SORT YOUR NUTRITION

From race weight to taper, iron-distance nutrition starts long before race day. And remember, aid stations aren’t buffet tables!

Hit race weight early For your A-race, aim to attain your target race weight by three weeks prior to the event. Why? Because you want to avoid a dramatic weight-loss — anything more than 1% per week — in the final weeks prior to the triathlon, as that can cause a loss of lean muscle mass or weaken your immune system. In the final few days before your event, you may see a slight weight gain due to water retention. That’s normal, but limit it to 1 to 1.5% of bodyweight.

Plan your fuelling Nutrition is referred to as the ‘fourth event’, and many triathletes get it wrong. The most common mistakes relate to consuming too much, too soon. I always advise my athletes to consume nothing in T1 and then to wait for 20 minutes into the bike before beginning their fuelling plan. And you must have a plan... which means that you’ve experimented and trained in like conditions and intensities with your nutrition in mind. Finally, I’ve heard stories of athletes who’ve consumed 25-60% more calories during the race than they do in training, because it’s a ‘big day’. That’s a guarantee for disaster! Aid stations aren’t buffet tables. Less is more; follow that philosophy and you’re likely to post faster splits and a strong finish.

Fuel your taper right Race-day nutrition begins one or two days prior to your triathlon. Begin by eating earlier dinners, to allow 10 hours between your evening meal and race-day breakfast. Keep it early and light before the event: when I had a 7am start time, my very light breakfast on race morning would be consumed at 4:30am. Be aware of — and avoid — anxiety eating. You can’t load up on calories and fluids for later in the triathlon!