So, for years I've been meaning to learn about appropriate nutrition and hydration for endurance events. I've always played it by ear, and over time I've gotten better, but there have been some disasters.Back in '93, when I did my first 24 Hours of Canaan, I didn't have a clue what I was getting myself into. Carbo loading meant drinking a whole bunch of beer around the campfire before and during the race. I remember crashing in the middle of the night and not having the energy to get up. I just lay there in the trail, in a state of shock. "Back in the day" there weren't so many riders...I lay there for quite a while, completely bonked without seeing another soul. Eventually I mustered up the energy to finish the lap, mostly motivated by my fears of the woods of West Virginia and flashbacks to Deliverance. That first 24 hour race was a matter of survival for me.
Eventually, I learned to stay ahead of the curve, eating as soon as I returned from a lap (as well as doing whatever mechanical work I needed to right away). This helped, but I still have some pretty bad stomach issues, mostly from pounding full-strength Gatorade between and during laps. I became good friends with the porta-potties and learned that bringing my own (soft) toilet paper was critical to my ability to sit down on the seat half way through the race. Experience taught me that I could vaguely manage diluted Gatorade.
Back in 2003, I did the Leadville Trail 100. I managed a pretty decent showing, but way way overhydrated. I think I stopped 8 times to pee. Way too much. Adding insult to injury, I pooped at the Hatchery on the way back and there was no TP! An empty GU wrapper and the cardboard tube were my only "saviors." Not good. About 10 miles later, I passed some lonely spectators on the side of the road. Seeking relief from the serious case of camp-a$$ that I had going, I asked the young lady if she had any suntan lotion or anything I could use. She offered up some Chapstick. I was like, "uh no, I don't think that would work!"
With experience, I've managed to avoid repeating mistakes of the past. Last year, I had a bit of a relapse. About 1 mile from the end of a 14er hike (Mt Massive) I decided that I'd sit down, take a break, and eat a bit. I mindlessly ate a bunch of twizzlers as well as 3 servings of Cliff Bloks. Bad idea. Can you say gastric disturbance? The Subway bathroom in Buena Vista will never be the same.
So, what's this have to do with 18 Hours of Fruita? Well, I finally got off of my butt and did some reading about nutrition, hydration, etc. Hammer Nutrition's "The Endurance Athlete's GUIDE to SUCCESS" has been a real eye opener for me. An eye opener in the sense that I'm a freakin' idiot and could have avoided all these problems in the past and probably had much better results. If you do any endurance events, give it a read. It is well worth the time. I have randomly used some of the Hammer products in the past, but after reading the linked article, I'm going to try to take a more disciplined approach for Fruita. I hope it pays off...
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