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Race nutrition..

Morning,
Hope everyone enjoyed the racing at the weekend.

I've discovered a problem with race nutrition as I suffered quite severe stomach pains during the run. The problem is that I have no idea whether it is in the days leading up to, pre-race breakfast or during-race drinks and gels.

At the risk of going overboard perhaps, but can anyone spot something obviously wrong with the following food diary in the run up to the race or is it a case that the stuff I use is wrong for me or I'm just too unfit to digest it on the move.

Friday
Breakfast - Fruit and Fibre, banana
Snack - Pistachios
Lunch - Turkey Salad sandwich on granary bread
Snack - Apple and Banana
Dinner - Seafood linguine

Saturday
Breakfast - 2 granary toast and jam, banana
Lunch - Smoked Salmon sandwich (granary bread)
Snack - oat biscuits
Dinner - Chicken, potatoes and green beans

Sunday (Race day)
Breakfast - Porridge and banana, fried egg on granary toast
Lucozade sport (500ml) and water to maintain hydration

Pre-race (10:30am) - half a powerbar, half banana

Race (11am) - on the bike had 750ml of SIS electrolyte P2PP stuff, an SIS GO gel and some water.

Run - WHOLE WORLD OF PAIN!!

Any advice/help from experience would be great!

Cheers

Comments

  • clv101clv101 Posts: 45
    How long was the race? On a ~1hr 30min sprint I don't tend to eat or drink much at all, certainly not 750ml on the bike. I'll take a big mouth full of Lucozade sport at each transition and take whatever they give me at the start of the run.

    750ml just sounds a lot to be drinking just before the run.
  • It was the olympic in hyde park yesterday. First OD I've done so there may be an underlying fitness issue anyway but the problem is I don't really know where to start testing the aspects of nutrition. Bike time was 1hr 11 so I thought 750ml would be okay over that timeframe. Perhaps it was a little on the stong side as I put in a bit too much powder perhaps.

    Any pointers in the right direction would be really helpful.
    Cheers
  • jibby26jibby26 Posts: 261
    PSP22 isn't actually electrolyte, just carbs. Your better off using Go as it has a bit of carb but all the salts you need. What time was your breakfast? I need to leave 3 hours between eating and racing otherwise I get stomach cramps. Also have you ever tried porridge and egg on toast for breakfast before a long ride or run in training? The golden rule is never try something on race day you haven't done in training.

    I'm no nutritionist but on the whole I think you plan would work for me. I wouldn't drink lucozade sport before the race, I'd drink Nuun/water as it hydrates without any carbs which may sit heavy in the stomach. Likewise I'd drink Go on the bike not PSP22 as it has some carbs but also electrolyte, I've done some long 'sprints' (32K/8K) and these have worked for me.
  • risris Posts: 1,002
    i have problems, usually during the run, if i eat on the bike. have you used sis gels/drinks in training bricks to know that you don't have a reaction? it might be you need to try another brand.

    i wonder if the half a powerbar and banana 30mins before race might not have helped - if you've had a good brekky then i wonder if you needed them. again, in training do you eat that close to excercise and find it is ok?
  • Sorry I got the wrong one. I used the electrolyte one (Go) and do regularly on the bike and it has never caused me problems before but i guess on long training rides, I don't tend to run afterwards. In bricks, I tend to do shorter bikes where I don't use nutrition or drinks so when switching to the run I usually feel fine. Have used SIS gels before with no trouble as well.

    Breakfast was 2.5-3hrs before race start which I thought would be fine. for training rides I tend to have breakfast only 30 mins before hand and feel good throughout the rides up to 2.5hrs long.

    Maybe it's all just too much. I'm a little heavier than most so I figure more carbs needed and would be concerned about running out so maybe I overload with too much both pre- and in-race. Porridge and egg on toast I've had before and felt okay but again that was before a long training ride instead of brick.

    The general consensus seems to be that over 1-1.5hrs of racing you need something extra, be it carb/electrolyte drink, gel or powerbar etc but is this necessarily the case. With a big breakfast over 3hrs before, could I get away with only water throughout an OD race? I doubt it but if nutrition causes stomach problems, what other options are there?

    Cheers for you comments. Given me some things to think about.
  • risris Posts: 1,002
    ManThatCanTri wrote:

    The general consensus seems to be that over 1-1.5hrs of racing you need something extra, be it carb/electrolyte drink, gel or powerbar etc but is this necessarily the case. With a big breakfast over 3hrs before, could I get away with only water throughout an OD race? I doubt it but if nutrition causes stomach problems, what other options are there?

    Cheers for you comments. Given me some things to think about.
    after the stomach cramps i got at cricklade od in june i'm trying to do the rest of my races this season on water only, and it seems to have worked ok. i did bath od in july and drank maybe 600ml of water over the bike and run and felt pretty good.

    if i go longer (him, perhaps, next year) then i'll have to rethink this strategy. for now it seems to be working in getting me to the finish line without feeling wretched on the run.
  • maybe water only is the way to go for OD then.
    Similarly to you, I'm looking at a potential 70.3 next year so may need a re-think on this strategy at some point in the future.

    Cheers for the help.
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    I did the same race yesterday and took 2 bottles one water and one with a carb/electrolyte drink, both were small bottles and i finished them both, it was quite hot yesterday. I also had one gel at the start of the bike, then one at the start of the run. I think you may have had a little much liquid - 750ml of sports drink and water (how much btw?) may have been a little more than you should have done. did you drink anything on the run? That may have added to it.

    Not sure any of what i said helps really, but i guess it is down to trial and error.
  • 45CDO45CDO Posts: 44
    For what it's worth, Joe Friel recommends low fibre consumption after noon on Saturday (I guess when the race is on Sunday)

    http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2 ... chive.html
  • Barny51Barny51 Posts: 16
    Fried egg for race breakfast? - just a bit odd! Methink you had it because it was there!

    I woudl have gone for the more carb rich dinner teh night before the race rather than the previous night?

    2hr before race 1 bottle of locuzade caffien boost.

    Half a power bar and half a banana 30 mins before race.. = very bad - 1hr before the race have a banana or 100grams of jelly babies - simple easy to digest. 100grms Jelly babies have simple carbs equivelent to a bowl of pasta.

    A go gell 15-20mins before = easy to digest

    Ditch SIS drinks - all are sweet and horrible in my opinion (and make me sick).. powerbar powder is my fave, gatoraid is OK too - I never mix any drinks at the strength they recomend as they become to sickly. - for up to an OD I go with squash with a pinch of salt in it.

    Durring a race I have 1 gel (SIS GO) as I get on the bike and another about every 30-40mins right the way through including the run. this generaly means 1 gell having got into my running rythm (Lost the jelly legs) after the bike.
  • Awesome post.

    Many thanks.

    Fried egg cos I couldn't be bothered to boil it basically.

    Sounds like more simple stuff required, earlier before the race and less of it during the race might be a good place to start.

    Cheers
  • FlavadaveFlavadave Posts: 749
    And my tuppence... stay off the high fibre stuff on the day and the day before.

    Last thing your guts need on race day is something to work on!
  • Cheers.

    Still just as confused as before but huge appreciation to everyone for the time taken to answer.

    Think some experimentation required.

    Keep the ideas coming. I'll try some SIS Rego pre-training as well as breakfast and see what happens.
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