By Chelsea Lea (Race the Sun participant and nutritionist)

Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or someone who just dusted off their trainers for a great cause, Race the Sun is a day you’ll never forget. It’s not about podiums or being the fastest; it’s a "dawn-to-dusk" mission where your only real competitor is the setting sun. You’ll see breathtaking scenery and make memories to last a lifetime.

I’ve stood on that start line twice - once in a heatwave at Cheddar Gorge, and another in Snowdon which took nearly double the time. And I’ve learned that the secret to crossing the line buzzing with pride, rather than a finish line crawl, is all in how you fuel. You don’t need to be an elite athlete to eat like one.

Nutrition is the fourth discipline of a triathlon. It’s the tool that keeps the smiles on your faces during the hike, the power in your legs for the bike, and the energy to celebrate together at the finish. Here is my supportive guide to arming your body, and your team, for a brilliant day out.

First things first, it’s not just what you eat on the day, or the day before. Successful fuelling starts seven days before the start line.

1. Hydration: Allows your body to function, perform and recover.

Exercising dehydrated puts an immense strain on your organs and invites heat exhaustion as your body struggles to regulate its temperature. It reduces VO2max and exercise capacity, leading to rapid exhaustion, and increased heart rate. Being just 5% dehydrated is considered severe, yet most of us commonly report we know we don’t drink enough. So how much should we aim for?

The numbers: 

1. Aim for 30-45ml of fluid per kg of body weight.
2. Add 500ml–1000ml for every hour of exercise (aim high if you’re a heavy sweater!).

• The mix: Use a combination of water and electrolytes whilst training and especially on the day of the event.
• The test: Check your pee. Your pee should be pale straw colour. If it’s dark, keep sipping. If it’s clear, go steady. You can overhydrate too.
• Race morning: Drink at least 500ml in small sips before you set off.
• START NOW!: Don’t wait until race day to double your intake, and don’t gulp down a pint at a time, as your bladder will not thank you. Start upping your intake as soon as possible, so your body can adapt and be primed for the event.

2. Carbohydrates: Your best friend

Adequate carbs are essential for effective training and will make all the difference to your training and performance on the day. Carbs are your body’s favourite tool for providing energy. Used correctly, they can be rocket fuel. Incorrectly and you’ll feel like a sloth.

Forget the night before pasta gorge. Instead, taper your carbs up over the week.

• Aim for a target of 4-5g per kg of body weight in the week leading up to the event. (More if you’re an experienced athlete). For a 70kg person, that’s about a 300-350g a day.

It’s no longer suggested to only carb load the night before or the morning of, due to the heaviness and sluggishness it can cause. Instead, it is suggested that carbs are increased over the week commencing the event, building up gradually to avoid gastric distress. This increases glycogen stores in the muscles and liver, which is effective because it ensures you have a full 'fuel tank' to draw from before you even hit the start line. 

Don’t panic if this seems like a lot to think about. Making small incremental changes are going to have a positive impact, whether you’re hitting the target perfectly or not. You can start with additions or swaps. 

Try these extras: 

• An extra tablespoon of oats to your morning porridge.
• Add granola to your greek yoghurt.
• Potatoes with your salad.
• An extra snack – banana/rice cakes.
• Add a side of garlic bread with dinner.

Alternatively, make simple carb-heavy swaps to your existing meals.

• Choose rice over a side salad
• Porridge instead of greek yoghurt

These small tweaks build up your glycogen stores (your internal battery) without the "heavy" feeling of a massive pasta gorge, ensuring you wake up on race morning fuelled and ready to go.

3. The race day gut protocol

On the day, we want fast fuel. Avoid high fibre, high protein, and high fat, as these slow down digestion, forcing your body to divert blood to your stomach instead of your legs.

• Optimal combo: Carbs. Carbs. Carbs. Breakfast should be a carb-based meal. Avoiding wholegrains, aim for white starchy carbs, ideally paired with more carbs/sugars. Example: A white bagel with banana and honey provides three different types of energy (tri-carb) that hit your bloodstream at different times. 

 The timing strategy

• 2–4 hours before (if you’re up early enough): A light, balanced meal – think protein oats or eggs on toast.
• 1–2 hours before: Top up with quick carbs. Jam on toast, hot cross buns, crumpets with honey and banana, or even a bowl of Coco Pops!
• 20–45 minutes before: The final boost. Handful of sweets, medjool dates, banana, or an energy gel.
• During: 30-60g of carbs every 40-60 minutes is recommended to keep those energy crashes at bay. Think quick digesting, we don’t want a fully tummy whilst riding. Energy drinks, sweets, gels. (All sweet packets will detail on the back how many sweets per g of carbs).

Not got a sweet tooth? Try marmite (excellent source of B vitamins and sodium) or marmalade on crumpets.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Caffeine overload: Don't surpass your usual intake.
• The ’Bonk’: Don't wait for the stations! Plan to take in 30g–60g of carbs every 40–60 minutes.
• The team fuel check: You’re only as fast as your slowest teammate. Check in on each other! If a teammate gets quiet or grumpy, they’ve likely 'bonked.' Hand them a jelly baby or a sip of your electrolyte drink–it’s amazing what a little sugar can do for team morale.
• The period factor: In the Luteal phase (the week before your period), your core temperature is higher, you burn more glycogen and your ability to access stored carbs is slightly impaired. You need more water and more carbohydrates than usual. Check your diary to see where the event falls in your cycle/training and ensure you support your body effectively.
• Anxiety stomach: Too nervous to eat? Don't skip fuel. Use a carb powder in your water bottle to drink your energy instead.(I do this).
• Too much fibre: Avoid gastric distress by keeping fibre low before and during the event. Bananas, dried mango and medjool dates are excellent sources of carbohydrates and electrolytes, but don’t overdo it here. Especially if you wouldn’t usually eat these.
• Too much fat: Avoid the bacon sarnies, avocado on toast, full fat dairy, curry the night before.
• Too much protein: Protein is an essential nutrient to our diet but keep it for the post work out meal. It’s not going to help mid-race.
• Using gels for the first time: Ensure you practise this protocol before the event, trying anything new on the day is not advisable as your stomach may not agree with it, especially when you are under stress. You can try this on a casual cycle/run or simply take a few sips across the course of a day.

I hope that this information helps you to feel fuelled and ready for the challenge ahead. I’ll see you on the start line!

Chelsea Lea Nutrition - chelsealeanutrition.com