Race Day Nutrition

Before I get into race nutrition I’ll repeat rule #1 – NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY!

The choices for triathlon racing nutrition are endless. There are many opinions about what works and what is scientifically proven. I’m going to present you with the more commonly accepted options without getting into a big debate about electrolyte needs, hydration vs. dehydration, etc. (Race nutrition refers not only to calories consumed but also to hydration and electrolytes.) For a sprint distance triathlon, 3 variables affect what you should do. These variables include: 1, pre-race fueling, 2, what your system can tolerate and what you prefer, and 3, your expected time to complete the race and how much is right for you.

1. Pre-race fueling: It is important to have a light prerace breakfast to help you restore what was burned while you slept (or tried to sleep) the night before. The larger the breakfast the earlier you should have it. 2 to 2 ½ to even 4 hours prior to racing is not out of the question. A reasonable size breakfast has around 400 or so calories. 800 calories for most people is the top end and should be eaten very early if you want enough time for it to be doing you some good instead of just sitting in your stomach ready to “burst forth” after a little exersion. Some simple carbs and a little proten will do it for you. Whole grains are not necessary on race morning unless your system can tolerate them VERY well. Some examples might be a small bowl of oatmeal and some fruit, some yogurt, a banana, some nut butter, a piece of toast or ½ a bagel with a little cream cheese. These are just suggestions. Eat what works for you. Coffee or tea? Sure, unless you’ve never trained after drinking that. Everyone is different but I would try to finish breakfast a good 2 to 2 ½ hours before you start your swim.

2. What you should take in depends on what you can tolerate, what you like, and what seems most convenient. Here are three approaches:
          a. The simplest way is to drink a sports drink that is relatively complete, such as Gatoraid, Power Bar Perform, EFS, or CarboPro. These provide sugar (carbohydrates), electrolytes (e.g. sodium), and liquid (hydration) if you aren’t drinking it in a concentrated form.
          b. Slightly more complicated would be to use water with some electrolyte dissolved in it, such as Nuun tabs or GU Brew powder. These do not contain significant calories so you would get those from consuming a gel, of which there are many choices.
          c. A similar option that can work for you is to use plain water along with something that contains both calories and electrolytes. Some examples include Sports Beans (by Jelly Belly) and Clif ShotBlox. The main disadvantages for taking in these is that you have to remove them from a package and you have to chew them during the race: not easy feats while riding a bike, though more doable on the run or in transition.

3. Expected time to finish the race: How long will your race take you? How much you take in depends on your needs, how long you’ll be racing, and what is right for YOU. You want to estimate how long you’ll be out there. If it will take you around 2 hours or more then you definitely need to take in more than just water. Consuming some carbohydrates makes sense. If you are “racing” the event and are likely to finish in under about 80 minutes or so then your fueling/race nutrition needs are relatively minimal, taking in some water and calories will likely be beneficial. Here are some VERY rough guidelines that you can start with. Everyone is different in what they like, what they need, what they can tolerate, and so forth. You may need more, or less, or none at all.
          a. If your race will likely take you under about 1h15m then you can consider trying around 4-6 oz of water with electrolytes and up to about 100 calories on the bike, plus a little water on the run if needed.
          b. If you will take 1h15m to about 1h45m or so then aim for between 4-10 oz of water with electrolytes and up to 150 calories on the bike, plus a little water and 50+ calories on the run as needed.
          c. If you will take 1h45m or more then consider aiming for as much as 12 oz of water with electrolytes and 200 calories on the bike, plus more water and maybe 100 calories on the run as needed.

Remember 2 things: these are estimates of what to take in and do NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY!

My Diet

Thanks to a number of requests, I am going to share my diet. In doing so I need to emphasize a number of things. First, I am not a nutritionist or a registered dietitian. Second, this is not a diet in the weight-loss sense of the word. I'm not saying you won't lose weight when you limit calories and combine this with exercise but it's instead a diet that I live by, as these are the foods in my diet. Third, this diet was formulated for me because of chronic and severe inflammation of part of my small intestine (I don't have a large intestine - surgically removed due to ulcerative colitis.) An Oriental Doctor with an Eastern Medicine point of view is responsible for the restrictions found here. I began going to him on a suggestion by my surgeon when antibiotics were ineffective. Fourth, if you decide to eliminate categories of food from your diet, you want to proceed slowly. And it is important to consider how you will make up for the healthy nutrients found in those foods you are no longer eating. Finally, this does not follow the "everything in moderation" approach. It has some major restrictions which I choose to follow very closely for the most part. Therefore let's start off with the restrictions and then I will get into what I DO eat and where I do "cheat".

