn't, but I get quite passionate about it, is I think you've highlighted a really important point there, and I did a video on this the other day.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_04: I think you've highlighted that actually it was your even though you had this qualification, which a lot of people focus on, they say, Well, I'm qualified, I'm qualified, I should know, I should know.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_04: It was actually the learned experience on top of the qualification that actually brought it home.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_04: And I think sometimes when we I think so, and I see this a lot in the running coaching community, it's unfortunate is people try and dig other people out because they've spent all this time on qualifications.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_04: But actually, it's like, well, can you actually apply that in the real world?
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_03: Correct.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_04: And and of course, you don't I always say this in my weight loss coaching background, you know, you don't have to have lost weight to be a good weight loss coach, but it helps, it really, really helps.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: Totally agree.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: Useful.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_04: So the second question I want to ask is just just rewinding a second.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_04: So if you don't and and share what you're comfortable with here.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_04: So, in that whole experience, so you train for this marathon, you and I've heard this this that's a talis of time, you know, you get right to the end, it's what happens to knock you off, especially in a especially for a big major or or pending major as it might have been.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_04: So, how did you deal with that?
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_04: And how did you also deal with the I'm a dietitian, I've got this condition, I should know better.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, that was very hard.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: So, when I was initially diagnosed, um with the reds specifically as well, um, I initially didn't want anybody to know.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: So I was very ashamed.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I remember, I actually remember saying to my husband, don't tell anyone.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: And here you know here I am now sharing it with the world.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: But um, I was very, I was, yeah, I was very ashamed of it initially.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I really grappled with that.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: I it was a very, very difficult time for me.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, the injury itself was extremely difficult time.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: I I would say, particularly the time I was on crutches, so I was on crutches for five weeks and the crutches came a decent period into my recovery.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: So I um I stopped running and I was a good like nine weeks in.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I was like, oh, I'm just not feeling why am I still feeling this?
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: Like I can, you know, it was better, but I could still feel it.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: And that's when I finally found a specialist, um, stress fracture physio, who I saw, and he got me another scan and he got me straight onto crutches.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, I should have been on them initially, but you know, you live in your own right.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: So um, so that was an extremely difficult time because I felt like I had already been through such a long period with it.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: And then here I am back at square one.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but not only that, I think um, you know, it was a very difficult time at home for my family as well.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I've got two young children.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I've work part-time because I'm home with the kids as well.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so, you know, my family rely on me quite a lot.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, being on crutches it really limits what you can do.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that was extremely tough because everybody, my husband and my children, really had to step up.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: And the kids are only young, you know, and my husband's got a very, you know, stressful, busy job.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, him having to step up to to, you know, help around the house.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: And you do it because you're family and you love each other, but it was an extremely difficult time for all of us.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I think that was one of the things that I really learned along the way is that injury doesn't just actually affect you as the patient, it affects everybody around you as well.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: And um, that was probably one of the biggest things I learned during that time as well.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the things I really had to um, I had just had to come to terms with and I had to navigate through the injury as well.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but eventually, once I was off the crutches and once I was able to do more, I was really able to change my mindset to realise that okay, maybe this was the injury that almost had to happen for me to take back some, you know, not control, but take back my health and um and get things back on track to sort of where I need to be for my longevity.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so yeah, so it was difficult, but there were lots of lessons from it.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_04: And I suppose it comes with when you've got family in situations like that.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_04: One of the things I think a lot of people struggle is, especially when you're training for like a marathon, is a lot of people see marathons and races and events as luxuries.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_04: They see them as things that because most people just are it's a terrible way to put it, I can't think of better.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_04: Exist.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_04: They just exist, they go to work, they come home, blah, blah.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_04: Whereas if you start doing in these events, it's like, well, that's a luxury because you shouldn't, you should, you know.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_04: So if you hurt yourself doing one of these events and then you've got responsibilities at home, it's like I could it can be quite tricky.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_04: It can be quite tricky.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, uh exactly, yeah, that's exactly right.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, okay.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_04: So in terms of recreational runners, let's talk about sort of the dietary side.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_04: I really want to get into this because it's an interest of mine as well.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_04: So, do you see more people overeating or do you see people under eating based on the training that they're doing?
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: Definitely undereating.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I think one of the biggest mistakes people make is that they don't um periodise their intake, you know, for their training.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, for example, if you're training for a marathon and your load is increasing, increasing, and your weekly mileage is increasing, but people are still eating the same, or they're eating the same on rest days as they're eating on training days.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I think that's probably one of the biggest things that that we see as well.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so it's certainly underfueling, and a lot of the time people don't actually realize they're underfueling.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that, you know, um, a lot of the time people don't realize how much you have to actually eat when you have a really big training load, right?
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: So you can be unintentionally underfueling.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and that's probably one of the one of the biggest things.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_04: That was my next question, actually.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_04: Is that what we what are the warning signs of of somebody who's perhaps underfueling and not realizing it?
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I guess um, you know, track training.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: The funny thing is that sometimes we can see um performance actually, you know, get a little bit better in the early, like in that early stage of sort of underfueling, which is sort of what happened to me.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: So my performance was increasing and I was getting faster, and I was, and so you kind of get in this phase of thinking, oh well, you know, I'm maybe if I do lose another couple of kilos and I'm at my you know, race weight or whatever, I'm a bit lighter, then I'll be faster and faster.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, it becomes a point where actually it is too much.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, training that starts to your training gets impacted, your performance is impacted that you're not able to hit your paces or you're not able to hit your weekly mileage, your recovery starts becoming you know a lot harder.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: So you're not recovering well between sessions, so that your next session you're not actually feeling like you can train again.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, constant illness, you know, you know, niggles, um, lots of niggles, um, all those sorts of things, I guess, are the kind of early warning signs.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_04: I heard an expression of the day because this is a big thing for for me, actually.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_04: You know, going back to the weight loss journey is like uh, and this is because I'm I'm training for high rocks at the moment, and obviously, when you go and do high rocks, they're all most of the people, most of the people there are in like they're absolutely shredded.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_04: Um to whatever word you want to use.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, and I am not, I'm okay, but I'm certainly not shredded.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_04: But what I heard an expression, it was actually one of the one of the top uh guys in the industry said it.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_04: He said that he said, I've been you know, you don't focus on your show body, you focus on your go body.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_03: I like that.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_04: And I thought Elson McIntyre is he's brilliant, he's we he's he's a four, he's quite a funny guy.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_04: He's he's he's he's been a world record holder for high rocks, and he said that, and I thought, because that can be a focus sometimes.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_04: Like my thing has always been with running.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_04: I'm not light enough, I'm not light enough, not like I'd be I'd be much faster if I was lighter.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_04: And actually, I've been at the start line with people who talk in these times and I've looked at them and they're bigger than me.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, you know, and I'm like, how are you so anyway?
