How I Developed a Personalized Race Fueling Plan That Actually Works Ep 95

Every endurance athlete remembers the moment when things finally click. Your swim feels smoother, your pacing makes sense, your fueling works, and suddenly the sport feels not only easier, but more fun. And for many athletes, that moment happens at training camp. That's exactly why we created the Endurance Edge Triathlon Training Camp happening April 22nd through 26th at Lake Jocassee in South Carolina. For 4 incredible days, you'll train in a small group with expert coaches, sports nutrition support, and sports psychology guidance, all designed to help you train smarter, race stronger, and finally connect the dots in your performance. We swim in crystal clear mountain water, ride beautiful and challenging roads, run scenic trails, and spend the rest of the time recovering, learning, laughing, and eating some seriously amazing chef-prepared food. Mm-hmm. Camp is intentionally small, just 20 athletes, so you get real coaching, true connection, and amazing breakthroughs. So if you want an experience that can transform your entire season, we invite you to join us. Head to theenduranceedge.com and click training camp and reserve your spot with just a $100 deposit. Come train hard, learn a ton, and leave stronger than you ever imagined. I'll see you there. Hey y'all, and welcome back to the Find Your Edge podcast. I am your host, Coach Christina Fiumara Newport, and I am excited you are here today. So today's topic is all about how I came up with my fueling and hydration plan. I figured this would be a good option for you to see how it actually works with our methodology of how we create fueling and hydration plans based on your sweat science, based on the science of absorption of metabolism, of carbohydrates, of fluid, of electrolytes, et cetera. So I've got a race coming up this weekend and I figure what better way to share with you all of what my plan is for my fueling and hydration plan. So let's get started with the 4 Ts. I like to say track it, try it, tweak it, and trust it. So let's start with the first part, track it. So first and foremost, the way that we help people to determine what they need to fuel and hydrate with is to track their sweat losses. This is something super easy that you can do at home. We've got a form, a template that we use in our Fueling and Hydration Bootcamp. So that is open now, so you can join there at theenduranceedge.com for www.christinafiumara.com/fuelingbootcamp. But this is also something that you can do at home, at a minimum, doing your pre and post weight. And where I also like to add is what is the total workout time, so that obviously you know your sweat rate by the hour, say for example. I also like for people to test what the temperature and humidity is, and then we calculate the dew point. So if you already know the dew point, great, that's important, and I'll talk about that here more in a moment. Track what type of exercise you're doing, and then what the intensity of the workout is. So there's a couple of reasons for that. Number 1, when you sweat, that is your body's response to your core temperature rising. To basically, you're getting hot, you're generating heat from your muscles working, and then you sweat. So the reason why it's important to track the dew point, especially being here in North Carolina where it gets super humid and the dew point can get really high, is that the higher the dew point, the more you're gonna sweat. Similarly with the intensity and the type of workout that you're doing, it's important to track those because the mode of exercise can adjust your sweat rate. So whether you're swimming or whether you're doing an indoor bike or an outdoor bike or an indoor and outdoor run, and then it also matters whether you have a fan on yourself because that helps with cooling. And again, sweat's your body's response to a rise in core temperature. So if you have additional cooling measures, then that's obviously going to make you sweat I sweat less. So if you track those things, you're going to come up with some trends. So I have kept this sweat log a long time ago. I don't have to continue to necessarily track this because every time a new season comes up, I just revisit my old data from a similar dew point, from a similar intensity or type of workout. Maybe I'll go into it every once in a while just for curiosity's sake to make sure that everything's on track. But you will find trends about yourself in terms of what your sweat rate is based on what the dew point is, based on what the workout is, and based on what the intensity is. So I've got all that information about myself, and then I'm looking ahead. So I'm traveling for this weekend. I'm looking ahead at what the weather is going to be. So I'll be in Alabama and it's going to be in the 80s and probably gonna be relatively humid. So the dew point's probably gonna be pretty high. So I'm looking at some of those numbers that are showing a higher dew point and using the numbers for my sweat rate losses. So that's why it's important to keep this sweat log so that you know what is actually happening in the real world. So I took that number for my sweat losses, then I've already done sweat testing and I know what my electrolyte content is in my sweat, and I plug that into our hydration calculator based on how long I'm going to be doing my workout or my race. So in the situation of race day on Saturday, I'm anticipating that the event is probably gonna take me somewhere around 4 hours. Now I'm not gonna put that whole 4 hours in the hydration calculator. I'm gonna separate it out by sport. So most importantly, I'm gonna use the bike cuz I'm gonna be on the bike the longest, and then I can start getting into logistics. All right, so now I'm into the try it part. So now I've already tried this in training. And kept my log. So