In preparation for my race in Hawaii in 2.5 weeks, I have been teaching my body to rely more on fat as a source of fuel. So, I've been eating a lot more vegetables and lean protein, with very little carbohydrates. The first week was tough but my body has adjusted and I've had some pretty incredible results in the couple weeks I've been doing this:
- I'm down 6 lbs on the scale.
- My lean body mass has risen 2 lbs.
- I can now do my long workouts without any fuel (except water of course). Last Saturday I rode 2.5 hours without taking in any calories and I felt great.
- Yesterday I ran 12 km in 1 hour in my training run (and I had done a 1 hour swim earlier that day).
- Basically my body has learned to use FAT as a fuel. My body is changing and the way that I train and race is changing. I will not have to take in nearly as many calories in the Hawaii Half Ironman, which means I am far less likely to have GI problems (remember Cozumel??).
Did you know that an average person has about 1,300 - 2,000 calories stored as carbohydrate in their body and in excess of 80,000 calories stored as fat?? That means, that if you are relying primarily on carbohydrates for fuel and energy, you are going to have to take in A LOT of calories in training and racing and well, LIFE. Conversely, if you can teach your body to use fat for fuel, you will be tapping into an amazing source of energy.
Simply brilliant, I think!
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