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_04: Um, yeah, but that's uh that's that hopefully that's useful for people, the show body and the go body.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_04: So, in terms of going into actual specific nutrients, then let's let's talk about the big one first, the carbs for runners.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_04: Um, how how important are carbohydrates for the endurance runner, Beck?
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: Extremely important.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: So they are the number one fueling thing that we need.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: So absolutely, you're you should be fueling every single run.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, again, we see we see runners deciding not to fuel the easy runs.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: Well, actually, you do need to fuel that because you are doing this such high weekly mileage that you have to fuel every single run.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, fueling with simple carbs before you go, your intra-run fueling is so important, but then your post-run fuel as well is so important.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: And again, I think that that is a common thing that people miss the the recovery nutrition, you know, that you do need to recover with carbs and protein.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, sometimes I think we forget about the carbs, you know, people will come home and it might have just a simple protein shake, but actually you need to, you know, replenish your glycogen store so that you're ready to go for your next session.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: So you do need the carbs.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: So carbs are absolutely important, yes.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I mean one of the things that I always say to people, especially after a marathon, is don't have a beer straight away.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_04: You know, don't you know, don't, don't you?
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_04: That's okay later.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_04: But yes, you know, get get yourself a recovery, you know, like a chocolate chocolate milk, you know, a good mix of yeah, a good it doesn't have to be expensive, like just a good mix of carbs and protein just to give you that recovery hit, and then you can celebrate later.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, 100%.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: And then you know the one.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_04: Sorry, go ahead.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_04: No, yeah, you go, you go.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: I was just gonna add to it just about the carbs for for women in their 40s as well, yeah.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and how important that is too, you know, with our with the change with the hormonal changes and the estrogen changes that you know that essentially means that our bone breakdown occurs at a faster rate than what the body can replenish it.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and carbs are such an important part of your bone matrix.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I think people forget how much we need carbohydrates for bones.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: I think sometimes we we think, oh, we just need you know calcium and the vitamin D, like you know, most people know that.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but they don't realize how important carbs are.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, um I think that that's a really, really important point for women over 40 as well.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, thank you for sharing.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_04: That's important.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_04: So good.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_04: Do you think that people should be thinking in terms of carbohydrates at every meal or just adjusting it day by day or a mix of both?
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think definitely we should be having carbohydrate intake across the day.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, absolutely.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: And um, and just looking at the, I guess, the types wet of carbohydrates we're having.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: So I always say to say to women, you know, um, have your simple carbohydrates around your training.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: So you're, you know, before training, intertraining, and then after your training and for the rest of the day, that's when you focus on your complex carbohydrates because we still want to make sure that we are getting fiber and we are getting all those really good nutrients for our body and for our gut health.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: So we don't want to be eating simple carbohydrates all day long.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we do want to make sure we are still getting our whole grains, it's just when we have them.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, so definitely carbohydrates across the day, but focusing, you know, the types around your training.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I think people vastly underestimate the strategic nature of it, even for the let's just call it the recreational marathon runner.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_04: And I think when we're talking this level of detail, I think we're talking at more sort of higher distance running, sort of half marathons and marathons, you know, you are as you've already touched on, you do need to quote unquote fuel for the shorter runs, let's call them.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_04: But for the bigger runs, I think people underestimate how strategical what you've just said is not complicated, not like you know you haven't got to be a you don't want to be a scientist, but it is you have to be quite strategic, particularly around the marathon.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, absolutely.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I think that's a funny thing too.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: I think um, you know, marathon runners or half marathon runners, we can become a little bit obsessed with the carb load and the race day fuel, but forget that actually you have to train, you have to you your fueling is part of your training too.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, you can't just focus on on hitting your carbs during a carb load because you have to hit them across the entire training block, or you know, you know, you're not fueling fueling your your block well.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: So you it it is about the full block and not just that race day.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_04: And an adaptation response as well, isn't there?
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_04: And you've got to teach your body, I think you've got to you've got to teach your you've got to teach your body to be able to if you're doing 700 grams of carbs on the day before the marathon, yeah.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_04: It you you've got to teach your body to be able to tolerate that.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: Definitely.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: So you have to train your gut, yes, absolutely.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: So you have to train and train your gut to tolerate your the gels and you know, and have the gels how you're gonna have them.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: So you don't just in your training, don't just have two gels on a long run because oh, you're trying to save on carbs or whatever it might be.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: You have to, you know, have a gel every half an hour or whatever it is that you're gonna be doing in your actual race, you know, to train with your race day fueling strategy.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_04: So she's she's talking my language here, everybody.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_04: I tell you, this is this is this is singing to my heart.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_04: So that's my next question, actually.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_04: So and I've made this mistake in the past, is let's say people are going out for like two hour runs and three hour runs and training and stuff, and they come back and go, Oh, well, I didn't need a gel for that run.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_04: What is that?
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_04: Do you think there's something wrong with that way of seeing fueling?
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: Definitely, yeah, absolutely, because you absolutely need to be training, you know, fueling your long run.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: So anything, I always say anything over an hour, you should be having intra-run fueling.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: So an hour you think, yeah.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, as a general rule, I say an hour, but you know, but if someone's doing a shorter session but a very high intensity set a high intensity session, well, then sometimes actually an intra-run nutrition might actually be useful for that session as well.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: So it's a very you know rough guide, but um, but yes, anything over an hour for a long run, um, definitely you need to be fueling that long run.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_04: That's that's good advice.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_04: So, in that sense, then if somebody's let's say somebody's training for the first marathon, which a lot of people who listen to this are either training for their first one, or perhaps look into a personal best, a subsequent one.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_04: How do you think they should practice their race day fueling during this training cycle?
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I would just build up slowly.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, you're not gonna, I mean, I I you build it slowly as you build your long run slowly.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, when you're building your long runs, you're not gonna start going out for just two hours straight away, right?
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: So you're gonna start, you know, you'll have your long run that might be an hour.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and maybe, you know, maybe in that hour you do actually take a gel so that you can test out the ones you like.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, if you haven't had them before, you might need to actually find a gel that works for you too.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: So, not all gels are gonna work for you in your stomach, right?
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: Like I've had plenty where, you know, I just uh you have one sip of it and you're like, oh, And you just think I can't, there's no way I can get this whole gel down, right?
