Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Dig Deep Races, Intro Ultra, ultra running, Ultra Tour of the Peak District, UTPD
Dave Taylor at Fell Running Guide has been busy again writing a few thoughts around sports nutrition for races. Dave’s article is probably more relevant for your 3 – 6 hour races but for those of you considering entering the Dig deep Intro Ultra or the Ultra Tour of the Peak District (www.digdeepraces.co.uk), the chances are that you are going to be on the go for a lot longer than 6 hours.
In longer events you will probably find that the blend of sugary gels and snacks becomes too much for your stomach and cramps, diarrhea or nausea can set in. As Dave mentions; what works for one does not necessarily work for another. Foods such as rice pudding, pasta or honey and banana sandwiches will probably need to be included in to your feed station diet if your going to be on the go for more than the 6 hours mentioned. I personally prefer savory carbohydrates like Hula Hoops or (a great suggestion from Ian Winterburn at Everything Outdoors) cold ,new potatoes rolled in butter! A new favorite of mine are Clif bars which have a nice range of flavors and, importantly for me, don’t taste too sweet!
Whatever you decide make sure you experiment first!
Over to you Dave…
What is the best thing for a runner to eat during a long run?
Fell Runners Favourite! |
Runners’ Fuel |
There are also a number of specialist gels and bars on the market. I use Science in Sport (SiS) isotonic gels. These have the advantage that they can be taken without water whereas most others are designed to be washed down with a drink and thus diluted. Some gels also contain caffeine although if I’m honest I haven’t noticed any difference between these and the non caffeinated ones. The bars also come with and without caffeine and resemble a very chewy flapjack. I tend not to use these as I find them difficult to swallow – they need a lot of chewing! – and it’s not ideal having a gob full of goo whilst trying to run fast!
Gels & Bars |
Alternative Fuel |
Whichever method of refuelling you choose you can check the carbohydrate content by reading the nutrition advice on the label. Look for the value per 100 grams, that way you can compare like for like regardless of the weight of the packet.
Whatever fuel you use on the hill, please don’t drop the wrapper – including the little tab off the top of the gel. Unfortunately empty gel packets are becoming a common site on some race routes.
Cheap Isotonic Juice |
Post Race Food |
As with any food, one man’s meat is another man’s poison, or just because it works for me it might not for you. I know some people who react quite badly to certain gels whilst other people have no problem with them. The best thing to do is try a few different products and find what works best for you. And don’t use something on race day if you’ve never tried it beforehand – you don’t want to be diving into the bushes halfway through the race because your nutrition has given you the wrong type of runs!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Dig Deep Races, Eight Point Two, Facebook, The Whole Hog, Twitter
Don’t forget you can keep up to date and get reminders on when new blogs are posted via our Facebook and Twitter sites. Follow us for updates and information, and get in touch for anything else you want to know!
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/eightpointtwo
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/eightpointtwo
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cycle Challenge, Eight Point Two, London To Paris Cycle Ride
It’s already been a busy morning in the office today with a hectic journey to work in this snow! Remember to be extra careful on the roads. Now to finalise the accommodation and travel bookings for our London to Paris cycle in April 2013! Calais, Arras, Creil, Paris.. What could be better?