Glucose 4.3
Ketone 2.6
Tomtom had some nightmares last night so was in our bed by 1, after that my night was pretty much a write off, I only got 2-3 hours sleep. My plan for a ride today went out the window. Bit of a shame on several counts, I wanted to check that my ride today was not as hard as yesterday's and I wanted to get into a carb deficit so I could enjoy my New Year celebrations with more confidence.
Matt came to visit from Abu Dhabi, it was very kind of him to come during his few hours off. After seeing the girls we went to the http://www.grey-horse.co.uk/ and had some amazing ribs and slaw, probably too much meat for me, but so delicious. From then we visited several friends drinking and enjoying the evening continuing home in the same vein. It is nice to relax and enjoy myself but I am sure it is going to mess with my adaptation, at least I started almost a week ago.
2016 has been a year of great sporting achievement in our family.
Lucy, who not that many years ago never ran.She smashed the London marathon in 5.00.01 with amazingly consistent splits.
Thomasina aged 4 ran the sport relief mile in 10 minutes
Emilia perfected her cartwheels and almost her hand stands
2016 has been my most productive year as I have not spent excessive time off the bike due to injury, recovery or illness. I have spent most of the year on the road but I am missing MTB and I would like to spend more of my bike time on the trails for 2017.
Here are my times and PBs for 2016.
Ridden 9113km
Marmotte 7.59 (official time, neutralise section not included)
Dragon Ride 8.45 (thanks Bob)
Ride London 4.20 (thanks Bob)
3 lap Richmond park 59.41
2 lap Richmond park 39.50
1 lap Richmond park 18.37
White Down 7.55
Box Hill 7.09
2 hour 246 watt av (thanks JamesS)
1 hour 255 watt av
20 min 281 watt av
FTP 264(TP) (thanks JamesS)
Lightest 71kg
Lucy and the girls are so supportive, I know this is just a bid of fun and a hobby but the girls let me spend a lot of time doing it and greatly appreciate their love and support.
Saturday 31 December 2016
Friday 30 December 2016
Day 4 A brighter morning, ride not good.
Happy days my headache has gone and I am starting to feel good. The foggy dark clouds are lifting, well from my mind, outside the freezing fog it still thick and heavy.
Glucose 4.8
Ketone 1.8
Unfortunately my spill off the bike yesterday has cricked my neck which has been increasingly uncomfortable. Heading off to work I am worried about the riding conditions, so I ride to the station and take my bike in on the train.
At work I have a breakfast of broth and still my appetite is pretty much at bay. It is a half day today, so I jump on the bike to come home. Turns out that was about the most energetic part of my whole ride.
I know I am still adapting, I know it can take 4 to 8 weeks or even longer to adapt and I know I am only on day 5 but really how HARD can a 1 hour commute actually be, seriously its breaking me. I am a couple of gears down and despite that, my mental effort is so draining but my heart rate is not really elevating. I got the point where I was riding my bike like a BMX, out of the saddle a few turns of the pedals, then sit, rest and repeat. Eventually I make it home and I am wiped out, I feel proper ropy. Amazingly my time was only 10 minutes slower than normal, still slow but mentally and physically it felt much much worse.
As I sat trying to muster the energy to take my helmet and shoes off, with Lucy looking at me with quite a lot of concern. My focus starts to come back to me and I realise that part of the problem may have been I had not primed my body for exercise.
On a LCHF diet it is well documented that the body process salt in a different manner. The kidneys pass salt and this in partly why LCHF lowers blood pressure. In addition the food eaten on LCHF/Keto diets are more natural and less processed so salt intake is considerable reduced. Salt needs to be supplemented, broth helps but also one needs to liberally add salt to food.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/tip-dont-be-afraid-to-add-more-salt
On LCHF if you lack focus, motivation have a headache or about to exercise take 1/2 teaspoon of salt with a pint of water. The evidence and research looking into healthy daily salt consumption on LCHF suggest this can be 5-6g a day or higher.
Over the 5 years of me periodically adhering to a keto diet, I have easily lost weight but struggled with my exercise. Despite following and reading, multiple times, "the art and science of low carb performance", which has a whole chapter on managing electrolyte levels, 2016 is the only year I nailed this. I was really struggling with my power on the bike and I upped my salt considerable and seriously what a transformation.
http://www.artandscienceoflowcarb.com/the-art-and-science-of-low-carbohydrate-performance/
Today I forgot to salt and water load, I am sure that the ride would still have been hard but maybe not as totally soul destroying at it was.
Unfortunately my spill off the bike yesterday has cricked my neck which has been increasingly uncomfortable. Heading off to work I am worried about the riding conditions, so I ride to the station and take my bike in on the train.
