I enjoy healthy eating and focusing on overall health, but I’m no different than anyone else and sometimes I need some extra motivation. I am a runner so for my motivation I set athletic goals and sign up for trail races to help keep me on track. My main goal this year is to finish the Pinhoti 100. It’s a point to point 100-mile trail race through the Talladega National Forest in Alabama. There is 12,647 ft of elevation gain so I’ll have a good mix of running and hiking. I’m not out there setting any speed records, I just go out, do my best, and push my own personal limits. However, just because I’m not going for a win, that does not mean I can slack on my planning and preparation. I’m going to be out on that trail for at least 24 hours, and one thing I know for sure is that a solid nutrition plan will be integral to my success.
"There are dreamers and there are planners; the planners make their dreams come true"
– Edwin Louis Cole
A solid race day plan is critical, but its not something that is put together for just that day. The plan needs to be developed during training to fit the exact needs of what I’m trying to accomplish. While the basic ideas and structure of this plan will be true for most runners, to be successful the plan will have to be tailored to my individual needs. The plan needs to be practiced, especially during long runs, and developed to find out what works and what does not. During my training runs I try new fueling and hydration strategies to find what will work best for me.
Fuel for the work required
I'll be honest with you, I have a hard time calling myself an athlete. I am a dietitian and a sports nutrition coach, but if asked to describe myself the term ‘athlete’ would not come to mind. However, for the sake of building a nutrition training plan I am an endurance athlete. With that comes high volume and high intensity workouts that require higher caloric needs. There are several ways to calculate daily calorie needs and any of them will do just fine, the most important thing to remember is that it is just an estimation. I calculated my daily needs to be approximately 2951 kcals/day. That will be an average energy intake for me. I’m fueling for the work required and the training intensity each day will change, so when it comes to how many calories I take in and even the timing of those meal, it will change from day to day based on the training schedule. Again, it is important to remember that this daily caloric total is only an estimate and I will have to monitor my intake and listen to my body to make adjustments as I go so I can find the balance between eating too much and gaining unwanted weight and not eating enough and not having enough energy to train properly.
Carbohydrates
Along with increased calorie needs for an endurance athlete Ill also have an increased need for carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source for energy. Its important to make sure that energy stores are full going into a workout, are sustained during if possible, and then adequately replenished afterwards. 30 to 60 minutes before a workout I try and consume 30-60 g of carbs. This ensures that I am fueled for the work ahead. If my workout will exceed 90 minutes, like long runs on the weekends, I will have a simple carbohydrate fluid with electrolytes in my water bottles in addition to bars, gels, and chews. I try and get used to a little bit of everything so when race day comes, and something is not working for me I have other options I know I can fall back on.
Protein
Protein always seems to be the macronutrient that athletes are most concerned with. More so for strength than for endurance but it is essential for muscle recovery for anyone. I don’t have an exact timing for protein intake, my goal is to just spread out what I need throughout the day. Our bodies can only metabolize so much at a time so taking a large amount, say after a workout, just does not make a lot of sense. I try and get as close to the recommendation of 2g/kg body weight/day as I can. I focus on lean proteins and salmon for omega 3s.
Fats
When it comes to fats I try and stick to the standard recommendations. For an endurance athlete a fat intake of around 30% of your total energy requirements is a good number to shoot for. I mainly stick to monounsaturated fats and Omega-3s (polyunsaturated), staying away from as many saturated and trans fats as much as possible. Its important to remember that fats are an essential part of the diet and play an important role in many metabolic functions including assisting in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
You can have the best plan in the world, but it will still come down to execution and you won’t be able to execute on race day if you don’t put in the work now. I am fueling for the training I’m doing now but I’m also constantly testing different things out to see what works and what does not. Each new thing will be one more tool in the toolbox when it comes to putting together a race day plan.
This is just the basic framework of how I approach nutrition for my training all the specific details will be different for each athlete. If you are interested in hearing more about my training plan or if you are interested in a training plan of your own, email us to set up a consultation. My Nutrition Coach - Contact Us
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