Training & Recovery Food In A Pinch – The Local Gas Mart??
It's happened to all of us athletes. We have a sound nutrition plan. We bring just the right about of carbohydrate gel, water and sat tabs along for our long training ride, or run. If we're driving to our start point, we've got out homebrew, packed on ice, waiting for us so that we can replace valuable fluid, calories and electrolytes immediately post workout.
Then we get a puncture in our tire, the spare we've brought blows and what would've been a quick 3 minute pit stop turns into an extra 30+ minute ordeal. Or, our running buddy rolls an ankle and the three hour run turns into a two hour run, with two hours of hobbling back to the car.
Under these circumstances, the clock is still ticking, the body's still working, but you've only got enough calories to support the originally planned duration.
What do you do?
Gas Station!
NO- I'm not going to tell you to stock up on candy bars and corn-syrup based drinks, BUT I will tell you that, in a pinch, I've found suitable, PALEO options in the gas station on the side of a country road!
-Bananas & oranges are great options. Lower in fibre and higher on the glycemic chart than other fruits, they'll help to keep the tank full!
-For longer rides, you may want to opt for packaged, sliced turkey (recognizing that you may not get your normal organic variety, it's still worth investigating as it's a better call than a hydrogenated peanut bar!), or even hard boiled eggs, both of which I have found in said convenience stores.
-Dried fruit- just a little so as not to overdo the fibre; raisins are a great idea as they're extremely alkaline and help the body's pH get back to it's ideal from the acidic pH it may've gotten into while training
-Diluted natural apple juice- mixed with your water- a good steady source of quick carbohydrate
-Handful of salted nuts- again, for longer sessions, a bit of fat is indicated- go with almonds or cashews and make sure they're NOT roasted in peanut oil.
-Lara Bars or Clif's Nectar Bars (with the exception of a peanut variety here or there) are also good, paleo friendly options.
Be sure to stock up on water while you're there, and then head home to your homebrew, which you will need more than ever after the diversion!
