I’ve had my fair share of nutritional disasters during ultra marathons, especially during 100 mile races. The nature of a 100 miler magnifies all of the little factors that go into running or racing long distances. Sure you can miss a couple of gels or get behind on hydration in a 50K and still be able to push through to a reasonable finish, but in a 100 mile race, mistakes are sure to catch up with you at some point. While I would like to go into other keys to success in 100 mile races in future posts, today I will focus on nutrition. This will not be an scientific article or a dogmatic preach, but instead will focus on what has not worked for me and lately what has worked well.
I have experimented with a range of approaches to my pre-race meal and race day nutrition during the nine 100 mile races I have completed over the past six years. I tended to “go all in” for a specific nutrition plan, putting my full faith that whatever I was using will work for me, but often the time and distance of a 100 would almost always expose the weakness in my plans.
I ran my second 100 miler at the 2009 Hardrock 100 and based my nutrition plan around solid foods. I attended the pre-race dinner at Grumpy’s restaurant the night before the race where they were serving the typical pasta, breadsticks and salad. I was scared to death about running the Hardrock, so I thought I would need to really “carb up”. I loaded up 3 heaping plates of spaghetti and several breadsticks and ate until I was bursting. I woke up the next morning and fried up 3 eggs, some toast and turkey bacon. I had made a couple batches of cranberry scones that I packed into my drop bags and ate one on the very first climb of the course before I even reached mile 6! My fear about getting enough nutrition on race day drove me to overcompensate with too much solid food.
I use solid food sparingly, typically in the latter miles of a 100
By the time I reached mile 28 at Sherman, my stomach was still stuffed and bloated and I just couldn’t eat any more food. This wasn’t really a problem as I easily made the climb up and over Handies Peak relying on a steady stream of calories from my digestive system. I don’t think I ate anything for that 15 mile stretch. After Grouse Gulch at mile 43 I desperately wanted to relieve myself, but I was all stopped up from the massive amount of pasta still in my gut. I couldn’t relieve the pressure nor eat and I slowly ran out of energy as I approached Ouray over the next few hours. I was running on fumes as I made my way through the streets of Ouray at nightfall and eventually had to lay down on a cot for 2 hours just to give my body some time to recover.
My next approach was at the 2010 Western States 100. I had adopted a mostly fruit diet over a period of time and decided I would run the race purely on fruit. I pitted several pounds of dates, packaged them into snack bags and divided them into my drop bags. I would supplement the dates with fruit from the aid stations and figured the natural sugars, vitamins and minerals in the fruit would power me to a strong finish. I ended up getting sick of the fruit by mile 50 and again went long stretches between aid stations without eating, finally crashing big time after mile 70. I suffered a similar fate at the 2011 Angeles Crest 100 when I was brought to my knees at mile 70 with nothing but dates in my pack. Back to the drawing board.
Runners fuel up at the 2013 Sinister Night Run
I started the 2011 Umstead 100 with a new plan – liquid nutrition. After crewing for Mark Matyazic at Badwater, I was introduced to Vitargo – a barley based carbohydrate powder that is supposed to be taken up into the body quicker than maltodextrin or other simple sugars. I had some mild success trying it in training and mixed up several bottles that I would take on each loop of the course. I ended up going out a bit quick and by mile 50 I just couldn’t stomach it any longer and didn’t have a backup plan. I imploded and fell short of my goal.
More fueling at the 2013 Sinister Night Run
I kept searching for new strategies and figured these gel companies probably have it figured out. I of course couldn’t just buy the gels, I had to make it a little more interesting, so I made my own. I bought bulk maltodextrin and fructose, mixing them together in a 2:1 ratio and with a little cocoa powder I had my own unlimited supply of cheap gel. I made a giant batch up for the 2012 Leadville Trail 100 and poured it into 5 ounce flasks. I had also recently convinced myself that salt was unnecessary in 100 mile races so I had no plan for electrolyte replacement. I relied only on my homemade gel through mile 40 and was running strong. I then hit the climb up Hope Pass and my energy took a huge dive. My energy was sapped and I was staggering back and forth. I was no longer interested in my sugary gel and once I started consuming salt at the Hopeless Aid Station I began to perk up. Another lesson learned – electrolytes are necessary.
This all led me to where I am today. I have learned that relying on one single source of nutrition on race day doesn’t work for me. For the 2012 Mogollon Monster 100 I decided to pack a variety of energy sources including several different types of commercially made gels (which have some electrolytes in each serving), energy chews (GU Chomps & Clif Shot Blocks), sport beans, Stinger Waffles, pre-made mashed potatoes I ate at several aid stations when I was sick of the sugary gels and of course some late night / early morning energy drinks (Monster & Red Bull). The variety in easily digestible foods kept my nausea at bay and I never got sick of anything meaning I kept my energy levels topped up the entire race.
Proper nutrition at 2013 Crown King Scramble
I will leave with a final note on my pre-race routine. I try to eat my last meal about 12 hours before race start and usually something easily digestible and higher in carbohydrates. This lately has been mashed potatoes or rice with vegetables or a black bean and rice burrito. I like to be feeling pretty empty by race morning and then eat a simple breakfast (either a bottle of Vitargo or an energy bar). Oh and I always drink 2 beers to help put me to sleep!
Jamil’s 100 Mile Nutrition Tips:
- Eat your pre-race meal about 12 hours before the starting gun
- Don’t be afraid to enjoy a beer or glass of wine the night before a race – calm the nerves and relax
- Plan to use a variety of foods on race day – don’t rely on one source of calories
- Use several flavors and brands of gels, chews and other foods
- Use easily digestible foods – your blood supply is used to move your muscles and digest food, don’t over tax your body
- Plan to consume electrolytes on an as needed basis. If you are craving salt, eat some
- Caffeine can be a great way to fight off being tired at night and amp yourself up for reaching the finish line