Race Day Nutrition

I have been asked to talk about my thoughts on nutrition on the day of your event.  First off, I am no expert, not even close!  However, I have tried a bunch of different strategies and can tell you what I have found out that works for me.

The more I researched, the more I realized how hard it was to find a definitive answer on what you should be doing.  So this is how I think about things now, as simply put as possible, I break my training/racing into two categories:
  • less than 3 hours
  • more than 3 hours
For either "category" I focus on starting the event properly hydrated, which to me means starting the day before.  I consciously make sure I am consuming plenty of fluids and even start taking electrolyte supplements through out the day before.  That night, before I go to bed, I drink a pint glass of water with about 2TB of chia seeds in the glass.  Chia seeds are a pretty cool thing, you can learn more about them here.

For events lasting up to 3 hours, I have no set routine for my caloric needs.  I usually just use what ever I have laying around which typically is a few Gels, apples, some type of bar ( I have been making my own "larabars" lately ).  Sometimes I will even make a few tortilla roll ups with peanut butter and honey in them.  I generally am not to worried about my exact nutrition needs during a 0-3 hour training session, but for a race I try to consume about 250 calories per hour(based on my weight).  A product like Hammer Nutrition's HEED is perfect for this.

Where I have really struggled in the past is how to fuel myself for long duration workouts which in the last few years have been on the bike and have lasted 6-8 hours of a steady effort.  I use to follow my same game plan as I previously stated of just using what I had laying around, but most of the times I would be a mess by the time I finished the ride.  My legs would have no power left in them and I would come home almost nauseous with hunger.  The next day typically I would be sore in the legs which I believe to be my muscles being cannibalized from insufficient caloric intake. 

This year for the first time I have found a system that I love.  A friend of mine told me how he had been fueling during his endurance cycling events and I gave his advice a try after a little research.  I have used it now on a hand full of rides lasting 6+ hours and have finished the ride feeling great and not even hungry when I got home.  I also experienced no muscle soreness the days following.  I now swear by Hammer Nutrition's Perpetuum.  I think the best flavor is Strawberry Vanilla, fyi.

I wish I was a Hammer sponsored athlete!

They are a pretty incredible company to check out.  Their website is a wealth of information on how to fuel properly for events.  Sign up for their catalog and literature via email about endurance fueling.  They are a tremendous resource.  For more information on nutrition from Hammer Nutrition, click here

The system I follow is this:

I break up my efforts into 3 hour blocks and consume the following during each 3 hour block:

  • (3) 22 oz water bottles
  • (1) 22 oz "multi-hour bottle" of perpetuum
    • I mix a 3 hour bottle, which means I use 6 scoops of perpetuum and fill the rest of the bottle with water
    • which equals a 270 cal per hour intake; slowly sipping the bottle every 10 minutes or so
  • I also use their "Endurolyte" tablets and I really enjoy Cliff Bar "Shot Blocks" which give me a little burst of flavor to break up the boredom of everything else.
So after 3 hours, I stop and refill my water bottles and mix up another batch of perpetuum (6 scoops(based on my body weight) which I keep in a ziplock bag).

Whats important to note is that I consume NO other foods than what I listed above.  It was a hard thing to grasp in the beginning, but I have found that keeping it a liquid diet the whole time, my stomach has been a lot more stable and I am not even hungry when I finish my ride.

So back to where it really matters for right now.  Big Shoulders.

My plan is to rehydrate the day before and in the morning I am going to consume a bottle of HEED before I get down to the lake and another bottle in the thirty minutes or so before the swim starts.  I am not much of a race day breakfast eater, which is why I think I like the whole concept of a liquid diet.

You may think differently, but this is what works for me.

Does anyone have their own opinions on nutrition?  I would love to hear about your experience and methods!  Please comment below.

Good luck Everyone!

Coach Steve