This is my first Dirt de Femme, and whilst as a Nutritionist I am no stranger to sports nutrition, I have only been riding for 12 months so it has been a steep learning curve as far as what does and does not work for me. However, good race nutrition is the difference between getting out there and having fun, or spending the entire event in the hurt locker, so its worth putting a bit of time into planning your ride.

If this is the first time you’re thinking about it, I recommend the following basic strategy.

The Day/s Before

Carbs are your friend. They are the most efficient fuel for your body in an endurance event, so making sure you have good stores onboard is essential.

If you’re riding the 21km event, include some good quality carbs with each meal on Saturday. Think rolled oats, brown rice, potato, quinoa, wholemeal bread. Anywhere between ½ a cup and 1 cup with each meal is sufficient.

If you’re riding 42km, you might like to consider carb loading. I personally will be doing a two day carb load. However it is not 100% essential so if it isn’t something you have done before, I’d give it a miss and work on having two to three solid days of healthy eating, no meal skipping and follow the guidelines I mentioned for the 21km ladies.

Race Day Breakfast

Personally, I am excited that the start times are so civilised, leaving me plenty of time to get in a solid breakfast with carbs that burn more slowly as well as some simple sugars. I will be having about one cup of rolled oats at 7am, with honey and 2 glasses of juice. The oats will keep me full and give me energy throughout the whole race, while the honey and juice will give me more readily accessible energy. This also means I am starting well hydrated.

I have a nervous tummy, so about 20 minutes before the race starts I will have an energy gel. If you can stomach food – a banana is great.

During the Race

Aim for about 500mL per hour of fluids. I know that I can comfortably drink 700mL an hour on a hot day, but I’m drinking closer to 400mL at the moment. I need to be mindful of this because I add sports powder to my fluids so how much I drink will affect how much energy I am taking in.

I will also be using gels. Again, because I personally feel ill if I eat during a race. I am aiming for about 60g of carbs per hour- for me that looks like 1 gel every lap and as close to 500mL of fluids as I can get. If you’re riding in the 21km event, 30g per hour is most likely sufficient, which you could easily achieve with sports drink alone.

Recover and Celebrate

Firstly, celebrate your fabulous achievement!

If you’re someone who can eat right away, grab yourself a bite to eat and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. If you’re like me and can’t stomach food for a while afterwards either – prepare a smoothie and leave it in your car or have someone ready with one at the end of the race. I like to mix berries, vanilla yoghurt (for some easily digestible protein and the carbs) and coconut water – I like the taste and as a ‘first food’ after a long ride it sits in my stomach well. Chocolate milk is also a great option!

Photo credit: David Blucher