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![]() Nutrition: fuel for iron-distance Posted on: Friday 19th July 2013 Bookmark This | Print This Page | Send To A Friend Age Group athlete Lisa Picton has a lot of iron-distance race experience. A multiple Kona qualifier (we interviewed her prior to her 2010 race HERE), Lisa races for the Racetime-USN team. With the peak summer racing season here, many of you will be getting ready for your big long distance event of the year with Ironman UK, Challenge Henley and Ironman Wales just three of many events scheduled over the coming weeks. A huge component of iron-distance success is getting your nutrition strategy right as without it, no amount of physical training will overcome deficiencies in that area. For iron-distance, nutrition really is absolutely crucial to success - and indeed, just finishing. In this article on fuelling an iron-distance event, Lisa outlines some key advice on how to get through the race with the right calories, fuel and hydration at the right time. Lisa also outlines for practical purposes her personal approach and product selection from her sponsors range (USN - www.usn.co.uk), but you can readily apply the key principles to your particular products and brands of choice. Fuelling an iron-distance eventIn a long distance triathlon such as an iron-distance event, it is often said that nutrition is the fourth discipline, however it is an area that is often underestimated despite the fact that it can actually make or break your race. Having spent at least six months training for an Ironman distance, in addition to the cost incurred of entering the event, it is a big investment and therefore it would be a shame to turn up in the best possible physical shape and yet not have the race you deserve due to not having a nutrition strategy in place. Finding your ultimate nutritional strategy can take some time and it may actually take more than one race to find your 'ideal' nutrition plan, however there are some key points that are worth bearing in mind:
USN products recommended for fuelling an Ironman distance event:Pre-race:
Pre-race nerves can affect my appetite and so I find that drinking Endurocarbs alongside eating lighter meals is a good way of getting an easily transportable carbohydrate source to the liver & muscles without my body having to process large amounts of carbohydrate heavy foods.
As my usual breakfast consists of oats, Protein GF-1, seeds, berries & yogurt, this product is a great practical alternative for when travelling and racing away. It also makes up a smooth blend and so it goes down a bit easier on race morning! You can supplement this with other foods of choice i.e. banana/ bagel etc. according to your individual plan. During:
The USN endurance range of products offers enough choice to accommodate a wide range of nutritional strategies according to individual requirements. As said before, it is important to trial these in training and be prepared to adapt these according to environmental factors on the day. Post-race:The ideal would be to drink R3 Excell to help to replenish all round after the event; personally I struggle to drink anything 'sweet' afterwards and generally crave something more savoury and salty in taste so this year, I will be tempted to refuel with the Protein Soup after and start on the R3 Excell the next morning! Also, the day after an endurance event, you may experience symptoms of dehydration such as bloating, headache, stiff neck and in this instance, an Electrolyte Acti-Fizz tablet will certainly help. Then, enjoy eating whatever you like/ crave for a couple of days as you have certainly earned it! ![]()
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