#IMTX Race Day Nutrition

By Tim Monk

Memorial Hermann IRONMAN® Texas presented a unique opportunity for me personally both as a test of my training AND a test of Klean Athlete products over a long course race distance.

Being a part of the Klean Athlete family is an incredible opportunity and privilege, however, being a part of the management of a fast growing brand also requires a lot of time and work. I knew about the travel and other commitments when we launched but I was convinced it was an excellent way to mix passion for endurance sports with work! The result… was a 10:03, only 10 minutes off my best time ever from 2008. I found myself older, with less volume in the legs from less training time but still able to perform at a high level. I feel that the Klean products I took during my training played a big part in this. I stayed very consistent with what we consider The Foundation: Klean Multivitamin, Klean Probiotic, Klean Omega and Klean Isolate daily. In the weeks and days approaching IM Texas, the stress of travel and work was definitely there but I felt healthy and strong throughout my training cycle and rested and ready to go on Saturday.

Race day brought about a new challenge for me and that would be using our Klean Endurance and Klean Electrolytes over the course of an IRONMAN® race. My plan worked perfectly! I queued up with my NutriBullet breakfast of Klean Isolate, beets, orange, Garden of Life Chia and 2 bananas. A light but very filling breakfast that I knew would digest quickly.

Thirty minutes before the start, I took in 3 Klean Endurance and 1 Klean Electrolyte capsule with water. The swim was a great one for me (56:35) and by mile 12 on the bike I was back into my cycle of taking 2 Electrolytes an hour with water. Like many IRONMAN® Athletes, I find the on course sports drink is difficult to take, thus, I worked mostly with water and 2-3 Electrolytes every hour with my sugar coming from Bonk Breaker Bars and Honey Stinger chews.

At Mile 40 and 80, I took in 3 Klean Endurance tablets to help my body continue and push the pace, again washing them down with plain water. The bike finished well with a PR of 5:09 over the 112 miles.

During the run, I had no intention of drinking the on course beverage and stayed focused on water and cola. I made a point to bump up my Electrolyte intake at 3 – 5 capsules an hour. I’m pleased to report, I had no GI issues that seemed to effect me during my last IRONMAN®. The Klean Endurance came into play on each lap I chewed 2 tablets at the start of each loop, 6 total on the run. All in all, I had a good run split of 3:47. Not my fastest, but no issues with nutrition. By mile 15, you can’t help but notice the lack of long runs in your legs with only 9 hours a week of training. I will say however, that the Endurance chews helped keep my legs feeling strong and gave me confidence to keep pushing through the fatigue.

As a disclaimer, yes I do work here, and everyone is different. You have to find your own strategy on race day, but you should not be afraid to give our Electrolytes and Endurance a try during your next long training day. You just might like the results!

Finally, what an awesome day out on course. The entire week at the Expo in the IRONMAN® Village Presented by Klean Athlete was incredible. The whole IRONMAN® experience provides so much inspiration every time I race one.

Wherever your passion leads you this race season, we hope Klean Athlete can be part of your journey! If you haven’t yet, we welcome you to share your stories with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or by e-mail.

Stay Klean,

Tim