I've tracked it, and now I've already started dialing in based on my sweat losses, what are the products that I'm going to start to try, and then starting to tweak. So I don't have any affiliation with any products necessarily that— I'm product agnostic, let's call it that, because I want to make sure whatever it is that works for you or whatever it works for me Great. Then as long as you're going to be consistent with it and it matches your gut tolerance and it matches your preferences, fantastic. So what I have worked out for my hydration on the bike specifically is that I'm going over to my little calculator, so you might hear me clicking around here. So I've entered my training data, so I know what my body weight is, I know what my goal body weight loss is, I know what my sweat losses are. Based on the weather and the intensity. I know what the projected duration on the bike is, so I'm going to estimate somewhere between 2 and 2.5 hours on the bike. And then I also have my carb goal, and what that spits out is what is my total hydration needed for the event? What is my hydration goal in terms of ounces per hour? What are the total carbs I need? And what are the total electrolytes I need? So if all I did was take that and just put it into something like an electrolyte fluid, then I would need per liter, per 33 ounces— I'm looking at my numbers right now— I'd need 396 ounces of sodium. So that has landed me on— and you might hear it moving around here— I use a product called Drip Drop. Again, works for me, doesn't mean it's necessarily going to work for you, but it matches my sweat, and here's why. So per stick, per one stick It's got 330 milligrams of sodium, and per liter I need about 396. So this gets me close enough. I like it, I've tried it, and that's what I'm going to be leaning on. I've tried different flavors, that doesn't really necessarily matter to me, but I know that if I mix this in water and then logistically I'm going to have a pack on, so I'm going to put per liter one of these, and then I'm also going to know, okay, how much am I actually going to be needing to put in my pack and it's gonna be about 1 liter based on my sweat rate. So I've got 1 liter plus 1 drip drop in my hydration pack. Now, where are the carbs coming from? Cuz that is absorbed a little bit differently. I like to add dextrose. So dextrose is a, comes in a powder and it's used oftentimes in, it's actually used in IVs, but can you be used in various baking applications? It's something easily. Obtainable online, so I add additional dextrose. So I'm gonna be adding for my carb needs, I will be adding about, let's see, there are 2 tablespoons. I'm looking in my nutrition breakdown in the fueling calculator. I used 6 2-tablespoon servings of additional dextrose because I'm not gonna be eating any additional. I don't care for gels. It's not a consistency or a flavor that I particularly care for. Doesn't mean there's anything wrong with that product at, or those products at all. It's just not something I prefer. So I'm going to add Dextrose and Drip Drop to my hydration pack. I will probably add about— do that in about a half a liter, make sure that it mixes. This is getting more into like tweaking it and then working into the logistics. I will put it in the freezer in the hotel and then add additional water to it to match that liter because I don't necessarily want the pack— I have made this mistake before— to be frozen. So once I get on the bike, some of it will melt, but it may not all completely melt. That has happened to me before. I have overfrozen my bottles and then literally cannot get any product out of it. So don't do that.

Pro tip.

So anyway, that's how I backed into my fueling and hydration plan. And then separately, doing a similar type of thing for the run, knowing that I'll be out there for about an hour or so, I'm gonna take a sleeve of Clif Blocks with me and then rely on some of the aid stations at at least to get some water. Now that's my particular hydration and fueling plan. I have worked with some folks who have 3 to 4 times the sodium losses that I have and well over 3 to 4 times the amount of fluid losses. So then it gets into a bit of a logistical challenge of how are we going to carry that much water on our person? There are some limitations now with USA Triathlon and what you can put on your bike. There's some limitations based on, say, the Chicago marathon, what you can bring. So then we start getting into, okay, how am I gonna think through these pieces logistically, knowing what I need, and then actually working on trying it and then tweaking it ever so slightly based on maybe your races, and then going into race day and trusting it and just executing. All right. So that walks you through how I landed on my fueling and hydration plan. Let's back it up a couple of days, if you will, and maybe even into the sort of pre-workout pieces, because I get these questions a lot. I get that most people just don't know what they don't know, and they're going off of a lot of information on the internet or what their friend does, and I get that. So in the Fueling and Hydration Boot Camp, the way that we walk you through these pieces is again understanding your metabolism and absorption of carbohydrates, of fluid and electrolytes, so that you can make the decisions. And even of carb loading, we give you all of those details so that you can make the decision of what you're gonna eat throughout the week leading up to the race. Cuz I get the, again, I get these questions all the time. What do I eat on race day? Or what do I eat in the days leading up to race day? I know that I'm eating all familiar foods this week that I'm used to eating. I am somebody who, like, I love beans. I know that that does not work for everyone, but that is something that I have on a daily basis. It's a favorite food of mine. My gut