Zero Carbs, 26 Gels and 5 Coffees
There are millions of ways to approach pre- and in-race nutrition. The three presented below may not be sure-fire recipes for success, but they definitely offer some lessons you can apply to your own planning.
The approach: In 2002, Ethiopian distance runner Haile Gebrselassie raced his first marathon as a pro. Coming from a track background, he apparently didn’t worry too much about in-race carbohydrate intake. During his debut marathon, he took in ZERO carbohydrate. And what’s more amazing, he still ended up clocking a time of 2:06:25!
The lesson: A great training regimen, along with proper in-race pacing, will take you a long way!
Bonus Lesson: Planning out, practicing, and executing a great carbohydrate intake plan will take you a bit further: Six years later, after deciding to make carbohydrate intake part of his race plan, Geb went on to set the world record in the marathon at 2:03:59.
The approach: I work with a lot of triathletes, and I know that some can get pretty technical with their in-race nutrition plans. Especially during an Ironman triathlon, a race that lasts between 8 and 17 hours and involves running a marathon after swimming about 4km and cycling 180km. Here’s an excerpt from a blog post by professional triathlete Andy Potts following an Ironman:
“…this is going to sound kinda gross but I was able to put down 26 PowerGels during the race.”
The lesson: Your race nutrition plan doesn’t have to be complicated! As long as your fuel has carbohydrate in it and it doesn’t upset your stomach, eat whatever works for you!
Side note: 26 gels over about 9 hours works out to 72 grams of carbs per hour. Add to that the sports drink he took in and you’ve got about 100 grams of carbs per hour…which is actually “normal” for pro Ironman athletes!
The approach: I decided to do a little one-person experiment at the Loaring Run Under the Sun 10k this past spring. I had put in some solid training leading up to the race, and I was hoping for a personal best. I had also been doing a lot of reading on caffeine intake and performance, and Tim Horton’s had provided us with food and drinks while we were setting up the course on race morning. So I figured I would try something new: Instead of my usual one pre-race coffee, I decided to have five. And guess what? I ended up with a personal best!
The lesson: Nutrition for performance enhancement is one part science and one partbelief. I am not recommending that everyone drink five coffees before their next race, but I think the fact that I believed the extra caffeine would help my performance played a big role here.
Side note: I probably had about 500mg of caffeine, or 7mg per kg body weight. Early studies used 9mg/kg or more, but more recent studies have shown that 1-3mg/kg of pre-race caffeine is all you need for a maximal effect. So I may have done just as well on one pre-race coffee…but then again, I will never know for sure!
The approach: In 2002, Ethiopian distance runner Haile Gebrselassie raced his first marathon as a pro. Coming from a track background, he apparently didn’t worry too much about in-race carbohydrate intake. During his debut marathon, he took in ZERO carbohydrate. And what’s more amazing, he still ended up clocking a time of 2:06:25!
The lesson: A great training regimen, along with proper in-race pacing, will take you a long way!
Bonus Lesson: Planning out, practicing, and executing a great carbohydrate intake plan will take you a bit further: Six years later, after deciding to make carbohydrate intake part of his race plan, Geb went on to set the world record in the marathon at 2:03:59.
The approach: I work with a lot of triathletes, and I know that some can get pretty technical with their in-race nutrition plans. Especially during an Ironman triathlon, a race that lasts between 8 and 17 hours and involves running a marathon after swimming about 4km and cycling 180km. Here’s an excerpt from a blog post by professional triathlete Andy Potts following an Ironman:
“…this is going to sound kinda gross but I was able to put down 26 PowerGels during the race.”
The lesson: Your race nutrition plan doesn’t have to be complicated! As long as your fuel has carbohydrate in it and it doesn’t upset your stomach, eat whatever works for you!
Side note: 26 gels over about 9 hours works out to 72 grams of carbs per hour. Add to that the sports drink he took in and you’ve got about 100 grams of carbs per hour…which is actually “normal” for pro Ironman athletes!
The approach: I decided to do a little one-person experiment at the Loaring Run Under the Sun 10k this past spring. I had put in some solid training leading up to the race, and I was hoping for a personal best. I had also been doing a lot of reading on caffeine intake and performance, and Tim Horton’s had provided us with food and drinks while we were setting up the course on race morning. So I figured I would try something new: Instead of my usual one pre-race coffee, I decided to have five. And guess what? I ended up with a personal best!
The lesson: Nutrition for performance enhancement is one part science and one partbelief. I am not recommending that everyone drink five coffees before their next race, but I think the fact that I believed the extra caffeine would help my performance played a big role here.
Side note: I probably had about 500mg of caffeine, or 7mg per kg body weight. Early studies used 9mg/kg or more, but more recent studies have shown that 1-3mg/kg of pre-race caffeine is all you need for a maximal effect. So I may have done just as well on one pre-race coffee…but then again, I will never know for sure!
