I’m leaving today for my week-long training camp in Vålådalen. I will be living and training up there courtesy of my sponsor Dynafit.  The week looks something like this:

Saturday (kayak 12 km across Ottsjön in time for the start of the AXA Half Marathon  at 10.00; run 21 km to Vålådalen)

Sunday (Recovery run on Ottfjäll to pick up trash from the aid stations, 1.5 hrs)

Monday (Bike on Vålådalens awesome single track, 3 hrs)

Tuesday (Paddle 2.5 hrs)

Wednesday (Run Ottfjället Upp Race – 6 km and 600 m straight up hill)

Thursday (Brick: Paddle and long road bike ride)

Friday (rest day)

Saturday (Run AXA Fjällmarathon race, 40 km)

 

Nutrition Tips

Here come a few rules of thumb to keep the energy up for the mountain marathons:

–   Carbs are king. Even if you like high fat-low carb, don’t do anything stupid on race day. Carbs are the quickest source of energy and exactly what you need during a 2-3 hr intense race. 1 g carb per kg of body weight per hour is a good rule. I’m somewhere around 75 g carbs, or about 2-3 of these per hour.

 

 

–   You can try and take more carbs per hour, but your body won’t absorb it, so save your money on the gels. We usually have the other problem: If you go ”too hard too early” you not only burn more than you can absorb (creating a calorie deficit), but you often experience stomach problems. This worsens the calorie deficit because you eat even less and the deficit gets bigger (Note there is nothing wrong with a deficit– if you go hard for several hours you expect to burn more than you take in – that’s one reason you weigh less after the race!). The bottom line: make eating easy. For example, I usually tape gels on my backpack strap.

 

Or try using a gel belt. My sponsor Squeezy makes these gel belts, which I will be using on Saturday.

 
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–   Liquid. The basic rule is a liter per hour. A little more if it’s hot or you sweat a lot; a little less if you are small and sweat less. But be reasonable and don’t overdrink. Lots of research is now showing that athletes go overboard in hydration. Don’t drown yourself in water the night before. Drink enough to quench your thirst. I usually drink a little extra orange juice or sports drink the night before (liquid carbs are easier to absorb).

–   Not just liquid. Be sure to take electrolytes. I usually use salt tablets or sports drink.  I just got some tips about a new product from Norway called Crampfix. I got a free sample in the mail and am going to try it this weekend.

–   Drink gels. Many companies produce “drink gels” that provide both carbs and liquid for racing on hot days. I’ll be running with 2 Squeezy drink gels (45 carbs each) on Saturday, given the warm temps.

 

–   Last but not least — Make it every 20 minutes !  The most common mistake is people get lazy or wait too long to eat and drink. Over a long race you should be eating and drinking every 20 min. Some elite athletes can go 45 min, but that’s because they’re not on the course as long and their bodies are well adapted.

If you want to learn more, come to my presentation in Vålådalen on August 9th.  It’s at 17.00, an hour before the pasta buffet in prep for the full 40 km marathon the next day. Read more here.  A little sneak preview below …

 

I was flipping through Outside magazine last night (#4 2013) and recognized my car. The Subaru EV that JemtBil has set me up with this summer.

 

Great car for multisport: high clearance (22 cm instead of 15), good fuel economy, and AWD. I don’t know much about engines, but apparently this “Boxer motor” is pretty unique – it’s only found in a Porch or a Subaru. Classy, hey?

But I like it because it’s good looking with gear loaded on it — Thanks for this nice pic Sven Åke Nordenmark !

Train hard and I’ll see ya on Ottfjäll !

Scott