Triathlete’s Top Quandary
The number one question I get from age groupers is “what do I use to fuel during training and Ironman racing?”. Unfortunately, what works for me won’t necessarily work for everyone. In fact, I have found that my own fueling is not a one-solution problem. There is no simple answer that will work for every person in all race conditions. As I get older and more experienced at long distance racing, I have found that what I need to consume daily to maintain my training load as well as what I need during a race changes yearly. This means that I need to continue to adapt and adjust each year to find the best formula for my body.
At age 33, I started with First Endurance and their fuel as well as their daily multi-vitamin and optygen product were essential to enable me to race and train consistently. With First Endurance fuel and supplements, I was able to stay healthier over the entire season enabling me to achieve consistent race results.
However, now that I am in my late 30s my needs have changed. Recently, I’ve struggled with my stomach in hot races and started working with Glukos to fuel during races. Their energy drink and gels have worked well for me in hot humid conditions like Kona where I have struggled like many Ironman athletes with nausea and vomiting. Their product is simple and digestible. In addition, after hard sessions, their protein bars and shakes are perfect for recovery.
In addition, in order to support my training load and recovery, I started working with Enduropacks. Initially, I was drawn to Enduropacks for their Electrolyte Spray. I have struggled to ingest mineral and salt pills during hot Ironman races. The traditional salt pill regimen was not successful for me as was clearly evidenced by my meltdown in the lava fields in Kona the last two years. The spray allows me to get in salt and minerals either in my drink or separately and absorbs better than capsules. In addition, the Enduropacks liquid Multi-Vitamin and Glutamine Recovery Complex have keep me battling through some obstacles namely Lyme disease this year. I find the liquid multi-vitamin absorbs better and have been surprised to find myself feeling more resilient than I have in years. I don’t think that is a coincidence.
I have noticed that in my late 30s that I need to be more careful about recovery and illness. With Glukos fuel and Enduropacks, I have managed to stay healthy unlike last year where I got sick on almost every flight. In addition as training has accelerated over the past month, I have responded very well to the load and been feeling great despite the demands I have put on my body. The recovery from training definitely seems faster, and my body has been durable something that is harder to maintain as I age.
As an endurance athlete, the key to success is racing fast but to achieve that you need to stay injury-free and healthy while minimizing daily stress on your body. As a professional athlete, I believe Glukos and Enduropacks have helped me get the most out of my aging body this season. I would definitely recommend that any athlete struggling with recovery whether due to age or life stresses or just training, try something new with your nutrition. Glukos and Enduropacks work for me, while there is no guarantee they will help you it might be worth a TRI.