• No dairy of any kind. That includes milk, cheese, yogurt, cream, butter, whey protein, and anything else from milk.
• No meat except fish and seafood (such as shrimp). Duck is also permitted but I don't eat that either. Tthat means no beef, pork, chicken, turkey, or any other land dwelling animal.
• Hot spices are not allowed. That means everything from pepper to cinnamon to chili are out.
• Tomatoes (unless cooked well, such as in a sauce) are too acidic and are off the list.
• No sugar, fruit juice, artificial sweeteners, and similar. That means no soda, juice drinks, or things like that. Honey is allowed in moderation. A little sugar in bread products as part of the baking process is okay. 
• No dried fruit
• No alcohol.
• Avoid preservatives and artificial anything.
• Nothing eaten or drunk very hot or very cold. (I can't handle this so I have not followed this restriction.)

Have you stopped reading yet?! Those are the major restrictions. Depending on what you are used to eating, you may ask yourself, "What's left?!" There is plenty but it may not be as easy to get or as "comforting" to eat. I'll do a list with some general groups and some specific options available. These are based on current thinking about nutrition and aren't necessarily specific to my Oriental Medicine Doctor's diet.

• Vegetables - steamed, boiled, raw, grilled, sauted, etc. A few examples include broccoli, cauliflower, sweet peppers, green beans, peas, carrots, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, squash, cucumbers.
• Fruit - Bananas, avocado, apples, oranges, peaches, melons, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes.
• All nuts as long as they are well chewed or as a nut butter.
• Legumes such as kidney beans, black beans, etc
• Whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, corn, whole grain pasta and breads, etc. I am working on keeping all grains to a minimum.
• Fats - the best to use is olive oil. If you have to use a vegetable oil then Canola and Safflower oils. The fat from fish (salmon), avocados and almonds are considered good fats. Fish oil and flaxseed oil have Omega 3's and 6's and are useful as supplements.

Based on well-respected triathlete coach and nutritionist Bob Seebohar, I try to minimize my grain consumption, including whole grains. Instead I try to get my carbohydrates from other sources, especially fruits and vegetables. It is a struggle though. I eat a bagel every morning and I often snack on pretzels that are not even whole grain. I also eat tortillas and tortilla chips. It's a constant struggle for me not to eat those things.

What do my meals look like? First, remember that I'm not perfect at this. 2nd, this is an evolving thing. It took a few tries before I forced myself to stick with the major restrictions. I'm still working at reducing grains but I've made a good start. 85% of the time I don't have grains at lunch or dinner. I am fighting against the elimination of my bagel at breakfast and I also can't seem to do without the 'crunch' and the convenience for some of my snacks. I've managed to remove bread from my lunch and I don't usually eat grains at dinner. I do eat potatoes which are not part of Seebohar's guidelines. I don't really like sweet potatoes but they are considered a much better alternative.

Pre-workout in the morning - banana, teaspoon of nut butter
Breakfast - whole grain bagel with a little almond butter and honey (or a plain blueberry bagel), 2 soy sausage patties (Morningstar Farms), banana or other fruit
Snack - fruit and nuts; OR pretzels or dry shredded wheat cereal squares (no sugar) and nut butter
Lunch - 12-16oz cooked vegetables (broccoli is my favorite) with Olive Oil, ~3 oz canned salmon or tuna, seasoning; OR salad, fruit, and canned salmon or tuna; OR cooked veggies and a garden patty (vegetable and soy-based hamburger)
Snack - same as above
Pre-workout in the afternoon - banana, and  peanuts or almonds
Dinner - Salmon, baked potato, sauted mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers, steamed veggies (usually broccoli or green beans); OR veggie burger patty, baked potato, salad; OR cooked vegetables and soy meatballs, potato wedges/fries (not deep fried); OR a big veggie burrito from Chipotle (black beans, a little rice, peppers and onions, guacamole, lettuce)
Snack - fruit and nuts; and/OR frozen smoothie made from unsweetened soy milk, banana, strawberries and/or other berries, and blueberries; sometimes pretzels or chips (it's a constant battle!)

One final part to my diet is hydration, or drinking. I mentioned the restrictions of no alcohol, sugar, artificial sweeteners, fruit juice, and hot or cold temperature drinks (that restriction I ignore). Besides not drinking alcohol (unless you count O'Douls beer with its very small amount of alcohol), I don't drink regular or diet soda, fruit juice, milk, sweetened soy milk, or sweetened teas. That pretty much leaves me with plain coffee, plain tea, and water. Since I'm not a coffee fan my drink of choice is decaf iced tea, brewed in the sun... sun tea. (Sun tea is not very strong.) If I'm cold I'll make some hot tea. If I need a good smack to stay awake then I'll drink tea with caffeine, though I generally avoid it, especially during the final 2 months before an Ironman. My reasoning for this? I do not want to interfere with my ability to sleep, be it at bedtime or if I can sneak in a 10-20 min nap at work during lunch. I also can have restless legs at night and I don't want anything that might make that occur. Finally, I've experimented with the use of caffeine during races and doing that is only effective if you have been off the stuff for a good 3 weeks or more. So, on an average day, not including workouts, I probably drink about 2/3rds of a gallon of water and mild iced tea.

