I have never been super good about eating during 2-10 hour endurance races. I’ve experienced it all; stomach cramps, extreme bonks, and eating the wrong foods.
First off, I think that race nutrition is something that needs self discovery. It’s not just about listening to friends and going with that on race day. Practice different foods at different times during training and figure out what works for you. Part of my problems have been from changing things last minute prior to race day after talking to my friends.
Here are the tips that have worked for me:
#5 – Reminders. Pro triathlete Adam Jensen told me to set my alarm watch for every hour to remind you to eat. If your food choice that day is Hammer Gels, then every hour you eat a Hammer Gel.
#4 – Liquid Diet. I’m a big fan of the drink mixes with lots of calories. I use Hammer Perpetuem in the winter/spring and Hammer Heed in the summer. I’ve got lots of friends who just drink Gatorade and it seems to work great. Especially when you are drinking a high calorie drink in addition to gels or bars for a long event.
#3 – Plan. Just like you study the race elevation profile, you need to study your nutrition plan. Layout your food and drink the night before. Make sure you have enough and then add a little extra just in case you find yourself in a pinch (how many times has a gel fallen out of your pocket while your reaching for something?)
#2 – Water. I had problems with nutrition products and stomach problems. In the summer it’s hot and your drinking all these sticky drinks and gels. I’ve found that when I’m getting overwhelmed with product, I just focus on water for a bit and I start to feel better. With most the gels you need to drink water.
#1 – Front Load. This applies to just before the event and the first hour. Even for short events like cyclocross, I like to hit a gel prior to the start. Don’t go crazy, but I think it’s good to have a light bar or gel prior to the start. Once your race starts, I believe the first hour is the most important for nutrition. It gets your metabolism going and gets you in the habit of eating.
*Note I am not a nutrition expert, but these are some tips that have helped me. Any articles written by Brent Ruby from the University of Montana HHP Department are excellent resources.