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: Or you might have one that might have you run into the bathroom.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, so you've got to find the right one.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: So you have to test all that out.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I would be testing those on your shorter runs.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: I would be testing them on your easy runs, even to work out which ones actually fit with you and your gut.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: And then I would slowly incorporate those into your long runs as well.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, you might have a long run that's an hour and you might actually have one gel, even though technically you might not need it, but you know, but you do want to train your gut.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: So you're going to have it for your gut training perspective.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: And then as your long runs increase, you start to slowly increase the amount of carbs that you're or gels that you're having on your long runs.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, some people might have carb, uh carb mix drinks, or they might have a drink with electrolytes and a and a carb source through there.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that's one of the strategies that I use.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: I have gels plus electrolytes with some carbs.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: So then I've got the carbs running in the background as well.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: So you might have that too.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: And then again, you have to train with that too.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I think um as a side note, I think hydration is um something that people probably don't um prioritize enough.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: I think that we see a lot of a lot of people going out for long runs without a flask, without a soft flask, and maybe trying to rely on some bubblers along the way, which may or might may not be available to you.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but you know, taking your hydration with you so that you can practice with your hydration too.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um is really, really important.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_00: So just I guess that the point is building it slowly as your training builds.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I always say to people that I work with for marathons is you want to get to the start line knowing that you've you've done everything that you can to, you know, you don't you don't necessarily know what's going to happen when you get over the start line, because of course things can happen, but you want to be at that start line knowing you've got you know which gels you're using, you know when you're having them, you know where they are, you're not gonna grab anything from the side of the road because exactly you know that sort of and people call me pedantic.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, no, you don't want anything because if it's your first first marathon, and we've all been there, you you want everything to be as smooth as possible because it's it's not just the physical, it's the mental.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_04: If something knocks you off, it can destroy your whole race.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, totally.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: You pack pack extra extra gels in case you drop one and you're not gonna pick it up.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you always I always end up with a few gels left at the end of a marathon because I packed extra just in case um I drop one, but I always stick to the fueling plan.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and uh yes, and I don't take the extra gels from the side of the road.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, don't have any, yeah.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_04: It's it's a tricky one.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_04: I think it's a difficult one.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_04: I think it's that level of uh people don't I think people underestimate that level of preparation for it.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_04: Like you said, you you know, you and that comes in your training.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_04: And I think I've seen so many people s ruin a marathon.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_04: I'll I'll we'll talk in marathon terms because I think the fueling is a lot heavier and a lot more for that particular distance.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_04: I've seen people ruin it because they've not fueled properly.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_04: And this is what they've done at the last second, so the the night, the day before, the morning, they've done something in those, in that that that fueling um time that's brought the whole thing down.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: And it's you know, it's it's not just about practicing the right like the race day fueling as well.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's the night before, it's the carb load, or it's the race morning.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: So you have the same breakfast, you don't change it up on race morning because you're in a hotel, right?
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like you have to prepare for that.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're if you are traveling for your marathon, you prepare.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: So you take your to your bread for your toast or whatever, you know, whatever it is that you have, take it with you so you have it ready to go.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I've been known to have like just a honey sandwich because I would, you know, if I'm if I was having like toast with honey, well, okay, I haven't got a toaster, but that's fine.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: You just have a honey sandwich because it's the same thing, right?
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_00: So um, so you put you prepare and you take that with you to your hotel room so you're ready to go when you're not relying on the the buffet breakfast.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think yeah, yeah.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I mean you again, you it's like it's like it's like it's like it's like it's like you're you're like me from a different side of the world and a different gender.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_04: Uh but I I actually took a toaster once to a hotel.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I took a toaster with me because I was like, no, I've I'm not making the mistake, and I made it on a couple of marathons where I trusted my nutrician.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_04: Like mostly now I'll if I'm traveling, I will try I will stay in like either a hotel where there's um cooking facilities or a service department because I'm like, I don't want to eat anybody else's food because I've seen it happen where you get food poisoned.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_04: So and if you think, and honestly, you might think that's I think sometimes, and again, I don't want to be conscious of this is your interview, I don't want to go off on a rant, but sometimes people really underestimate a marathon, like you're underestimating this.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_04: This is the level of detail you need to go to, even if you're gonna do it in seven hours.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_04: Now, there's nothing wrong with doing it in seven hours, but even because some people might think, oh, well, I'm a quote unquote slow runner, so I haven't got to go to all this detail.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_04: Well, actually, you're on your feet for longer, so you have to be more probably arguably more focused on it.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_00: You actually need more gels and you need more fuel, and you need your body to tolerate it for longer.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_00: So, in a way, yeah, that's harder on your body, really, being when you feel for that longer, and you're and you're training in your gut and all that kind of stuff.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's not easier going slower, it's not easier because you're on your feet for longer.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_04: That's right.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_04: And you need to you need to you need to factor that in.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_04: So just talking about the because obviously we started off with a we've both been on a weight loss journey and so on.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_04: We're talking about nutrition specifically, and like I said, it it's it's a tri I think it's a tricky balance for a lot of people coming from a weight loss space because sometimes they have this fear of food, particularly a fear of carbohydrates.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah, and then obviously you're telling them no, actually, you've got to eat all these carbs and food.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_04: So, do you think that it can you can have a weight loss goal in the background whilst training for a marathon, or do you think it's worth just getting forgetting that and just focusing on the running?
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_00: I personally think it's f worth focusing on the running and having those two goals separate.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that weight loss, if that is your goal, I think that is absolutely fine to have that goal outside of your marathon training block.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: So um I think that you should, yes, you can you have a period where you you you have your weight loss journey and then you come back to maintenance and then you you maintain in your marathon block.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't think, I think I, you know, you I do see a lot of people, a lot of people talk about weight gain in a marathon block.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I don't necessarily think that that is um something that has to occur.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think that, you know, weight maintenance is absolutely fine during a marathon training block.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, because if you are, you know, eating at maintenance is is perfectly fine.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_00: That's what you should be doing.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um, as long as you're not losing weight.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_00: If you're losing weight, you're underfueling.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but if you're at maintenance, then you are at maintenance.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_00: You're you're having what your body is needing and your body is using what it needs.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um and it doesn't necessarily need more.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to gain weight during a marathon training block.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, you know, during a carb load, you're gonna gain water weight because you're gonna have those extra, you know, carbohydrates and the glycogen on board, um, which carries more water with it.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_00: But during your actual training block, um, you you know, I don't think you need to be having significant weight gaze.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_00: Your weight will vary always, you know, a kilo here or two.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_00: And that's that's here nor there.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_00: That's fluid, that's sodium, that's whatever, you know, whatever else is going on.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, significant weight changes during a marathon training block are not not necessarily something that we need to be, you know, looking looking for.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_04: So what would you say to some of them back who is perhaps deliberately trying to eat less to try and hit like a race where it will be lighter?
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_00: I would be uh highly recommending that we don't do that.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um trying to educate around, you know, what is a race weight?
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: Like, is it something that you've made up in your head because you think that it is you need to be lighter to run faster?
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, is it because, you know, when when you were underfueling, you were at your lightest?
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_00: And so you, you know, subconsciously you think that that is um, you know, and you ran a race at your lightest and you had, you know, you had a good race.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_00: Is it subconsciously do you think that that's your race weight?
