Race Nutrition and Hydration Plan: Co2Ut 100 Mile Gravel Race, Fruita CO
This past weekend I was in Fruita, CO for the Co2Ut gravel race taking on 100 miles of gravel, dirt, dust and cow traps across the red rock desert. After bouncing back (and) still recovering from a herniated disc injury, training indoors(mostly) during the winter, and perfecting some homemade on-the-bike snacks to fuel my rides, it was time to take on my first race of the season. All I have to say is it went GREAT and I was happy to be out there.
Here are 3 fueling tips I jotted down after my race.
3 Tips for Fueling and Hydrating While Racing
Drink early and often. Especially in a hot, dry desert-like Fruita. 30 minutes before the race I start with a Nuun Instant. From there I like to switch off between a sports drink like Skratch and water while hydrating during the race. I prefer to carry a tight-fitting, Chase Camelbak Vest with a 50oz bladder for extra water. I know it may not be everyone's favorite, but it's what works for me. Find what works for YOU!
Keep eating! Even as you get towards the end, don’t forget to eat that last bike snack/drink with 6-8 miles left to power you through the end (Here are 17 homemade bike snacks to try out)
Rely on your aid stations and plan your drink and food intake around them. At Co2Ut they offered refills of water/Skratch and had food items like Skratch bars, bananas and more. Use those aid stations (if you choose to stop at them) to refuel and eat a little bigger snack while transitioning in and out of them. Use the miles in between those stations for little bite-sized snacks like PB pretzels, cookies and date balls.
Co2Ut Race Weekend Nutrition and Hydration Plan
Below I have documented my whole race weekend menu and nutrition plan, including pre-race meals, during the race nutrition snacks and hydration, and recovery. I’m sharing this plan with you so you can get some ideas on how to fuel for your next big ride or race. Always remember though, what works for me won’t necessarily work for you, so do your research, test out different foods, and document how they make you feel. From there you will end up crafting your own unique menu that helps you perform at your best on and off the bike.
A Few Days Leading Up To The Race
Leading up to the race I focused on eating well-balanced meals, with a little extra focus on carbohydrates. The closer I got to the race, the more simple my meals and carbs got. Here are a few samples of foods I ate 2-3 days before the race.
Oatmeal with sliced apricots and almonds
White rice with carrots, cabbage and snap peas with a miso-maple sauce
Quinoa tabbouleh with fresh veggies, hummus and pita bread
Mexican Breakfast egg and potato muffins (recipe in this post) with peach and apricot jam toast
Burrito with plain white rice, a little hummus, avocado cilantro dressing and white flour tortilla
Pre-Race nutrition and hydration
I woke up at 5:30am to get a good base in before my race started at 8am. Since muesli contains complex carbs, I wanted to be sure to get in my meal at least 2-3 hours before to give my body enough time to digest it.
Muesli with banana slices - 2.5 hours before the race
A bottle of Nuun Instant - 30 minutes before the race
Tahini chocolate chip and pecan cookie 20 min before the race to top off glycogen stores (find recipe here)
During Race Bike Nutrition and Hydration
My goal was to eat every 30 minutes-ish and finish 1.5 26oz bottles of liquids every hour, switching between water and Skratch Hydration mix. It was warm and dry so getting more liquids in than generally recommended was key for me.
Here was my food and drink intake during the race to the best of my memory.
6 bottles of Skratch Lemon Lime in 26oz water bottles
1 homemade rice banana and strawberry energy squeeze
1 umami rice cake with lemon and pepper seasoning
2 macaroons
1 date turtle
1 half Skratch energy bar (The other half fell!)
2 camelbacks filled with 1.5L (50oz) of water
*Find some of the recipes for my homemade biked goods below.
Post Race Recovery Nutrition and Hydration
As soon as I finished my race and entered the 7 mile cooldown stretch, I immediately called Haley and told her to head to Karma Kitchen to pick me up a piece of their Naan Bread. I had this last time I visited Fruita and it’s a cyclist’s recovery meal paradise. I paired this with a chocolate recovery drink from Skratch and was feeling like a million bucks the next day.
Here is the complete breakdown of my recovery nutrition and hydration immediately after the race and leading into the following morning.
Skratch Recovery Chocolate Mix - 30 minutes after the race
Garlic Cheese Naan Bread from Karma Kitchen - 30 minutes after the race
Snacked on peanut butter pretzels, tortilla lime chips and an apricot before dinner
Hot Tomato Pizza - We ordered the Badabang which is an olive oil base, Mozzarella, Spinach, Garlic and Ricotta cheese pizza - 3-4 hours after the race
Muesli with fresh fruit and nut butter - Morning breakfast after the race
Acai bowl from Mountain Berry Bowls - Lunch and recovery meal after 15-mile easy recovery ride
Race Day Biked Goods Recipes
Below you will find my race day recipes so you can make your own Biked Goods for your next event or race.
