At this point, I have lost track of the number of races I have bonked at. But I can name a few. Vancouver BMO marathon; only took in 90 calories and went from 5:45/mile to walking at mile 23. Beaverhead Endurance Runs 100k; basically couldn’t tolerate fuel for the last 30 miles and went aid station to aid station sucking down coca-cola and watermelon. Each attempt at the Finlayson Arm 50k; major dehydration and puking.
There are two main reasons to fuel the work you do
(Although I've over simplified it!)
- Adequate fueling gives our muscles the energy to do what they need to do…so you can race and train faster. Bodies can utilize fat for fuel – but it’s not as efficient as carbs. It’s like gasoline vs. coal.
- The training and racing is less taxing when fueled properly. Many of the runners I coach report that their long runs seem way less demanding when they follow the fueling strategy laid out.
Think of it like this: 3 hour trail run burns approx 2000 cals. Shit fueling you take in say 500 cals – now you have a 1500 cal deficit! Top notch fueling you take in 1200 cal – only a 800 cal deficit. Go home and have a smoothie and a nice lunch and you are back. (Side note: it actually takes about 30% of the carbs to process the carbs. Meaning if you take in 100 cals – only 70 cals are utilized for energy production! So that runner who takes in 500 cals is actually only replacing 350 cals!!)
Simple Guidelines for Fueling:
All runs 60 min or longer – consume minimum 60 grams carb/hour
Build up to taking in up to 120 grams carb/hour
0.5-2 litres of water/hr with an electrolyte mix in the water