As I said, this may not be what you were expecting. It's how I eat. I purposely didn't include fueling for long training and races, nor did I go into pre-race meals. I also didn't go into my supplements. It's obviously not a diet that I follow to count calories either. I've gradually lost weight, 30 lbs, over the 4.5 years of multisport but that has a lot to do with exercise, overeating less often, and trying to think like an athlete, and not this diet. I've followed these restrictions for 12 or 13 years.

Tips for the Iron Girl Atlanta Bike Ride

As you know, the Iron Girl Atlanta bike ride is 18 miles long. There are some hills on the course along with some nice scenery. You will want to be prepared mentally to complete the ride and still be able to run, or walk, the 3 miles to the finish. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

Start off easier than you think you need to go. You will likely be excited about being done with the swim and ready to move on to the next segment. Control that energy and don't pedal too hard at the start. Take the first 5 or 10 minutes to get comfortable and relaxed as much as you can.

Always ride to the right so others can pass. If you need to pass, check behind you to make sure it's clear, move to the left, and pass someone. Do not spend more than a few seconds riding side-by-side with someone else. Otherwise you will be blocking the way for other riders.

The hills can be challenging if you let them psych you out. Don't let them. Take one hill at a time and just keep pedaling. Choose a gear that will make it easier for you to ride instead of a harder gear one that will cause you to slow your legs down and make you really push hard. Also, if you have to walk your bike then do that but only give yourself permission if you simply can't do it pedaling.

Do not stop when going uphill if you can avoid it. This way when you start riding again you will be on a downhill where it's easier to get going again. Need a drink? Go OVER the top before you stop to reward yourself with a drink. Need to adjust something? Go OVER the top if you can.

You will need to have a water bottle on your bike. Drink a few ounces every 10 or 15 min. Don't wait until you are very thisty because then you are already dehydrated. Unless you are comfortable reaching for your bottle while you ride, be sure to stop on the downhill side of a hill. And make sure you are way to the right so you are out of the path of other riders.

You will also need nutrition on the bike. Nutrition means both electrolytes (like salt) and calories. You can use a sports drink like Gatoraide that contains carbohydrates (energy), electrolytes, and liquid. This can be a substitute for the water.  If you don’t like sports drinks you can stick with water but take in something that contains electrolytes and calories. Sports Beans, a type of jelly bean with electrolytes in it, are good and taste like candy (because they pretty much are!) You can eat a few of these every time you drink water. About 150-250 calories is as much as you’ll want. That’s about 2 packages of beans.

A 3^rd alternative is to drink a non caloric drink with electrolytes and then consume energy gels, sometimes called Gu. Unless you are experienced with this I would stay away from this option for the ride.  Gatoraid , Poweraid (or similar sports energy drink), or water and Sports Beans are simpler choices.

The next post will be on the bike rules about drafting, blocking, and the like that are enforced during the race.

Breakfast

People who are training for an event like a sprint triathlon wonder what they should do about breakfast. Many of these same people are looking to not only get in shape and compete in an event, they are also looking to lose weight. While I am not a nutritionist I have been in the same boat myself as well as observed other athletes deal with the same thing. And to be sure, I've also heard and read advice from multiple nutritionists and dietitians on this subject.

The opinions are almost universal: eat a healthy, well-balanced breakfast to start your day. It will allow you to feel satisfied and keep your blood-sugar levels in balance for the next 3 or 4 hours. Skipping the morning meal sets you up to slow your metabolism and run your body at a fuel deficit. You will not function as well as you would if you had fueled properly.

What is "properly"? Include the 3 macronutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. It probably a good idea to include at least 5 grams of protein at breakfast. Protein seems to help satiate most people better than if they eat a meal without it, partly because of how it affects blood sugar and energy level stabilization. Carbohydrates are required as well and complex carbs are best. If the carbs are in the form of breads and cereals, these should be made with whole grains whenever possible. Carbs also come from fruits and vegetables. Healthy fats are best - go easy on dairy or other animal fats. What are the "healthy" fats? Most nutritionists think olive oil or canola oil are good choices when it comes to liquid oils.

Suggestions? Try eggs, soy protein (e.g. soy sausage), nonfat yogurt, low fat cheese, nonfat milk, lean meats, almond or peanut butters, whole or chopped nuts (almonds again!), legumes such as pinto and black beans, high fiber low sugar cereal, whole wheat bagel or toast, bananas, berries of all kinds, oranges, apples, kiwi, avocado, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, salsa, canola oil, and olive oil.

Supplements? It's always best to get your micronutrients from real foods. Many athletes I know (including me) take a multivitamin and Omega 3 oils like fish and flax seed oils. There are many more that may be appropriate for you, such as calcium and Vitamin D. Your doctor or a nutritionist can make recommendations, especially if they do a blood test.

I have my own personal preferences on what foods and supplements I ingest. That doesn't mean mine are the only way or even the best way. I have opinions and biases but just wanted to share some information without those biases being a part of this.