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I would be, I would be doing a lot of education around the risks associated with that.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_00: So your underfueling risks, your bone health, your you know, hormone health, all the risks associated with underfueling.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and you know, certainly sharing my experience, you know, this is what happened.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_00: Like I ended up being off running for six months because I was underfueling and ended up with a stress fracture.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just it's just not worth it.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um I've been doing a lot of education around it.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I can imagine, yeah, I can imagine.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_04: And I've been there, I've been there myself, I'll be honest.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, you know, there's a big strong correlation between I need to be lighter for this race, otherwise and you and you totally forget that you can perform at a decent level.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_04: So what what genuine challenges nutritionally switching to a you know your particular niche of women over 40?
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_04: So, what specific challenges do you think a female run over 40, you know, heading towards perimenopause, menopause, what specific challenges or adjustments do you think they should be considering?
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_00: I think the main thing they need to be thinking about is their bone health.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um so that is the biggest one, I think.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that it is the most um underrated and uh aspect, and it's not talked about enough.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_00: I think I think that it's not talked about enough, basically, is bone health.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um really, you know, as we sort of touched on earlier with those hormone changes, with the estrogen changes.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, women over 40, I tend to find we grew up in this, you know, diet era, the you know, special K era of just you know, no carb, you know, that kind of era, right?
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_00: Special K diet.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_04: Other side of the world, no one's safe from the special K diet, yeah.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly, exactly.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, that's what we grew up with.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_00: And we grew up with, you know, skinny and no carbs.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so you know, we've you know, we've come in, we've come from that.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think that women are scared of carbohydrates specifically.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I think that a lot of women are chronically underfueling their bodies just in general.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_00: So um I think the shift needs to be carbohydrates to support your body.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um and as we sort of we sort of touched on earlier, the types of carbohydrates you eat.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, you do women over 40, we do need to be eating more complex carbohydrates.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_00: We do the fiber is very important for you know enduring perimetopause.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so we do need to make sure we are getting those complex carbs, but we still need the simple carbs around our training.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_00: So it is still good to have those.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but looking at the types of carbs across your day, the carbs for your bone health.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_00: But none of this works if we're underfueling.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_00: So underfueling is the thing that underpins all of it.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_00: It brings it all together.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_00: So if we if you're underfueling, none of this other stuff works.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so making sure that we're essentially eating enough.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_00: Most women over 40 are not eating enough.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_00: And then, you know, we that we realize that once you start eating more, you're feeling better, you're feeling more energized, you've got more energy to do the training that you want to do.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then it all sort of falls into place for you, really, because you realize that well, actually, you know, and I know that women do worry about their body composition, but um, fueling more helps that because you know, the other thing that we need to be focusing on is our strength training for our muscles and our bones as well.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_00: So, strength training is very important for our bone health too.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_00: So, um, you know, I'm always telling women you should be strength training absolutely at least twice a week, ideally three times a week.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and you know, if you are you have to train that, you have to fuel that training.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want to build muscle, you have to fuel it.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you're not gonna build muscle muscle without the appropriate fuel.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_00: So you need your carbohydrates, you need your protein to build that muscle to help with your body composition, and then to help increase your metabolism, and then to help with your training and your overall fueling.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so they're probably the biggest ones.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_00: I've sort of gone off on a bit of a tangent.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_00: No, no, it's brilliant.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_04: It would be very useful to a lot of, you know, we get a lot of obviously runners, females runners and runners uh in that, in that who are in that phase of life.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_04: So it's very useful information.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_04: Do you think there's anything that gets exaggerated when we're focusing particularly on the women in that place?
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think look, I think protein sometimes um look, we know that protein is very important, of course, and our protein requirements do increase.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, but I think the world is obsessed with protein.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that um sometimes you can be eating too much at the expense of your carbohydrates and your other, you know, micronutrients or you know, even fats, you know, healthy fats are important for our hormones.
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that sometimes, you know, yes, it's protein, you can have too much of it.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I think it's very important that we do make sure that yes, we are getting the protein we need, of course, absolutely, but that we're not overeating it at the expense of everything else.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and you know, it's I think it's one of the things people don't realize is that you can technically be eating enough calories.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_00: So you can be eating the calories that your body needs, but because you're eating so much protein and your carbohydrate intake is low, that can actually mean that your bone health is impacted as well.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_00: So even though you're getting the right the amount of calories that you need, if you're not getting enough carbohydrate in within that, um, technically it's not, you know, your bones can break down because your bones need carbohydrate.
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_04: So and it's also like a lot of obese people are malnourished because they're eating all this food, but they're eating no nourishment, they're eating no nutrients, it's just junk.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_04: So there's actually, yeah, they're they're not they're not, you know, so it's a very it's a very big paradox.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_04: So do you think then on the protein side?
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_04: Obviously, I've been in the fitness industry for a long time.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_04: So I think the protein, and obviously, there's pro there's protein sections now in the supermarkets.
• 35:07
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know if you've got them in Australia, but certainly here in the UK protein.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_00: Everything I saw protein rice the other day, and I was like, rice be rice.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_04: Well, there are sort of protein cookies and you like where have protein bread, it's like, how do we get here?
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but it's like, but I get it, because obviously it's a buzzword.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_04: But I think one of the problems is it's particularly like if I go to the gym and they've got like a 50 gram protein drink in the vending machine.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, most of that's going to end up in the toilet.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_04: It's not going to get absorbed, and the quality of it as well is like yep.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_04: Very questionable.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_04: Do you think protein becomes more important for runners as we age?
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_04: Or is it complicated?
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I look, I do.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I do think it does, absolutely, because we still we you do need that extra recovery.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and we do know, you know, in the dietics field, we do know that protein intake protein requirements, I should say, sorry, increase as we age.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_00: So in our in our elderly population, they have a higher protein, you know, requirement than than your sedentary normal kind of population.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um so not comparing it to athletes as such.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_00: But um, but yes, definitely protein absolutely becomes important as well.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_00: And particularly that post-recovery um nutrition.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_00: So, yes, you should be recovering with protein and carbohydrates, yeah.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_00: And then protein distribution across the dacia.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_00: We should be having protein at all of our meals and snacks as well.
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_04: What does that recovery?
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, we talked about the chocolate milk earlier.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_04: I guess that's that could that that's very much obviously the this stuff can be personal choice or preference.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_04: But what do you think that that recovery protein protocol looks like or should look like?
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so um, so things like do you mean in terms of like what I would have?
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_00: So I would have something.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_04: So after I have to say, I have to say a a bit a big ish, let's call it a let's call it a because let's let's frame it as up.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_04: People people listening perhaps are going to be doing like marathon training, so they're going to be exposed to bigger distances, bigger mileage, bigger time on feet.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_04: What and obviously they're going to be, if they're over 40, that record as as we all know, recovery is the thing.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_04: It's the thing you need to focus on.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_04: What does that look like for those people when they start doing that bigger mileage?
