Paleo diet is:

- not necessarily a low carb diet... if you need carbs, get carbs

- not necessarily cooked... if cooked paleo diet does not suit you, go raw paleo diet

- not paleo diet if your meat, fruit and vegs are of terrible quality... check your sources.

As was said, Paleo doesn't have to be low carb. WHat you are feeling is most likely a ketosis swap over. If you are doing endurance athletics then you need the carbs. While not technically paleo a lot of people here and elsewhere use squash and sweet potatoes for a pretty good carb source. I eat them some and have never had a problem with them causing any issues with my body.

Do what you want of course but dont lie to your self and thing that any type of grain legume or dairy is "good for you". They will and do cause problems. If it were me i would eat paleo and get my carbs for racing from those listed above. Or if it is endurance type stuff rethink that and go for a more sprinty type competition. We are not made for Endurance sports.

If you arent doing endurance stuff even low carb paleo can do just fine. I took me about one week to get over the ketosis swap. Some take up to a month. Plan it around your races or do a carb up just for races. Carbs equal activity, and high activity at that. Use them correctly. There is no need to eat less useful food. Eat the macronutrients that make you feel good and perform, Just keep it paleo.

Well, do you want to be healthy or not? There is an adjustment period. It took me a little over a month to feel like I found the groove and I've been refining what I eat over the last year. Now after a year + I feel so much better than I ever did before, physically and mentally. I'll never go back. I have no sugar cravings because I know how bad I will feel and how good I feel right now. It just takes a little patience.

But even if you go back to SAD now, it doesn't mean you failed permanently. Its something you can always come back to and try again when you're more ready. Although I would say why not just do it now?

thanks to everyone for the advice/encouragement..forums like these are brilliant. decided to give up  paleo for now...this race is really important to me and its to raise money for cancer research in honourof my dad. but i think i will try paleo again when I have the timet adjust t it without pressure of needing to train. in the meantime will try and keep up with some of the principles and then my next try may go more smoothly