Food for Fuel
I’ve never eaten so much as I have over the past few months, and now, with Ironman only a few days away, I thought I’d share on the fuel that keeps a weekend warrior going.
I seem to find myself permanently parked in front of the fridge devouring anything and everything within reach, and the shopping bill has definitely taken a hit while I’ve been going through the hardest and longest training weeks.
I often get asked if I “require a special diet to train the 20 or so hours a week?”, as many people think that I must be either very strict on the type of food or restricting calories. But the fact is, I do neither. Apart from trying to keep to natural, whole foods, I eat whenever I’m hungry (which is often).
Many of the new diets talk about restricting carbohydrates in favour of either protein or fats (or both), but to really keep energy up, I find I need plenty of carbs. What I look for mostly is the GI (Glycemic Index) range of the foods I eat – mostly low GI foods during the morning and the day, but after a particularly hard or long training I will crave a high to medium GI food.
For example before a long bike ride I’d often have eggs on toast (either Burgen or Vogel’s multi-grain bread) for a slow release of energy over the day. But when I get home I normally crave something sweet, so I can eat an entire watermelon or pineapple (both medium to high GI) – I believe this is my body’s way of telling me to replace lost glycogen.
Also bananas are a fruit I normally don’t eat either, but now I’m eating two to three a day and, cut in half, they are easy to take with me when running and cycling, and very easily digested. Importantly, they are what are provided on race day, so it’s good to get the stomach used to race nutrition.
Lucky for me this year Horley’s Replace is the sponsor of the electrolyte drink, as this has been a favourite of mine for years. To me it’s still the best you can get in terms of providing enough energy, hydration and taste.
I tend to use gels (squeezies) sparingly during training as they’re expensive, and you have to take on extra water whenever using them. I’ve been told by many people that gels upset their stomachs, but when asked what they take with them, they normally say they just have a glug of Replace – so effectively you’re adding more carbs to your stomach. This is why, when you do use gels, you have to drink water – as gels require water to break down, they draw liquid into your stomach. The rest of your body also needs this liquid to moderate heat and keep blood flowing, so the stomach sort of rejects the gel, causing stomach cramps and sometimes nausea.
I have a philosophy of everything in moderation, so having a well-balanced diet for me is quite easy, notwithstanding I don’t like fast food or, if I do crave a burger, I’d rather make my own – then at least I know what goes into it.
This weekend is Ironman Taupo, so if you see me or (most probably) pass me, say g’day. Best wishes for those competing – luck is for those who haven’t trained hard enough – and for those watching, I hope you enjoy the experience.
I’ve never eaten so much as I have over the past few months, and now, with Ironman only a few days away, I thought I’d share on the fuel that keeps a weekend warrior going.
I seem to find myself permanently parked in front of the fridge devouring anything and everything within reach, and the shopping bill has definitely taken a hit while I’ve been going through the hardest and longest training weeks.
I often get asked if I “require a special diet to train the 20 or so hours a week?”, as many people think that I must be either very strict on the type of food or restricting calories. But the fact is, I do neither. Apart from trying to keep to natural, whole foods, I eat whenever I’m hungry (which is often).
Many of the new diets talk about restricting carbohydrates in favour of either protein or fats (or both), but to really keep energy up, I find I need plenty of carbs. What I look for mostly is the GI (Glycemic Index) range of the foods I eat – mostly low GI foods during the morning and the day, but after a particularly hard or long training I will crave a high to medium GI food.
For example before a long bike ride I’d often have eggs on toast (either Burgen or Vogel’s multi-grain bread) for a slow release of energy over the day. But when I get home I normally crave something sweet, so I can eat an entire watermelon or pineapple (both medium to high GI) – I believe this is my body’s way of telling me to replace lost glycogen.
Also bananas are a fruit I normally don’t eat either, but now I’m eating two to three a day and, cut in half, they are easy to take with me when running and cycling, and very easily digested. Importantly, they are what are provided on race day, so it’s good to get the stomach used to race nutrition.
Lucky for me this year Horley’s Replace is the sponsor of the electrolyte drink, as this has been a favourite of mine for years. To me it’s still the best you can get in terms of providing enough energy, hydration and taste.
I tend to use gels (squeezies) sparingly during training as they’re expensive, and you have to take on extra water whenever using them. I’ve been told by many people that gels upset their stomachs, but when asked what they take with them, they normally say they just have a glug of Replace – so effectively you’re adding more carbs to your stomach. This is why, when you do use gels, you have to drink water – as gels require water to break down, they draw liquid into your stomach. The rest of your body also needs this liquid to moderate heat and keep blood flowing, so the stomach sort of rejects the gel, causing stomach cramps and sometimes nausea.
I have a philosophy of everything in moderation, so having a well-balanced diet for me is quite easy, notwithstanding I don’t like fast food or, if I do crave a burger, I’d rather make my own – then at least I know what goes into it.
This weekend is Ironman Taupo, so if you see me or (most probably) pass me, say g’day. Best wishes for those competing – luck is for those who haven’t trained hard enough – and for those watching, I hope you enjoy the experience.
Food for Fuel
I’ve never eaten so much as I have over the past few months, and now, with Ironman only a few days away, I thought I’d share on the fuel that keeps a weekend warrior going.