Eating Like a Kenyan

Triathlon Forum
1

Lately, I’ve been trialing not eating any westernised sports drinks, shakes or processed foods.

However, I’m training for a marathon which I aim to complete in around 3.5 hours. I’m struggling to find a solution on what to eat DURING my long runs. Eating before and after them is fine.

During long bike rides, I eat home made rice cakes, bananas, etc so this is fine. I can’t carry these round with me on long runs however because they are too heavy to carry on marathon day for 3+ hours.

So question is, during long training runs for Kenyan athletes or athletes from non westernised countries, what do they drink or eat mid run for a run lasting 2+hours? I see elite athletes have their own drink bottles at aid stations during big marathon events, so what do the Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes have in their drink bottles?

Example here but these are all USA based athletes: http://www.runnersworld.com/photos/what-elites-drink-midrun

This is a typical Kenyan diet http://runnersconnect.net/running-nutrition-articles/diet-of-kenyan-runners/

2

I don’t know, but usually training and racing are dietary exceptions. I would assume the athletes you’re referring to have “sports drinks” of some sort in their drink bottles, but that they have a preferred brand or custom mix.

3

Practice consuming 2:1 glucose to fructose 60-90g/hr so you can tolerate it during race day.

Can’t tolerate fructose? Use maltodextrin at the same dose.

4

Check out the Feed Zone Portables. Might find something in there you can utilize.

http://feedzonecookbook.com/portables/

5

I am shocked no one has said this yet so I will post the dickish comment for fun…
Well if you want to eat like a Kenyan on your long runs bring water because they run their marathons in a bit over two hours and don’t need to do much refueling!

But in all honesty I tried to do some normal eating on workouts this year when I switched to Osmo nutrition and for the bike rides rice cakes and other solid foods worked but I really don’t like taking “real” food for long runs but I would take chews and stuff so it wasn’t just gels. Another option might be maltodextrin if you’re worried about getting calories but not wanting to have gels. You can mix a high calorie mix. But other than that I am not sure what else they take on long runs. Just find what works for you and you’re good to go!

6

While I understand what you’re trying to do, I think you’d find that they actually sell Gatorade in Eldoret. It’s not like those guys live in a mud hut and only eat millet.

7

Kenyans eat a lot of sugar and carbs:
http://runnersconnect.net/running-nutrition-articles/diet-of-kenyan-runners/

their staple food, Ugali, is arguably processed.
But processed means something different every time someone says it.

8

I often eat dates on long runs. Sugary, calorie dense, bite-sized, cheap.

9

I often eat dates on long runs. Sugary, calorie dense, bite-sized, cheap.

This could be so wrong if you meant a different kind of date.

10

Sushi, rice balls, watermelon,
.

11

honey, eat honey…

Simple… tasty… Cheap… And very “real”.

12

While I understand what you’re trying to do, I think you’d find that they actually sell Gatorade in Eldoret. It’s not like those guys live in a mud hut and only eat millet.

No, that’s what North Americans do, just sans mud hut.

13

I often eat dates on long runs. Sugary, calorie dense, bite-sized, cheap.
This could be so wrong if you meant a different kind of date.

I had a good laugh at this. Mostly the idea that I’d bring a real human date on a long run in the first place…