Below is, our guesstimate, of the top 15 males and females in the Skyrunning Australia New Zealand Oceania Series after 5 of the 7 races. Hounslow Classic and Sky Rock ‘n’ Run both have 400 points available for the winners. Scores with an * are unlikely to add to their points this year.

Women
Beth Cardelli keeps her spot at the top of the Table but Jo Johansen has moved close enough that she could take the title. Two wins for Whitney Dagg would also see her put pressure on the top of the table and she is likely to start the last two races in the series. With a bit of luck we’ll see Emma Rilen and Hanny Allston having another run somewhere as well.

Series leader Beth Cardelli at last weekends Mt Difficulty Ascent. Photo: Crank Photos.

Men

It’s all on for young and old in this table. John Winsbury is back to some of his best form and has confirmed he’s lining up at the Sky Rock ‘n’ Run in November (and we expect to see him at Hounslow also). Dave Byrnes work commitments saw him miss the Mt Difficulty Ascent in the weekend but again he’s stated an intention to turn up in NZ as well. Add Grant Guise, Andrius Ramonas and Martin Lukes to that list and Scotty Hawker will have his work cut out holding on to #1.

Interestingly, of the 30 names on the 2 lists above, only 15 of those have run in more than 1 race in the series.

The Mt Difficulty Ascent on Saturday delivered on its promise of a brutally steep, demanding course. While the races namesake, Mt Difficulty its self, lacked any significant snow cover, the wind picked up the slack (and almost some runners) and added an extra element to the race.

From the gun, Australian John Winsbury set out with a firm race plan of running the runable sections hard and walking the steeps with purpose. Not a surprising tactic from John, but what was a surprise was that no-one went with him. Other pre race favorite Andrius Ramonas choose to  hang back with the social run group of Tom Hunt and Grant Guise, as well as 1/2 marathoner Andrew Town (Andrew went onto win the 1/2 for the 2nd year running) .

By the 18km mark John’s aggressive tactics had yielded him 10+min lead over Andrius, Tom and Grant, with Matt Bixley  with in 3-4mins of the chasing group. From this point the course climbed 1000m in less than 4km. Positions were maintained over this section, with John firmly in control- it was a race to see who would round out  the podium. The chase group splinted at  the 23km aid station and 12km later, with 8km, 800m downhill to the finish Grant held a questionable 3-4min lead over Tom, with a similar gap back to Andrius.

Despite a questionable fashion sense, John Winsbury is all smiles with 8km to go. Photo: I am Alice

Things stayed this way to the finish, with Matt Bixley rounding out the top 5. But the day definitely belonged to John Winsbury, who ran strong from start to finish and was a class above. He collected the big points in the Skyrunning Series and plans on running the remanding races- he is making a late run.

The woman’s race had a lot more jostling for the win, with at least 4 different woman leading the race. A late starter was Wanaka Adventure racing guru Jo Williams, which added to an already competitive field. Mel Aitken took the early lead, running with the leading guys up the first climb over Nipple Hill, before being past on the first of 2 steep descents by Jo Johansen, Whitney Dagg and Jo Williams.  The 2 Jo’s lead up the 2nd climb, with Whitney, pre race favorite Beth Cardelli from Australia and Mel in pursuit. On the major climb of the day, both Jo’s still held 1st and 2nd, with Beth in 3rd, until the summit of Mt Difficulty, when Whitney Dagg started to move through the field.

Just before the days highest point Whitney moved into 3rd, then just 2km later, at the 23km aid station she caught Jo Williams, moving into 2nd. From here Jo Johnsen was in sight and by the time the Slapjack Saddle aid station was reached at  29km Whitney had moved in to first. Whitney held the lead, in the end wining by 9mins, with Jo Johnasen 2nd and Jo Williams in 3rd.

Whitney around 10km in.
Photo: Flashworks Media/John-Jo Ritson.

