My race nutrition routine has evolved over the years and continues
to evolve, especially as I adventure into new sports, distances, and
race environments. It seems though that the basics continue to stay the
same.
I’ve learned from other athletes and professionals, from literature,
and from my own experiences in training and in racing. I’ve especially
learned from my mistakes!
- I’ve eaten what I thought was too little and had one of the strongest finishes of my life.
- I’ve eaten way too much the night before and felt super sluggish all race.
- I’ve eaten too much of one particular thing the night before and had to pit-stop during the race.
- I was having a yummy cookies n’ cream protein bar minutes prior to one of my first triathlons when a seasoned pro came up to me and told me that’s the last thing I should be eating.
- I added up my pre-race nutrition for another seasoned pro who’d asked me: 900 calories (450 liquid plus one banana plus one CLIF Bar in the two hours before a race) and was told that was WAY too much.
- I’ve had too many electrolytes the night before and gotten severe cramps.
- I’ve had too little electrolytes the morning of and gotten severe cramps.
- I’ve split my calories needed on the bike between liquid and gels but my body rebelled against taking the gels in the heat.
- I’ve brought food along with me that became too hard to chew due to cold temperatures on race day.
Everyone is different, but this is what works for me.
PRE-RACE
Leading up to the race start, my routine is the same no matter what type of race or distance.
1. Upon waking up I have two scoops of SportQuest CarboPro (224 calories of pure complex carbohydrate) with water and a bit of juice and drink it with four SportQuest Recover capsules. Doing this immediately in the morning is ideal because the body is craving hydration and carbohydrate after having been starved during the hours of your sleep. Because the complex carbohydrates are in liquid form, they are easily digestible and get the digestive system woken up quickly which helps to eliminate waste from the previous day in plenty of time before race start.
2. I prepare two water bottles: one for pre-race and one for post-race. They each have two scoops of CarboPro and some electrolytes (SportQuest Thermolyte or Nuun.) I will sip on one bottle leading up to the race start. If I am not hungry for real food, I’ll finish that whole bottle, which makes 450 calories total. If I do feel like eating food, I’ll have a banana and a CLIF Bar with me to nibble on. I try not to eat anything solid during the two hours before the race. Between the food and the calories in the water bottle, I’ll try not to exceed 500 calories total pre-race. I also have another water bottle on hand with water only to sip on if I feel like it during those hours as well. I usually bring it with me to the race start for the last few sips.
3. Thirty minutes prior to the race I take four SportQuest Vantage VO2Max capsules and two SportQuest Motivator capsules.
DURING THE RACE
This depends on what type of race.
Running: I won’t take additional calories with me in races up to 60 minutes which is roughly a 10 miler or 15k. Over and above that I will take a gel packet every 20-30 minutes with water.
Triathlon: I take 200-250 calories per hour on the bike. In sprint to olympic distance races I take one bottle with me on the bike with two scoops of Carbo Pro plus electrolytes. On the run, I bring one gel pack with me and take it in the first ten minutes of the run. In half-ironman distances (the longest I’ve done) where the bike takes two and a half to three hours, I split 750 calories of CarboPro plus electrolyte between two bottles and then take water only from the aid stations as needed. On the run I will take one gel packet every 20-30 minutes.
POST-RACE
I grab the bottle I’d mixed earlier that morning that has two scoops of CarboPro plus electrolytes and drink it along with four Recover capsules within the thirty minutes following the race. I’ll have a banana and CLIF bar on hand to supplement that or take advantage of any good options the race might provide. Later that day I usually plan to have a balanced meal. Typically though I’ll admit, I do indulge in whatever my mind desires, and get back on the program the following day! I’m only human : )
Happy trails!
