Since February this year, after a bout of something dodgy I picked up in Wanaka, I have struggled to eat certain foods. The GP said I probably had a stomach bug that might have damaged the cilia (gut lining) of my stomach. Potentially I had to wait until it was healed until I could introduce certain food groups back into my diet. This really sucks when your favourite training and racing pre-diet is Vogels and peanut butter. Bread is a no-go, as are many other carbohydrates.
I know there is a huge trend (with research backing most of it) for the low carb high fat diet for endurance athletes. Without necessarily wanting to go that way, I’ve had to travel down that path. Let’s get this straight. I’m not going keto.
I admire anyone who can be that disciplined, but not this lady! Most of the day things I manage things well. I’ve found what works for general calories. The difficult things is fuelling pre-workout and during, plus getting the balance right so that my system is functioning optimally and I’m not on the back foot energy wise going into a hard session that requires more than just protein.
I’ve done lots of research into fuel in the form of fluid and the right blend of carbs/protein/glucose/sodium and more. Several sessions I got it wrong and just hit a wall. I had to sit down at the side of the road and wait until a few jet planes kicked in. Enough to get me home at least.
One of the big wins though has been using plain yogurt as a recovery food, and one with a probiotic in it too. Double win. Good gut health and recovery all in one.
Now, just got to find something that tastes as good as a pie after a race!
-Ali Kimber
Ali is writing about her experience preparing for the K2M. Join her with her weekly article about her training and experience.
Read the last “Ali’s Adventure” here:
All her articles can be found here:
http://www.coachray.nz/category/client-stories/alis-adventure/