| Most, if not all women who have run a triathlon know | | | | time for you to take them on-board. |
| the feeling of butterflies just before the big event. | | | | If you start with a window of 1.5 to 4 hours before the |
| Sometimes it does not matter how much you test | | | | race, you should be fine, if you really get bad nerves |
| your nutrition during training for a race, when it comes | | | | then go for a time closer to the 4 hour mark, before |
| down to it on the day a lot of triathletes cannot seem | | | | the nerves have had a chance to take over. If you do |
| to hold down solid food. | | | | opt for an earlier time then you can go for a bigger |
| So is a liquid meal the answer before a race if you are | | | | meal, but if you do not go for an earlier time then your |
| having trouble keeping anything solid down because of | | | | meal should be smaller, and you will probably need to |
| nerves? | | | | take on extra fuel throughout the race. |
| First of all, it is absolutely essential to have a meal | | | | If you are up to Ironman distance then you will need a |
| before a triathlon, no matter what distance you are | | | | lot of extra fuel, both before and during the race, and |
| competing at. Your stomach may feel like someone is | | | | you may have to face the fact that only solids will do. |
| doing the tango inside of it, but you still need to find the | | | | You can do a combination of solids and liquids |
| right nutrition for the race that you can take on-board | | | | however, and many women do this for Ironman and |
| without throwing the lot back up, to provide the fuel | | | | Olympic distance races. Try something like a muffin |
| and prevent problems like cramps during the race. | | | | and a bottle of sports drink that has a 4:1 ratio of |
| The right way to go is purely personal, you know your | | | | carbs to protein, then about 60 minutes before the |
| body and how it feels, but whether you consume | | | | race take in some sports formulated gels, this should |
| liquids or solids, as long as it is quality nutrition, it will feed | | | | help with your endurance and also help with your |
| your muscles properly and they will not know what | | | | recovery on the other end of things. |
| you ate or drank. | | | | These methods require testing during training, because |
| There is a difference however, when it comes to | | | | you do not want to eat or drink too much before a |
| tricking your stomach and your brain into thinking that | | | | race, but race nerves on the other hand are hard to |
| you have had a good meal when you have only drank | | | | re-create if there is no race, so try some of these tips |
| liquids. Liquids will not fill your stomach like solid food | | | | and hopefully you can refine them over time until you |
| does, and you will still feel hunger pangs which may | | | | get it right for you. |
| break your concentration, especially in the later parts | | | | Bad nerves are such a race destroyer for many |
| of a race. | | | | ladies, so if none of the nutrition tips help then you need |
| If you really cannot stomach solids, then there really is | | | | to look at the source of those nerves and deal with |
| no choice but to drink liquids, but the good news is that | | | | them directly so you can display your full race-day |
| this is not all bad. There are many athletes who like | | | | potential instead of just displaying the contents of your |
| doing it this way, liquid meals help with hydration and | | | | stomach just before you start racing. |
| are easy to take with you from home, they digest | | | | First of all make sure you have a good warm-up |
| much quicker than solid food, and this allows you to | | | | before the race, go off and do a 10 minute jog, |
| drink them much closer to the race start. | | | | concentrate on your form and breathing, this |
| You do have to be aware of the content of the liquids | | | | sometimes helps to take your mind off of the nerves. |
| that you are drinking, they should be made up of a | | | | You can also try stationary deep breathing exercises |
| small amount of protein, also be low-fat and have a | | | | and relaxing, get the oxygen pumping to your brain and |
| high carb content. This fuels your muscles and keeps | | | | muscles, breathe in through your nose and out of your |
| up your energy levels and helps to keep the hunger at | | | | mouth and stay focused. |
| bay longer by filling your stomach, which also stops it | | | | Be a loner, you do not have to be rude but avoid other |
| emptying too quickly. You need to keep well away | | | | triathletes and do not talk to them, always get to the |
| from anything high in fiber, and keep it simple, if you | | | | race early and make sure your transition area is ready |
| can stomach solids then make sure you take on the | | | | to go, check out the swimming course and avoid |
| right amount of liquids to make up for the much smaller | | | | stressing yourself by mingling and listening to the other |
| amount that you will be drinking compared to when | | | | competitors. You should also scope out the best |
| you are using liquid nutrition. | | | | bathrooms early, and make sure you empty your |
| Here is a ball-park figure to give you some numbers to | | | | bowels, but this should be no problem. |
| work from, the right amount of calories or carbs that | | | | Get a small mp3 player and fill it with uplifting music |
| you need obviously depend on how much you are | | | | that you like, this will block out all the trash talk going on |
| going to consume during a race. For every Kilogram of | | | | and leave you to relax, run your race without being |
| body weight you should be taking in around 1.5 to 4 | | | | upset by the rumors and lies usually discussed by |
| grams of carbs, you also need to work out the best | | | | other competitors before a race. |
