Case Study - a nutrition change to improve the triathlon run

Running does not require a gym membership, it's fairly inexpensive and you can do it almost anywhere (and anytime). It comes with a list of benefits including body composition changes, fitness gains, stress relief and improved self-confidence. Plus, when you run outside, you get to explore nature with your senses. Running is also a great way to feel connected to your community. 

While running can provide you with a great endorphin-rush, making you feel like you are capable of tackling everything on your to-do list after you finish your workout, running does come with a few downfalls.

Running is very corrosive on the body and comes with a great risk of injury. Running requires good range of motion as well as exceptional cardiorespiratory endurance and muscular strength. Injuries due to overtraining, poor biomechanics and improper shoes or increasing mileage too quickly are very common in runners of all fitness levels.

For triathletes, aside from injuries, one of the biggest concerns that I hear time and time again is the complain of nutrition issues. Those dreaded side stitches and gut-related issues like bloating, belching, diarrhea/loose stools and vomiting are no fun during a run workout or running race. 

A while back, I started working with triathlete Joel, who is a well-experienced long-distance triathlete. Joel and his wife Ali are accomplished triathletes and love to race. Joel was frustrated that he was unable to put together a solid marathon off the bike in an Ironman. Physically he felt like he was able to complete the distance but as the miles progressed, he consistently suffered from fatigue - turning his run into a walk.

To learn more about what Joel changed with his nutrition to help him excel on race day, you can read the full article here on Triathlete.com or on page 47 of the August 2018 Triathlete Magazine Issue in print.

If you are interested in incorporating a hydration belt into your workout (or race day) wardrobe, here's a recent blog post on the topic and a discount code for the Naked Running Belt: Benefits of wearing a hydration belt