Marathon Training

[Runner1978]

I've been training for my second marathon since June and I was diagnosed with celiac 2 weeks ago. I've been gluten-free for a little over a week. Unfortunately, I've been dealing with alot of injuries (shin splints, piriformis syndrome). Now I have strained hip flexors and might not be able to run my race. On a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of the aggression of my training, I'd say I've been training at a 7. More aggressive then last year but nothing I can't handle and actually, I've been trying to run the least amount to get my through this race with a good performance in order to avoid injuries and really, until the end of July, I was doing alot of cross-training. So I'm wondering if these injuries are linked to my body going without vitamins and minerals pre-diagnosis. I'm actually hoping this is the case because I really think I should have been able to handle this training. For those of you who were training pre-diagnosis, how did it affect your performance? Thanks!

[Kitty Cat]

Even thought I can not help you but I am training for my first marathon next year. I have almost been gluten free for a week and my energy level is at the all time low. I do take a vitiam everyday and try to get more organic foods as well. With my training my breathing is a lot better without gluten. I had blood work done today so I guess in a few weeks I'll know if I have a problem with gluten. If you have a trainer I would ask him or her to see if there any kind of stretching you can do before and after running.

Good luck you need to see if youwould like to run the monkey next year. Just google Monkey Marathon and it should pop up. It is held in Nashville TN I was able to walk it last year and next year I want to run it.

I do have some wonderful notes I am willing to send to you over PM.

[mama2]

I am not training for a marathon right now. However, I excercise and weight train. My DH is a strenght coach for football. I have been gluten-free for a few mths now. That first 3 weeks , all time energy low, very hard to excercise. I felt like my body was in shock! Give it some time... your energy will soon be at a all time high! I don't see why your injuries could not be linked... give yourself time heal. Good luck... hope you feel better soon!

[Peej]

I was only diagnosed because of running injuries.

I've trained for several marathons. I was only able to finish one because I was always stopped because of injury - even though I had dropped my mileage to less than 40 mpw (I cross trained a lot). I had posterior tibial tendonitis for almost a year, several soft tissue injuries and what seemed like a constant calf strain (I ran the marathon with a grade 2 calf strain). I switched to triathlons thinking that the cross-training would be good for me. I was running about 30 mpw when I was started having some back/groin pain which eventually leg to a bone scan. Turns out I have two stress fractures, one in each femur. This should NOT happen when one is only running 30 miles per week so this lead to bone density tests which revealed I have low bone density which in turn lead to the celiac diagnosis (I had several other symptoms which I have been ignorning).

So, you are right in that I believe the disease does lead to injury. I am still not running due to the fractures but I have a feeling that a lot of these problems will finally stop when I am able to train again. Hopefully the same is true for you!

[zkat]

I have also seen a huge drop in "overuse" inflamatory type injuries. I have been running again for 3.5 years (ran my whole life until my early 20's when I had NO energy, picked it up again after regaining energy on low carb diet). I struggled with shin splints, muscle strains, hip flexor issues-you name it I had it at one time or another. I went Gluten free earlier this year and have had very few problems since March/April with the exception of soccer injuries.

I got glutened a couple of weeks ago and all those pains in my legs came back, my hip flexor (which is still bothering me), shins, knees everything just felt "inflamed".

So to answer your question-yes I think they are related and yes it does get better!

Kat.

[Runner1978]

So I'm at month two with hip flexor strains. I was trying to run for short distances for the first month but when I limped off the treadmill 2 weeks ago, I decided to give up cardio for awhile. There are slight improvements but as soon as I do anything, it acts up again. Yesterday, I did a 10 minute walk followed by a 5 minute light and slow run and today, the area is inflammed again.

I finally saw my specialist this morning. I was diagnosed via blood test two months ago and today, we scheduled the endoscopy (which means back on gluten for me). I asked if the disease would explain in any way the muscle injuries and he says no. I don't know that I'm fully convinced.

Maybe I should take iron supplements or something. I just want everything to heal so I can get back to a normal life. I did a body pump class last week and all it took was squats and lunges for my right quads to be strained. This is starting to be ridiculous.

I was seeing a chiro for ART and it didn't do much. I'm going to see a massage specialist and hopefully that will help.

[billcorno]

I'm training for my ninth marathon (I run one a year - it takes me that long to forget how bad the last one was )

Going gluten-free was really good for my training. I still did oats for years after that, and I had the big D often on account (I think.)