It was exciting to see the marathon grow from 11 starters last year, to the much bigger and competitive field of this year. Certainly the Ascents inclusion in the Aust/NZ Skyrunning Series helped boost interest and race numbers, but personally I think it has more to do with a growing interest in this style of race.

Results-

Woman-

1. Whitney Dagg- 5hr54
2. Jo Johansen- 6hr03
3. Jo Williams- 6hr10

Men-

1. John Winsbury- 5hr18
2. Grant Guise- 5hr27
3. Tom Hunt- 5hr34

FULL RESULTS

Friday saw the Buffalo 26km (which was changed to a 31-34km race depending on who you ask) and Matt Bixley lined up, set to tackle what was being dubbed the “Buffalo Triple Crown”- the 26, 75 and 42km races over 3 consecutive days. A mammoth undertaking but one which was right up Matt’s ally. Well, it would have been if he had not taken on the Barkley Marathons just a few weeks earlier. Matt crossed the finish line understandably spent, saying Barkley might have taken a bit more out of him than he expected.

Saturday morning saw the majority of the New Zealanders lining up- Whitney Dagg, Jo Johansen, Fiona Jane Wright Hayvice, Matt, Marty Lukes and myself (Grant Guise). The race went out at what felt like a ridiculously slow pace, with Tom Owens, Andrew Tuckey, John Winsbury and Mick Donges in a small pack, followed by a massive chase pack, with myself floating between, alone. I could see Marty, Jo and Whitney all behind me as we started out and was then past by James Roberts. I figured that was the last I would see of those boys out in front until the turn around on top of Mt Buffalo, but to my surprise, as I started down Mick’s track, John, Andrew and James where just in front. I found a nice line to descend on what is a silly steep (and fun) gradient and with little effort I arrived at Bakers Gully in 2nd, behind Tom who already had a big lead and was well out of sight. 2nd place 7km in was the last place I wanted to be and more so was the last place I belonged. But I figured I was here and may as well enjoy it…..

Your’s truly, nearing the top of “The Big Walk”. Photo: Mitch Lane

The 4 of us ran more or less together to the top of Keating Ridge, with Andrew and myself breaking away here. Andrew gapped me a little but we left Eurobin more or less together. Then Andrew gapped me properly early on the big walk, around the same time I started to hear John heckling me from below. John stormed past me, and then Tom Brazer blew past about 3/4 of the climb up. Marty, who had left Eurobin 10mins after I had, reached me at the top of Buffalo and we started the 7km loop together, before I was quickly dropped. There was a pattern forming and it consisted of me losing time and placings fast. During the loop I got to see Tom and Andrew flying past, as well as those behind me, including Whitney, Jo and Fiona- who were all running in the top 10! With Whitney looking super strong in 3rd place. I also saw Matt, who had pulled the pin, with Barkley finally catching up on him.

From here we re-traced our steps back to Bright. Down the Big Walk and back over Keating Ridge, I finally spotted someone closing in behind me- about time! I had been moving slowly, and was waiting for it to happen. Clark McClymont was closing in- he had his wizard sticks out and was tapping away, working his magic on the climb up Clear Spot. I recovered a little once we got off the real steep stuff and made a little ground before Clark stomped down to Bakers Gully and was on my tail. I hammered the flat section to the base of Mick’s track and was greeted with the ass ends of both Tom and John- what a lovely surprise!

I had visions of last year’s past glory and finishing strong in 4th place. I told myself I could do it again and got to work. But you can’t check out of a race like this 30km earlier, neglecting nutrition and pace and then decide to tag back in. I really was kidding myself and before long Tom and John walked away into the distance, Clark tap tapped his way closer and I dreamed of having a nap. Clark later told me I had a side to side stumble going on- the lesson here is if it feels like you are stumbling sideways, you probably are.

I pushed as hard as I could down Mystic and suffered the last flat 3km home, stopping under the big water fountain just before the finish line.

