FUEL LIKE A MOTHER FUCKER
Nutrition is often referred to as the 4th discipline of an IRONMAN. Simply put, it can either fuel your performance to a podium or it can fuck your race to a DNF. The choice is 100% yours. But let me further put this into perspective, training hard will not guarantee you success on race day. Instead mastering the 4th discipline will.
I’ve completed 3 full IRONMANs, 13 half IRONMANs and qualifying 3 consecutive years in IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. I attribute my success in qualifying to proper fueling but it took a few failures & lessons to get to this stage. The purpose of this blog is to expedite your learning process in the topic of endurance fueling.
But first, let us distinguish the difference between nutrition AND fueling.
NUTRITION
Nutrition is the platform of a strong healthy eating plan. It starts each day by jump-starting your metabolism with breakfast, followed by lunch, and dinner. This happens each day regardless if your training or not. There are many different eating plans out there from vegan, vegetarian, raw diet, eating for your blood type, keto, paleo, gluten free…. Fuck! the list goes on and on and on AND since I am not a nutritionist, I am going to end the nutrition section right here with my personal advice. If you are struggling in finding the right eating plan for your body & health goals, hire a nutritionist to help you achieve your dream body & health.
FUELING
Fueling are the calories you consume before, during and post exercising. Think of fueling as the key to your performance and managing training stress. Taking in the proper quantity not only will fuel your training and racing performance, it will also help you recover by suppressing stress created from exercise intensity.
3 STEPS TO FUELING LIKE A CHAMPION (or like I prefer to say, like a mother fucker)
1-fueling BEFORE EXERCISING
Fueling before exercise consists primarily of carbohydrates, liquids, and small protein and fat. You want to avoid high fiber and gas forming food due to GI issues. Timing fucking matters baby. If its race day you want to eat your breakfast 4-hrs before gun time and then top off your fuel tank 30-min before you start your race. For training, do not get up at 3am to eat breakfast. Instead consume a small snack or sports nutrition containing 30 grams of carbs immediately before your workout and post workout eat your breakfast.
2-Fueling DURINg
For exercise lasting 1 to 3-hrs consume 60 grams of carbs per hour and for workouts 3-hrs and greater, consume 60-70 grams of carbs per hour.
RACE DAY & TRAINING STRATEGY
I share with all my athletes to consume on the bike anywhere from 350 to 200 calories per hour, 30-40 oz fluid per hour, and 350mg sodium per hour. The exact number depends on your body size and if you are heavy sweaters. It also depends on what carbs you are consuming. Not all carbs are equal on how they break down and absorb.
When I started racing 6 years ago, I wasn’t consuming enough calories. In my 1st IRONMAN 70.3 in Cozumel which is a hot & humid race, I was fueling on the bike with plain water, sports bars, and Gu with caffeine. I have no idea how I finished that race as I was cramping up like a mother fucker towards the end of the bike course. Until Cozumel, I had never heard of salt tablets and until that race I was so against Gatorade, Coke, and other such products.
I am someone that learns by doing things myself and I love the challenge to self improvement. Cozumel opened a whole new world for me as an endurance athlete as I saw my potential after learning from my fueling failure. I immediately signed up for my next 70.3 after getting home which then lead that year to racing in my first full IRONMAN. Something I had never considered that I could do.
For past 3 years I have learned to keep fueling simple especially for the full IRONMAN.
On the bike I consume UCAN 100% pure SuperStarch with UCAN electrolytes in my sport bottles and Maurten gels. I carry a tube of base electrolyte salt as I am a heavy sweater and use it as needed. I have dialed in the exact amount of calories that my body needs on the bike in order to have a strong transition from bike to run.
For the run leg I relay on the aid stations for Gatorade endurance mix, Maurten gels, and when needed Coke and water.
If you are just getting started, don’t panic. You have time to dial it all in since most IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 training lasts about 24-20 weeks. This gives you ample time to test your race fuel during training. You want to practice fueling at race heart rate and see what your body can tolerate both in quantity of calorie and source of calorie.
3-Fueling POST EXERCISING
Fueling post exercise consists of protein and carbs and must be consumed within 30-min of completing your workout. The goal of post fuel is to replenish the body, restore muscles, replace fluids and sodium lost, and provide nutrients for muscle repair. I personally love Floyd’s of Leadville Recovery Protein chocolate flavor or if I have more time I love making my own protein smoothie.
IRONMAN is a personal growth journey. Fueling & nutrition is one key component that will help you thrive in your race and life! Make sure you are pausing in your training and in your life to see what is working, what have you learned, and what needs to be adapted. If you don’t see progress, results, or crossing out goals, it is time to ask for support from the exports.