Rundles Revenge by Transrockies Fuelling Tips

  

 

Fuelling for Rundle's Revenge

If you are going to take on a unique double-header event like Rundle’s Revenge, then you’ll need to come in with a plan to fuel your effort. Whether you are taking on the 12.5km race or the 75km, below, I’ve laid out a tried-and-tested strategy for your bike-portion on Day 1 of Rundle’s Revenge. 

Before the Race (for all distances)

 

Breakfast: You will need to eat breakfast 3-4 hours before the race, to allow for proper digestion of your meal. Eating a large meal closer to the race than this window puts you at risk of stomach cramps. This meal also should be primarily carbohydrate based, as our liver glycogen stores can decrease overnight. If you're having a hotel continental breakfast, things like cereal, toast and pancakes are all good options, though I would recommend choosing breakfast foods that you’re accustomed to. 

Hydration: Depending on your start time, you should aim to drink 500-1000 ml of water in the build up to your race. Ideally, I would recommend 500ml 3-4 hours before at breakfast and 500ml in the build up to the event. Spacing out your hydration pre-race will help with toilet breaks during the race. If you're a "salty sweater" or temperatures will be running high, consider adding an XACT ELECTROLYTES tab to your water bottle or hydration bladder to help ensure optimal hydration. 

Snacking: A pre-race snack is perfect to “top-up” your energy stores before the race begins. A granola bar, rice cake, muffin, banana, pb/j ~1hr before race time are all good options that will give you a nice energy boost before the start. Additionally, an XACT ENERGY Fruit bar 20 minutes before the race will also ensure you are beginning the race “topped up”. 

 

During the Race (for all distances)

Shorter Races (under 90 minutes): For the shorter events (12.5 km and 25 km races), if you had a good breakfast and pre-race snack, then you should have plenty of energy to get through your race. Nevertheless, for short events I still prefer to carry a few XACT energy bars for extra assurance and I aim to eat these every 15-20 minutes. For hydration, I like to aim to drink 1 bidon (500ml) per hour of racing with 1 XACT electrolyte tablet per bidon to help retain fluid. 

 

Longer Races (over 90 minutes): You will need to pay closer attention to your fuelling and hydration for the longer events (50 km and 75 km races). Aim to take on 60-100g carbohydrates per hour. Aiming for 20-30g every 20 minutes is a helpful target so you are getting a steady supply of carbohydrates throughout. For example, 3 x XACT energy chews every 20 minutes will equal 75 grams of carbs. If you need variety in your nutrition, a good strategy is to consume solid foods during the flatter, less intense parts of the race and gels /chews during more intense, steeper sections of the race. I personally like to save my XACT blackcurrant bars for tougher sections / the last hour of the race as the caffeine lowers perceived exertion. For hydration, I recommend keeping to the same strategy as the shorter events, though you could add some sugar or sports mix to your bottles to help hit your 60-100g of carb / hr goal. 

After the Race:

Make sure you get a timely post-race meal (and maybe a deserved adult beverage) so you are immediately providing your body with the nutrients and calories to kick-start the recovery process for tomorrow’s running race! Head over to the XACT x Sea2Sky NUTRITION tent and pick up the world's tastiest Protein Wafer with all you need to kick start recovery. They contain 15 grams of protein as well as vitamins and minerals important to recovery - avaulable in milk chocolate as well as dairy free dark choclaote flavours and taste AWESOME! 

I do hope this helps guide your nutrition choices for Rundle's Revenge. Don’t be afraid to experiment in training and get creative to find out what works best for you. Good luck!

 

By Nick Kleban, BSc (Physiology)

XACT Athlete, Pro Rider Team Skyline

 

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 Want to learn more about fueling for your next TRANSROCKIES event. Read  our race-specific fuelling guides ...