Racing with Natural Foods

I've had really good luck with dates as a carb source for running and biking. I haven't tried eating them as I run, but they are one of the few non-processed energy foods that sit well in my stomach even if I eat them right before I run.

I have eaten Lara bars on the bike, and they're pretty simple: dates and nuts, mostly. (I make my own version, in fact: 1 cup dates, 1 cup nuts, 1 cup other dried fruit, mixed in a food processor, smushed flat, then chilled and sliced into rectangles.) Also pretty easy on my sensitive stomach.

What race distances are we talking about? I don't take in a lot of calories during most of my racing or training. During races I've used sports drinks and gels but my race experience doesn't really seem much different than other races where I just drink water. However I've never raced a triathlon longer than Oly - what I do is obviously not going to work for HIM or IM.

I like dates - I think they're digestible at a pretty high intensity.
For longer bike rides I eat a lot of different foods. I sometimes eat sports products but I also like fruit, bagels, peanut butter sandwiches, cookies, nut bars.

EDIT - I see the previous poster mentioned dates. I hadn't seen that when I wrote my post - our suggestions occurred independently.

Don

Edited by donw 2015-11-06 7:03 PM

I use raisins for Oly and long training sessions and they work well. They come in small red boxes which are handy and don't require any prep time just grab and go.

Not sure if chocolate is considered a natural food but I've had a lot of success with it for longer rides and on the bike for longer races (HIM). There are plenty of really good organic dark chocolates available which don't have many ingredients besides actual chocolate and maybe some natural flavoring like orange or mint. (Of course there's some processing involved in making chocolate in the first place though). Beyond that, nuts and dates go down well. Haven't tried them in races though. I have had sweet potatoes on bike tours--great source of quick energy.

Nuts aren't going to be a good fuel source, because they're higher in fat and protein and lower in carbohydrates. Check out two books - The Feed Zone and Feed Zone Portables.

Edited by TriMyBest 2015-11-06 10:13 PM

I know that's the conventional wisdom, but for longer races (HIM) and rides (3-6 hours) I've found I do better with a mix of protein and/or fat and carbs than with pure carbs, at least on the bike. I think I have a tendency to blood sugar swings with sweet stuff like gu and sugary sport drinks, and maybe the protein and fat helps moderate them and keep my energy levels steadier. Not sure it would be useful or advisable in a shorter race at higher intensity, though--I'd probably puke!

Many people do best with some fat and protein in addition to carbs for long course. I'm personally one of them too. That's not the same as trying to fuel with something like nuts that contains more fat and protein than carbs. It's a recipe for GI issues.

I am trying differnet things on my longer training rides. I like the Larabars as they are lower in carbs and use only a few items. As a type two person I am carefull with my intake. Larabar makes a few things that I can digest and stay level

My brother (marathoner and long distance cyclist climber) makes his own rice "cakes" , some with berries, some with berries and nuts, some with honey added, some with dates added, and a few other concoctions I'm forgetting of right now. I was on a support team for a buddies ultra and we pounded these things down all day. Worked like a charm