Tom Owens crushed it, Andrew Tuckey knocked 20mins off his time from last year and Marty showed his class and the young fellas how it is done, taking 3rd! It is very very cool to see Marty back running well- he is a force when in form.  Unfortunately, Whitney was also already at the finish, having had to drop at 60km with stomach issue. She was in 3rd at the time and after such a long injury lay off she is definitely back!

Jo crossed the line in 5th and Fiona in 9th+ in a very competitive women’s race, ending a successful day for our small team of kiwis.

Scott crossing the marathon finish in 9th.

Sunday saw what was viewed by many as the most competitive fields of the weekend, with the men’s and women’s marathons stacked. “Representing” NZ was Auckland based Lithuanian Andrius Ramonas and New Zealander Scott Hawker, who is living in Australia’s Blue Mountains. The race went out at a cracking pace and in the end the day belonged to young Australian Blake Hose and American Stevie Kremer, who both had strong wins, especially Blake. Andrius and Scotty both ran very strong and held their own, finishing 7th and 9th. Also running was Ann Bixley, once again resorting pride to the family name.

For me the Buffalo Stampede again delivered- a tough course, strong competition, well organized with great aid stations and course markings and an excellent venue in the town of Bright.  A big thank you to all involved in the weekend- our NZ crew of 8 that traveled together, Scott and Liz who baby sat me during my run, Bright Brewery for making such tasty brews and Sean and Mel for again hosting us and putting on such a great event! Thank you for the support you gave to Team UD in getting us over!

And thank you also to my sponsors (and employers )Ultimate Direction NZ and La Sportiva NZ.

More info-

Buffalo Website

Buffalo facebook

Today we chat with Whitney Dagg, who has had recent wins at the Shotover Moonlight Marathon and Northburn 1/2 Marathon, despite coming off a long injury layoff. Whitney, like the rest of Team UD, will be running the Buffalo Ultra- 75km and 4545 meters of vertical!

Before we get to the Buffalo, how has your summer of running/racing gone and where has the Buffalo fit into your summer and with the other races you have (or have not) done?

Whitney on her way to winning the Shotover Moonlight.

WD: My summer of running/racing has not gone to plan. I had surgery on my ITB back in June 2014 and I was expecting to be back to full training and racing this summer. Unfortunately my recovery has been a very long haul, and training has been very up and down. I have managed a few shorter mountain races this summer but Buffalo will be my first big race back post surgery. My knee is still slightly niggly, but I am hoping I will have a good run on the day. Fingers crossed!

How has your approach and build up in training been compared to other races?

 WD: 

Will this be your first Skyrunning race?

 WD: Yes! Super excited and amped for my first Skyrunning race!

What has you more nervous- the 4545m of vertical over 75km at Buffalo, or the Snakes?

WD: This sounds abit silly, but probably the snakes. Uphill is actually the best type of running for my knee, so the more the better! And 4500m will be the most vert I have ever climbed, which will be a pretty cool achievement.

What are you looking forward to most at the Buffalo Stampede?

WD: Looking at the footage from last years race, it looked like a very cool atmosphere. Because I have had so much time off with my injury, I am basically super excited to be involved, and to race my first Skyrunning event. I’m looking forward to meeting new trail runners and having some good quality chat.

Your post (or pre for that matter) beer choice at the Bright Brewery?

 WD: M.I.A.I.P.A, and post race of course!

Do you have any idea how big a “schooner” is?

 WD: I’m pretty sure it’s less than a pint.

A few folks are doing the “Grand Slam”- the Buffalo 26, 75 and 42km races over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Who are you more excited about seeing suffer up the “Big Walk” on Sunday- Matt Bixley or Dan Bleakman?

 WD: Who is Dan Bleakamn??

Post Buffalo Stampede what other races do you have on the calendar for the year? Do you plan on running any of the other Oceania Skyrunning Series races?

