I have learned a lot about pre-exercise & post-exercise fueling and its fun finding what seems to work best for me and my body. Depending on the distance & duration, I will make adjustments but for a typical 45-to-60-minute race, this is what my routine looks like.
Dinner the night before the race is one of the most important things for me. My pre-race dinner is always a variation of grilled salmon, pasta with fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil Parmesan cheese and oven-roasted vegetables.
My pre-race dinner is super important because if the race is before 9am, I will usually not eat breakfast because I find for me, sleep is most important. So, rather than waking up extra early to eat three hours before the race, I get as much sleep as I can.
I take the following “3-hour rule” that Hammer Nutrition recommends pretty seriously: "The timing of your pre-exercise meal is critical and you want to be sure to complete your meal no less than three hours before your race. (That means the fork or spoon is down at 6 a.m. if your event starts at 9 a.m.) Three hours allows your body to fully process the meal and avoid intestinal distress. You’ll feel “light on your feet” as your body devotes all blood and oxygen to your physical efforts rather than digesting your meal. Eating within three hours of endurance exercise also raises blood sugar, which can seriously hamper performance. It reduces the body’s ability to burn fat as fuel. A meal during this time will lead your body to burn through its limited reserves of stored carbohydrates (muscle glycogen) more quickly. This combination of rapid glycogen depletion and decreased fat burning reduces endurance and performance. Though it may sound counterintuitive, the science is clear: for optimal performance, abstain from eating for three hours prior to your start time."
Breakfast the day of my race (if I do eat breakfast), is usually a variation of oatmeal with walnuts and raisins, two scrambled eggs, two slices of whole-wheat toast with peanut butter and a little bit of coffee. Making sure to finish the meal no less than three hours before the race.
-120 to 60 minutes before the race (especially if I skipped breakfast), I will consume a Hammer Bar to top up and about 20oz of water mixed with Heed Sports Drink that I will warm up with and carry with me on my practice lap.
-30 minutes before race staging, I will consume one serving of Hammer’s Fully Charged in 4 to 8 oz of water.
-10 to 5 minutes before the race in staging while at the line as I wait, I will consume a serving of Hammer Gel.
-During the race, half full bottles (to save weight) that I will take every lap or as necessary mixed with Endurolytes Fizz. Then a Hammer Gel every 20 to 30 mins (the gels are super important because you need about 100 calories every 15-20 minutes which is the key to maintaining power output. It takes practice but a gel every half hour with drink mix in the bottle like Heed or Endurolytes can do the trick).
-After the race, within 30 minutes of finish, I consume 20 to 30 oz of water and Recoverite whey protein. I mix 2 scoops to 4 to 8 oz of water (or sometimes coconut water).
I've found with my metabolism; this routine works really well for me. Try it out and see what you think for your next race!
When you place your first order with Hammer Nutrition and mention my client number 1011725, you'll receive 15% off! You can order online at Hammer Nutrition or just give them a call at 1.800.336.1977 Monday-Friday 9-5 MT. They have a great team of Client Advisors who can help you select the products that will benefit you most!
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