Fueling For Race Day
Fuelling To Finish
You've trained hard, you're at the starting line, and you're ready to crush your race. But let's talk about the real MVP of any race: fueling! It's not just about crossing the finish line; it's about powering through with strength and energy, both physically and mentally.
Why Fuel During Your Run?
Think of your body like a high-performance engine. It needs the right fuel to keep going strong. During a race, your body uses up its glycogen stores (stored energy) like crazy. If you don't replenish those stores, you'll hit the dreaded "wall" – fatigue, muscle weakness, and a serious mental fog. That's where mid-race fueling comes in!
Fueling:
Gels: Energy gels, chews, and sports drinks are your friends here. Gels are small, portable packets of carbohydrates designed to provide a quick and easily digestible energy boost during endurance activities.
Chews: Chews are a chewy, carbohydrate-rich snacks that offer a convenient and palatable source of energy for endurance athletes.
Water and electrolytes: Naturally, water is required to ensure you stay hydrated and the sports drinks replenish those electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential minerals, like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, that help regulate fluid balance, muscle function, and nerve impulses, crucial for maintaining performance during exercise.
Timing is Everything: Don't wait until you feel like you're about to bonk to start fueling. Start early and keep that energy flowing. The general rule is to aim for a gel every 45-60 minutes. Consider taking your first gel around the 4-5 mile mark. By starting early, you are topping off your glycogen stores before they are fully depleted. However some runners like to take one just at the start of the race. Aaron for example likes to take an energy shot on the start line. But every runner is different, find what works for you. Some runners need gels more frequently than others.
Hydration is Key: Water and sports drinks are essential to replace fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat. Dehydration can seriously impact your performance. Make sure you sip your fluids! Dont chug even if your mind tells you to do so, little and often is the best strategy
Listen to Your Body: Experiment with different fueling options during training runs to see what works best for you. Everyone's body is different and every gel is different. Different flavours, different consistencies and different fuel levels. So practice during your training to know what gels work for you.
Top tip: Never try a new gel brand or fueling strategy on race day
Post Race:
Congratulations you have done it! Give yourself a pat on the back. Treat yourself, you've earned it, have a beer, have that burger you've been craving. But it's not over yet, you might think you're done with fueling now that you have completed your race but youre not. Your body will have gone through alot and used up alot of of energy too. So you need to continue to fuel your body to ensure you recover well. Failure to do so can result in headaches and extreme muscle soreness.
Once you have finished your race, your fueling will be different. The key thing is to stay hydrated, keep drinking water to avoid getting headaches while a nice coffee or alcoholic beverage is a great reward, alcohol and caffeine can also dehydrate you too so don't over do it. swap those carbs for protein. Protein aids in recovery and helps those muscles repair faster. And why not treat yourself to something sweet, consuming simple sugars after exercise, combined with protein, can help replenish glycogen stores and aid in muscle recovery. This is particularly important in the "recovery window" (30-60 minutes after exercise).
Tenacity Tip: Gels and Mental Grit!
Knowing you have a steady supply of energy can give you a major mental boost. When you feel those miles getting tough, remember you have the tools to push through. Gels aren't just fuel for your body; they're fuel for your mind!
So grab those gels, lace up your shoes, and get ready to conquer your race! You've got this!