WD: Depending on how my knee holds out, I do have a few races in mind for the rest of the year. I would like to do 3 more Skyrunning races, so that I can get a overall ranking in the series. I am hoping to get to the TNF 100 in May, the Mount Difficulty Ascent Marathon in June, Barney’s Bluff SkyMarathon in August, then Mt Oxford Sky Rock n Run in November.

More Buffalo Stampede and Skyrunning Australia/New Zealand info-

Buffalo Stampede Website and Facebook page.

Skyrunning Australia/New Zealand Website and Facebook page.

It was a last minute decision to give the Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon a crack. Two weeks earlier, I had to pull the pin on the Tarawera 100km, as my post-op knee was still giving me troubles. During my build up for Tarawera, I managed to get out for some long pain free runs in the hills, but it was the flat and fast running that seemed to aggravate it. Therefore, running the SMMM seemed like a pretty good idea, considering there is basically no flat, or fast running involved. As I ran the race two years back, I knew how technical and tough the course was going to be. As this was my first race back after 14 months, excitement levels were somewhat high and I was 100% mentally ready for a tough run ahead.

The journey began on in the riverbed of Skippers Canyon. I was so excited by this point that I had goose bumps as we waited with anticipation to run. I was totally ready to tackle the mountains in the distance. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect; not too hot, not too cold, with a nice cloud cover. I stood next to Malcolm McLeod and decided I would see if I could keep up with him. Back before my knee surgery, we had similar times in various races, so I decided he would be a good pacer. Adrian Bailey began the countdown and we were off. I didn’t really have a race strategy at this point, apart from the fact that I wanted to do a respectable time for my first race back. I ran the first hill hard, which was a definite wake up call for the legs. As I looked up there were roughly 6 men in front of me, which surprised me at first, but then I figured the field was a tad on the slow side. Malcolm stood out nicely in his Torpedo 7 Lycra kit, which was perfect for me to chase. As we headed up the first big climb, I glanced back and couldn’t see any girls in the mix. So from that point on I was racing the boys, which was a little different, but just as fun. The terrain was rough as guts, just as I remembered. Concentration was key to avoid rolling an ankle or falling off the track. I made the wise decision to tape my ankles before the race, as I knew they were bound to go over at some point. The tape proved it’s worth as my left ankle got a hammering. Luckily I didn’t do any serious damage. As I approached the 10km point, the marshals said that I was 8 minutes behind the leading man. That gave me a confidence boost, as I don’t think I have ever been that close to the leading man in any race. Malcolm began to drift away on the hills; therefore I decided to dig harder. To my surprise, I could also see Matt Bixley in the distance. He had explained very clearly at the start line that I was not to beat him. So that made me punch ups the hills harder to try and catch him. I almost caught him as we approached Twin Spurs, which was the highest point of the race. We then descended down a steep tussock rich slope and I managed to catch him for 30 seconds or so. We had a brief chat and he pointed out the massive climbs in the distance that we were about to embark on. He then took off like a mountain goat down the tussocks and before I knew it he had 500m or so on me. Malcolm was now a speckle in the distance, but I wasn’t giving up. We then ran a short section on a gravel road, which gave my brain a break from the technical terrain. After a couple of kilometers we were back in the tussocks, and back climbing. I continued to chase Matt, then all the sudden he was lying in the tussocks. He looked like he was feeling rather sorry for himself. Turns out he pulled his groin muscle and decided to walk out to the lodge for a ride to the finish. I was disappointed because I was having fun chasing him, even though he said he was just cruising. For the next 2 hours or so I was chasing Malcolm, hoping that I would eventually catch him. We battled the undulating terrain, ran through riverbeds, through dense forest and even slid down a scree of rocks. I instantly thought of Kilian Jornet as I let loose on the scree. The problem was that when I got to the bottom, my shoes were full of stones. I continued to run for a few kilometers, but then decided I should take a few minutes to empty my shoes and save my feet.