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, sure.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_00: So um I always recommend having something ready for when you get back.
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_00: So um, you know, if you're running in the morning, a lot of us runners run in the morning, um, have something in the free-readigo.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_00: So something like an overnight oats um is a great option because you've got carbs, overnight oats with a protein in there.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_00: So you might make it with a high protein yogurt, high protein milk, or you can certainly add some protein powder to that as well.
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_00: And then you've got a really good source of protein and carbohydrates to come straight home too.
• 37:31
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 37:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, if you need something quick and easy, if you're not heading home or you know, or whatnot, a chocolate milk's a great, a great option for straight away.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_00: But then you need to follow it up with a a a decent sized meal.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_00: So um, you know, you do you do still need we sort of say try and get something in within the first kind of half an hour if you can.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um if it does need to be something convenient like that.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then within the next hour, you do need to be having a proper a proper recovery meal, like a decent sized meal.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_04: So it's like the way the way I would look at that is like your instant hit is your chocolate milk.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_04: So you want something quite fast absorbing, particularly if you've done like a 20 miles, 32k, that kind of volume or a couple of hours on your feet, and then wait a little bit and then have your proper meal with yeah, everything else.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so I wanted to I laugh because I I've done a podcast on this, so hopefully you won't you won't shoot me down.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_04: Um, so supplements.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_04: Um I've done a podcast on it because I, you know, I I've always said that I call it the well, I don't call it because I heard this concept once of what's called the post-it note diet, which is any fitness professional or any who knows that they'll be able to tell you exactly what to do in a post-it note because it's not that complicated.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_04: So well, the way I look at the way I've always looked at supplements, as my podcast episode will say, is like over the 20 odd years I've been doing this, it's like, okay, this one pops out, that one pops out, that one pops out, let's do those and focus on those.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_04: What do you think, with your level of experience and knowledge, what are the evidence-based supplements that runners should consider?
• 39:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, sure.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so collagen I is is a great one.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that's really important for maintaining our tendons and our cartilage and our bones.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, the dosage is really important.
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_00: I think that um one thing that we, you know, that runners I guess don't know is that you'll you'll pick up a bag collagen and this they'll say have a scoop.
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_00: If you weigh the scoop, generally it might only be like five grams.
• 39:26
  SPEAKER_00: But the evidence tells us that around sort of 15-16 grams of pro of sorry of collagen is is where the evidence is at.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_00: So um I say more.
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_00: I have I you know I have 16 grams of collagen every before every session.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it does mean you go through your bag a lot quicker.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, well, yeah, yeah.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_04: Everyone, everyone listening to this knows that running is not cheap.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_04: We're all we're all there, don't worry.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_04: We all know.
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_00: So collagen's big one, and making sure you're getting collagen with a vitamin C in it, yeah.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, because that helps with the collagen synthesis.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um, most of them these these days do have the vitamin C added, but just checking that's really important.
• 40:01
  SPEAKER_00: You can have it alongside a vitamin C supplement or an orange juice, for example.
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's just easier if it's together, in my opinion.
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so pre-r it's important to have that as a pre-run um nutritional supplement.
• 40:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um creatine.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_00: I I say, you know, I think creatine's a really important thing.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's gained a lot of traction, isn't it, recently, creatine?
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I've lifted I've lifted weights for years, so it's always been there, but now I think now it's like, yeah.
• 40:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so we do know it's really important for maintaining your muscle, it's really important for your energy production as well.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_00: And we do know there's a lot of evidence coming out around um the mental health side of things or the mental health the brain side of things as well, and you know, um increasing your alertness and decreasing brain fog, which can be really important for women in perimetopause as well if you have a brain fog.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yes, so um creatine definitely, um a scoop of that a day, they say around six grams.
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_00: I actually increase the dose on days that I haven't slept well.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_00: So if I wake up and I've had a terrible night's sleep, I will have a higher dose straight away because there we do know that there are um positive benefits for our mental alertness um if we've had poor sleep.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_00: So you can um adjust your dosage depending on how you're feeling across the day.
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um so I think that's a really good one.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um I I think fish oil is a really great one.
• 41:17
  SPEAKER_00: So fish oil for inflammation.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_00: That was on most people, yeah, good.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_00: Most people are not eating the recommended serves of oily fish um across the week.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just an easy way to get that in, definitely.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I have to do that.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_04: And disclaimer, you can like us, you can, if this is first time people listening, you can get flax and things like that if you if you don't eat fish.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_04: Fish or unfortunately, I say unfortunately for vegetarians and vegans, fish oil is like the apex of of of of of of fatty acids, but you can get it from flax and you can get it from things like that.
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, yes, definitely.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_04: Cheese seeds as well.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yes, definitely.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what else?
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_00: Magnesium, I think, is a great one for your muscle recovery, um, helps boost your sleep as well.
• 41:59
  SPEAKER_00: So I have that every night before bed.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and what else?
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then it's just there, they're probably the main ones.
• 42:06
  SPEAKER_00: And then um, specifically, I, you know, I I think it's really important for runners to get regular bloods, check your bloods um to see if you need anything else.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_00: So check your vitamin D, check your iron, specifically for women, really important check their iron.
• 42:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but runners in general, because we know that the you know, the red, um, the ground hitting force of your feet can, you know, with your blood cells.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_00: So that's really important in terms of um making sure that we we do have enough iron in our in our diets.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_00: And we do know that um the reference ranges for our you know, iron studies, they are for the general population, they are not for active, very active runners.
• 42:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so even though your bloods might come back and your doctor might say to you, your, you know, your ferritin is normal, well, you want to know what that number is because normal of you know 20 or 30 is not not enough for you know for a runner.
• 42:59
  SPEAKER_00: So we really want to see above at least above 50 to 80 even.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_00: So we really want that ferritin to be up.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_00: But it's not just about ferritin, you need a full iron panel, check your hemoglobin because you know, we need to make sure that if you do have low iron, we want to check if you're actually anemic or not, or if it's if it's just the low iron stores.
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_00: So iron's important one check.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_00: Vitamin D is really important to check that too.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_00: These days, we you know, we so many people are vitamin D deficient.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_00: We are all very sun safe, which is fantastic.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but it does impact the sun's ability to for us to get you know vitamin D through the sun.
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um so checking those levels is very important.
• 43:34
  SPEAKER_00: Vitamin D, we know, is so important for our bone health as well.
• 43:37
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a really important one too.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they're probably the two main ones that I, you know, sort of recommend people get tested.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_00: So I did I miss anything?
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_04: No, no, no.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_04: I was like, phew, she we've got magnesium and fish oil.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, I'm off the hook.