At work I have a breakfast of broth and still my appetite is pretty much at bay. It is a half day today, so I jump on the bike to come home. Turns out that was about the most energetic part of my whole ride.
I know I am still adapting, I know it can take 4 to 8 weeks or even longer to adapt and I know I am only on day 5 but really how HARD can a 1 hour commute actually be, seriously its breaking me. I am a couple of gears down and despite that, my mental effort is so draining but my heart rate is not really elevating. I got the point where I was riding my bike like a BMX, out of the saddle a few turns of the pedals, then sit, rest and repeat. Eventually I make it home and I am wiped out, I feel proper ropy. Amazingly my time was only 10 minutes slower than normal, still slow but mentally and physically it felt much much worse.
As I sat trying to muster the energy to take my helmet and shoes off, with Lucy looking at me with quite a lot of concern. My focus starts to come back to me and I realise that part of the problem may have been I had not primed my body for exercise.
On a LCHF diet it is well documented that the body process salt in a different manner. The kidneys pass salt and this in partly why LCHF lowers blood pressure. In addition the food eaten on LCHF/Keto diets are more natural and less processed so salt intake is considerable reduced. Salt needs to be supplemented, broth helps but also one needs to liberally add salt to food.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/tip-dont-be-afraid-to-add-more-salt
On LCHF if you lack focus, motivation have a headache or about to exercise take 1/2 teaspoon of salt with a pint of water. The evidence and research looking into healthy daily salt consumption on LCHF suggest this can be 5-6g a day or higher.
Over the 5 years of me periodically adhering to a keto diet, I have easily lost weight but struggled with my exercise. Despite following and reading, multiple times, "the art and science of low carb performance", which has a whole chapter on managing electrolyte levels, 2016 is the only year I nailed this. I was really struggling with my power on the bike and I upped my salt considerable and seriously what a transformation.
http://www.artandscienceoflowcarb.com/the-art-and-science-of-low-carbohydrate-performance/
Today I forgot to salt and water load, I am sure that the ride would still have been hard but maybe not as totally soul destroying at it was.
Thursday 29 December 2016
Day 3 The Ride and he's off
Literally sliding down the road on my arse.
60 hours into no carbs, including the first 33 hours fasted and only one meal in the next 27. My morning blood readings were:
Glucose 4.3
Ketone 1.2
Looking outside it was a lovely sunny but cold day. My plan was to have an easy adaptation ride round the 60k datchet loop and then continue the 22k into work. Knowing I am not fully adapted I added some KetoForce to my water bottle. This is a liquid exogenous ketone that I have not used before, but my hope was to up my ketones while I try to adapt.
https://ketosource.co.uk/product/ketoforce/
After Tuesday's ride additional socks and gloves were worn, I took a sachet of almond butter, coconut oil and some dextrose tablets in my pocket. What a lovely day to be out, I turned the page of my power meter so I did not look at my power. This is a truly fasted ride and about adaptation, forcing my body to use my fat as fuel.
I turned down by the river and as I passed the cyclist on the verge I shouted to see if he was ok. 30 meters later I was sliding down the road on my arse. Black ice, it looked exactly like the wet road before it. The upside of black ice being so slippy is the I just glided across it, no tears in me or my clothes. I got up and saw two more cyclist coming I stood in the middle of the road warning not to go left. Clearly the one who just thought I was some nutter was soon on his arse too. This is my first spill off my road bike which I have had for 3 years, if only my MTB record was that good.
After dusting myself down I set off again, I felt pretty good. 30 mins in I tried my ketone water. I am not sure that just putting it in plain water is the best way to consume this, it tastes truly hideous. I have been trying to place the taste, I think it is a cross between fuel and anti nail biting varnish. However that said while on an easy ride it was just about drinkable but I could not face that half way up the Alpe and blowing out of my arse.
60-90min in I felt ok, easy steady pace. Shortly after that it was hard I was mentally wanting to cut the ride short and go home and not to work. 2 hours in I stopped and had an almond butter sachet and the rest of my keto drink, to be fair in the other order so I was not left with the after taste. By this stage things were just going from bad to worst, 10 minutes down the road I was convinced I had buckled my wheel or the brake was rubbing. I got off and check the bike and found the mechanical fault, me, the bike was fine.
6.5k to get home 28.5 to work, the battle was still going on in my head, be strong, think of the adaptation, just do it.