I finally caught Malcolm on the final big climb. This was well over 4 hours in and my legs were starting to hurt, so it was good to have someone to chat to for the final stage of the race. We walked at a reasonable pace to the top of the hill. Then we had a measly 7km of flat to the finish at Moke Lake. After endless river crossings, we were 2km from the finish and I decided we should turn it up a gear. I told Malcolm I was putting my music in and there would be no talking till the finish. I most definitely reached my max speed for the day in those final 2km. When I could see the finish, I looked back to see if Malcolm was still with me. He had dropped back a tad but was hanging in there. What an awesome feeling it was to finish my first race post surgery! It gave me reassurance that I have the mental and physical strength to get back to where I was pre-injury. Bring on the rest of 2015!

Leading kiwi runners:

Ruby Muir on her way to owning the 2012 Kepler. Photo: Graham Dainty

• Ruby Muir (Vibram) last year’s winner in the 2^nd fastest time ever by a woman at the Kepler. It has been a MASSIVE year for Ruby, I know how she would like to finish it off, but it will depend on how the lingering injures and niggles are holding up- ‘’If my injuries let me through then I’m fairly confidant I can still run a time similar to last year as I have a whole year of running behind me instead of a year and a half on the couch.”
• Whitney Dagg (The North Face) had a great run at the Surf Coast Century 100km beating Australia’s leading females, but has struggled with a knee injury since. More than capable of going under 6hrs (6:10 in 2012), but a lot will depend on the long downhill and how her ITB holds up. -“I have only been back running for 3 weeks due to my IT band friction syndrome. So I have been doing some last minute Kepler training to try get as fit as I can for the race. I don’t want to miss out on a great race so just going to give it my best shot.”
• Shireen Crumpton (Mizuno) has run a 5hr46 (2010) and holds the long standing Luxmore Grunt record along with numerous national titles. Shireen is very experienced, getting up and over the hill will be no problem, you cannot count her out!

Internationals:

• 

  Kami Semick racing in China earlier this year.

  Kami Semick, USA (The North Face) Her record is long, most notably winning the World 100km and 50km titles in 2009. She placed 3^rd in the worlds biggest ultra-marathon, Comrades, in 2011 but was forced to withdraw in 2012 and 2013 with injury. You’d be wrong if you think she’s a road runner- 2^nd at Western States 100mile and course record at Vermont 100mile to name a few and Kami has been over the Kepler before. She will bring a mass of experience to the start line. “The build up has probably been the most unique of any race I’ve done. I had a 300km journey through Western China/Eastern Tibet in Sept, then quickly followed that with a stage race in Nepal a couple of weeks later. So I’ve had some good altitude exposure, but…doubt it will last!”

• Landie Greylings, South Africa (Salomon Running)- possibly a name that most have not heard of in NZ. A solid 9^th in the 2013 World Ultra Trail Champs in Wales shows she can run, but probably of more interest  to us, is the fact she was less than 4mins behind Ruby Muir at the Otter Trail Run in South Africa back in September- it promises to be quite the re-match! “I am looking forward to Kepler and had really high expectations, but came down with a terrible flu, so have been flat in bed since last Monday….”

Chase pack- The 2013 Kepler winner will likely come from one of the above 5 names, but on their heals, picking up the carnage that will no doubt result from a fast race up front will be the following ladies-

• DAWN TUFFERY (Vibram)
• JEAN BEAUMONT
• KERI HOUSTON

What are YOUR predictions?? Leave a comment! 

After The North Face 100 in May this year I wasn’t exactly satisfied with how I did, so I knew I needed something big to target before my build up to the Kepler. When I was talking to Grant in the Blue Mountains he mentioned a 100km race down Melbourne way in September. So off to google I was to find out about this so called race and to work out how I could get there. When I had a look over the start list there were two well-known Aussie trail runners, Beth Cardelli and Shona Stevenson, who I knew would be very tough competition. I wasn’t expecting to make the podium, as this was my second 100km race, but I wanted to make the top five women.

Whitney running a beach section early on in the Surf Coast Century, Australia.

