Nail your nutrition
The Ironman run will be when the success of your fuelling strategy will be decided. It’s all in the planning, says multi-Ironman winner and oncologist Lucy Gossage
Tell us how your diet changes on the approach to race day? Probably the best tip anyone gave me about Ironman was to cut out fibre for 48hrs before the race. I’d previously struggled with diarrhoea and abdominal cramps, particularly on the run, but this advice was a gamechanger for me.
Any key things you eat in the build-up to your race and the night before?
Starting the Friday before a Sunday race, I cut out any high-fibre foods and move on to a ‘white diet’: white rice, chicken, tuna, white bread, chocolate and ice cream. Basically, I avoid anything with a high fibre content. I’ll always have a pizza on the Friday night. The Saturday night before the race I’ll have white rice with tuna or chicken, followed by a whole tub (yes, the big tubs) of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. On race morning, I’ll have a tub of rice pudding with a banana.
How do you know how many energy gels and amount of fluid to take on the run? Nailing nutrition on the run is perhaps one of the hardest parts of an Ironman; I rarely fancy anything and it often feels like I’m forcing gels down. To run well, it’s essential that you’ve fuelled well on the bike leg – if you start the run nutritionally empty, you’ll never be able to catch up. Liquid-wise, I recommend drinking to thirst; how much liquid you need will vary depending on weather and your effort level. Calorie-wise, I aim to get some sugar in, either with a gel or energy drink/coke if I’m thirsty, every 20mins.
Any special tips for the Ironman run’s aid stations? If you’re planning on using aid-station nutrition, make sure you try whatever they’re giving out before race day. Everyone’s gastrointestinal system manages nutrition differently and perhaps the biggest mistake is trying something for the first time in a race. You don’t want to visit those portable toilets unless you have to. For many, walking through an aid station is sensible. It breaks the run down mentally, gives your muscles a mini-breather and means that you won’t forget to fuel.
Special needs bag advice? I always have High5 Isogels and a bottle of caffeinated energy drink in my special needs bag. Some people put a treat like a Snickers in their special needs. Don’t underestimate the mental boost you can enjoy from this in the rear end of an Ironman.
How do you snack healthily when working long hours and training for Ironman?
I always keep a drawer in my desk filled with emergency lunches (pre-cooked quinoa, tins of tuna, lentils) and snacks (peanut butter, rice cakes, nuts) so that I never have an excuse to skip lunch or eat rubbish. I’m a big advocate of treats such as chocolate when I want them, but I never want to eat rubbish because I was too lazy to eat well. My evening meals are well balanced with protein, carbs and veg, and I often have a big bowl of berries, Greek yoghurt and nuts for pudding.
How about caffeine intake?
I use caffeine through the run and often have around 100mg of caffeine with around 75mins to go, with the aim of that kicking in for the final 10km. On hilly courses like Ironman UK or Wales, I make sure that I fuel at the bottom of the hill rather than the top as I tend to get stitches if I drink or eat and then run downhill.