For many of us mere mortals, traveling for races (especially by airplane) notches up the stress level. On top of race nerves that go berserko, we’ve potentially got to deal with delayed flights, unexpected lousy weather, reservations for car or lodging that disappear, lost luggage, switching time zones and the like.
Many of those things are out of our control, so how we choose to respond to the situation is an important piece of the “navigation”.
What are the things we CAN control? And what do athletes often miss or goof up on? In this Part 1, I’ve got 3 nutrition tips that will help you get ready for your next trip and keep that stress level to a minimum while also helping out your body and mind.
Practice pre-race breakfast foods that you can realistically eat at your destination. A common oversight here is athletes end up eating something different for their pre-race food than what they’ve been practicing for months at home. To me, this falls into breaking the rule of “don’t try anything new on race day”. If you are a usual oatmeal eater before your long training sessions, then you should be able to replicate this on race day. If you “can’t” replicate this with your lodging accommodations, then you need to switch up your pre-race fueling plan and start practicing that asap.
Research the weather conditions of your destination and the time frame you will be there well in advance. Practice and prepare race nutrition and hydration items that will make sense for the most common weather scenarios that the race conditions may present to you. One of the most common mistakes here is that athletes will be eating things in their home training environment that end up not working in the race due to flavor, texture, taste/palatability, practicality or logistics.
Will you need to package your foods with special attention due to the rainy conditions?
Will the food items and drink mixes work for your palate and stomach at altitude?
Is that chocolate energy gel really that appealing in 90F temps? Etc. etc.
Along the same lines as #1 above is thinking about what you can eat and/or prepare at your destination in the days preceding the race. If you’ve got a condo or a hotel with a kitchenette (or even microwave/fridge), search for local grocery store options where you can purchase foods you commonly eat and have been practicing at home. If you are going to be more reliant on restaurants or other prepared foods, do your research in advance: make restaurant reservations or find restaurants where you can order carry out. And eat foods similar to what you eat at home. Why eat a spicy curry dish the night before your race if this is not something you have 100% confidence in and you’ve practiced repeatedly before a long training day?
Stay tuned for more travel tips… and if you’re suddenly getting some light bulb moments, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for a Discovery Call so we can help you prepare for your upcoming race.
-Dina