I arrived at the start line with my partner Aaron at 5:10am. Crazy Aussies start their races at 5:30am! Aaron thought I was a complete nutter as I got up at 3:20am to eat breakfast.  But making sure that I started the race well fueled was non-negotiable. The race started on the beach where we ran about 2kms before climbing up a undulating gravel path then dropping back down onto the beach for a large 15km stretch on the sand. I was so pleased to feel the hard packed sand under my shoes, which was the kindest sand I had ever run on. Beth, Shona and I ran side by side during this first section and we were ticking along at a pretty reasonable pace considering we had 90km to go! They didn’t speak to me at all during the first hour, and I think they were a bit surprised that I was going out as fast as I was. My legs felt great and my breathing was calm so I continued to enjoy the speed while I had it in me. Shona and I pulled away from Beth and passed through the first CP at 10km together. We exchanged a few words and I then made the most of a slight downhill section and pulled away from her. I couldn’t believe that I was now ahead of both Beth and Shona. It was early days I thought to myself and before I knew it they had both caught back up on the long stretch of beach that lead to CP2 at 21km. As I ran into the checkpoint I was running in 3^rd but not far behind them as Aaron made sure to tell me. He cut the corner off a glad bag of vanilla creamed rice and I squirted it into my mouth like one of those icing bags used to decorate cakes with. This method I learnt from my famous cousins Glen and Braden Currie who are elite multi-sporters. Shortly after I left CP2, I passed Beth as she took a toilet stop. What I didn’t expect was that I wouldn’t see Beth again. As the track undulated along the cliff tops I quickly caught up with Shona. My legs felt good so I pushed on to take the lead. From then on I pretty much ran by myself until about 55km. I started to feel a sharp pain in the side of my knee which I was hoping would not happen during this race. It’s an injury called ITB friction syndrome that plays up for me anywhere between 50-80km on long runs. As the pain got worse I started to get my limp on which slowed my pace down.

I took an ibuprofen tablet which I had stashed in my pack for this exact situation. I thought it was only a matter of time before the other ladies caught me. A couple of men caught up on me and let me know that there was a girl in red not far behind. As I looked over my shoulder Lucy Bartholomew was slowly approaching. At the time I had no idea who this girl was and where she had come from, but what I did notice was that she looked determined. Leading into CP6 at 77km there was a technical rocky downhill section which brightened my spirits and at the same time the ibuprofen started to do its job on my knee. I felt like I was running again! I made the most of the downhill and pushed the pace. When I got to CP6 I had made a 6 minute lead on Lucy.

1st place and a new course record of 9hr33.

For the last 20km of the race, I had the win set in my mind and focused on keeping a steady pace all the way to the end. I was dreading the final beach section as I had heard that the sand can be rather soft, but to my delight it was actually pretty hard packed. As I approached the finish line I could see Aaron in the distance on the beach. As I got closer he started to make a move and attempted to run up the beach to catch a photo/video of me coming across the line. Aaron doesn’t run much, so it was pretty funny as I started to gain on him and I was worried he wasn’t going to make it to the finish before me. Luckily he did and he got a very cool video as he was shaking with excitement.

Winning the Surf Coast Century was my biggest trail running achievement so far. I am often amongst the top ladies, but this was my first big win in the ultra-running scene. Setting a new course record put the icing on the cake for me and made the trip over to Aussie very worthwhile. I just might have to go back next year now.

FULL RESULTS HERE

Whitney winning the 2012 Routeburn Classic in record time

Whitney Dagg is not only one of New Zealand’s top trail runners, she also knows how to eat. With a Bachelor of Applied Science in Sport and Exercise Nutrition and a Diploma in Human Nutrition, and a string of wins and course records to her name, she is the perfect person to give some nutritional advice for your next backcountry running adventure or race!

“Refuel Your Tank and Recover” is the third in a 3 part piece on nutrition (“Fuel Your Tank” HERE and “Eat Your Way to the Podium”). If you want more advice on your nutrition need you can contact Whitney , is part of the Exponential Performance Coaching team, directly- details below.