2k to get home, game over. My vision was narrowing (just like the end of all out threshold tests or the end of mega events), I was really aggravated and worried about the traffic around me, I was shaky and not sure I could make it home. I did not have the heavy legs, the specific headache that I normally feel with bonking and hypoglycemia but I was empty, my legs, my body, my mind all of me. I did not even have the thought to eat some of the dextrose in my pocket. Could I get off and walk, not that would take to long, just turn your legs, just turn your legs. It felt like an eternity, Stava says 5 minutes.
I got home, ate couple of leftover sausages and out of interest tested my blood:
Glucose 3.4
Ketone 4.7
The walk to and from the train station was hard but my lunch and dinner tasted good.
I think the exogenous ketone probably did help my ride considering how fasted I was. It appears to have had no negative effects on my gut which is good. This will have to be revisited, there is also a similar power but both these products are very expensive.
60 hours into no carbs, including the first 33 hours fasted and only one meal in the next 27. My morning blood readings were:
Glucose 4.3
Ketone 1.2
Looking outside it was a lovely sunny but cold day. My plan was to have an easy adaptation ride round the 60k datchet loop and then continue the 22k into work. Knowing I am not fully adapted I added some KetoForce to my water bottle. This is a liquid exogenous ketone that I have not used before, but my hope was to up my ketones while I try to adapt.
https://ketosource.co.uk/product/ketoforce/
After Tuesday's ride additional socks and gloves were worn, I took a sachet of almond butter, coconut oil and some dextrose tablets in my pocket. What a lovely day to be out, I turned the page of my power meter so I did not look at my power. This is a truly fasted ride and about adaptation, forcing my body to use my fat as fuel.
I turned down by the river and as I passed the cyclist on the verge I shouted to see if he was ok. 30 meters later I was sliding down the road on my arse. Black ice, it looked exactly like the wet road before it. The upside of black ice being so slippy is the I just glided across it, no tears in me or my clothes. I got up and saw two more cyclist coming I stood in the middle of the road warning not to go left. Clearly the one who just thought I was some nutter was soon on his arse too. This is my first spill off my road bike which I have had for 3 years, if only my MTB record was that good.
After dusting myself down I set off again, I felt pretty good. 30 mins in I tried my ketone water. I am not sure that just putting it in plain water is the best way to consume this, it tastes truly hideous. I have been trying to place the taste, I think it is a cross between fuel and anti nail biting varnish. However that said while on an easy ride it was just about drinkable but I could not face that half way up the Alpe and blowing out of my arse.
60-90min in I felt ok, easy steady pace. Shortly after that it was hard I was mentally wanting to cut the ride short and go home and not to work. 2 hours in I stopped and had an almond butter sachet and the rest of my keto drink, to be fair in the other order so I was not left with the after taste. By this stage things were just going from bad to worst, 10 minutes down the road I was convinced I had buckled my wheel or the brake was rubbing. I got off and check the bike and found the mechanical fault, me, the bike was fine.
6.5k to get home 28.5 to work, the battle was still going on in my head, be strong, think of the adaptation, just do it.
2k to get home, game over. My vision was narrowing (just like the end of all out threshold tests or the end of mega events), I was really aggravated and worried about the traffic around me, I was shaky and not sure I could make it home. I did not have the heavy legs, the specific headache that I normally feel with bonking and hypoglycemia but I was empty, my legs, my body, my mind all of me. I did not even have the thought to eat some of the dextrose in my pocket. Could I get off and walk, not that would take to long, just turn your legs, just turn your legs. It felt like an eternity, Stava says 5 minutes.
I got home, ate couple of leftover sausages and out of interest tested my blood:
Glucose 3.4
Ketone 4.7
The walk to and from the train station was hard but my lunch and dinner tasted good.
I think the exogenous ketone probably did help my ride considering how fasted I was. It appears to have had no negative effects on my gut which is good. This will have to be revisited, there is also a similar power but both these products are very expensive.
Day 3 Headache's attack
I had good "beers" with Ed, sticking to a few vodka sodas, I did not feel I was missing out. It was a good evening and you realise how easy it is for life to pass you by and only see someone a couple of times a year when they only live a few miles away.
When I came home I went to bed, my headache had started to kick in again and this got worse all night. I was also absolutely freezing, unlike me, so had to put on extra clothes. Then suddenly at 4am just as my little one got in our bed I got warm again.
Sugar 4.3
Ketone 1.2
Weight 81.4
I know alcohol can pause ketosis so I do wonder if my coldness was due to lack of all fuels (except the small amount of alcohol) then in the middle of the night my ketones picked up again making me warm?
My ketones are down on yesterday but I had eaten lunch, drunk alcohol and not exercised, still not bad after 2 days. My hunger is already suppressed.
