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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope, it’s NLPaleo Boy…
Author: Kevin Bees (whole 30 sceptic-turned convert)
OK, a Marathon run (42.2km / 26.1m) is not very ‘Paleo’. But, let’s play for a while to find out how ‘Paleo’ eating could impact a distance runner and ask the question:
What would happen if you mixed the Paleo diet, 28 degree heat, with a Whole 30 sceptic-turned-convert into the Sydney Marathon?
I did just that… and the results are in, and have been counted and verified… and you want to hear this, especially if you are non-Paleo runner (or any non-Paleo athlete for that matter).
Pre-run preparation:
- Training– my training was actually not exemplary.
- Between 21 May and 14 August I did not run.
- Between 14 August and the 18 September Marathon, I squeezed in six runs only.
- In this time, and before I started the Paleo diet, I had to drop out of a training run at 22km due to lack of energy.
- Two weeks later and fuelled by the Whole 30 Paleo diet (and some simple and powerful NLP techniques), I accidentally ran a whole marathon when aiming at 30km. (I don’t run with a watch or Satellite Navigation, and I have never made that mistake before – since my reducing energy would prompt me to stop… which in this instance it didn't!)
- Fuel – Whole 30 Paleo for the four weeks prior to the Marathon. Therefore pre-race pasta feast – gone. This was substituted for the much tastier and enjoyable Chicken, Sweet potato and pumpkin… which I incidentally had for breakfast too the next day. (My only Paleo cheat in this process is GU gels whilst running).
The BIG day:
Arriving at the race with a face full of banana, I meet my Non-Paleo running partner.
I thought it would be a good idea to join this running partner since she is younger, fitter and well trained. Her personal best is 3H 44Min and mine is 3H 47Min – so, hopefully some inspiration to knock a few minutes off of my best time. (Plus she has a very nice bottom, so it would be a pleasure to run a few steps off of her pace!)
The Start
Bang… the gun goes and we push across the start line to the tune EVERYDAY I'M SHUFFLING (and my slightly amended lyrics):
Paleo-Grok is in the house tonight,
Everybody just run a good-time
So fit you gonna keep your mind
Everybody just run a good time.
And we’re off. For the first 10km we settle into a comfortable pace. Only, I am noticing that I am going a little faster than my pace setting friend… and she is getting to check out my butt instead. Lucky girl.
At this point, I have no idea if I am faster or slower than hoped (still no watch), but I just keep running at the pace that feels comfortable. Only another 2km and I fully settle into my faster stride and my friend and I run our own races.
It wasn't until the finish line at 42km that I actually realised what had happened. I thought my friend was having an off day and going slower than we expected, but in actual fact, I was faster than I could have even dreamed.
I smashed my personal best by 13 minutes.
In the heat.
With very poor training.
That’s 13 minutes off of my personal best.
‘Chuffed’ doesn't quite cover it – especially when I understand the story of the post run statistics:
- Energy consistency
- My 1st, 2nd & 3rd 10km were all 50 minutes (give or take a few seconds). Over this distance you would expect a degradation of performance… impressive since I had no pacemaker… just my own feeling of energy.
- My 4th set of 10km was also very close to the 50 minute mark and probably would have been equally consistent except for the two convenience stops.
- Comparative performance improvement
My rank Vs other runners in the race at each set of 10km went:
- 1,027
- 596
- 383
- 369
And the last 2.2km – arguably the hardest:
- 57
Put another way – in the hardest 2.2km, I was in the top 1.5% of all marathoners.
Do you think I might have got higher if I didn't stop and pose for these too??
The Paleo diet delivered me consistent energy to make this achievement a reality and left me with enough juice in the tank to finish very strong.
FINISHING STRONG
Watch my finish video here, I'm the fast one!
The best part about this is that I know there is more to come.
30 days of Paleo, poor training, and I smash a personal best.
What if I combine this new fuel source with a training program that is greater than six runs!?
With a Paleo diet, you too can see, hear and feel your goals coming to you faster too, can you not?
Give it a go… NLPaleo Boy say so!
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What Happens When a Skeptic Goes Paleo for 30 Days?
Article Mission: Trial whole 30 and discuss your experience.
Article Author: Suz's housemate (Kevin Bees).
Male, 31, and a ‘Whole 30’ / Paleo sceptic for the following reasons:
- No carbs? Are you crazy? I have lived my whole life on carbs – I am always healthy (I refuse to do ‘sick’) and amongst a hectic work life, I find all the energy I need to rock climb, play football (soccer) and run challenging marathons. I have a marathon to run in week 3 of starting this trial… and a marathon without carbs to burn concerns me greatly.
- Weight loss – many people find Paleo is fantastic to assist with weight loss. I am already slight – I do not want to lose weight.
- What? Tea without milk?? You are having a laugh!