Refuel Your Tank and Recover

Immediately after your race or hard training run is the best time to make the most of recovery foods and fluids. Plan to have something at the finish line that contains both carbohydrate and protein. Within 15-30 minutes of finishing a run is when your body is running at full capacity to process the foods and fluids that allow you to recover.

When it comes to recovery, remember the three R’s: Refuel, Rehydrate and Repair

Refuel

By eating food or drinking fluid that contains carbohydrate, you are replenishing the fuel source contained in your muscles. Your muscles run on glycogen, which is made available when you digest carbohydrate. If you don’t refuel adequately, you will take much longer to recover and will feel tired and sluggish on your next run. The best choice of carbohydrate foods for recovery are those which are easily digested such as, white bread, sports drink, honey, ripe bananas, fruit buns, scones. These foods are described as having a high glycaemic index (high GI). Low GI foods are less appropriate for recovery as they take longer to digest such as, wholegrain breads and cereals, wholegrain muesli bars, and high fat foods.

Rehydrate

Most runners are aware that when you sweat you lose body water which is detrimental to your performance. It means that your heart has to work harder to get blood and oxygen to your muscles. Even though you will most likely take on fluid during the race, you will finish in a dehydrated state and will need to replace fluid losses. Sports drinks are great for rehydrating as they contain electrolytes, such as sodium, which aid fluid to be absorbed in your gut. A great way to work out how much fluid you need to rehydrate is to weigh yourself before and after the race on the same set of scales. The weight you lose is equal to the amount of fluid lost. Then plan to drink one and a half times the amount of weight you have lost to rehydrate.

Repair

Our body becomes damaged when we run, and the subsequent repair following running is what makes us stronger. You need to give your muscles and energy systems the building blocks it requires to become stronger. This is where consuming protein foods after running becomes essential. Protein foods are broken down and used all over our body to repair and replenish tissues. Protein shakes are easy and practical, but can become expensive; therefore foods that contain protein, such as lean meat, low fat dairy products, nuts and seeds are also good options.

Whitney Dagg

“Eat Your Way to the Podium” is the second in a 3 part piece on nutrition (“Fuel Your Tank” HERE). If you want more advice on your nutrition need you can contact Whitney , is part of the Exponential Performance Coaching team, directly- details below.

Whitney winning the 2012 Routeburn Classic in record time

Eat Your Way to the Podium

We all know how important nutrition becomes during a long race. Having a plan in place that you know works for you enables you to race to your full potential, and may even give you an advantage over your competition.

Food is not only fuel for your working muscles, but it also fuels your mind, and in the latter stages of the race, those technical trails can seem to use more of your brain than you thought possible. Food should become the highlight of your day, and an incentive to get to the next aid station, not a chore that you dread as you force your dry muesli bar down with a gulp of sports drink. You need to be prepared to accept changes in likes and dislikes as your race unfolds. It is common for your favourite foods to become suddenly undesirable, and that’s when having a variety of options becomes extremely important. For longer races, make sure you have pre-educated your support crew on your nutrition plan. Make sure they know what foods to have available if your preferences change.

How much to eat

A general guideline is to aim for 60-90g of carbohydrate per hour. If you are a smaller, lighter runner, you will require 60-70g/hour, and if you are taller or larger you will require 80-90g/hour. The amount of carbohydrate that you can tolerate is very individual, and some smaller athletes can tolerate larger amounts. You need to decide on regular intervals that you will eat. It’s better to eat smaller amounts often; therefore it is a good idea to eat every 30-45mins rather than every hour.

