City to Surf – What to Eat

There are now less four weeks to the City to Surf. How is your training going?

Less than 4 weeks to go now.

So far we’ve covered how to get started and training for Heartbreak Hill. Another important part of your preparation is what you eat before and after your training. Running is a fantastic way to shed some unwanted kilos – you can burn between 2,000 and 3,500 kilojoules (kJ) per hour, depending on a number of factors such as your weight, sex and pace.

Here are a few tips to get the most out of your training.

1. If you’re planning to train before breakfast, you need to eat some carbohydrates the night before. There’s been a lot written about carbohydrates but your body needs carbohydrates for energy, especially if you are training for the City to Surf. You can get away with a low-carbohydrate diet if you are sitting in front of a computer or TV all day, but not if you are exercising.
2. To stay hydrated, water is your best option. You don’t really need sports drinks, energy drinks, vitamin water, soft drinks or fruit juices, especially if you’re trying to watch your weight. A bottle of Powerade (600 ml) has around 800 kJ, Red Bull (250 ml can) has 500 kJ, Lucozade (300 ml bottle) has 880 kJ, Coke (375 ml can) has 680 kJ and Boost Juice (450 ml cup) has 545-880 kJ.
3. After your training session, you will need to re-hydrate your body. Weigh yourself before and after your session and for every kilogram of weight loss, drink that amount in litres as a minimum (1.5 times is optimal).
4. Some research has shown that combining carbohydrates with protein in the proportion of 4:1 (four grams of carbohydrate to one gram of protein) and within 30 minutes post exercise is critical to recovery and improves your ability to train consistently. Protein provides the amino acids needed to rebuild muscle tissue. Some quick and easy recovery snacks include: low fat chocolate milk; small tub of yoghurt; poached egg on wholegrain toast; peanut butter sandwich with wholegrain bread; sushi roll.

City to Surf Training

Whether you’re walking, jogging or running the City to Surf, hopefully you’re well into your training as there are now less than 6 weeks to go. As mentioned in our newsletter last month, interval training is one of the best ways to increase your fitness. Set yourself targets to achieve in each training session and train with a friend to make it easier to stay motivated.

Don't forget to train for Heartbreak Hill

For most people, the hardest part of the City to Surf is the 2 km ascent from Rose Bay to Vaucluse, otherwise known as “Heartbreak Hill”. To best prepare yourself for this, you should incorporate some hill training. If you’re training outdoors, choose a route with 1 or 2 challenging hills. If you’re training on a treadmill, set the incline at around 5%.

Don’t forget to take it easy when you’re starting off as hill training can be hard on your calf muscles. Then gradually build up to longer durations as you get fitter.