I tried the Atkins Diet for 3 or so years. I lost weight but my running suffered. As a teen my passion was weightlifting but as an adult my only interest is running. I tried the Zone Diet for a year before quitting it to try Atkins. I didn't have enough energy for running on either diet.

Now I'm back on a modified Zone Diet. And the low carb is still causing me problems. Just two days ago I did the local cancer society relay run. It was unusually cold and I went hypothermic. The other people on the track didn't seem bothered by the cold so I assume it was due to low levels of glycogen. I regrouped only by eating hi-carb pizza, bread, crackers and such. I managed to run 52 miles in 18 hours. A year ago I did the same event and ran 66 miles.

The Zone Diet starts with determining protein requirements. Then carb is added at a ratio of the protein needs. Very little fat is needed. My feeling is the ratio of protein to carb does not work too well for the super-active. So I follow the protein needs but plan to double the carb. And even that might not be enough. I use nuts or avocado for the fat requirements.