Homemade Energy Squeeze - Rice, Banana, Maple Syrup and Salt
Makes 1 3.5 oz energy squeeze + a little extra
Ingredients
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup cooked Calrose rice
1 Tbsp Maple syrup
2-3 splashes of coconut water
1/2 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp strawberry chia jam (Find the recipe here)
2 tsp chia seeds
A sprinkle of sea salt
Directions
Blend all ingredients together EXCEPT chia seeds in a blender until smooth. Add in chia seeds and pour the mixture into a reusable baby food pouch like the WeeSprout or a plastic bag. Store in the fridge or freezer and easily grab when you’re ready to get out and ride.
Date Turtles with Tahini Maple and Chocolate Drizzle
Ingredients
Date Turtles
12 Dates
1 cup nuts or 5-7 nuts per date (Cashews, pecans or peanuts)
Tahini Maple Drizzle
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
*Save leftover drizzle for pancakes, waffles, fruits and other sweets!
Chocolate drizzle
Coconut butter, melted
Coconut oil, melted
Dark chocolate, 70% finely chopped
Directions
Flatten dates with your hand or the bottom of a drinking glass. Press 5-7 nuts into each date. Put in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, add all the Tahini Maple Drizzle ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Just before the 30 minutes is up, add the chocolate drizzle ingredients to a small bowl and melt in 15-second increments until smooth.
Spoon the tahini and/or chocolate drizzle onto each turtle and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Return to the freezer and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Almond and Jam Macaroons
Makes about 18 macaroons
Ingredients
1 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup jam or marmalade (I used strawberry, peach and apricot and orange marmalade to make 3 different flavors)
1-2 Tbsp applesauce
1 pound or about 4 cups of shredded coconut
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F. Add almonds to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until finely ground. Add in the jam, applesauce, honey, vanilla extract and coconut to the almond mixture. Pulse until a thick batter is formed. If the batter is dry, add 1-2 more Tbsp of applesauce or honey. In a separate bowl, separate the whites from the yolks and whisk until stiff. Add the egg whites to the batter and gently stir to combine. Using a spoon or your hands, loosely drop a dollop on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure to keep 2 inches between each macaroon. Bake for 15-20 or until golden brown. For the last 2 minutes, I actually put the oven on broil to get that classic browned top. Take out and let cool for 10 minutes.
Optional: Melt dark chocolate chunks or chips with a little bit of coconut oil in the microwave in 10-second increments. Be sure not to overheat. Using a fork, lightly drizzle chocolate over macaroons.
Store macarons at room temp in an airtight container for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Peanut and Chocolate Coconut Rice Cakes
Makes about 10 cakes
2 cups uncooked Calrose rice
3 cups water
1 cup raw or roasted peanuts
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
1 Tbsp salt
Honey or maple syrup if needed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Cook rice and water. (I usually do this the day before) Once rice is cooked, all ingredients except chocolate chips in a high-speed blender or food processor and pulse together into a thick, crumbly paste. Add in chocolate chips and pulse until chocolate chips begin to melt into the mixture. Transfer to a 9-inch square baking pan and press to be about 1 inch thick. Let cool before cutting. Wrap into individual cakes using Skratch paper or individual Bees Wrap and store in the fridge for easy grabbing.
*Recipe from The Feed Zone Cookbook
Umami Rice Cakes with Lemon and Pepper Seasoning
Makes 10 cakes
2 cups dry Calrose rice
3 cups water (or 3 cups of broth)
1⁄4 cup Braggs Aminos
1⁄4 cup rice vinegar
1⁄4 cup maple syrup
1⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1⁄4 Tbsp lemon and pepper seasoning
Shaved parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cook rice and water. Let sit for about 5 minutes in the cooker after it is done to make sure all moisture is absorbed. Transfer your rice to a large mixing bowl with your rice paddle. Add maple syrup, aminos, rice vinegar, and olive oil. Gently mix with rice paddle while rice is still hot. Spread into an even layer onto a metal sheet pan using the paddle. Sprinkle on the lemon and pepper seasoning and parmesan cheese. Cut into squares, about 2” x 2” in size. Wrap into individual cakes using Skratch paper or individual Bees Wrap and store in the fridge for easy grabbing.
eat Good. Bike Good. Feel Good.
It was a great weekend spent in Fruita, Colorado. I was happy to be out riding and pushing my physical limits, a place where I personally thrive and grow.
I was able to able perform strongly throughout the entire race and I know my fueling and hydration had a large part to do with that. Making good food choices helps keep my mind clear and gives my body the ability to take on demanding, yet rewarding experiences like these.
I also woke up the day after my race feeling strong which I can also credit to proper recovery.
This weekend also gave Haley and I time to enjoy the city of Fruita together. We stayed at a little AirBnB farm home right outside of town. There were cows mooings, roosters calling and beautiful sunrises. Our hosts gave us a little tour of their farm and even offered us some milk straight from the cow on Sunday morning. It was just the peaceful getaway we needed to pair with both of our busy and active weekends!
If you’re looking to take a trip out to Fruita, check out this guide for places to stay, cafes and shops to check out, along with different rides and routes you can explore
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