Comrades Supplement Comrades Training and Info Guide, January 2014 | Page 22

NUTRITION

Fuel for
the long
As you build up your training mileage
ahead of Comrades, you will need to eat

in tune with your schedule and long
training runs. Here’s some essential advice
to beat the fatigue and keep you going!
- By Christine Peters & Salomé Scholtz

A

t this time of year, with runners stepping up their training ahead of
qualifying for the Comrades and then building up to the shorter ultras and
finally race day itself, the most commonly used phrase in their vocabulary
is often “I am so tired!” The early wake-up calls, increased weekly mileage
and general muscle stiffness and soreness all add up to the exhaustion
they feel, but many runners don’t realise that a simple change in eating
habits can eliminate some of this fatigue.

Fuel your Engine

Also, during your training months, it’s better to lose a bit of weight than gain
a bit – 90km will be a lot easier with a lighter frame! But you still need to
retain a build that can also keep up with the gruelling course and an engine
that can carry the fuel properly. By eating balanced meals throughout the
day, it will also help your body to make a quicker recovery after long runs.

Keep The Balance

Failure to eat regularly, especially before a long run, can cause a drop in
blood sugar and your energy can flag after your morning run – or worse,
during your run! Eating three regular meals a day, with healthy snacks such
as fresh fruit and nuts in between, will ensure a steady, ready supply of fuel,
whereas if you skip meals, you often e nd up relying on caffeinated snacks,
22 Comrades Supplement 2014

power drinks or sweets to get you through – and
once you start relying on a specific energy shot,
you’ll likely be craving it on Comrades Day, too,
so it’s always better to eat balanced, nutritious
meals.
After 90 minutes on the road, your glucose
stores are usually depleted, which brings
the nervous system function to a near halt,
making continued effort almost impossible. This
is what ultra runners refer to as “hitting the wall.”
Therefore, it is important to fuel up every 45 to 60
minutes during a long run, with around 30 to 60g
of carbohydrate per hour. Highly recommended are baby
potatoes or salty crackers, which can give you adequate amounts of
carbohydrate and potassium, while savoury treats also help replace
sodium lost through sweat. You can mix and match different options,
because prolonged exercise may affect your appetite, so varying
salty and sweet foods during the day can help.

Try It In Training

Besides maintaining a balanced diet during your daily routine, the
races and long runs with your club leading up to Comrades can also
be used to try out specific foods, supplements, sports drinks and
gels that you may want to use on race day. It is vital that you test
everything in training first, to find what works best for you. So, if you
haven’t ever taken an energy gel, or run long distances on a specific
energy drink, Comrades is not the place to experiment. Don’t try
anything new on race day – because you don’t want to spend your
run looking for the loo every hour!

Images: iStock, Lauren van der Vyver & Stock Xchange

You don’t expect your car to go from
Pietermaritzburg to Durban on R5 worth of
petrol, so how can you expect your body
to power you through a long run without
the correct fuel? In other words, don’t skip
breakfast! Many of us do that too often,
and then gobble down a double helping of
convenient, often non-nutritious food in the
middle of the day. It’s just not the way to do
things!