It’s been a while since I’ve been around elite distance runners for the best part of their training day, and naturally enough some things haven’t changed.
Talk of the track session to come, or the one just done, who is racing next and where and also what’s the most important thing to help ensure maximum recovery from it all.
Since reacquainting myself with this athlete lifestyle, spending time around the track and gym, one thing certainly more noticeable is that now more than ever the athletes are more focused on refuelling and recovery, eating real food rather than relying on supplements. The focus is just simple basic nutrition, not a secret potion or a magic cure.
Even before Covid-19, the first concern was maintaining a healthy immune system, fending off any illness that could stop you in your tracks
The main concern right now is not just what to eat to stay fit and healthy but also what to drink. After taking up a coaching role with a new Nike-sponsored training group based in Beaverton, Oregon at the end of April, we're currently at an altitude training camp in Park City, Utah, which is 2,100m above sea level, or just under 7,000 feet in old money.
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Up here the combination of the thin and dry air and the scorching sun can take a heavy toll, and caught a few of us by surprise. You know the dehydration is kicking in when you get little headaches during the day, a bit like getting thirsty in the marathon when it’s too late, the damage is done and the need to get back on top of things is so much greater.
Whenever the weather heats up like this it’s also a reminder that to stay properly hydrated it’s not just water you need, but some form of electrolytic drink to keep the mineral and salt balance in the body – especially before, during and after exercise, whether you’re training for the Tokyo Olympics or not.
Sometimes you have to go back to basics, especially if you come back from the shop and you realise you’ve forgotten the electrolytes. There are so many to choose from it can be hard to know what are most beneficial and not just money down the drain.
Whenever I’m desperate, I resort to my homemade version, which is pretty effective (just not always the convenience of dropping an effervescent in the drink bottle as you rush out the door); lemon juice, salt and maple syrup mixed in with water should do the trick.
The essentials here are potassium, magnesium and zinc and if you run enough, you realise pretty quick when you are missing them. That cramp in the muscle is telling you. The other benefit of the electrolytes is they can flavour the water and encourage you to drink more continually by sipping throughout the day.
There have been other reminders of what it means to be eating and drinking like an Olympic athlete, such as the supplements the athletes still go for.
The first concern here for any elite athlete is to ensure whatever they do take is batch-tested and approved; in other words, not processed in the same facilities where banned supplements are also manufactured.
Even before Covid-19, the first concern was maintaining a healthy immune system, fending off any illness that could stop you in your tracks. In recent years I’ve never travelled without a stock of immunity boosting supplements, my “security pack”.
As well as trying to eat foods that promote a healthy immune system, the supplements can help keep you topped up, both mentally and physically, especially when travelling and changing environments, diet and sleeping routines that can all wear down the immune system.
I’ve been particularly conscious of not running out of my security pack as we all try to stay safe and protect ourselves from any infections or illness as we try to navigate our way out of this pandemic.
So every morning I start with half a lemon squeezed into hot water alongside a few drops of Echinacea and Goldenseal. This has been my morning routine since 2017 when I did a big cycle of 235km, with over 4000m of climbing.
Whenever you complete such an effort the body’s immune system is vulnerable and open to infection so you really have to up the immune-boosting foods, fruits and vegetables and top up with essential supplements just for added security. I’ve added some zinc and B12 to the nutrition formula in the past year along with magnesium and vitamin C.
We all have to find what works for each of us and, even though I was more particular as an athlete, in recent years I have realised that nutrition and fitness is important no matter what your lifestyle and not just for the super elite athletes working at the high end of the spectrum.
For this training group, things like creatine, L-Carnitine, and Pycnogenol and other little potions from the past are no longer included. Iron is the one supplement that has stood the test of time, especially for female athletes, and for all athletes at altitude to help with the adaptation and extra red blood cell growth.
When you train hard, you crave natural clean food, but when that isn’t practical after a long day at the track and drive back for a gym session it is critical to be prepared with liquid nutrition; water, along with electrolytes, before and during the session followed up with a carbohydrate and protein shake.
These all need to be batch tested to ensure they fall into a safe food quality control approved by sports federations around the world and noted on any paperwork when the drug testers call. It’s just a means of topping up between sessions, while driving to and from the track until you get the chance to sit down for a proper meal.
The days we go to the track at Brigham Young University, located at 1,422m, start at 7am; so it’s a quick breakfast at home then on the road by 8am. It’s not just about having your gear out, but a bit like back-to-school with the bag packed the night before, food drinks and snacks in the fridge ready to go as we often don’t get back to the house until 3.0 or 4.0 in the afternoon.
By then the old reliable morning caffeine hit can start wearing off and a diversion to the local coffee shop finds its way into the daily routine.
I’ve noticed too it’s not just for the athletes; the energy spent driving, coaching and squeezing in your own daily exercise means the nutrition is crucial to survive this physically and mentally energy-consuming lifestyle. When you’ve been out of practice it takes a few attempts to work out what works and gets you through the day.
You also appreciate the recovery days just like the athletes, when you have a more normal eating routine and there is more time to sit and relax and recover, ready for the next big travel and training day.
What is certain these years later is that good nutrition is critical: supplements have a place, only just as a top up, and certainly no secret formula for anyone eating and drinking and training like an Olympic athlete.
