| Pre-race: I am writing this in part for myself to look back at what I did for this race and in part for anyone who might be interested in what I did for nutrition, especially if you are plant based. As they said, “nutrition is the 4th discipline of long course triathlon” it is so individualized, so you always need to train with it to determine if it will fit your needs. As a plant-powered athlete, I was wondering if whole food plant-based food that I’m used to eating would be easily accessible in Mexico. It is always challenging to maintain what we eat when we travel especially overseas and then the added stress of fuel for the race. Here is something that I prepared to do before the race and what I found out as I traveled to Cozumel. I usually have green smoothies with plant milk, ginger, kale, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds and spices in the morning. Knowing I would not have access to a blender in Cozumel, I decided to give Athletic Green a try. I thought I could at least get all the nutrients my body is used to get plus some new ones. I had a single use packet to take in the morning. Which could have been risky because there is also another saying “nothing new on race day”. I also knew there would not be a microwave in the room to make instant oatmeal for the race day. So, I brought single packets of almond butter and a small jar of Nutella so that I might be able to make a banana sandwich or bagel with them. Fortunately, the hotel sold a breakfast/lunch box for us to pick up on the morning of the race which included PB and banana bagel with juice and fruits. I was pleased with the choices they offered and could fuel my body with plant based options. When we got stranded in Playa del Carmen, we found a very cool restaurant for lunch by chance, and they had a cauliflower steak! Guacamole and chips are a staple in Mexico, so my tummy was very happy. And, for dinner, we found another restaurant just around the corner from the hotel that served vegan dishes. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to find vegan options without researching before the trip. Once I landed in Cozumel, I had all the meals at the Westin Hotel for convenience as well as Covid protocols being respected. I was able to find vegetarian options and have confidence my nutrition would be on point for race day. Honestly, the first night was a little adventure. I was exhausted from the rough trip on the ferry and did not have patience to read the whole menu, so I ordered vegetable tartar and roasted potatoes. Tartar came and it was plated beautifully and very tasty. But the potatoes took forever to show up and turned out to be a tiny dish which I thought were much larger portions. Luckily, I had plenty of chips and ceviche while waiting, so I was full enough to sleep through the night. For the rest of the meals, I studied the menu better and was able to find vegetarian options and omit dairy products. I was again pleased to see plenty of options for me to fuel my body with a whole food plant-base for the race. The Race Day: Upon rising at 4:30am, I had Athletic Green, coffee, half of PB and banana bagel. I put a banana, a bottle of water with Liquid IV and a Honey Stinger bar in my morning bag and was ready! For the bike, I had 3 bottles with Scratch Macha Lime. I made one with higher concentration. I learned we can pick up cold water in sports bottles on the bike course, so I planned to pick those up to drink and cool down my body. I put 1 Honey Stinger Biscuit, 2 Cliff bars, 1 Huma gel with caffeine and a canister of base salt in my bento box and another Huma gel in my back pocket. I decided to carry everything I need and not to have a special needs bag. I ate the biscuit as soon as I started with the bike which got me to the end of the first loop and ate half Cliff bars every 45 min. I tend to lose mental concentration to remember to hydrate regularly toward the end of the bike, so it’s always a good idea to set up a reminder alarm so that I can stay on top of my hydration. This race was very windy, so I still got behind on the hydration even though I was picking up the water bottles almost at every aid station. For the run, I put 3 Huma gels, 2 with caffeine, and salt tab chews in my bib belt pouch. I always pick up hydration at aid stations so I don’t have to carry anything in my hand. My plan was to eat 1 for each loop. I had my last caffeinated gel at the beginning of the last loop looking for a boost. I also had some pretzels for salty cravings and even tried Acai gel on the course for the last loop that needed more energy to finish the race. Luckily, my stomach took them just fine with no issues. I’m very pleased how everything worked out well without any GI issues during the whole stay in Mexico as well as the race day fuel. I would always recommend athletes practice months ahead of time with what works. It’s a good idea to also read the race manual to find out what’s offered on the race course and consider training with those products so if you need to take from the course your GI tract can uptake the nutrients without bloating, cramping or worse. I hope you have enjoyed reading the 3 installments of my road to Kona. If you have any questions or need advice, coaching is my passion. I am accepting 3 new clients in the new year and would love to give a complimentary consultation on how we can work towards your goals. |
