Any thoughts on eating beef jerky on the Ironman bike? Or lean buffalo jerky? I was on a ride yesterday ran into market to get water and grabbed a stick of beef jerky…craving the protein and salt. Rode two more hours feeling satisfied and stomach felt fine in 60 min run i did right after the ride.
My only reservaton with this idea is digestion. If the stuff moves trhough your system- or doesn’t clog it up and cause bloating- no problem. Most beef jerky products are fairly processed which means they will digest readily. While processed foods traditionally aren’t a good idea nutritionally on a regular basis the rules go out the window during Ironman. If it works, you can tolerate it and you’ve tried it extensively in training then it is fair game.
There are nutritional drinks and foods provide those two in a more convinent way. Why not finish the race as fast as possible and enjoy a real food after the race? I have seen people using special needs bags. Of all those years I thought they were only for people who needs special items such as glasses, medication etc. I have seen cheeseburgers put into those!
It’s my secret weapon. I get tired of all the sweet stuff, and it’s a nice change of pace/taste. I typically pack a ziploc bag with smaller pieces of beef jerky and carry it along in my jersey. By about mile 75, I’m getting tired of bananas, bars and Gatorade and a little salt and protein is a welcome change. I generally eat a little later on as well. Gives my stomach some ‘real food’ to work on for a while. I do try to keep it to smaller portions, and don’t eat any past mile 100 on the bike - don’t want to eat it too close to the start of the run. As Tom suggested, if you practice with it on some long rides and it doesn’t cause any G.I. distress, then go with it. If I could figure out a way to make Pringles stand up to being stored in a jersey pocket, I’d be all over that as well.
While I can’t speak for the nutritional benefits on a ride, I can say that homemade beef jerkey a la Food Network’s Alton Brown is extremely easy and delicious - and no special machines required! For those that haven’t seen the episode, linky for the steps. You basically put brined meat on an air filter over a box fan and let it sit for a couple of hours. It sounds weird, but it dehydrates the meat perfectly and the blown air makes for a great jerky-incense type scent (but you can aim it out a window and miss out on all the fun). Try it!