Very good, Runneantes!!!:
This is not a sermon, but a denunciation and constructive criticism, because it is about correcting mistakes and improving. I'll talk about how a celiac runner manages the refreshments in race. Of course, all based on my (short) experience.
We celiacs are very aware of our disease and as we know that our health is at stake whenever we travel, we leave home with a"basic survival kit" that my colleague from the Asociación Navarra Sin Gluten-GGN Elkartea, Helena Osés, has posted on her blog.
Going to a race is almost a "trip" for those of us who suffer from this disease because we never know what we are going to find at the refreshment posts or in the race bag .... so as we are very cautious, we carry in our backpack our kit for celiac runners (nuts, fruit, bars and / or homemade cookies, chocolate ...). Yes, you read that right...homemade bars and cookies! Soon, I'll pass you the recipe! ;-).
In popular races, there are different types of refreshments:
- Liquids: Water and isotonic recovery drinks.
- Semi-solid: Gels or jellies.
- Solids: Bars, fruits, gummies or nuts. In the fruit section we highlight the banana and orange for their content in carbohydrates and vitamin C.
The danger of cross-contamination for the celiac runner
As celiacs, we have to be very careful with the gels/gelatins that we find both in the race and at the finish line, as they may have gluten among their ingredients and especially with cross-contamination. Therefore, we must ensure that these fruits are cut with a clean knife and on a surface without traces of any product with gluten... so our safest option is always to choose the piece of fruit that is unpeeled! In the races I have been to where the fruit was already cut (Behobia, Arnedillo, EDP San Fermín Maratón...) I only had to tell my "problem" and the ladies behind the tables very kindly brought me the whole piece of fruit.
What we find in these refreshment posts will be determined by weather conditions and the place where the race takes place. The type of race will also have an influence. It is not the same running in summer than in winter, it is not the same a 10k distance than a 42k ... or running in Barcelona or Pamplona.
I remember that before doing my first Behobia San Sebastian everyone warned me that in 2015 it had been a very hot race and the liquid stocks had been exhausted. So, that's where the organization plays a key role and must be proactive so that the last athletes do not run out of that provisioning.
In short races of 5k, the refreshment, of course, is only at the end.
But when we move on to a distance of 10k, things change. At that distance, there is usually a liquid refreshment at km 5 or km 6, but as Pedro, my partner at Peralta Atletico says, "if you are well prepared, well hydrated, in a 10k race you don't have to stop to drink".
In half marathons and marathons, there are usually between 2 and 7 refreshment points. When preparing for a race of these characteristics, we must keep in mind where these points are located, to take them as a point of reference when controlling the times and our strength! A "study" of the race profile will also help us.
Ideal refreshment points to replenish energy during the race
We must keep in mind that the ideal refreshment is one that helps us to replenish electrolytes and mineral salts that we lose during the race, as well as replenish energy through carbohydrates and / or proteins, in addition to refreshing us with water. Generally, in all races there are isotonic drinks that give that energy and help us to replenish salts, but we must be careful because it is not the time to try things that we have not tried before, since that concentration of sugars can cause gastrointestinal discomfort (in my case ... with how delicate my stomach is I do not play). So the first rule to successfully face a race will be:
Don't try anything in the race that you haven't tried before.
In races, liquid refreshments are available in small bottles without caps, semi unscrewed caps, paper cups and even sponges (I haven't seen these yet, but I've heard that they are very comfortable). Drinking on the run requires technique, believe me...at my 2018 Behobia I didn't manage to drink anything, just get soaked! So I advise you to practice!!!
Arriving at the finish line, and collecting the runner's bags...more of the same. Although many organizers are starting to become aware of the problem, there is still a long way to go. I understand that you can not have "happy" to all runners who have intolerances, I also understand that you have to economize on these bags in chocolate, bars and others ... but it would not hurt to include gluten-free options in the runner's bag. There are some. It is a matter of adjusting a little more, simply that.
I'll give you several examples:
- In the Luciérnagas 2018, after the night 12k, there was a re-dinner in the esplanade of the bullring of Funes...well, there were only normal sandwiches...but for this edition of next May 18 they have put the batteries and there will be gluten-free options!!!! Yuju!!! (You can tell I'm in the organization? ;-) . Do you want to see how cool the course is? Here you have the link to the official video of Las Luciérnagas de Peñalen.
- In the Plantío de San Adrián in November, we had our casserole full of GLUTEN FREE hot chocolate.
- In a march that took place in Cintruenigo (another town on the riverbank), at the end...we had "our corner".
- In the Zaragoza Half Marathon on March 10: they gave out chocolate Donuts...you can imagine my face when I asked the girl if there was a gluten-free option and she answered me with a strange face "no, we don't have any of those! My face of astonishment and anger (I'm not going to deceive you) was huge. Even my partner of the #RunneaWomenTeam, Veronica Martin, got mad at me! My kit had better have prepared me a sponge cake with almond flour with chocolate chips of those that lift one in the air!!!!
You might be interested in: Recipe of sweet potato sponge cake gluten free.
But more important than drinking fluids, bars, gels and / or salts, is that our diet should be as healthy and balanced as possible.
Here I gave you some ideas of healthy breakfasts and/or gluten-free foods that you can include in your diet as Runneantes. It is no longer just about doing it with the aim of facing a race, we must take care of our body every day; If something has taught me my celiac disease (and all the consequences of late diagnosis) is that we are what we eat. And our children learn by imitation, so we are their best example. We take care of ourselves, and we take care of them...even if they grumble when we offer them our healthier choices!
Right Samuel? ;-)
