“There’s too many men, too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Can’t you see this is a land of confusion?”
(Genesis – Land Of Confusion Lyrics)
This is a true story…
My bodies ability to “run on fat” was once again put to the test this past weekend. According to my “calendar of events for 2015” I was due to be self indulging by competing in the Run Forest Half Marathon Trail Run on Sunday 07 June. However on Saturday night my kids asked if we could rather go for a bike ride to the city, do indoor rock climbing, and then ride to meet mum in St Kilda after her Low Carb Down Under Conference. How could I say no to that? So I put my aspirations, ego and selfish pursuits aside, and told the kids that was a great idea!
It’s an absolute pleasure cycling the 15km journey from my house into the city. At the bottom of our street there is a bike path that meanders along the Yarra River all the way to Melbourne CBD. There are no traffic lights, no roads, no cars – just a continuous snaking track nestled amongst inner suburban areas. Following a home made percolated black coffee and a handful of macadamia nuts, the kids and I saddled up on our trusty freedom machines and gleefully pushed our pedals. We arrived in the city around mid-morning, locked up our bikes and prepared ourselves for a couple of hours of rock climbing. I almost sensed it as I walked out of the building – and my sixth sense suspicions were confirmed when we approached our bicycles. The lock was cut and my bicycle gone! My first thought was, “You f@#k*n low life scumbag!” But before the words came out of my mouth, I looked at my innocent kids, shrugged my shoulders and explained to them that a desperate person who is very selfish has stolen my bicycle. Looking back I applaud myself for keeping calm in the face of this potential anger storm.
As luck would have it, my mobile phone battery life was just about dead. I quickly sent Vicky a text message to let her know that my bike is gone and that I would meet her in St Kilda at the conference venue. So the kids looked up at me and said “what now dad?” I said, “Now I run!” The city was packed so we took all the side streets weaving our way onto another bike track that runs from the city to Port Melbourne. From there it joins another bike track that runs alongside the beach. My running felt effortless – I was feeling great! With each foot strike to the ground I was crushing those anger demons, and enjoying the raw splendour of running with my two best little mates cycling on either side of me. Vicky was waiting for us when we arrived in St Kilda – she had seen the message and approached me with caution (obviously not aware that the “happy hormones” enduced from my run having calmed me down considerably). I loaded the kids bikes onto the roof racks, and Vicky did not need to ask me if I was joining them for the 10km drive home. She obviously saw that look on my face or perhaps it was my body language – my run was not done. I needed a little more “run therapy.”
I arrived home with a spring in my step and a positive mindset. It was only when we sat down at a cafe for a late lunch/early dinner (at ~4pm) that I realised that I had not consumed anything since I had left home at 9am. There is no way that the old “me” who relied heavily on carbohydrates for fuel would have been able to endure a 1 hour bike ride, 2 hours of rock climbing and 2 hours of running on a black coffee and a handful of macadamia nuts. The ability to utilize fat for fuel gives you more freedom, less restrictions (not having to worry about continually replenishing and topping up fuel stores with carbs) and enhanced performance (sugar free diet = reduced systemic inflammation = greater recovery potential/capacity).
I did take to social media to vent my frustrations and assist with my “healing process.”
So yet again, my “n=1” research continues with more anecdotal evidence to confirm that based on what we know physiologically I can successfully apply practically.
If you’re curious about how to get started, here is a very basic guide…
- Eat SLOW (Seasonal Local Organic Wholefoods)
- Cut the CRAP (Carbonated drinks, Refined sugars, Artificial foods, Processed foods)
- Shop at the local farmers market
- Keep more food in your fridge (i.e. real whole foods), and less food in your pantry (i.e. packaged, processed foods).
- Get your macronutrient balance right (Carbs:Fats:Proteins) – this is where you would need to get more inout/advice/consultation from a trusted reliable source… click here.
- Give it time – it can take as little as 4 weeks to become “fat adapted” or as long as 12 months. This is a lifestyle choice – it’s not a transient diet.