Outrun Heartbreak on Heartbreak Hill
By The Feed.
Don't be left heartbroken (or bonked) by a subpar fueling plan. If you are running Boston in a couple of weeks or have any big event on the horizon, here are 36 hours of fueling advice from our coaching team.
Plus, to get you started on carrying your fuel for the race, spend $75 on race nutrition and get one free 150mL soft flask.
Why a soft flask?
It's the perfect solution to carrying multiple gels in one place that allows two benefits:
You have less packaging (and trash) to carry
You can do a more high frequency fueling strategy instead of consuming a whole gel at once
And, we even tested how many gels you can fit into one flask so you don't have to:
3 x SiS Beta Fuel Gels (120g of carbs)
3 x Spring Energy Awesome Sauce (135g of carbs)
7.5 x Veloforte Gels (165g of carbs)
3 x Neversecond C30 Gels + 1 Precision PF30 Gel (120g of carbs)
3 x 6d Sports Nutrition Ultra Gels (135g of carbs)
Let's start the night before:
Ensure your glycogen stores are topped up. After dinner, drink one serving of Maurten 320 Mix or two servings of Enervit IsoCarb.
On race day:
Don't try out anything new. This is not the time to experiment! Here are some go-to fueling options:
3-4 hours ahead of the race
Have breakfast like Kyoku Breakfast Shake or Vafels with a serving of RX Nut Butter. Both options pack in protein, carbs, and fats, giving your body the fuel it needs to get started.
On the starting line
If you consume caffeine, take 1 Caffeinated Gel (Maurten 100 Caf 100 or Amacx Turbo Gel)
Every 20-30 minutes during the race
Consume 1 gel or 1 serving of chews for 60-90g of carbs per hour.
Pro tip: chews can sometimes be harder to open than gels, so try cutting the top off before the race. Be sure to experiment with chews in your training before race day.
At the finish + post-race:
Enjoy it! You deserve this moment. There's nothing like the finish line of a marathon. Soak it in and get some much-needed fuel back in the tank as soon as you can after the race.
A Feed-favorite recovery shake is Swiss RX Total Recovery packing tons of great nutrients that will help your body start to repair after the hard effort.
Afterward, ensure you have a meal that contains carbohydrates, protein, and fat to continue the restoration process. Your body's fuel tank will thank you!
12-24 Hours following the race:
Aim for additional protein, carbohydrates, and fat (don't forget plenty of fruits and veggies in there, too!). And lastly, before bed, after an exciting day of running, it can be hard to calm down. Momentous Elite Sleep or Quicksilver Melatonin maybe a great way to help you get to sleep. Have additional questions or want help dialing in your fueling program? Reach out to coaching@thefeed.com for free nutrition advice.