UK's Cape Epic 2010 route presentation: My nutrition talk by Rob Enslin

The Cape Epic (Epic) comes around once a year, usually around March (21st - 28th March this year). With the CE gaining increasing popularity yearly, it's big business. When I rode the 2005 edition it was still relatively new attracting a modest field by its current standards. With UCI points up for grabs, top riders, spanning the globe, descend on Cape Town to put their bodies through 8 days of epic hell.

Andrew Clayton from Pedal Studio, a spinning studio in Putney, put on an pre-Cape Epic event to offer advice to race entrants and to unveil the 2010 route. Andrew asked me to come along and give a short talk on nutrition. There's so much information on nutrition out there, a lot of it very technical, so I prepared a few slides on the practical side of nutrition within the context of the Epic. By way of an introduction to nutrition I reminded the listeners about the basic breakdown of the nutritional components:

1. Protein - helps repair the muscle tissue (recovery)
2. Water and salts - eliminate wastes, temperature control and helps digestion
3. Carbohydrates - fuel muscles (keeps you going and helps recovery)

Here's a summary of what I spoke about.

1. Develop good habits

The main reason people don't drink or eat is because they are just not in the habit of doing so.
Start good habits now! Makes drinking a lot easier
Drink at work and home (not only on the bike)
Bottle is your best friend - carry one everywhere
Learn to eat and drink while you train

2. Know your body - conditioning

The Epic is no ordinary race. Every stage is a race in itself. Before a rider undertakes to punish his or her body this severely it's important to know your own limits - just how far can you push it before it 'breaks'.

If you look at this typical Epic pattern (8-day stage race):

pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 1)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 2)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 3)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 4)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 5)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 6)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race > refuel/rehydrate > recover (day 7)
> pre-fuel/hydrate > race (day 8)

Pretty monotonous right?

There's a lot of fueling and hydration taking place so it's important that your body becomes accustomed to the repetitious nature of this feeding.

The single best way to prepare yourself is to mimic this behavior. Try using a block of training to expose yourself to it before you ride the Epic. If you find you're suffering from ill feelings you still have time to change your products or habit.


3. Planning

Nothing beats planning, right? Not enough can be said to emphasise planning. A notable benefit to good planning is reducing stress. If you're stressed you'll suffer. The only stress you need to deal with is the stress of the race (the inherent race stress - not self-inflicted stress). Here are a few specifics to look at:
No shortcuts to nutrition - just do it
Good planning controls your stress (the right type of stress)
Packing: organise your nutrition to make it accessible and easy to reach
Stock - how much and what to take? (buy UK or SA?)
Times: meal, wake up, flights

4. Food and equipment

How you consume your nutritional products is important. From the type of bottle to drink with to where and how you carry your energy bars.
Coffee and tea (go easy)
Gels - convenient, easy to measure, messy
Bars - solid food, minerals, convenient, but avoid chocolate-coated
Supplements
Use the 3 feed stations wisely (water, energade (*SA) & coke)
Personal snacks (foiled portions from breakfast) & savoury
Bottles vs Hydration pack - personal choice
Anti-cramp tables (emergency)

5. BDA (before, during and after)

If you pick up any nutrition book you'll find the same information written: drink and eat before, during and after you race or train. There's a reason for that... because it's been proven time and time again that it's the most effective way to support you during the event and prepare you for recovery.

Before - water, water, water, good breakfast, berocca
During - water, energy drink, solid food (use feed stations)
After - recovery drink (within 30mins), water, water, water, good meal.

If you lose your appetite get some help. You NEED to be eating and drinking.

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