Later today, we are boarding a plane to Italy for the Xterra World Championship. It feels a bit strange to fly to Europe when early October has become synonymous with us heading to Kona, Hawaii.
Nutrition is one of the most commonly blamed reasons for a bad race and it's also the most worrisome factor that athletes try to tightly control.
A lot of learning lessons have occurred after 9 trips to the Big Island for the Ironman World Championship. If you are racing in your first IM Kona or 10th (or somewhere in between), here are a few nutrition tips to keep your body functioning well over 140.6 miles.
- Carbo-loading should not be confused with overeating. Effective glycogen (stored carbs) loading should result from emphasizing more energy-dense, low fiber carbohydrate sources and reducing fat intake alongside reudcing (not stopping) expenditure (tapering). Two days of carbohydrate loading is sufficient to fuel your muscles for the upcoming event. Aim for ~7g/kg/day of carbohydrates in the 2 days before the Ironman. Opt for a low-residue (low fiber/fat) diet, prioritizing more carbs in the morning hours to allow for more time for digestion.
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- Hydration during the days leading up to the race is crucial. This includes daily hydration as well as staying well hydrated during workouts. Make sure to rehydrate after workouts with a sodium-carb beverage and monitor your urin so it's light yellow (not dark or clear). Proper hydration means having the urge to urinate once every ~2 hours.
- Sure, you are in Hawaii and there is a lot to see, do and experience. But the more you are outside, the greater the risk for sunburn, dehydration and fatigue. Cover your skin, wear reef-safe sunscreen and minimize your time in the direct sun. Overexposure to the sun may also supress the immune system - putting you at risk for getting sick.
- With the recent news that there will be less aid stations on the bike and run at the Ironman World Championship, this should not cause you to overhaul what has worked in training. However, it's important to be prepared. The more self-sufficient you are, the easier it will be to stick with a schedule for drinking/fueling throughout the race. To help with this, here are a few tips:
-Have at least 3 cages/hydration systems (1 bottle per hour of sport nutrition) on your bike for sport nutrition. When you finish 1 bottle, toss it at the aid station to allow room to store water on your bike. You should start with 3 bottles of sport nutrition and have three prepared bottles of sport nutrition in special needs.
-When you get to an aid station on the bike, grab water first and store on your bike to use for sipping/cooling until the next aid station. Then grab water to use for sipping and then cool the body as much as possible by pouring the water on your head, arms, back and legs. If you choose to wear a hydration pack, use it for sport nutrition so you can use your cages for water for sipping/cooling the body.
-Avoid carrying a heavy bottle when you run as it can throw off your gait. However, having a small 4-6 ounce flask of water to refill throughout the race can be a game changer between aid stations (you can sip it). If you practiced with a sport drink and plan to wear your nutrition (belt/pack), bring baggies of powder to refill along the way.
-Wear an absorbent cooling towel (I use Perfect Cooling Towel) to hold water. This way you can squeeze the towel anytime to cool you off.
-Hold ice in your hands and pour down your shorts/top to help keep you cool. Look for body parts that are high blood flow areas.
-Be careful running through sprinklers and hoses as wet, soggy shoes are prone to blisters.
-Keep your nutrition simple to execute. Well-formulated products digest and absorb the best. Don't overcomplicate your fueling plan.
- Swimming in the ocean (or any open water) can result in gulping air (aerophagia), swallowing water or feeling sea sick. This can result in belching, nausea, headache and/or vomiting. Make sure you are well hydrated going into practice swims and on race day. Try to focus on something fixed (not moving) can help settled the brain. Pressure in your ear can make you feel off so you may consider wearing ear plugs. After the swim, take a few sips of water to dilute contents in the gut and wait ~10-15 minutes on the bike before consuming sport nutrition products on the bike. You may also find relief by sucking on a ginger chew or peppermint in the 20 minutes before the event.
- If you are properly carbo-loaded, you may feel a little "heavy" from water retention. Or, perhaps you didn't reach your arbitrary "race weight" and you are feeling self-confident. Or maybe you feel like losing a few more lbs will give you the competitive edge. Resist the temptation to make extreme changes in your diet. Respect, fuel and nourish your body as it prepares to take you on a 140.6 mile journey. Don't compare your body to that of another athlete. How someone looks does not mean that athlete is better (or worse) than you. Never stop believing in yourself.
- While the sun is hot, humidity is a greater threat to your health and performance. When the air is saturated with water, it's difficult for sweat to evaporate and cool the skin. Also, with the skin being the primary area for blood flow (to avoid overheating), that means less blood to the working muscles to power you forward and the gut becoming extremely slow for digestion. With all this in mind, it's extremely important to pace your own race. Your fastest performance is the one where you minimize a massive slowdown. Be realistic with your effort. Don't fixate on a specific outcome. Power, heart rate and pace can be misleading in the heat and humidity. Listen to your body.
- Far too many athletes enter race week in panic mode and begin to change the winning formula. Fear based training or overhauling sport nutrition. Rituals that once helped an athlete build confidence for race day are replaced with worry, fear and self-doubt. Sure, the Ironman World Championship is a big-deal race but if you think about the distance, it's just another Ironman distance triathlon race. While you should certainly respect the distance and the island, don't abort the approach, method or formula that worked for you in the past. While it's ok to change certain aspects of your gear, nutrition or pacing plan to better manage the course or conditions (ex. ventilated helmet, depth size of your wheel, wearing a hydration belt, etc), it's not ok to change your plan because you think you'll be faster, perform better or because you saw that someone else (top age grouper/professional) was doing something similar. Trust yourself.
