To Eat or Not to Eat?

 Nutrition is one of the most controversial subjects in the triathlon community.  Some people believe in the Paleo diet, while others think Vegetarian, some preach organic, and some just eat whatever theywant.  The wise Chris "Macca" McCormack (this years Kona winner) said at a CLIF panel interview that he once had scientists calculate exactly what he should eat and drink during an ironman they advised him to focus on all natural foods and little to know processed sugars.  This diet caused him to BONK hard almost to the point of pulling out of the race as a DNF.  However, a fellow triathlete found him in his depleted state and informed him that he'll be fine if he takes down some Coke and water.  With a little processed sugar and caffeine he managed to finish Kona that year in one of the top positions.  The point is there is NO Perfect Nutrition Plan.  Everyone has different needs based on their body, metabolism, weight, and sport.

This topic is very important to me because I am a pre-race NON-EATER.  Yes, that's right I don't eat before a race, I just can't or I will spend the rest of the day miserable with GI tract issues.  However, I do have some nutrition tips for each sport that I have found work for me.

Firstly, before I begin let me address the non-eating.  Everyone thinks Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and normally I would agree, but I have found there is nothing wrong with not eating before a race.  Don't let people convince you it is bad for you, I can tell you I feel much better not eating and I have even performed better without food.  I do make sure I eat at least something within a half hour after finishing and this process has not failed me yet.

The Swim: There is not really any nutrition advice I can give you for swimming in an actual event, but you can prevent cramping while training.  If you make a point of having an electrolyte replacement drink like gatorade, accelerade, or cytomax with you then you are less likely to cramp.  I also find that Clif chews help as well.

 The Bike: I used to love Almond Butter and Jelly, hard boiled eggs, and nuts with dried fruit on the bike, but these foods pose a problem when racing.  I would advise any endurance cyclists (80-100+ miles) to try these foods out, especially dried fruit and Coke if you feel you are about to Bonk, they really help get sugar and caffeine into your system fast.  For triathlons and shorter race simulation rides I prefer perpetum.  Usually I fill a bottle with as many scoops as hours I plan on riding.  To accompany my perpetuem I usually use an electrolyte replacement called Heed.


The Run: Any run under 10 miles I can just use water, over 10 miles I prefer to use either clif bloks and water, or perpetuem.  I always add a bit of salt to my water to help replenish my electrolytes.  Even when running after cycling I find my stomach does well with perpetuem.


My only bit of advice is try everything before race day to see if you can stomach it.  Anything new on race day could be dangerous to your final stats.  Also, I try to keep everything in the same family when eating i.e. all natural stays with all natural (perpetuem, heed, and clif bloks).  When I mix processed sugars with natural products I have issues.  (I do just fine with gatorade and gu I just can't mix gu with perpetuem or I feel sick).