I have lost 3kg, clearly the majority of this will be water and with this is the rapid loss of salts hence the headaches, but the broth and salts have definitely been helping.
Broth with some butter, MCT oil and salts for breakfast. Out for a ride and off to work (working US hours today). My headache eased off again, so hopefully over the worst.
My ride was quite eventful so I have written a separate entry for it.
Wednesday 28 December 2016
Day 2 happy start
Waking after a good nights sleep, less restlessness and no night time visits from the girls, I had a mild headache but less than I have previously experienced. I am really pleased with my self at managing to fast yesterday, I eagerly test my blood.
Sugar 4.6
Ketone 1.7
What a good boost, fasting is powerful at kicking me into ketosis. I don't feel particularly hungry, I have some broth and my salts(Na,Mg,K) and to my surprise my headache cleared about 45mins later.
I head off to my parents for a family get together. I am thrust a glass of fizz, its hard to say no and I don't want my great start to be undone or give me false confidence. I sip it slowly, I am pretty sure this is not how the books recommend breaking a 33 hour fast but it tastes good. A few cocktail sausages later I avoid the cards at the lunch table.
My headache did surface again early evening, so when I got home I had some more....yes broth and salts. (Most people think it is weird to drink broth but if you added some chicken and veg it would be soup and that would be fine, anyway it tastes like gravy, one of my favourite foods)
Off to see Ed for some "beers" let's see how that works out.
Tuesday 27 December 2016
Here I go, Day 1 (exercise and fast)
Lucy, my very understanding wife has pointed out I am somewhat pessimistic in my posts so far. She is right, it is not that my life is miserable, far from it but this dark cloud of mood swings and lack of control has dampened my spirits lately. Today I am optimistic and the first stage of this journey is about taking control and lifting this cloud. My aim is to get into ketosis asap.
Ketosis occurs when your body is starved from carbs and has to turn to fat for fuel. Depleting glycogen stores and fasting both promote this change. However glycogen is stored along with water, when this is lost rapidly this can unbalance our sodium,magnesium and potassium which can cause "keto flue" bad headaches etc. Supplements and bone broth can help.
Day 1 metrics
Weight 84.6kg
Body fat 24.1%
Waking blood sugar 6,5mmol/L
Waking ketones 0.0mmol/L
Chest 111cm
Waist 97cm
Hip 107cm
Belt 98cm
The girls are all out for the day so I can be even more selfish than I normally am. With a breakfast of bone broth and some salt & potassium salt I met JamesM for a nice easy 3.5 hour ride. It was pretty cold and my fingers were numb for the first 20 mins but once the sun was a little higher the air warmed just leaving my feet wanting. It was a lovely sunny day and really nice just to take it easy. I only drank water on the bike.
Not surprisingly walking into the kitchen on my return and seeing all the Christmas goodies around my body was definitely craving some sugar. Some more salts and bone broth and a cheeky kip I stayed strong.
I stayed strong all evening, avoiding the girls left over fish fingers and Lucy's Hotel Chocolate. So far no headache just a bit tired and cold.
Day 1 good.
I stayed strong all evening, avoiding the girls left over fish fingers and Lucy's Hotel Chocolate. So far no headache just a bit tired and cold.
Day 1 good.
Monday 26 December 2016
Boxing (Bin) day K-1
So it all starts tomorrow, Ketogenic LCHF, well the carb restriction starts the ketones will take some time to kick in.
Apart from sorting the Christmas recycling I went for a 2 hour ride. I intended to go for a 2 hour ride, Underdressed and into a cold headwind the ride was promptly cut back to just over an hour.
Mental or physical I don't know but despite my legs being full of glycogen I am struggling at the moment. This is a long way form how I felt 6 weeks go and I haven't even dropped the carbs yet. The next few weeks or going to be tough.
Just to check that beer and carbs make me feel crap I am shovelling them in my face. Nothing's changed.
Sunday 25 December 2016
Christmas Day, day of two halves
Waking with my headache still banging I mustered the energy to get out on the bike, obviously after we unwrapped our Christmas stockings. I also managed to put the turkey in the oven so we could have a midday lunch.
It's been 3 weeks since I was on the bike but my last proper ride was about 6 weeks ago. Wearing too many clothes, the big ones I had to get from the back of the cupboard, I was not looking forward to the overcast windy day. To my surprise I could still turn the pedals, it was not fun or fast but I was glad to do it.
After a quick shower and change I finished cooking lunch had a glass of fiz and 12.05 lunch was served.
With no breakfast an hours ride and no nibbles I was hungry. Lunch was amazing not due to my cooking skills but I was actually hungry, I could enjoy it. More parsnips than potatoes I enjoyed the whole meal!!!!