I ran shorter distances for thirteen years before I started running marathons. A lot of training problems were worked out in those early years. I was gluten-free from about my fifth year of running. It did help everything. Running seemed to be a way to "shake-up" my system so the food would go through

I was really sick before I went gluten-free. I'm pretty sound, structurally, so getting this sorted out has let me be the best I could be, strength-wise and stamina. I do push-ups and sit-ups, and that does assist in using the hip-flexors, sit-ups especially.

Bee pollen has been one supplement that I use consistently. It just seems to work.

Good luck with this. I admire anyone who tries to run 26.2 miles. It's not an easy achievement.

BillCorno

AZ

I've been training for my second marathon since June and I was diagnosed with celiac 2 weeks ago. I've been gluten-free for a little over a week. Unfortunately, I've been dealing with alot of injuries (shin splints, piriformis syndrome). Now I have strained hip flexors and might not be able to run my race. On a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of the aggression of my training, I'd say I've been training at a 7. More aggressive then last year but nothing I can't handle and actually, I've been trying to run the least amount to get my through this race with a good performance in order to avoid injuries and really, until the end of July, I was doing alot of cross-training. So I'm wondering if these injuries are linked to my body going without vitamins and minerals pre-diagnosis. I'm actually hoping this is the case because I really think I should have been able to handle this training. For those of you who were training pre-diagnosis, how did it affect your performance? Thanks!

[huevo-no-bueno]

The most I've ever done is a 10K but I love, love running. I had to stop over the winter when I just got really run down and started having more serious issues with gluten intolerance and food allergies. It was like all my strength just got totally zapped from me. Aside from doing my best to avoid further aggravation of my immune system I'm aiming to get healthy enough to run regularly again. I've had good results with bee pollen; maybe I should take that again!

[rpf1007]

I'm a runner too! I have only run half marathons....have always questioned whether I could make it through the full distance. I always get really excited to train for a full one when I'm training for the half...and then usually on race day I think that there is no way I could do double the distance! I did pretty badly in my last half last year...ate pasta the night before, wheat toast morning of...and was so sick...and in agony. Basically ran the whole thing on an empty stomach and a few sport beans. Since I have been gluten free (about 6 weeks now) and feeling so much better...I'm way more motivated to start running some longer distances again. It's much nicer when you don't feel like your stomach is going to explode at any moment! I was starting to get nervous about running far away from my house in case I got into problems.

I have been having a nagging foot pain for about a year and never even contemplated that it could be related to this! Thanks for bringing it up!

[billcorno]

"Bee pollen has everything necessary to sustain life except fiber." I read that somewhere. Lasse Viren, the scandinavian runner, used to do bee pollen. I think it's a great natural multi-vitamin. Some people are allergic to it, so one should start out doing just a few granules and work up.

It's great to find out what the problem was (wheat/gluten.) It was like I had no "intestinal fortitude." What a relief! And running without the big D is wonderful.

Running cures many ills, too. I don't do meds as running seems to do the trick. Just enough sleep and some vitamins. (C, mostly, also silica and bee pollen.)

Happy trails...

BillCorno

The most I've ever done is a 10K but I love, love running. I had to stop over the winter when I just got really run down and started having more serious issues with gluten intolerance and food allergies. It was like all my strength just got totally zapped from me. Aside from doing my best to avoid further aggravation of my immune system I'm aiming to get healthy enough to run regularly again. I've had good results with bee pollen; maybe I should take that again!

[billcorno]

Hi! I ran with a marathon-training group in Germany, and they had this certain routine for training. We did a couple long runs, one interval session, and some track work per week. This started about three months out from the marathon.

Then, one month out, we ran for three hours. Next, two weeks out, we ran for three hours. Then on race day, we knew what to expect at the three hour mark, and the adrenaline and people around would carry us through the last difficult miles.

Trying to run a marathon without having some training runs of at least 20 or more miles is not really advisable, I think. A half marathon is a good race, but a marathon has it's difficulties that are unique to it. It can mess you up if you're not prepared (if you're trying to race it, anyway.) I've been the walking wounded a few times. Proper hydration (some gatorade or sports drink) is important, too.

Just some distance thoughts...

BillCorno

I'm a runner too! I have only run half marathons....have always questioned whether I could make it through the full distance. I always get really excited to train for a full one when I'm training for the half...and then usually on race day I think that there is no way I could do double the distance! I did pretty badly in my last half last year...ate pasta the night before, wheat toast morning of...and was so sick...and in agony. Basically ran the whole thing on an empty stomach and a few sport beans. Since I have been gluten free (about 6 weeks now) and feeling so much better...I'm way more motivated to start running some longer distances again. It's much nicer when you don't feel like your stomach is going to explode at any moment! I was starting to get nervous about running far away from my house in case I got into problems.

