TRAINING   nutrition
           Fuel yourself to                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          at-a-glance
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Time to 
           go the distance                                                                                                                                                        after day you’ll gain weight and that          This can result in slow recovery and              play your 
                                                                                                                                                                                  will slow down your running, resulting         increase your illness risk. But there’s no        carbs right
            Anita Bean explains how to ace your endurance race nutrition                                                                                                          in sub-optimal performance.                    one size that fits all; adjust carbs to your 
                                                                                                                                                                                     Secondly, you’ll need more                  training requirements and preferences.               o give you an example, if you weigh 
                                                                                                                                                                                  carbohydrate. Although you burn a                Thirdly, make sure you eat enough               T
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      70kg and run for about an hour, 
              Meet the                                            hether you’re training     will help support your training and                                                  mixture of fat and carbs, carbs are your       protein to promote muscle recovery and            you’ll need approximately 350g carbs/
              expert                                              for the London             allow you to recover more efficiently.                                               muscles’ preferred fuel source and are         repair after running. Runners generally           day, which looks something like this:
                                                                  Marathon or a              First and foremost, as you build your                                                essential for fast running or getting          need more protein than the average 
                           Anita Bean                             summertime ultra,          weekly mileage you’ll need to consume                                                up hills. As a rule of thumb, the more         person – between 1.2 and 2g per kg body                               BreAkfAsT
                           is an award-                           now is the time to get     more energy (or calories) – a lot more!                                              muscle you have and the longer and             weight per day or in the region of 20g 
                                              W
                           winning             your nutrition on track. A good fuelling      During running, you’re burning 500-800                                               harder you train, the more carbs you           (or 0.25g/ kg of body weight) of protein                               1 large bowl 
                           nutritionist,                                                                                                                                          need. But, again, you need the right           per meal. You can obtain this from                                       porridge  
                           author and          plan is crucial if you want to make gains     kcal/h, depending on your pace. If you                                                                                                                                                                       (75g oats) 
                           athlete. Her        in your endurance, stay illness-free and      fail to eat enough day after day, you’ll                                             amount for your workout – not too little,      one small chicken breast, three eggs                                      + banana + 
              no-nonsense approach to          run to your full potential in the event.      experience muscle loss, fatigue and poor                                             not too much. Running consistently             or 500ml of milk but there are also                                       nuts
              fuelling is typified by the        Firstly, it’s important to say there’s      performance. On the other hand, running                                              with low carb (glycogen) stores will           plenty of plant-based protein sources: 
              use of actual food rather        no single diet that suits every runner        is not a licence to eat all the cakes! You                                           reduce your capacity for high-intensity        beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas, tofu, 
              than relying on ‘sports          –  everyone has different needs – but         still need to match your energy intake                                               efforts, cause early fatigue, reduce your      whole grains, quinoa, nuts and seeds  
              nutrition’ products.             there are a few general guidelines that       and energy output. If you over-eat day                                               endurance, and lower your immunity.            are great options. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      TuRN The pAGe FoR                            snAck
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ➜ ANITA’s RAce plAN                               1 handful 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   nuts + seeds
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   lunch
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1 baked 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   potato 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   (200g)  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   + tuna  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   or cheese 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   + salad  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   + fruit
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    snAck
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1 flapjack or fruit 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    and nut bar  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    + 500ml milk
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Dinner
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1 bowl pasta  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   (75g),  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   grilled  
                         runFestrun                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                chicken  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   or  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   beans,  
                      If you fancy putting all this great                                                                                                                                                                                                                          veg
                      advice into practice why not enter 
                       RunFestRun which takes place 
                       in Windsor Great Park over the 
                      weekend of May 22-24. There you 
                      can run a half marathon, 2.5k, 10k 
                        and 5k not to mention a relay 
                         on the Sunday to really test 
                            out your endurance!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         DesserT
                              runfestrun.co.uk                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          1 yogurt  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        + fruit
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   TrAil running 61
              TRAINING   nutrition
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
             pre-run fuelling                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    well gel 
               t’s generally beneficial to eat before a     or a session lasting less than an hour.        weeks before the marathon together                                                                                                                                                              For all the onus we like to place 
               run – this will provide you with energy      anything more than this, however, and          with an increase in carbohydrate intake                                                                                                                                                          on eating real food to fuel your 
            i
               to help sustain your pace. For midday        you’ll certainly benefit from fuelling         for the final two days – think porridge,                                                                                                                                                          runs, it’s undeniable that – for 
             or evening runs, have a meal two to            before or during the run.                      potatoes, rice, bananas or pasta. eat                                                                                                                                                          reasons of portability and ease of 
             four hours beforehand: a combination                                                          little and often; avoid eating too late in                                                                                                                                                      consumption – dedicated sports 
             of carbohydrate and protein produces           how to carb load                               the day or over-stuffing! Stick to what                                                                                                                                                          nutrition products such as gels 
             sustained energy release. For example,         the old strategy of glycogen depletion         you’re used to – eat nothing new on                                                                                                                                                              and energy bars do have their 
             porridge, a falafel wrap or a simple rice      before carbohydrate loading is no              race day – but plan to eat breakfast                                                                                                                                                                 place in a trail runner’s 
             dish with fish or beans would be ideal.        longer recommended. the newer                  three to four hours before the start                                                                                                                                                                         pockets.
