One of the great things about teaching sports nutrition is that most of my students are physically active, and some are even competitive athletes. This enables them to put their education to practice – almost as though their activities are learning laboratories where they can implement the theories and recommendations they’ve heard in the classroom.
One student, Anthony Wind, recently competed and came in first in the North Face Endurance Challenge, a 50 mile race in Washington DC. I invite you to share our conversation.
When did you first compete in an ultra-endurance event?
Anthony: I first competed in an ultra endurance event back in the Fall of 2011 at the NYC Knickerbocker 60K in Central Park. It was all roads, and I wasn’t properly prepared, but wanted to test my endurance. I had run since I was 8 years old and had just started to realize that I enjoyed the longer bouts of sustained pace, but wasn’t knowledgeable enough to realize what it took to train for these. .
Was this before or after you started your education in nutrition?
Anthony: This was before the nutrition education. I realized the importance of nutrition for athletic performance after the 60K because I had not planned a fueling strategy for myself and remember feeling completely shot at the marathon point. I did finish 10th, but I honestly felt sick for a day afterwards and remembering telling myself that I wasn’t sure I’d ever attempt that again.
Did your fueling and hydration strategies change as you learned more? If so, how?
Anthony: Obviously yes, it has changed dramatically. After that first ultra, I started to read up on the strategies of fueling, as well as the science behind it to learn why I had felt so terribly, and what I could do better in the future. In the 60K, I raced thinking that healthy eating for performance meant consuming whole grain whole oat bars packed with nuts and almonds, along with only 150 calories worth of sports drink in one bottle! I was on a mission to kill myself, and didn’t know it.
After learning more from my own experiences, from my own reading, and from going to school for it, I have drastically changed my eating. I now focus on before, during and after stages of fueling, as well as train with numbers and guidelines in mind. I also focus on only simple carbohydrates when I am in the middle of a competition. During sport, eating for performance demands a different strategy than the typical healthy eating pattern.
Do you feel that your knowledge of sports nutrition has given you a competitive edge?
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Anthony: I do feel that it has provided an edge over much of the competition, and I say that even amongst athletes who are fairly knowledgeable, or at least very interested about nutrition. This is the case because many of the athletes have a basic understanding, or even a false understanding because of all the contradicting articles put out to the general public. In my case, I am able to study the primary research and compare different articles, as well as be fortunate to have an in depth understanding of how metabolism works at a very micro level. With all this being said, I have the resources to start with the guidelines as to how much of each macronutrient to consume, and then adjust depending on the day, the race, or even the individual if I am working with someone else.
So yes, I believe I do have an edge and hope to use it for my own performance, and then share the knowledge with other athletes who are passionate about their sport.
What key advice would you give to others attempting ultra-endurance events?
Anthony: Be consistent with training and fueling strategies, and understand that each training run is not only physical but is also setting you up for mental success. In order to succeed in racing and in life, it’s important to be mentally strong to endure through the hard times. In an ultra endurance race, there are points in the race when you physically just don’t feel like going on, especially when the other racers are feeling good and are breathing down your neck. So in order to get through those points, you need to trust yourself and know that you have built yourself not only a strong body, but a strong mind that can endure anything that gets in the path to the finish line.
Be prepared for a physical low point, and adjust accordingly by maintaining mental toughness.
How do you plan to use your degree in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology?
Anthony: As of now, I am trying to figure out the right path in nutrition to take. Currently I am working on something completely different. I am using my knowledge of nutrition to work with an international nutrition policy organization started by the United Nations called Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) to improve the health of malnourished nomadic people in Northern Kenya. Ideally, I would love to use my international work as a stepping stone and eventually work with professional or semi professional endurance athletes domestically and internationally, and maybe even pursue sports diplomacy. I would like to be a part of the research team that works with ultra runners and their nutrition, and possibly work towards my doctorate in this topic.
Additionally, I would like to compete as an athlete ambassador for a US or European based sports nutrition company and use my knowledge and experience to help possibly develop a new fueling product that is more easily utilized during the race in terms of ease of access and ease of digestion, with the perfect amount of each macro and micronutrient based on the latest science.
One thing is for certain, I intend to continue training and racing with my knowledge of sports nutrition as leverage to help me succeed.