Fedofsky Friday

Fedofsky Friday: Race-day nutrition

A couple of Fridays every month, Elizabeth Fedofsky, a top age-group fast rising professional triathlete and national age group champ, drops in to answer your training questions and to brighten our day with her witty wisdom.

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Question: I’m entering my first Olympic race in May and was curious as to what you recommend as far as hydration and nutrition. I obviously can’t suck down gels during the swim, but was wondering how she suggested I approach my nutrition strategy before the race, during the bike and the run. I may be over-thinking this. - Marc

Fedofsky: For races lasting longer than 90 minutes, you will need to find a nutrition and hydration plan that works for you. With that said, the best way to find what works is to practice over and over again until your plan feels like clockwork. When determining your nutrition plan, be sure to consider the amount of calories, carbohydrates and sodium you will need.

I’m not a dietitician but from my experience products formulated for consumption during sports work best. Gels, bars, sports drinks, beans - these are all products meant to be consumed and digested during sport activity.

As for the interval at which you eat, that is entirely individual and based on your needs. While I cannot offer any suggestions for exact numbers, I will say it might be best to start eating soon after you get on the bike and follow up every 30 - 45 minutes from there. A simple sweat test in race-like conditions will help you determine your fluid needs.

Question: I have a hard time eating before a race. My stomach’s just not used to any food that early in the morning. Consequently, I don’t eat before group rides and end up bonking about 1.5 hours into them. Oatmeal sticks to my gut and sometimes energy bars work. Any suggestions for a good, fueled up, yet light on the stomach, pre-race meal? - Thalia D.

Fedofsky: Again, you’ve got to eat something for anything laster longer than 90 minutes. You cannot finish a workout or race on willpower alone - your body needs fluids and calories.

There are mixed feelings out there about eating before a race. Some will tell you to find something, anything that works. Others will say just eat a good dinner the night before. The fact is that breakfast is literally that - breaking the fast. You need to jump start your body and replenish stores that were depleted when sleeping (and yes, your body is still working and burning calories when sleeping).

Ultimately you will need to practice over and over again until you find something that “sort of” works. I say “sort of” because I don’t think any breakfast or sports food goes down smooth 100 percent of the time. It’s totally normal to feel something in your stomach, to feel occasionally sloshy or burpy. It’s food and you’re working on top of it - a little mix up is bound to happen.

With that said, I feel that the best time to practice what might work for you is before a swim. I feel if you can swim on it you can probably race on it. Use each swim or masters practice as an opportunity to practice different food options or timing of food. In time you’ll have a list of foods that do and don’t work for your stomach (note: I have found that chocolate chips, brownie batter and ice cream do not work before a swim).

Ideas include; toast with honey, bagel with a little peanut butter, applesauce with whey protein, sports bar, oatmeal with raisins, banana. As far as how much and the composition of what you need to eat - ideally, aim for something that has carbohydrates and a little protein. Most people cannot tolerate heavy proteins, fats, or dairy. But again, this is entirely individual and will take many, many practices, guesses, and tweaks before you find what’s right for you.

If you have triathlon-related questions for Liz, or just want to know more about the ways she drives her husband nuts, fire ‘em off to us at questions@theoutdoorjourney.com. You can read more about Liz’s adventures on her blog at http://elizabethfedofsky.blogspot.com/

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