Nutrition.
It’s been a point of weakness for me in the past, coming from the bad boy school of fry-ups before rides and heavy nights on the black stuff. But I’m finding that as you get closer along the road to your aspirations, the finer detail becomes important.
I’m sat waiting for my lift out to Mountain Mayhem for the 24 hour endurance race in Eastnor, Herefordshire. I’ve just finished a hearty jacket spud with tuna, my food & recovery drinks all packed for the weekend. I chuckle when I think back to our first some 8 years ago, as I seem to recall we were a little on the green side when it came to surviving an endurance race. A couple of years on I disproved that lager was a suitable means of revitalising yourself between laps. Yup, we have fun memories of Mayhem.
I wouldn’t say we take things any more seriously these days, but our fitness has improved & experience shows when it comes to pack for such an event (it also comes from doing several in a year!).
There’s the obvious stuff that everyone generally knows about; carb-loading the day before a physical event. Pasta parties were an early lesson in the biking competition world.
Then came carbohydrate drinks to stave off cramp during later laps as the legs began to tire. A crucial second learning & I’m surprised to find the odd biking acquaintance who doesn’t generally keep some hydration supplement handy, particularly at events. I’ve certainly come to use them religiously during hard training, long rides & races finding huge benefit in recovery & stamina. These days I find myself experimenting with quantities & variety of products, favouring Torq for hydration & Clif Bars for substance between laps.
What do I have to add to the story? I feel I’ve gone full circle For those of you starting to train hard & compete for the first time, don’t forget the basics: less sugar & more carbs, your 5-a-day, 8 pints of water a-day… 8 hours sleep (where you can get it). Maintaining your health & strengthening your immune system is key in continuing to train & compete. Oh and certainly avoid overripe or out-dated foodstuffs as I found out to my dismay last week, finding that my stomach is less cast iron than I thought, after a rather overripe Pineapple…
Has anyone had any revelations in terms of hydration & nutrition in training & competing?