Winter Training Series: Nutrition During the Off-Season

This is the time of year where we put in the work for our base fitness, test new fueling and hydration strategies, get in a ton of recovery ahead of 2024, and do our best to stay warm. I am putting together a three-part series for you on my Top 3 Winter Training Hacks you can add to your off-season routine.

Part 1: Nutrition during the off-season

Fuel with Solid Food

I'm all about shaking things up during the off-season, and solid foods are my go-to game changers. If you’re not someone who trains or races with solids, hear me out.

For months on end, we may have been relying on our favorite gels and chews to get us through those key races. We want to be sure that we are changing it up in the off season, so that we don’t get tired of the nutrition that we love.

This is a great opportunity to mix in some more solids, when we may not necessarily be pushing quite as hard or at as high of an intensity level as we do during the racing season.

Lately, I've been fueling with the Styrkr Bar50 and the Maurten Solid. These both pack a punch of over 40g of carbs and remind me of homemade bars. Prefer rice krispies? Try the Styrkr Bar50. Want something more like a traditional oat bar? The Maurten Solid is the way to go.

Test Out New Nutrition

In addition to solid options to change it up during the off season, this is the season where I tell athletes to trial those products they may be interested in. Have you been thinking about giving that new gel a try, or maybe you want to incorporate a new drink mix, this is the time to do it! Remember, you can buy single servings to give different products a try.

Here’s a few of my current top picks to try out:

Victus 02 During Gel: a refreshing burst of fuel

Veloforte Mela Chews: it tastes like the inside of an apple pie

Tailwind Rapid Hydration: raspberry is my current go-to flavor

Skratch Labs Recovery Drink Mix: Horchata, a classic staple

Stay warm (and fueled) out there!