Racing - What To Eat?
A majority of triathlons are the length called Olympic
distance. This is a 1.5K swim, 40K bike and a 10K run. For
me, I complete this distance in 1:45 to 2:05 depending on
the course geography. I have raced over 200 triathlons in
my career and I have found what energy supplement works
best for me. Before the race, I eat enough to have my stomach
feel "not empty." This doesn't mean stuffed, but
rather satiated. The amount of calories I eat before the
race varies on what time the race starts whether it is 7
AM or 2PM.
Everyone burns a different amount of calories in a triathlon.
It depends on how fit a person is, their body type and the
time it takes to finish a race. Usually, thirty minutes
before the race I will have half of a Clif Bar to continue
my satiation. I continue to hydrate with water leading up
to the start of the race. On the bike, I have two full water
bottles. One contains water and the other contains an electrolyte
replenishment drink. I also have two energy gels taped to
the top tube of my bike. I have one gel twenty minutes into
the bike ride and one with twenty minutes left in the ride.
On the run, I grab two more gels in the transition area
and I take one at the beginning of the run and then another
twenty minutes later. I know some professional triathletes
use only an electrolyte drink in the Olympic distance race.
Everyone is different so make sure you experiment in training
on maintaining a stable energy. In doing so, you will less
likely have a surprise bonk at mile four of the run.