An hour later Lucy brought the pudding out and despite the average (for me) sized portion I got the usual too much never want to eat again and want to pass out feeling......
After another cheeky kip I swerved the chocolate and sugar and made it to the evening felling pretty good. Lucy has a mountain of hotel chocolate, I know it will make me feel crap but it's so tempting we will have to see. I haven't given up sugar yet but I can keep seeing why I want to. A good nights sleep would be a start.
Saturday 24 December 2016
Christmas Eve
It's 16.00, lying in bed feeling like I have been hit with a cricket bat. Splitting headache, very nauseous, bit shaky the 2 hour sleep I have just had has had little effect. Have I got a bug or is this just the effect of Emilia's birthday lunch?
Christmas Eve is a very special day in our family as it is Emilia's Birthday. Everyone comes for a well balanced meal of carbs meat and sugar based products which this year included a white chocolate fountain.
Lack of sleep alcohol and sugar has crippled me I still felt terrible going to bed. I can't bare this feeling I want to be free from it. It's worse than post race hypoglycemia!
Let's see if I can actually enjoy Christmas Day.
Friday 23 December 2016
Almost Christmas
23rd Dec its almost Christmas the end is in sight.
Lethargic exhausted and nauseous, just as I felt 6 months ago.
6 months ago those feelings were induced by 8 hours on the bike and putting every ounce of my ketogenic training on the road and knocking 1.46 off my Marmotte PB. (1 hour and 46 mins!!)
Now it is induced by sugar alcohol and putting 14kg back on since July, what a numpty.
Over the last 5 years I have spent much of it Ketogenic but often with a goal in mind and once past that goal I indulge in sugar and my mental strength is tired. A day or two turns into a week, a month, half a year and I am back where I started.
Last year I got in a great place 4 hour rides on salted water, dropping to 71 kg, holding my HR a beat under my LCHF threshold for extended periods and seeing my power improve dramatically after my forced time off the bike.
All the euphoria I felt on and off the bike in Keto is a long distant memory. I have tried and failed several times to get back on the waggon getting through the first week of hell just to let myself down again.
So with about 12 weeks to our first sportive I have to get adapted again, lose the 14kg and get consistent training back on my bike.
I know the first week will be hell and then the next month every ride will feel like I am bonking but I will get through it. Ever so slowly the power will come back, and then I will go on a group ride and I will fell amazing getting stronger as the ride goes on. It will be bliss, I will feel amazing, motivated, fit, light and it will all have been worth it. But now I need to focus on the first hurdle.
This is my journey, I have done it before but for those who haven't I hope this helps.
The best tips:
Eat Salt
Eat Fibre
Control Protein
Drink Water
The best resources I have found:
http://www.artandscienceoflowcarb.com/the-art-and-science-of-low-carbohydrate-performance/
https://www.dietdoctor.com
http://www.enduranceplanet.com
Lethargic exhausted and nauseous, just as I felt 6 months ago.
6 months ago those feelings were induced by 8 hours on the bike and putting every ounce of my ketogenic training on the road and knocking 1.46 off my Marmotte PB. (1 hour and 46 mins!!)
Now it is induced by sugar alcohol and putting 14kg back on since July, what a numpty.
Over the last 5 years I have spent much of it Ketogenic but often with a goal in mind and once past that goal I indulge in sugar and my mental strength is tired. A day or two turns into a week, a month, half a year and I am back where I started.
Last year I got in a great place 4 hour rides on salted water, dropping to 71 kg, holding my HR a beat under my LCHF threshold for extended periods and seeing my power improve dramatically after my forced time off the bike.
All the euphoria I felt on and off the bike in Keto is a long distant memory. I have tried and failed several times to get back on the waggon getting through the first week of hell just to let myself down again.
So with about 12 weeks to our first sportive I have to get adapted again, lose the 14kg and get consistent training back on my bike.
I know the first week will be hell and then the next month every ride will feel like I am bonking but I will get through it. Ever so slowly the power will come back, and then I will go on a group ride and I will fell amazing getting stronger as the ride goes on. It will be bliss, I will feel amazing, motivated, fit, light and it will all have been worth it. But now I need to focus on the first hurdle.
This is my journey, I have done it before but for those who haven't I hope this helps.
The best tips:
Eat Salt
Eat Fibre
Control Protein
Drink Water
The best resources I have found:
http://www.artandscienceoflowcarb.com/the-art-and-science-of-low-carbohydrate-performance/
https://www.dietdoctor.com
http://www.enduranceplanet.com
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