- No chocolate for 30 days??? Shudder the thought.
That all sounds a bit hard. So, why even bother with the whole30 trial at all?
Entrée
1. Support my housemate and best friend Suz in her weight loss and lifestyle improvement goal. If I was so passionate about something like this, I would want the person I shared a refrigerator and mealtimes with to be on board.
2. Understand if the claims of additional energy are true. (Who wants to feel sleepy after lunch when they have work to do!?)
3. Cancer. Understand more about what we put into our bodies in the SAD diet. Has this been the cause of cancer in two of my friends? Could leading a Paleo lifestyle reduce the risks of this?
These reasons alone were enough to get me started, and to tuck into the Main Course of 30 days trial, but did I like what I found as the main course was delivered?
Main Course
Like all good dishes, there are a range of ingredients that have made up my experience over the 30 days and we experience those dishes with all our senses…
What did I See over the 30 days?
Trying on the new lifestyle for 30 days was like putting on a new pair of glasses. At first things didn't quite focus and before long, my eyes adjusted and I started seeing things I hadn’t before:
- Nasty ingredients. What actually are these chemicals I have been putting into my body? It’s the only body I’ll ever own and I like to think of my body as a Ferrari. And if it was a Ferrari, fueling it with chemical waste rather than top grade petrol would cause a break down, right? (OK, ok, I am probably more of a mini cooper than a Ferrari – but you get the gist, right?) The realisation that even MILK might not be as good for me as I previously thought is shocking news to me. How can I have gone 31 years without this knowledge?
- More variety in my food. Usually a ‘diet’ restricts choice. I have found the opposite here. My new lenses have actually allowed me to see things on the menu that I would have previously filtered out. And, at home, rather than cooking up the same old, I have found new recipes that taste so great. The coconut crusted chicken on a bed of curry flavoured veg was a treat. Yummy. And NoOatmeal beats milk saturated cornflakes hands down.
- My abs. Welcome back – it’s great to see you again! I thought my good friends deserted me half a lifetime ago when I stopped doing sit ups at age 16. Now my tort buddies are back in town, I want them to hang out for longer, so I’ll be doing all I can to keep them happy.
- The sun rising. My sleep pattern means I mostly awake naturally before the alarm clock. A much more natural and enjoyable way to live.
- The Bathroom and not in a good way. I saw too much of this place in the first two weeks. As my body adjusted to the new fuel routine… it decided it would have a bit of a clear out. Everything is back to normal now though. Thanks for your concern.
What did I feel over the 30 day?
Ignoring the blip just mentioned… actually very good… especially when doing exercise.
Rock Climbing – I have felt stronger and been able to last longer on tougher walls, much to the dismay of my competitive climbing partner.
Running – endurance and recovery has meant that I could do more training in a shorter space of time. In fact, I went out for a 30KM training run… and I felt so good I kept going and I accidentally ran 42km. (A big bonus since I had to give up at 22km two weeks earlier when I was on non Paleo fuel source).
I feel confident for the Marathon coming up now, which I was not at the start of the 30 days.
More importantly, there were some things I didn't feel over the 30 days:
1. Carb-flu. Is this a myth? As a carb-junkie and cutting out most carbs (something I term ‘going carb-turkey’), I should have suffered this, right? Something I clearly sidestepped by refusing to believe it was true.
2. Insulin Spike. So many times before, I became sleepy after lunch, due to the insulin spike caused when my body was digesting the carbs I had eaten. I have not felt this in the whole 30 days. Imagine my productivity improvement.
What did I hear over the 30 days?
I listened to an aunt trying to ‘treat’ the nephews or nieces … she offers them crisps or fizzy pop.
Previously I would heard the aunty being kind to her little loved ones, although, what I heard was – ‘anyone for a dose of chemicals that your body is not designed to handle?’ Chemicals of course that will build in faults to their Ferrari before it even leaves the assembly line?
What did I smell?
The winds of change, maybe?? Let’s have a dessert and find out.
30 Day summary – The dessert
So, it’s been an interesting entrée and main course… will I continue to a Paleo Dessert now the 30 days are up? Or tuck into the chocolate I have been so missing – and wash it down with a warm cup of milky tea? And I have missed chocolate badly. (It has been a daily habit forever).
Even still, that choice is too easy.
The sceptic has been converted and as I type these last words, I am tucking into some home-made Paleo ice cream (made with coconut milk and plenty of fruity goodness). Thanks SUZ!
Rather than asking myself now if I will continue with Paleo, I am actually asking why would I ever go back to the SAD lifestyle?
Seriously, why would I give up the improved productivity, improved sleep pattern, increased strength and stamina? Oh, and the Abs. Don’t forget the abs.
It’s been a life changing 30 days for me. And I wonder where another 30 days will take me?
And what will a 30 day trial do for you, I wonder?
