Fueling the Chase: wazzup with race nutrition?

As I am only a novice race rider, I have very little experience with race nutrition (gels, bars, liquid food and so on).

I rode the Stoneman Arduenna a couple of years ago and that I think was the only time I ate bars and used gels. The one memory that stands out from that trip is that my mates were obsessing over "getting a decent meal" at the end of each stage, while I was surprisingly content with these gels and bars. Who needs real food 😉? Well, the Cape Epic isn't two days in the Ardennes – it's a prologue and seven big stages, and my total lack of knowledge of and experience with race nutrition probably needs ''an upgrade''

What I do know

From what you read online, is that the recommendation for longer race is an intake of approx. 90 kcal per hour of racing. Conveniently, most gels provide around that amount of energy, while bars typically are more rich. I've also read many comments on the personal preference or even tolerance of the different items. The general mantra is to try things out before taking them to a big event, as not all gels and bars are tolerated equally.

Enter Amacx

So I went shopping and ordered packages from Amacx containing gels, bars, drinks, and protein supplements. Disclaimer: no, they're not a sponsor (yet). Did I reach out to them about ChasingCapeEpic? Of course I did 😄. Did they respond with enthusiasm about our massive following of 22 people? ....... Turns out our marketing appeal is roughly equivalent to a small classroom.

So, Why Amacx? Well, they were the easiest to find online and had decent reviews. Sometimes the simplest reason is the real reason.

My Testing Plan

Doesn't exist. Period. Next week, I'll be riding the Amerongen MTB Marathon. It's a yearly event, that mixes some of the Amerongen MTB trails with forest trails, that are normally off-limits for MTB. Plus it is my home town, and the first time I am actually here in the weekend it takes place. So I figured this will be my first test with some of the things I bought. I'll probably bring a gel of each flavor (citrus and orange) and maybe a bar. I may not need all of that, but hey, I want to try them out!

For Our 22 Devoted Followers

If you have experience with racing nutrition, or products that you personally like, please feel free to comment below, as I am curious to try out different things over the months to come. Physically preparing for Cape Epic is probably the biggest objective, but the devil is in the details, and nutrition might be one of them.

Looking forward to y'all sharing your experiences.
Until then, Keep Chasing!