BY DEAN KARNAZES
Good judgement comes from experience, oftentimes bad experience. In my three decades as an endurance athlete, I’ve certainly made my share of costly blunders. I’ve distilled these gaffes into three straightforward lessons that can help you avoid my same mistakes.
1) All Calories Are Not Created Equal
In my first book, Ultramarathon Man, I described the time I ran a 200-mile twelve-person relay race, solo. The year was 1995, and 200-mile footraces didn’t exist back then. As evening arrived on the first day of all-night running, I found myself on a rural stretch of highway through the countryside, completely depleted of food and without a 7-Eleven for miles in any direction. So, I did what any enterprising hungry lad would do, I used my new cellphone to order a pizza (delivered roadside!). I remember rolling it into a big “pizzarito” and devouring the whole thing as I shuffled along.
I’ve since learned that the simple notion of “calories in, calories out” and that “calories are calories no matter where they come from” is imprecise, shortsighted, and just flat-out wrong. The quality of the calories being consumed will ALWAYS make a massive difference. That’s why instead of fueling with pizza, nowadays I use Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem, HEED and Sustained Energy for more precise and effective nutrition.
2) Carbo Loading is a Crock
I was the keynote speaker at the 2005 NYC Marathon pre-race pasta feed. The event was well-attended with thousands of runners listening to my speech as they gorged on pasta and bread, with a hardy serving of chocolate cake for dessert. After I finished the talk, I joined in and did the same. The next morning, I remember standing on the starting line feeling bloated and overstuffed. The entire race all I could sense was this lump of pasta fomenting in my swollen belly.
I now take a more sensible approach and don’t alter my pre-race nutrition much from my everyday diet. I do, however, make sure my vitamin and mineral intake is exceeding the minimal standard “daily value” amounts. For this, I rely on Hammer Nutrition Premium Insurance Caps, Essential Mg and EnDuro D. That way when I’m standing on the starting line, I feel spry and ready for the challenge ahead.
For more, see "The Perils of Loading"
3) Too Many Calories Can be as Bad as Not Enough Calories
Fellow Hammer Nutrition columnist, Steve Born, and I were part of a race series that included distances from a fifty-miler down to a 5K. We used to marvel at the racers in the 5K with hip-belts loaded with gels. These athletes were running a 5-kilometer race (3.1 miles) and they had ten or twelve gels strapped to their waistside (and would finish with only wrappers). People, you don’t need that many calories to get through a 5K race! For precise race nutrition guidelines, I turn to Hammer Nutrition’s HOW TO FUEL GUIDES. They are available online and cover a host of sporting activities, from ultrarunning to Pickleball. And while you’re online, you the ability to click a button to speak to a Live Nutritional Consultant at any time.
For more, see "Minimum Calories Per Hour (MCPH)"
I hope by avoiding these mistakes I’ve made over the years you can fuel more efficiently and effectively, and I wish you strength and endurance for the long run.
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Dean Karnazes is an ultramarathoner and Hammer Nutrition global athlete. He is a NY Times bestselling author and recipient of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Lifetime Achievement Award. Learn more about Dean at: Dean Karnazes Keeps Hammering