I have been having a nagging foot pain for about a year and never even contemplated that it could be related to this! Thanks for bringing it up!

[cyberprof]

I had tried to train for a run/walk marathon (or half) but would always get foot pain diagnosed as plantar faciitis. So I gave it up and switched to some walking and some biking. Right before I was diagnosed I had a flare-up just from walking. After I went gluten-free, the pain disappeared that same week with no treatment, and I've never had a problem since. My feeling is that it was not plantar faciitis but celiac-related. It's a good thing.

~Laura

[itchygirl]

I keep bees and I can absolutely assure you that you do not want to be consuming bee pollen if you are celiac. Bees will happily pick up any dust like substance if there is not sufficent pollen to meet there needs. During the recent drought, despite my feeding them pollen cakes (which are made up of defatted soy and other ingredients) they were picking all the dust off the bird feeders-including wheat dust (no, I don't handle bird seed). This dust harvesting in times of colony stress is normal behavior . You can check with bee keepers on any bee forum, or bee keepers in your area. If there is grain dust in the area where they are feeding, the bees will pick it up and incorportate it into the pollen mix. Pollen is the bee's source of protein, and gluten is protein. I see bee pollen all over the internet touted as gluten free, but there is no way I would trust it. Esp, considering the severe drought condition that affected a large part of the US last year and caused a lot of stress on the bee colonies and a shortage of plant pollen.

Here is a link with great pics of honey bees gathering grain dust

Open Original Shared Link

Chip Taylor, the University of Kansas entomologist best known for his project on Monarch Watch butterfly tagging, tells us dust collecting by Honeybees is actually quite common in spring. If pollen is unavailable, Honeybees collect all sorts of dust that contains carbon--even coal dust. Dr. Taylor reports that in open markets in Central and South America it's not uncommon to see bees collecting flour from open sacks or spillage--a behavior also well-known in Africa--and that beekeepers sometimes put out "pollen substitutes" such as high-protein soy flour in spring and fall.

[billcorno]

I guess this could be true. I have never had a problem with bee pollen, and if I get glutened I catch a rash and have the big D pretty bad (as well as other symptoms.)

I do try and get the highest quality and freshest bee pollen I can. C.C. Pollen company is the main company I go to (no financial interest.)

It works for me and YMMV.

Would you then be saying that there's wheat dust in honey? Pollen in the hive gets in the honey, too, I believe. (Part of what gives honey it's special qualities.)

I keep bees and I can absolutely assure you that you do not want to be consuming bee pollen if you are celiac. Bees will happily pick up any dust like substance if there is not sufficent pollen to meet there needs. During the recent drought, despite my feeding them pollen cakes (which are made up of defatted soy and other ingredients) they were picking all the dust off the bird feeders-including wheat dust (no, I don't handle bird seed). This dust harvesting in times of colony stress is normal behavior . You can check with bee keepers on any bee forum, or bee keepers in your area. If there is grain dust in the area where they are feeding, the bees will pick it up and incorportate it into the pollen mix. Pollen is the bee's source of protein, and gluten is protein. I see bee pollen all over the internet touted as gluten free, but there is no way I would trust it. Esp, considering the severe drought condition that affected a large part of the US last year and caused a lot of stress on the bee colonies and a shortage of plant pollen.

Here is a link with great pics of honey bees gathering grain dust

Open Original Shared Link

[powerbraid]

"Bee pollen has everything necessary to sustain life except fiber." I read that somewhere. Lasse Viren, the scandinavian runner, used to do bee pollen. I think it's a great natural multi-vitamin. Some people are allergic to it, so one should start out doing just a few granules and work up.

It's great to find out what the problem was (wheat/gluten.) It was like I had no "intestinal fortitude." What a relief! And running without the big D is wonderful.

Running cures many ills, too. I don't do meds as running seems to do the trick. Just enough sleep and some vitamins. (C, mostly, also silica and bee pollen.)

Happy trails...

BillCorno

So, then if Bee Pollen is not gluten-free, is honey "safe" to eat for celiacs???

Just wondering!

[billcorno]

So, then if Bee Pollen is not gluten-free, is honey "safe" to eat for celiacs???

Just wondering!

Well, I've been eating honey for lots of years. I only gave up eating it "straight" 'cuz it was ruining my teeth!

It's a great energy boost and is, for me, soothing to the stomach.

It hasn't done me any harm, as far as I can tell!

billcorno

Glendale, AZ