RACE DAY NUTRITION

Josh — Tue, 25 Aug 09 09:28:57 -0700

Race day nutrition can be a big question mark for many athletes. The nutrition plan that works for me may not work for you. The key to race day nutrition is to practice it well in advance of your event.

Typically my race day nutrition starts with dinner the night before the race. I will have a small salad, a piece of grilled chicken, a bowl of white pasta in a tomato sauce and lots of water.Race day morning for a Sprint or Olympic distance triathlon I will have an EAS myoplex light chocolate shake and a cool mint Cliff Bar about two hours before the start of the event. If I’m racing a half-ironman or ironman triathlon I will have two myoplex light chocolate shakes and a bowl of oatmeal approximately 3 hours prior to the start of the race. Then I will eat a Cliff Bar about one hour prior to the start of the race.

During a Sprint or Olympic race I will have a water bottle in transition next to my running shoes. The bottle contains a serving of HEED high energy electrolyte drink from HAMMER Nutrition. Generally I will carry the bottle during the first quarter mile of the run. If I’m racing a half-ironman or ironman I will carry two bottles of Perpetuem endurance fuel from HAMMER Nutrition. I’ll also carry Endurolytes electrolyte replenishment tablets from Hammer Nutrition and a few cut up Power Bars in my Bento box. Every 25 min on the bike I will take in some fuel. On the run I stick to Hammer Gels. I’ll have one gel every 30-40 min.

It took me four years to get my race nutrition dialed in. I know it could have happened sooner if I would have practiced during my more intense training sessions. The best advice I can give you is to get your nutrition plan dialed in well before your race and do not try anything new during your race.

Links to nutrition recommendation websites:

LeMond Fitness News in Nutrition

RACE DAY NUTRITION