How much to eat in 12 hr race? (Read 164 times)

If it were me I wouldn't necessarily get caught up in the calorie game. with it only being a two mile loop you can just as easily play it by feel. to me just because an internet calculator spit out some number doesnt mean your tied to it. By completeing your b2b long runs you'll know when your body needs fuel. by knowing this you can keep a steady stream of calories throughout the whole race but also know when to bump your intake to keep your body running smooth. Another way of going about it is to keep it simple and eat when your hungry or at least when you know you should. this will help keep eating as enjoyable as possible while also meeting your intake needs. everything is entirely based solely on what you respond best to so just keep that in mind.

Last year I started triathlon racing and have completed two half Ironman distance races so far (~5hrs each) and am racing a full IM at the beginning of December (shooting for just under 10 hours). I have had many people recommend Infinit Nutrition (http://www.infinitnutrition.us/) for long course races. You can customize the powder to your preferences or by answering a serious of questions about how much you sweat, how much time you train / race, etc. You even get to pick your flavor and how strong you want it to be! For my current training, I've got a mix that provides 245 calories per 20oz of water, and it has been surprisingly easy to drink! I actually find it much more refreshing than just water, and it still tastes good after sitting in a bottle in the car for a few hours (made it in the morning, went to work, did my workout with a friend afterwards). Even more important, I find that I'm actually drinking closer to the amount of fluid I should be drinking, rather than far less when it was just water, water w/ nuun, or gatorade. It's somewhat on the pricey side, but is now one of the few products that I find myself recommending to others (hence this reply) :-)

Not for nothing but this thread pretty much solidifies for me that I will never, ever, ever do an ultra. Like ever.

+1

At least not a short loop one. Going around and around the same loop for 12 hours is fun?

 

+1

At least not a short loop one. Going around and around the same loop for 12 hours is fun?

Yes, it is a lot of fun. You get to see everyone else in the race as it is going on. You get a chance to talk with your fellow competitors and make friendships.

As for the original post and some suggestions about calorie intake.  It is better to take in more calories early and then stop versus eat when hungry.  Your stomach may shut down later when hungry (because all the blood is going to your legs) and then the food will just sit in your stomach.  You do not need to finish the race calorie neutral either.  It is ok to finish at a deficit.

 Then you inevitably hit a wall and question why you actually paid $$$ to sign up.  There is usually an hour or two of hell.

I need to remember that trick...

 

I had the opposite reaction :  28 trips to an all-U-can-eat snack bar and no weight gain ? Sign me up !

-- Sign up for the 12, 24, 48, or 72 hour race at "Three Days at the Fair" in NJ, and you get to run past a full kitchen serving all types of food throughout the entire event. (Eggs and BACON + Pancakes and syrup) were being served at the conclusion of the race.   Also, you run right past this once every mile, so up that number of "28 trips" to as many miles as you can do in one of the above races.  Way more than 28.  All you can eat.!

(Granted, personally I was so focused on keeping moving when I did the 12 hour event that I never stopped to eat anything here until the Bacon came out at the end.)   Next year, different strategy. :-)

.

.

 

Yes. And going around a short loop (especially a 400m track) for 24 hours is even funnerer.

 

I fuel for a 12 hour the way I fuel for a half marathon, the way I fuel for a marathon, the way I fuel for a 100 miler, the way I fuel for a 24 hour. One gel every 40 minutes. Sometimes I drink water, sometimes I do sports drink, sometimes I do ginger ale (good for a queasy stomach), and sometimes I do Mountain Dew (white trash rocket fuel!).  I let my body tell me what I need. I will sometimes have the urge for real food later in a long race. Twizzlers or chips do the job. I don't over think this. My body lets me know what it needs.  I have no idea how many calories I am burning, I have no idea how many calories I consume.

 

The only time I get in trouble with this plan (and this shamefully happens way too often), is when I don't keep to my gu schedule.  "I'll take one next lap", "I'll get to it in a minute".  Sometimes simple tasks seem like extraordinary efforts when all you are trying to do is run. When I am disciplined and on schedule, this works perfectly for me.

This is the first post on "fueling" that didn't turn me off from ultra running.  I just hate the idea of turning running into a big mission involving eating strategies.  Eating is is eating.  Running is running.