Missing something in your running or bad habits

[Kory Wheatley]

I wanted to start up a discussion about what you could be missing in your running/training that you know if you did would make you a better runner, or some bad habit you have if you quit you know you would become a better runner.

One of my bad habits is drinking diet soda pop.  I know if I could cut that out of my life it would probably make my running and training better.  Sometimes I don't always eat the best foods either.

Sometimes it's hard to cut something out of your diet that you enjoy drinking or eating.

[Josse]

I think it's a matter of how bad you what it and how disaplined you can be. 
My #1 thing I think runner lack and should do daily to prevent injury is stretch.

[Craig Green]

Yes, I would agree on the diet soda. That is also a weakness of mine.

One thing I try to stay on top of is core excercises. I'm pretty good with 1-2 times a week, but I know I need to get it up to 3-4 times a week. I combine crunches, leg lifts, and upper-body strengthening with weights. I was pretty bad a year ago, and I noticed that my hip flexors and lower abs would get sore on a long run of 14+ miles. After I got into a basic core strengthening routine, that went away. But, like I said, I know that 3-4 times a week would improve things even further.

[Sean Sundwall]

My high school track coach would not let her runners on the team if they drank soda pop...diet or otherwise. You drink soda you don't run. Soda was the first thing I gave up when i started running again 2 1/2 years ago. My understanding is that carbonation reduces you bodies ability to maximize its use of oxygen. I don't have scientific evidence it's true, but I think we can all agree that giving it up can only be a good thing.

[Kory Wheatley]

Sean,  Your 100% right about giving it up can only help.  Anything that's a fake and substitute sugar can't be good for you.  Now I just need to give up diet Vault Zero, and I'm free from my addiction.

[adam]

While I do agree with dropping the soda from the diet (I don't really care for the stuff that much), I do know some elite runners have used a diluted form of it in marathons for decades. I've heard difizzed coke being used as well as moutain dew. It's probably not in use so much now with all the technical gatorades and whatnot, but some still go with it.

[Kory Wheatley]

Adam, I've read about where elite runners used coke on aid stations, because sport drinks weren't around then.  Your right it's something that runners really don't need.
Others that have broken the diet soda addiction what steps did you take?  I mainly drink it after running, and a diet Vault Zero is the first thing I want after a marathon, because I'm tired of all the water from drinking during the marathon.  Sports drinks just seem to give me stomach aches.  I know that its not the best for me, but it hasn't hurt me either.  In my running I've never ran out of oxygen, but I don't drink it before a run either just in-between.

[Craig Green]

Agreed that soda in general is not good. The only difference with diet is that it cuts down on the calories (as opposed to sugar soda). I'd like to know about carbonation really being a bad thing. I've talked to a sports doctor (Toronto) about it before, and he says your body immediately exhales the carbon dioxide, so there's virtually no scientific proof or studies to show that it hurts your oxygen intake. I think we would all agree that drinking carbonation during excersize can mess up your breathing and so forth. How much does it hurt you during the rest of the day? It's hard to say. Does it help? I would say not.

Anyway- about breaking the habit after the run. I would say go for the alternative and make sure the alternative is available. The obvious alternative is water, but I always reach for a real recovery drink right after the run because I know those 30 min after the run are vital. Mix up some sort of recovery drink with Glutamine and you're good to go. I mix a chocolate protein powder with maltodextrin and milk, and it basically gives me a thick glass of chocolate milk.

[Craig Green]

BTW- Coke is very common at ultra aid stations. Then again, so are potato chips and all sorts of other things that aren't good for you beyond quick energy.

[Paul Petersen]

Since diet soda doesn't have any sugar or calories, IMO the only bad thing about it is the acid. Probably not the best for your stomach, and definitely bad for your teeth. But if diet soda is your worst vice, I would say you are doing quite well.

[Kory Wheatley]

Thanks Craig I thought about a performance shake drink and I think you've convinced me to go that route. 

Paul: Thanks for the info.  Of course aspartame is not the best for you according to studies.  I just need to watch my intake.  I don't have a temptation for sweets, or really I can do without meats, butter.  My goal is to drop down to 135 to make a serious attempt this next year to do well in the marathon's I run, and shorter races.  I'm real excited for this year.

Question those that run in the morning do you drink a recovery drink and then eat breakfast, or do you wait a bit to eat breakfast?  I'm trying to get a balance on how much I should eat after a run in the morning.   Usually after a 10 mile or more run in the morning I'll just eat a bowl of cereal or oatmeal and maybe an apple, or orange, or banana (whatever fruit we have at the time).

[Paul Petersen]

I'll usually eat a clif bar or banana before a morning run, and then a big bowl of oatmeal (with brown sugar and honey) with a glass of orange juice after. If I feel a craving, I may have a glass of gatorade mix too.

[Dawson Hinton]

It is wierd, because I was planning all day on posting a question tonight on wether or not diet soda was hurting my ability to run.  I have read all of the posts and got some good info.  I too drink only diet soda, so there is no extra calories there, but I agree that the aspratame (however you spell that) can't really be that good for the body.  I thank everyone for their info and opinions

[Lulu]

Disclaimer: I never eat artificial sugars so this answer will be a bit biased. But here is a bit of what I have found out about aspartame's metabolism in the human body. The following information is not without controversy but this is what I think the data tell us, and I'll let you interpret it how you would like.

1. Approximately 10% of aspartame (by mass) is broken down into methanol in the small intestine. Most of the methanol is absorbed and quickly converted into formaldehyde. Other foods do this too including fruit juice, so don't let this drive you crazy. However, the speed at which this happens is a concern. It occurs much faster with aspartame. Also, I would wager that if you stopped consuming aspartame, you might loose 2-4 pounds of water weight or "puffiness" due to this reaction in the body. Dr. Elson Haas has a bunch to say about this in his nutrition books.
2.Approximately 50% of aspartame (by mass) is broken down into phenylalanine. So aspartame could spike blood plasma levels of phenylalanine and affect the uptake of other amino acids into the brain and alter the body's ability to make neurotransmitters.
3. Approximately 40% of aspartame (by mass) is broken down into aspartic acid. Because aspartame is metabolized and absorbed very quickly (unlike aspartic acid-containing proteins in foods), it is known that aspartame can spike blood plasma levels of aspartate to very high levels. Aspartic acid belongs to a class of chemicals that in high concentrations act as an excitotoxin, inflicting damage on brain and nerve cells. High levels of excitotoxins have been shown in hundreds of animal studies to cause damage to areas of the brain unprotected by the blood-brain barrier and a variety of chronic diseases arising out of this neurotoxicity.

As Paracelsus said "the dose makes the poison." You decide.

Lulu

[Jon Allen]

I've heard that there are 3 vices for runners, of which they can choose to partake of 2.  They are alcohol, caffeine, and sugar.  I do the third.  And love it.