Below are the key things I would aim for and how I’d go about doing them.
Before you set off:
Have porridge before you begin running. It has a low Glycaemic Index, so it releases energy slowly. Eat with banana (mid-high GI) and honey (high GI). Ditch the egg and orange juice (too acidic).
During the ride:
Aim to consume 1g of carbohydrate a minute, so that the energy delivered to your body is consistent. Avoid the temptation to wolf down an energy bar or gel in one go, as that will lead to peaks and troughs.
A carbohydrate/protein drink with a ration of 4:1 or 5:1 achieves this incredibly well. I also find sucking on broken up jelly cubes at regular intervals provides a good, constant drip of energy (plus they're cheaper than energy gels).
The organic option is to eat bananas, which are a great source of energy – but, again, I wouldn't eat a whole banana in one go.
My 'pro's secret' is to drink a flat Coke towards the end of a ride. It will perk you up no end.
Hope that helps!
Enjoy,
James
Hi James In May I take on a Challenge of running seven marathons in seven days pushing mind and body to the limits. What I wanted to ask you is whether you run with your mind or by listening to your body. Is it different when you train and when you are on a challenge, or do you always use the same approach? Jason.
Hi Jason,
Good question. My old rowing coach used to say: “If your mind truly asks your legs for more they will give it.” I think he was right. There is more within each of us than we realise. The biggest difference between those that cross the line first is that they ask their body the tough questions and don’t take no for an answer.
I feel the best way of ensuring your body can answer those questions is to make sure elements of your training will be worse than the race or event your training for. That way, you'll develop a way to fight the doubt your mind creates, and the day itself will seem manageable.
Now, experiencing something worse than seven marathons in seven days is hard, but you can still teach your body to deal with physical stress by pushing yourself to extremes in a short space of time.
During the event, my advice would be not to let your mind look too far ahead. Certainly never beyond the next 10km. Break each day down into 4 x 10km and tick one off after the other. When you cross the line at the end of the day, enjoy the feeling of having completed a marathon, warm down, eat, drink, stretch, recover, and don’t let your mind think about what your body has to do the next day until the morning.
Your body will deliver, I guarantee it. Good luck – I would say enjoy it, but that would be ridiculous!
James
Have a question for James? Email askcracknell@telegraph.co.uk and we'll put it to him next week
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