is happy with it. Some people like to eliminate fiber from their diet in the days leading up. That would be disastrous for me personally. But again, that's something that you would have to try in training. So don't do anything new race week or race day that you haven't already tracked, tried, tweaked, and trust. So here's a little extra, uh, hiccup in the process, and you guys will be experiencing something like this if you're traveling for any race. So I'm gonna be in the car race day, Saturday. So the day that this is coming out is Thursday. So as you're listening to this, I'm probably in the car driving from North Carolina to Alabama. So that's gonna be about a 9-hour trip. I will absolutely have my trusty cooler with me cuz I love Having snacks. I mean, who doesn't love snacks? I also love to eat just in general. So I'll pack a few things in there that again are familiar foods. I might stop at— I feel like Sheetz should pay me because I'm always talking about Sheetz. I love that gas station. They have so many different options in terms of protein sources and carb sources. Obviously they have plenty of unhealthy options, which I know Uh, that I've tried before and do like very fatty, heavy things like fried foods and whatnot typically don't work really well for me, certainly in the days leading up to race day. But again, I've tried that. So that's part of the key there. So I'll be eating, eating, uh, things outta my cooler on Thursday. Go for a test ride, see if there's anything specific that I need to be aware of on the course. and then on Friday I will pretty much lay around in my hotel room and probably work most of the day. So I know a lot of people like to have a workout on the day before a race. That does not work for me. I typically like to be completely well rested. I might go for a walk or something like that, but overall sitting around and eating familiar foods. I know that there's a grocery store nearby so I can grab things there. And other restaurants that again might have familiar foods that I'm used to. Then on race morning, I have— and you can hear it here— I have a little oatmeal power cup that I picked out yesterday at the grocery store. So that's going to be my breakfast. It's got a little extra protein in it. I did this 2 weeks ago, but I made my own, but I don't think it had enough protein in it, and I was a little bit more on the hungrier side. I've had these little Kodiak cups before. I like them. They work for me. I just make sure that in my hotel room I have a refrigerator and then I also have a microwave. So oftentimes hotels will have breakfast, but sometimes they won't be open as early as you might need to be eating, needing to eat, or open as early as you need to actually leave for race day. So this is one of those things that I know works well for me. I don't know whether I'll finish it all. I'll let, I'll be the judge of that on race morning. So one of the things that a lot of people don't necessarily consider is nerves. So I know I'm gonna be a little nervous coming into race day, so I'm gonna really try to sleep well on Thursday night as best as I possibly can. I don't have any kids to worry about. I don't have other people sleeping in the same bed, so my spouse, I don't have any dogs to worry about, and hopefully the situation in the hotel room. You can never be guaranteed, but maybe I'll bring my eye mask. I'm very sensitive to light, so those are the things that I need to make sure are written down on a list so that I, I don't forget them. So don't make any of those mistakes. And then knowing Friday night, eh, I may not sleep all that great. It is what it is, it's expected. And having everything all laid out, ready to go, make my oatmeal first thing in the morning, eat what feels right to me at the time. Because consider that the higher stress levels, the more stressed you are, the less your body necessarily wants to digest. So I'm leaning into how do I feel and what is a good amount for me. I'll also have coffee. That's something that I'm very used to and very acclimated to, and that it brings me joy. That's my little ritual in the morning. So hopefully that provides you a little bit of, oh, and post-race, of course, how could we forget it? Uh, recovery. What I did 2 weeks ago post-race was head over to a local fast food joint and I had a milkshake and I had some chicken tenders and I had a kale salad and it was delicious and I enjoyed it and felt good for the drive home. So that's how I came to land on my fueling and hydration plan that is specifically for this off-road. Distance Olympic-style race, but I would go through the same process whether I were doing a half marathon, a marathon, a half Ironman, an Ironman, going through what am I gonna lose, what's the projected weather, what's the intensity I'm going at so that I know my sweat losses, and then actually testing products and making sure that they work for me. I'd probably use something very similar to what I already have, but then adjusting the amounts. Based on what the race is. And then of course, getting used to what am I eating before, what am I eating afterwards so that my body can acclimate and you can trust it. Just like I mentioned, track it, try it, tweak it, trust it. So if you wanna go through this plan and be super confident and super clear and being able to trust your fueling and hydration plan, join the bootcamp, Fueling and Hydration Bootcamp, and stop letting nutrition and hydration be the reason you fall short. So it's time to train, race, and recover like a pro without the guesswork. So hopefully that was helpful to give you a little example of what a good fueling and hydration plan looks like. Good luck in all of your races. Can't wait to hear all about it, and I hope to see you all in the Fueling Edge Bootcamp. Thanks for listening.

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