• 43:51
  SPEAKER_04: So um uh, but yeah, so I did funnily enough, I did an episode a couple of episodes ago about blood tests.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_04: I had done I had blood tests done in Poland because my wife's Polish and they were quite they were quite cheap actually, and it was a four.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_04: Blood profile.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_04: And actually, when I looked online, you can now, because traditionally, I think, particularly here in the UK, you could get like a booper well check, and it was like hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of pounds.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_04: But actually, when I checked online, you can get relatively cheap full blood profiles done, um, which will at least give you an indication.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_04: You can always question, you know, how how good it actually is, but it will give you a good indication of all those things you've just mentioned.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_04: So um, from a I mentioned, like for me, uh from a male point of view, if any men listening, I was checking sort of prostate because my dad's got an enlarged prostate.
• 44:31
  SPEAKER_04: I'm getting to that stage of life, that's a concern that men might have.
• 44:34
  SPEAKER_04: Um, so that was one thing I looked at.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_04: My testosterone levels, which were higher than they thought, which were the which were high, which was great for me, because obviously that that depletes as well.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_04: So on the supplement side, if you haven't listened to my one on supplements, I do fish oil um and I also I mentioned creatine.
• 44:50
  SPEAKER_04: I don't take creatine as a supplement, uh, fish oil, magnesium, and I also said zinc for men, and um, especially if you wait train, if you're a guy getting on a bit, uh, and I take turmeric as well, which isn't uh yes, yep.
• 45:02
  SPEAKER_04: Necess, I don't think I wouldn't say put that in the I wouldn't put any of this in a necessary category as long as you're eating the diet's good.
• 45:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 45:09
  SPEAKER_04: But I have turmeric as well, and I think I've noticed a correlation between turmeric use and lack of injury, lack and good recovery.
• 45:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, interesting.
• 45:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, right.
• 45:19
  SPEAKER_04: Correlate as you know, being a dietitian, we've got to really correlate causate here.
• 45:23
  SPEAKER_04: We've got to we've got you know, it's a foot you've alert that many years ago as a Fit Pro, you've got to know the difference in those two things.
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_04: But I've certainly noticed a correlation between increased turmeric and yeah, absolutely.
• 45:35
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, all those little one percenters, you know, they all help like it doesn't hurt, right?
• 45:40
  SPEAKER_00: So um, you know, if you can do it and you can afford it, then then fantastic, like why not?
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, the other thing, I guess, just on getting things tested, um, I was gonna say for women, um, you know, for runners in general, but women over 40, I always recommend getting a DEXA scan.
• 45:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm not sure what it's like for you guys over over where you are, but you know, we can pretty we can get a DEXA scan here in Australia pretty pretty cheap and and relatively easily.
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_04: Very niche.
• 46:04
  SPEAKER_04: I know what that is, but I I guarantee like a lot of people listening won't.
• 46:08
  SPEAKER_04: It's it's basically body testing, yeah.
• 46:10
  SPEAKER_04: Honestly, DEXA, I know a DEXA scan because of obviously, you know, been in the industry for as long as I have, it's basically testing your body fat.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_04: So uh simplistic speaking.
• 46:17
  SPEAKER_00: And your bone health, yeah.
• 46:18
  SPEAKER_00: So you can get one that is that is diagnostic for check for checking your bone health as well.
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_00: So there's a few different ones you can get.
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_00: You can get the um here in Australia, anyway, you can get we can get the full body one that does check your muscle mass and your and your fat mass and all that kind of thing as well.
• 46:30
  SPEAKER_00: And then we've we've got other ones that are diagnostic for for your bones, so that they're the ones that will diagnose things like osteopenia or osteoporosis.
• 46:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 46:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and they're again very, very cheap and easy for us to get just through a GP referral.
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, really?
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 46:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 46:46
  SPEAKER_00: But I think that they're um it's such a valuable tool, okay, um, particularly for women in their 40s, as you know, as we've already touched on with the bone health stuff, yeah knowing what our bone density is.
• 46:56
  SPEAKER_00: I think that so many women, um, you know, we go for these, you know, go for these DEX scans and they come back as low bone mineral density.
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_00: And we're all shocked at that we're that that's actually you know happened to us.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_00: But it's from years and years and years of underfueling our you know our bodies.
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that's just another good little thing that you can have in your back pocket to to check and then you know just know what your risks are basically.
• 47:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um you know, and and make changes if you need to for longevity.
• 47:23
  SPEAKER_04: And it's D E X A.
• 47:25
  SPEAKER_04: I think is that right?
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_04: Dexter.
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, Dexter.
• 47:27
  SPEAKER_04: So feel free to have a look at that.
• 47:28
  SPEAKER_04: You the the and there'll be varying different versions around the world, I'm sure.
• 47:33
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah, feel free to look into that one.
• 47:34
  SPEAKER_04: So okay, let's talk about sort of let's go for marathon specifically.
• 47:39
  SPEAKER_04: And let's say you've got a marathon tomorrow morning.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_04: Talk me through what you would eat night before and morning in an ideal world.
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_00: My pre-run night before marathon meal is always pasta.
• 47:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I make a big bowl of pasta um and I just sprinkle it with a little bit of parmesan cheese.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I have a tiny bit of protein, um, but not much.
• 48:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and it's just a simple carb basically.
• 48:03
  SPEAKER_00: So it's very plain.
• 48:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that's my night before meal, and this is on top of obviously the carb load that I've done.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I've done like a three-day carb load.
• 48:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and that is my that is my regular nightly meal before my tradition.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_00: And then race morning, it's the same as my, well, the breakfast itself is the same as my pre-long run or pre-run breakfast.
• 48:24
  SPEAKER_00: So it's always a crumpet with honey and banana and coffee and my collagen.
• 48:30
  SPEAKER_00: I put my collagen in my coffee.
• 48:31
  SPEAKER_00: So I still do that on race morning.
• 48:33
  SPEAKER_00: I don't change that because what I always do.
• 48:35
  SPEAKER_00: I just still have it because it's just something I've always done.
• 48:37
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't change it.
• 48:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but then I would also, I would sort of get up.
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'd actually have sort of like a three-hour window of my fueling before a marathon.
• 48:47
  SPEAKER_00: So it's pretty, again, it's very like specific.
• 48:50
  SPEAKER_00: So I would get up and have that straight away.
• 48:52
  SPEAKER_00: And then about half an hour later, I actually take, what do I do?
• 48:56
  SPEAKER_00: I do, gosh, it's been a while since I've done a marathon.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um I would have that.
• 49:01
  SPEAKER_00: But somewhere along there, I would also have um 250 mils of an electrolyte and carb mix.
• 49:08
  SPEAKER_00: So I would sip that over the course of about half an hour.
