S3 | E2 - Fuel the Machine
Fuel the Machine
From 800m to 200 Miles, I’ve seen the success and failure of improper fueling. Whether it’s a major bonk that ends the race for an athlete pursuing a marathon PR, completing a 100-mile distance, or trying to go after a course record in the 5K - what you put in your body is paramount to your success. I know many of you have heard this discussed endlessly. I want to talk you guys through a few of my personal thoughts and give you some general guidelines that I think will streamline your training and racing.
The Athlete’s Plate
Even minimal dehydration can have significant impacts in performance.
Starting here means that we have to recognize that not every day is the same and that good habits mean thinking ahead to what you need to accomplish tomorrow. Simply put, what you eat today sets you up for success tomorrow. If you skimp on protein or carbs tonight, you’re going to be feeling sore and under-recovered going into tomorrow’s workout. This also means recognizing that not all carbs, fats, and proteins are created equal. The older I get the more validity I see in the statement “The longer the food takes to make, the healthier it is”. You don’t need to consume everything directly from the farm stand but there is a huge nutritional difference between a meal cooked at home and something you unwrap and put in the microwave.
The Athlete’s Plate finally demands that we recognize that different days of training demand different caloric replenishment on both ends. You must eat to fuel the upcoming session, you must also eat after the session to properly recover. This cycle repeats and finally recognize that as we increase our total training load - we have to increase our intake.
If you sit down with this and plan meals - it’s very easy to meal prep and plan. You need to make 2-3 meals a week on Sunday to be fueled for a week (Easy Day Meal 1, Easy Day Meal 2, Workout/ Race Day Meal 1.
Resources:
https://swell.uccs.edu/theathletesplate
Run Fast Eat Slow - https://a.co/d/8rY2Yil
Engine 2 - Plant-Based | https://a.co/d/6sV6tDd
Feed Zone - https://a.co/d/6sV6tDd
Pre-fueling - Gels, Chews, Bars
Fueling for a 5K shouldn’t be complicated but we can make it complicated when we’re not regimented in our pre-race fueling habits.
3 - 150mL bottles = to ~ 600 Calories
150ml = 5oz's - - - That's concentrated!
FUELING OUTLINE
Morning Breakfast for Afternoon Race/ Big Workout
You should eat a king’s breakfast, front load the day with calories. Even if that means waking early - the extra 20 minutes of sleep is less important than consuming a full meal and I am a HUGE proponent of sleep. Go for fattier, high-protein, satiating foods. Bacon, Sausage, Eggs, Tortillas, Bread, Rice, Potatoes, Jam, Croissants, etc..
Lunch for the Afternoon Race
You should focus on eating a medium-sized meal with protein, and quality carbs - Turkey/ Ham Sandwich - egg sandwich, avocado, Buddha Bowl, add fruit like berries, bananas, and even a small yogurt and you have a complete meal that will satiate you for a few hours. Start taking in your electrolyte drink mix after lunch to aid in digestion. If you often have an upset stomach after eating - I highly recommend a piece of ginger or a Gin-Gin Chew.
Pre-Race
Assuming you’ve had 2 great meals leading into this afternoon race or workout you should be able to get through on consuming 100 calories (1 bottle of Skratch) over 2 hours. If you are racing and feeling peckish - reach for a Bar (100-200kcals) if you’re 60-90 out. Any closer and you should consume a pre-race gel or chews. Gels are very fast acting and they can be the last thing you ingest before you head to the line to do your final warm-up.
MORNING RACE BREAKFAST
The Bottle
If you struggle to consume solids in the morning - I highly recommend taking Maurten or Skratch High-Carb - you can mix it fairly concentrated to consume the full bottle within 30 minutes. This will get you quality, easily digestible carbohydrates and ~ 400 calories which is equivalent to a PBJ or 2 eggs on toast. That should be sufficient if you can get in a few nibbles of a bagel. Your goal after the race to eat a big meal ASAP!
Solids
If you can stomach some food - you’ll have to experiment but athletes have success with overnight oats, Toasted PBJ, Bagels (cream cheese or PB), and granola w/ yogurt. In my opinion, the worst option is only eating a bagel with cream cheese or PB. If you can add in some fruit or even a drinkable yogurt early in the morning - that can help you feel stronger and more satiated. Any empty feeling stomach + nerves is rough! Hydrating with your carbs is essential so even for colder races - you need to hydrate. You just spent 8 hours not drinking a drop!
That’s it! Keep it simple and focus on fueling before the race. Minimize the caffeine intake especially if you’re an anxious/ nervous person pre-race!
See you next week!
