Shamrock 15k - Nutrition Edition

For those who are interested, here's how I "fueled the furnace" for the Shamrock 15k in Portland.


Pre-race Dinner - Hopworks Brewery
Pint O Pretzels (shared)
Brewer's Burger w/ Cheddar
Green Salad
Velvet ESB

Pre-race Breakfast - On the go
1/2 cup of coffee
banana
slice of Dave's Killer Bread (Good Seed)
packet of Justin's Nut Butter (Peanut Butter & Honey)
Ginger Chew

During the race
Water at every aid station
Montana Huckleberry Hammer Gel at mile 3 aid station
Bacon at mile 8 aid station

Post-race (immediate)
Water
Widmer Hefeweizen
I passed on the salmon chowder :-/
*There were NO post-race snacks (pretzels, bananas, bagels, oranges) at the finish line. Had I known this I would have tossed something into my bag. Oops!

Post-race (brunch) - J & M Cafe
Coffee
More Coffee
Eggs Benedict
Homefries
*Yup. I ate the whole thing!!

Thoughts, Lessons Learned

Well, I still don't like gels. I know it's the best way to get fuel during a race and I can do it but... bleck. They are such a sticky mess and an unpleasant texture. I bought some Clif Shot BLOKS (citrus and cran-razz flavors) and Cytomax Energy Drops (orange + tangerine variety) to try during my next long run.

I'm all for walking through aid stations and sipping water. They are such a mob scene anyways, I think I'd hurt someone if I tried to run through. Don't forget to thank those volunteers!!

I was so happy for the bacon at mile 8! It was two guys - one manning a grill and the other handing out big strips of bacon. Not to sound ungrateful, but I think half a strip would have been sufficient. Good thing I was near the finish!

The ginger chew was a first for me. I got some a while back when I was having some tummy troubles. Since I usually get a nervous stomach on race days I ate one while we were on the MAX. It helped a lot, for me.

I didn't get ANY post race nutrition because there wasn't anything provided - just chowdah and beer, and the lines were REALLY long. I need to toss an orange or a LUNA bar into my backpack from now on to be better prepared.