This is something I was reminded of yesterday when I was coaching the Front Runner run session. Lots of the people at the running session yesterday are training for the Perth City to Surf.
The race is only a few weeks away and so people are starting to turn their attention to all the little things like nutrition, what do they need, when do they take it etc. I am not sure how many conversations I had about race nutrition yesterday, but it was a few.
Some of those conversations were about what they should use, when they should use it etc and while I could easily write a blog or two about that, that isn't what this post is about. Instead this 1%er tip is about the one thing I said to each and every one of the people I chatted to. Whatever you end up choosing, make sure you try it before race day.
Race nutrition is one of those funny areas where, for some reason, people's common sense seems to abandon them from time to time. People sign up for a race, go and get the race pack, get a free gel and think, what the heck, might as well give this a crack during the race. These same people wouldn't usually consider buying new shoes the day before a race, or changing their morning routine, but for some reason trialing a nutritional supplement on race day suddenly seems like a good idea.
Most of the time giving nutrition a go like that works fine, but sometimes it really doesn't. This can be doubly the case when the event in question is a run event. As many distance runners and triathletes will tell you, sometimes gels and running just don't combine well.
Even if you know that you can eat a gel quite comfortably when you run, not all gels are created equal. Some are easier to eat while running that others. Some flavours will appeal to you over a long race more than others. The same can be said for more solid foods like energy bars or chews. Do they work for you? In a triathlon, will you be comfortable running with them in your stomach? In fact pretty much every form of race nutrition has their foibles, the little things that make them work for one person, but not necessary work for another. The countless factors that can lead a race to go awry.
It is for these reasons that the simplest advice with race nutrition is, give it a try. Probably not just once or twice either, but a few times. Make sure it is going to work for you. By the time I got to Ironman WA last year I had been practicing my ride and run nutrition so often that I knew it by heart. I knew exactly what I was going to eat and when and I knew just how my body would react to it.
A very simple 1%er, but one that can provide a very effective form of race day insurance.
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