• 49:11
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't have it all at one in one gulp, but then I'm I'm hydrating and getting more carbohydrates in, getting those electrolytes in.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 49:17
  SPEAKER_00: I would also have a a caffeine gel um before the race as well.
• 49:22
  SPEAKER_04: So how soon before the race?
• 49:24
  SPEAKER_04: Becky.
• 49:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um about I think I have that like about half an hour before.
• 49:27
  SPEAKER_04: Half an hour, yeah.
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um thereabouts, an hour to half an hour before.
• 49:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so that's another little another little caffeine hit plus another carbohydrate hit there too.
• 49:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and that's that's all I think.
• 49:39
  SPEAKER_00: That's pretty much all I have from memory.
• 49:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 49:42
  SPEAKER_04: What is the common mistake you see runners make in that morning routine or have seen runners make?
• 49:50
  SPEAKER_00: Not sticking to your usual pre pre-run routine.
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, having something different than what you've normally had.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_00: There's don't change it up.
• 49:58
  SPEAKER_00: Do what works, do what you're having in your training.
• 50:00
  SPEAKER_00: So that's the most important thing.
• 50:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 50:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um eating too close to your race.
• 50:05
  SPEAKER_00: So give yourself anything.
• 50:07
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely, yeah.
• 50:08
  SPEAKER_04: Sorry, like a mere cat then I was like, yo, no, no, don't do it.
• 50:12
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 50:12
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 50:13
  SPEAKER_00: Set your alarm a little bit earlier.
• 50:14
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I know a lot, I like I know a lot of runners who will set their alarm really early, eat and actually then go back to bed.
• 50:19
  SPEAKER_04: I've said I've done that, yeah.
• 50:20
  SPEAKER_04: I've done that, yeah.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_00: So sometimes I'll do that with my long, like with my long runs, sometimes I do that.
• 50:25
  SPEAKER_00: I'll get up and have eat and I'll go back to bed for an hour and then I'll get up again.
• 50:28
  SPEAKER_00: I don't do it race day morning because I I'm just buzzing and I can't.
• 50:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but for my long runs, I can definitely do that, and that's a good way to make sure that you're eating early enough.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but they're probably the two main ones on race morning is doing something different and not eating, not eating, you know, eating too close to the race.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
• 50:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 50:45
  SPEAKER_04: So I think there's no you find that there's not so I say to the because because there's a very much this thing about everyone's different, but I always say, well, everyone's got to still everyone's running 42k or 26 miles.
• 50:56
  SPEAKER_04: So whilst we're all different, we've all got to cover the distance.
• 50:58
  SPEAKER_04: So there are some principles I think that that stick out to me.
• 51:02
  SPEAKER_04: And I think you've just highlighted a big one for me.
• 51:05
  SPEAKER_04: So I I'll one of the things that I've noticed, I'll I'll add to that, is that when somebody says I was too nervous to eat on race morning, I think if you follow your plan and you're like uh and you you're really confident in your plan and you've done all the work and you've done everything you can, you're not that nervous on race morning, so you can eat.
• 51:21
  SPEAKER_04: I think sometimes that's a correlation to, you know, so and it's a lesson for next time.
• 51:25
  SPEAKER_04: You don't beat yourself you don't beat yourself with a stick with this, it's just like a lesson.
• 51:28
  SPEAKER_04: But if you're fully prepared, you're not nervous on race morning.
• 51:31
  SPEAKER_04: You're obviously a little bit because you you're human, but you'll still be able to eat.
• 51:34
  SPEAKER_04: So it's making sure that you get to that point and you can still follow your plan.
• 51:38
  unknown: Yeah.
• 51:38
  SPEAKER_04: Because if you're not fueled, it will kill you in the second half of the race.
• 51:42
  SPEAKER_00: 100% exactly.
• 51:44
  SPEAKER_00: The the underfueling your race is very telling in that second part of the marathon.
• 51:49
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, and and vice versa as well.
• 51:51
  SPEAKER_04: I've you know, when I've done all my big achievements in marathon terms, I've got, you know, I've actually got stronger in the second half because of that fueling kicked in later.
• 52:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 52:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 52:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely same.
• 52:01
  SPEAKER_00: I can totally relate to that.
• 52:02
  SPEAKER_00: And my, you know, my last marathon, which was my PB, I felt fantastic pretty much right until like the last 5K.
• 52:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 52:10
  SPEAKER_00: And even, you know, it sort of got to 30k and I was like, gee, I feel really good.
• 52:13
  SPEAKER_03: And I kind of couldn't believe how good I felt.
• 52:16
  SPEAKER_00: And then I thought to myself, oh, should I give it a little nudge, you know, at this point?
• 52:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I did.
• 52:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I ended up having a fairly big PB, but it was because I'd really dialed in my nutrition, you know, to the to the to the T.
• 52:29
  SPEAKER_00: Like I had dialed it in so much, yeah.
• 52:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I knew I was so well fueled, and I turned up to the start line, well fueled, and I hit all my my targets, you know, during the race.
• 52:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I think you know, that's it's important to remember that we don't on race morning when you're up at you know four, three, four a.m.
• 52:44
  SPEAKER_00: You don't feel like eating, right?
• 52:45
  SPEAKER_00: Like nobody wants to put some banana and down at that time in the morning.
• 52:48
  SPEAKER_00: Like nobody feels like it, but you have to.
• 52:50
  SPEAKER_00: So you've just got to get it down.
• 52:52
  SPEAKER_00: So you just sit there and you and you eat it.
• 52:54
  SPEAKER_00: Like you just get it down and and know that it's you know, you feed yourself well, thank you.
• 52:57
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you've got to realize that I think we we go from tapering, obviously won't go down this rabbit hole because we'll be here for ages, but tapering is a very difficult time for people because when you take that volume away, particularly the week before, and that's the really low volume week, it's it's very psychologically challenging for people because it's like you're telling me I've got to eat all them carbs, but I'm just doing like a two-mile or five K shakeout run in the morning, and I struggle with that.
• 53:19
  SPEAKER_04: But actually, like you said, you've hit the knell exactly on the head.
• 53:22
  SPEAKER_04: This is the stuff you've got to do.
• 53:23
  SPEAKER_04: Yep, and if you don't do it, shoveling down some food at 5 a.m.
• 53:28
  SPEAKER_04: may be uncomfortable, but don't do it and then see what 42k, 26 miles feels like.
• 53:32
  SPEAKER_04: That's right.
• 53:33
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that's gonna that's gonna be incrementally more uncomfortable, let's call it that.
• 53:37
  SPEAKER_04: So that's really good insight.
• 53:38
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you, Beck, for that.
• 53:39
  SPEAKER_04: I appreciate that very much.
• 53:40
  SPEAKER_04: So, final couple of questions from me.