Race Food Criteria

- High in carbohydrate

- Have a high glycaemic index

- Low in fat

- Easily digested

- Practical

We all know about carbohydrate gels, but here are some tasty runner friendly options to add variety to your race nutrition…

Carbohydrate snacks and grams of available carbohydrate

• 1 large banana = 30g
• 15 dried apricot halves = 25g
• 1 jam sandwich with white bread (1 tbsp of berry jam)  = 38g
• 1 honey sandwich with white bread (1/2 tbsp honey) = 35g
• 1 crumpet with ½ tbsp of honey = 22.6g (1 tbsp of honey = 16.7g of carbohydrate)
• 1 slice of banana loaf (low fat recipe) = (1 slice (9.5 x 6.5 x 2.5cm) = 40g
• 150g low fat creamed rice = 25g
• 1 baked potato (90g) = 17.5g
• 3 fruit filled biscuits = 30g – read food label and try to find one that is low in fat.
• Apricot fruit leather (40g) = 23g
• Crystallised ginger chunks (28g) = 26g
• Low fat soft cereal bar (40g) = 28g
• Rice bubble bar (LCM) (22g) = 17g

Don’t forget that if you are using a sports drink that contains carbohydrate, it will contribute to your total carbohydrate intake per hour. Always have at least 150-200ml of fluid eat time you eat to aid absorption of carbohydrate into your bloodstream.

Remember never try anything new on race day. Make sure that you have experimented with foods during training.

Whitney Dagg

Whitney during TNF100km in Australia

“Fuel Your Tank” is the first in a 3 part piece on nutrition. If you want more advice on your nutrition need you can contact Whitney , is part of the Exponential Performance Coaching team, directly- details below.

Pre- Fuel Your Tank

Breakfast on race day must be chosen wisely in order to adequately pre fuel your body for the intense session to come. The role of the pre event meal is to top up liver and muscle glycogen stores (energy stores).  It is common to feel nervous before a race; therefore choosing foods which do not upset your stomach can become very important. As your stomach gets moved around a lot while you are running, making sure that your pre-race meal is well settled is also important to consider.

Race Day Breakfast Criteria  

• High in carbohydrate
• Low in fat
• Moderate in protein
• Provide adequate fluid
• Low in fibre
• Easily digested
• Practiced in training (familiar)
• 2-4 hours before your race

Carbohydrate: 1-4g/kg of body mass consumed 2-4 hours before the race start. For a 70kg athlete this is 70-280g of carbohydrate. Aiming for the upper end of the scale is much better, however if you struggle to tolerate a large quantity of food before your race, I would suggest having a smaller breakfast and then having a small snack 1 hour before your race.

Fat: slows down digestion and should be avoided completely before an event. It can also cause stomach upsets during the race. If your pre-race meal contains fat, make sure it is a very small quantity.

Protein: also slows down digestion of carbohydrate, therefore reducing the amount of energy stored in your muscles.  Protein is not used as an energy source for our muscles; however it is used to repair damaged tissue. Therefore, after the race is where protein plays its role.

Fluid: starting your race completely hydrated is important. Most athletes have a high sweat rate during a race due to the increased intensity, and despite drinking regularly, often become dehydrated as the race progresses. If you start dehydrated, then your performance is already compromised, adding to the inevitable performance loss from dehydration. Sipping away at a chilled bottle of sports drink as soon as you wake up, drinking at regular intervals before the race start is a great way to make sure you start fully hydrated.

Fibre: Avoiding too much fibre before your race can prevent bloating, diarrhoea and stomach discomfort. As with fat and protein, fibre is digested slowly, therefore is not a great option before your race. Foods high in fibre include wholegrain breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables, particularly with the skin on. Experiment with different foods before race day as tolerance is very individual.

Some Suggestions

• Plain, low fibre breakfast cereal (rice bubbles, corn flakes) with low fat milk and fruit
• Porridge with low fat milk, banana, and brown sugar
• Creamed rice made with low fat milk served with tinned fruit
• Spaghetti on white toast
• White toast with honey and banana
• Pancakes with maple syrup, honey or golden syrup

Read food labels to work out how much carbohydrate is contained in your pre-race meal. Always experiment in training first!

Whitney Dagg