             For early morning runs, you may prefer         protocol practised by elite endurance          of the race. Porridge with bananas, 
             running on an empty stomach, which             runners comprises a gradual reduction          granola with yogurt, or eggs on 
             is fine if you’re doing a slow steady run      in training volume over the final three        toast are all suitable.
             Mid-run fuelling
               f you’re running for longer than 60-         options to reduce flavour fatigue and          Aim to do two or three long runs using 
               90 minutes, extra carbs will help you        reduce the risk of tooth damage. Try           the same fuelling schedule you plan 
            i
               maintain your pace longer and delay          peanut butter or cheese sandwiches             to use during your race. You also need 
             fatigue. Begin fuelling after 45-60            and wraps, crackers, rice cakes,               to practice the art of drinking from 
             minutes then plan to refuel at regular         cheese and nuts.                               a cup while running and train your 
             intervals, say every 15-30 minutes. Here       Avoiding gut problems                          stomach to handle food and drinks 
             are some examples of what to take                                                             without getting upset. 
             with you for long runs. Each supplies          Develop your own fuel plan and try 
             30g of carbohydrate:                           different foods and drinks to see              hydration
                                                            what helps. Everyone’s different so            Hydrate before you run – checking the 
             ■ 2 bananas                                    you will need to experiment. It may            colour of your urine is the simplest and 
             ■ 2 x 30ml energy gels                         feel uncomfortable initially, and              most practical way to assess hydration. 
             ■ 40g raisins or 2 Medjool dates               gut problems (such as the dreaded              Aim for a pale straw colour, anything 
             ■ 6 jelly babies or 4 energy chews             ‘runner’s trots’) are common. However,         darker suggests underhydration and 
             ■  1 fruit and nut bar, oat bar                the gut can adapt and it’s possible to         that you need to drink more. There 
                or energy bar                               train it. Start with small amounts, such       are no strict rules on how much to 
             ■ 500ml Isotonic sports drink                  as one bite of banana, then increase           drink during training or racing – 
                                                            gradually the amount and frequency so          everyone is different! Current 
             For long runs or races, it’s a good            your gut becomes better at digesting           advice is to drink to thirst, not 
             idea to take savoury as well as sweet          and absorbing food while running.              ahead of thirst.
             post-run fuelling
                    ecovery is an important part            day. However, if you train once a day          easier and more enjoyable 
                    of your training programme.             then simply ensure you consume                 and give you the best chance 
            r
                    What you eat and drink in the           enough carbs over 24 hours.                    of putting in a great performance 
             hours following your run is critical              Rebuild: to promote muscle repair,          on race day. Make sure you match 
             when it comes to improving your                include protein in your recovery meal          your food intake to your energy 
             endurance. For speedy recovery,                (15-25g is ideal). Examples of drinks          output, adjust carbs to your training 
             remember the 3Rs...                            and snacks that supply 20g include             requirements and personal preferences 
                Rehydrate: replace each 500g                500ml milk (dairy or soya), 200g               and eat enough protein after each run 
             weight loss with 450-675ml fluid               strained Greek yogurt or a hummus              to promote proper recovery. Mid-run 
                Refuel: you’ll need to replenish            and avocado sandwich.                          fuelling can be tricky so experiment 
             glycogen stores, ideally 1g carb/kg                                                           with different fuelling options to see 
             body weight. Refuelling is faster than         in summary                                     what works for you and dedicate a 
             normal during the first two hours so           A well-rehearsed nutrition and                 few long runs to rehearsing the 
             make use of this if you train twice a          hydration plan will make your training         race schedule you plan to use. 
            62  www.TrAilrunningmAg.co.uk                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        TrAil running 63