• 53:43
  SPEAKER_04: Firstly, is if somebody's listened to this who's currently thinking about maybe running the first marathon, say, but they're worried they're too old, they're too slow, they're too heavy, or they're simply not a proper runner, whatever that is.
• 53:52
  SPEAKER_04: What would you what would you say to them?
• 53:54
  SPEAKER_00: Do it, do it.
• 53:55
  SPEAKER_00: You you've got you've actually got nothing to lose um by you know putting yourself out there and just and just doing it, you know.
• 54:03
  SPEAKER_00: I think that you can you know that you can achieve more than you think you can, um, and you're stronger than you than you know.
• 54:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's um there's really something about the first marathon finish line.
• 54:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um it's something it's the finish line that you I think you never forget and you only get it once.
• 54:19
  SPEAKER_00: You only get that first marathon once.
• 54:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but the level of accomplishment that you feel when you cross that finish line.
• 54:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but you know, and it by the same token, the amount of courage that it takes to cross the start line, I think that that's something is not to be underrated as well.
• 54:36
  SPEAKER_00: Like it does take a lot of courage to cross that start line and then get to that finish line.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_00: But doing it will be one of the most incredible experiences of your life that you'll never forget.
• 54:45
  SPEAKER_00: So my advice is go for it.
• 54:47
  SPEAKER_00: Do it.
• 54:47
  SPEAKER_04: Here, here, here, here.
• 54:48
  SPEAKER_04: Indeed.
• 54:49
  SPEAKER_04: And my final question, which is my philosophical question that I ask everybody, is how has running changed you back?
• 54:55
  SPEAKER_00: Gosh, it well, I guess it has I've learned so much about myself and my knowing that I can I can do hard things.
• 55:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I think that, you know, yeah, just having something for me, it's changed me for having something for me.
• 55:10
  SPEAKER_00: I think that when I, you know, when I became a mum, um, I not not I didn't, I wouldn't say I gave up a lot, but my my whole, you know, self became about my children and my family.
• 55:20
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, and I did I I gave up a lot of my things that were kind of for me.
• 55:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um and then I was able to, you know, as the kids got a little bit older and I wasn't needed overnight anymore, or I wasn't needed so much, you know, on those really, when they're really little toddlers.
• 55:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, bringing it, bringing back something for me, the sense of accomplishment that I get, the sense of self that I have, um, that it's something for me.
• 55:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I just I just absolutely love it so much that it's one of my favorite things to do.
• 55:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um and yeah, just that yeah, the set I think it's just the sense of accomplishment that you get when you when you can, you know, get go out there and achieve these goals and and have your kids watch them.
• 55:59
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, and then and then you know, one day your 10-year-old turns around and asks if they can come for a run for you, and it's pretty pretty magical.
• 56:07
  SPEAKER_04: Brilliant, brilliant, yeah, that's what it's all about.
• 56:09
  SPEAKER_04: It's brilliant.
• 56:10
  SPEAKER_04: Uh well, so what's next for you, Beck?
• 56:12
  SPEAKER_00: What's next?
• 56:13
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I've just um I'm actually doing Melbourne, um, so what Melbourne Marathon is coming up in a few weeks.
• 56:19
  SPEAKER_00: I was meant to be running that um the half marathon, but I have pulled out because of an injury.
• 56:24
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm not quite I'm not quite ready for the half, but I'm doing the 5k and I'm actually running it with my 10-year-old daughter.
• 56:30
  SPEAKER_00: So amazing.
• 56:31
  SPEAKER_00: We are gonna run it together.
• 56:32
  SPEAKER_00: So we're just running it for fun.
• 56:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, obviously, you know, I'm not currently allowed to sort of do any speed work, so I won't be doing it fast, but we'll be running it for the joy.
• 56:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 56:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll be looking ahead to next year.
• 56:42
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know which I will do a marathon next year.
• 56:45
  SPEAKER_00: I just don't know which one it'll be yet.
• 56:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I have my sight set on one.
• 56:50
  SPEAKER_00: I still have marathon goals, I still have goal times that I want to reach.
• 56:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm approaching it a bit differently, but um I still I'm still chasing a a specific goal time that I was chasing two years ago for Sydney Marathon.
• 57:04
  SPEAKER_00: I know that I'll get it.
• 57:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I just need to work out which marathon that's gonna be that I'm gonna go for.
• 57:09
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you very much for that.
• 57:13
  SPEAKER_04: I appreciate that very much.
• 57:13
  SPEAKER_04: Where can people find you online, Beck?
• 57:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so um you can find me on my Instagram page.
• 57:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm run, there's a lot of underscores, run underscore with underscore Beck underscore.
• 57:24
  unknown: Yeah.
• 57:24
  SPEAKER_04: So it'll be in the description, folks, as well.
• 57:26
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you for that.
• 57:30
  SPEAKER_04: I appreciate your time very much and uh yeah, very insightful and hopefully very useful, particularly on the nutrition side, which is what I wanted to dive in with you today, Beck.
• 57:36
  SPEAKER_04: So I appreciate your um your openness and the detail and sharing your story as well.
• 57:39
  SPEAKER_04: I think that will inspire and help a lot of people, particularly the women that you work with and and hopefully some more women that come your way.
• 57:45
  SPEAKER_04: So some very important points well made in a very simple, hopeful way that you can all apply.
• 57:49
  SPEAKER_04: So thank you very much for your time.
• 57:50
  SPEAKER_04: I appreciate it.
• 57:51
  SPEAKER_04: If you're new to the podcast, don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcast from, particularly Apple or Spotify.
• 57:56
  SPEAKER_04: If you're a regular listener, please drop me a review on Spotify, particularly, or Apple, because that really helps me out, and drop a comment on there as well and share this with your friends on social media if you wish.
• 58:04
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, you can follow me on Instagram at 12Monster Marathon.
• 58:07
  SPEAKER_04: And if you go to the link in my bio, you can join my free online running community for the over 35 so we can take you away from the noise of social media uh and give you a little bit of support and accountability over there.
• 58:17
  SPEAKER_04: You can also find details of my marathon toolkit as well, which is funny enough, covers some of the things we've talked about today, a lot of nutrition stuff, and it's basically a very uh relatively low-cost toolkit to give you everything you need um to run your best marathon yet.
• 58:31
  SPEAKER_04: If you don't need full contact coaching, but number one, drop Beck a follow first, then drop me a follow if you like.
• 58:36
  SPEAKER_04: And uh yeah, hopefully we can uh give you that support to tackle what is a simple thing but difficult to do uh in fueling and nutrition.
• 58:45
  SPEAKER_04: So, again, thank you very much, Beck, for your time.
• 58:46
  SPEAKER_04: I appreciate it, and I'll speak to you all very soon indeed.
• 58:49
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks, Beck.
• 58:50
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, bye.