Diary of an academic mum

Dr Breanne Kunstler (BBiomedSci, BHealthSci, MPhysio, PhD). Physiotherapist, behaviour change scientist and run coach. There are people who insist on eating before a run to feel energised and prevent the dreaded mid-run "bonk" (no, not that kind of bonk...) and those who absolutely refuse to eat to avoid tummy upsets and hope for the best. Both of these runners will use stored carbohydrate, which comes from food consumed in meals consumed in the hours and days before the run. Regardless of whether you eat before a run or not, your run is going to use carbohydrate/carbs (sugars) to fuel your muscles. Therefore, getting the most out of your running depends on the food you consume, and don't consume, at times when you aren't running too. Those who make sure they get sufficient carbohydrate in their diet throughout the days leading up to their run will likely get more out of their running. Eating to run: How much carbohydrate should I eat each day? There's plenty of e

Get ready for some delicious recovery treats! Despite the name, these little cake-y bites are totally yummy. They get their name from the fact that they look like a pile of horse sh*t after they are cooked.  These buns are jam-packed with goodness to help you get some well-deserved carbs and protein in across the day after a solid training session.  So, what are you waiting for? Get baking! This recipe makes 12 small sh*t buns. Make them as big as you like but make sure you cook them for longer. Keep in mind that you need to let the dough rise for 2 hours.  Equipment Mixing bowl Mixing spoon Mini-blender Oven tray Microwave or saucepan and stove Oven Ingredients Must haves 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup wheat germ 2 scoops protein powder (approx. 50-60g. Chocolate flavour will give a sh*ttier colour but chocolately flavour) 3/4 cup plain flour (add more if the mix is still wet prior to kneeding) 1 tbsp. cinnamon 1 tbsp. mixed spice 40g caster sugar 7g (1 packet) dried yeast 1/2 tspn. salt

Dr Breanne Kunstler (BBiomedSci, BHealthSci, MPhysio, PhD). Physiotherapist, behaviour change scientist and run coach. What is “running power”? Let’s start with an analogy:  You are walking in the park and feel water beginning to drop lightly on your shoulders. That’s OK, a little rain never hurt anyone and it’s certainly not going to stop you going for a walk in your favourite park on such a beautiful, sunny day. Wait…sunny? Yes, it’s a warm, sunny day. The temperature and the absence of clouds in the sky, together with your choice of summer outfit and knowledge that today is meant to be sunny, conflict with the feeling of raindrops on your shoulders. Ah, it rained last night! Those drops must just be left over rain falling from the leaves of the trees above you. The above example shows that, when coming to a conclusion, we can use one piece of information (feeling of rain drops = raining) or many pieces of information (sunny and warm day ≠ raining). Often, the more information

Dr Breanne Kunstler (BBiomedSci, BHealthSci, MPhysio, PhD). Physiotherapist, behaviour change scientist and run coach. Not all running is created equal. About 5 years ago I made a series of mistakes that made my first trail run my worst run ever. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. It was a truly horrible experience. Firstly, I had to drive 1.5hrs to get to the event, which just stuffed up my whole pre-race routine. I hate travelling far for races (which is why I LOVE virtuals !). I stupidly ate a bowl of bran with yoghurt before I started the drive, thinking that I’d have my carby bananas when I got there and be fuelled and ready to go like I usually am. That bowl of bran stayed we me the entire run and made me feel utterly miserable. Check out my post on how to get the most out of a virtual run Secondly, I had no appreciation for what I had actually signed up for. I didn't think I'd need to do anything different to run 35km on a rail trail compared to the

Dr Breanne Kunstler (BBiomedSci, BHealthSci, MPhysio, PhD). Physiotherapist, behaviour change scientist and run coach. When I was a kid I would always look at my parents and think they were old. My dad was in his 40s and my mum was in her 30s when I was 12 years old. So, I was young, and they were old. Now that I’m in my 30s I obviously see how wrong I was! I still have a lot of quality years of life in me. Although I’m certainly not “old”, I am considered a masters athlete once I turn 35 . That’s right, a masters (recreational) athlete at 35. Does this mean that I have automatically mastered the art of being a recreational athlete once I turn 35? Unfortunately, no. It just means that I’m getting older and, as a result, have special health and training needs . I need to think smarter about how I train in my 30s. This goes for any sport, but in my case it's running. I have decided to do some research into the specific training and recovery needs of the masters athlete (recrea

Dr Breanne Kunstler (BBiomedSci, BHealthSci, MPhysio, PhD). Physiotherapist, behaviour change scientist and run coach. This is written for the female recreational athlete not taking hormonal contraception and not currently pregnant or breastfeeding. Why do I track my menstrual cycle? As a 30-something year old woman, I have paid close attention to my menstrual cycle for several years. I mainly did this because I wanted to start a family, but now it’s because I know that I feel better and worse when I run depending on the time of the month. It turns out there’s a scientific explanation for this! Menstrual cycle 101 You need to know a couple of things before I begin this post. Week 1 of the 4-week menstrual cycle (typically it’s 4, but it can vary) is when you have your period (“monthly bleed”) and hormone (oestrogen and progesterone) levels are low. Oestrogen levels peak before ovulation, or release of an egg, which happens about 2 weeks after the beginning of your monthly ble

Dr Breanne Kunstler (BBiomedSci, BHealthSci, MPhysio, PhD).  Physiotherapist, behaviour change scientist and run coach. "That's not a fun run, that's a shit run!" is what I told my dietician when she asked how I feel when I run on a carb-restricted diet. This was just after I told her that I am training to achieve a sub-90min half marathon, and about 6 months after I walked into her office asking for help to prevent the worsening of disordered eating behaviours. I came a long way in 2020. I not only re-gained 20% of my pre-baby weight, and almost 100% of my self respect, but I also came a long way in my recovery from a 10 year battle with a disordered eating. I have made significant improvements in my mental and physical health while learning more about myself than I could ever imagine.  How has my running changed? I always identified as a long distance endurance runner. I defined that as a being a 'plodder', where I'd just plod along until I happened to c

 

Dr Breanne Kunstler (BBiomedSci, BHealthSci, MPhysio, PhD).  Physiotherapist, behaviour change scientist and run coach. I live in Melbourne, Australia. We have recently emerged from a pretty tough period of lockdown enforced by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19.  As of December 15, 2020, we have had over one month of no new infections and no new deaths. This good news is seeing restrictions ease and people starting to get out more. A lot of people are wanting to get back into their old exercise regime. However, as they dig their running shoes out from the back of the cupboard, many think "Am I ready for this?" Here are my top 5 things you should consider before lacing up those running shoes and jumping back into your old exercise regime. 1. How much running did I do during lockdown? Did you maintain a basic level of fitness during lockdown or did you become one with the couch? Those who maintained some level of fitness, be it simply walking around the block or