Cyclocross Racing - Feeling like Death after race

Maybe this should be moved to Training/Nutrition???

After the race when I am driving home, I feel like a horse kicked me in the stomach. I get really bad gas, really bad stomach pains, and well when I go to the bathroom, its not pretty, more liquid than solid.

This only happens after cross races. I've never felt like this after a hard road race or hard crit.

Yesterday driving home, it was so bad that I was going through hot/cold cycles, sweating and couldn't really see straight. i pulled off the road and took a nap for a hour before driving again.

I ate a bowl of oatmeal in the morning, a bagel/egg/bacon sandwich later in the morning, bagel w/ cream cheese 3 hrs before the race, gel, sport beans prior. Coke, water, snickers and bagel/creamcheese right after the race (I stopped at a bagel shop on the drive down so hence the 3 bagels).

Anything I can do prior or after the race? Not much I can do during. Its a pretty miserable drive home and several hours after.

Less food! And blander food! Avoid dairy.

After a race I'm ravenous and chow down on McDonalds. But I don't have the GI problems you are describing.

http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=ARTICLE&ARTICLE.ID=1279

The last time it happened before yesterday, I had a bowl of oatmeal in the morning and a sandwich 3 hrs prior. Same result. I don't think its volume of food.

If you're not feeling sick during the race, then maybe it's more about that coke, water, candy bar, and bagel with cream cheese that you're scarfing right afterwards. Grab a sport drink and spin your legs out a bit after the race. Stay bland with the food. I like pop tarts right after races or hard workouts. Or a PB & honey sandwich on white toast.

When I say I scarf on McDs, it's a couple of hours after the actual race, on the ride home.

I would try doing a recovery drink (chocolate milk) and waiting till your body is sufficiently cool before trying to take on a lot of calories.

beer and waffles.

It happens to me every once in a while too. I havn't been able to figure it out but you got to keep experimenting. I tend to eat very little on race day and I think that has helped for me.

i eat very little before my race, i try and eat a banana and half a bagel for breakfast and a clif bar and some water about an hour before the race itself, then afterwards i usually get some bbq from a vendor there.

i barely eat anything before a race. if i did, it'd be on public display &/or on someone's wheels.

I think it's the post race eating. I notice that after a really hard race I can't eat anything solid for about 1/2 an hour or more. It takes a few minutes to get that feeling and I just need to let my stomach unwind before I eat anything.

Its the protein, you are getting too much before the race. I would cut out the bacon and eggs and/or check the ingredients of your gel.

Oatmeal should be fine, or you may want to go with something as simple as bread and honey about an hour before the race, then a gel, non-protein. Some of us can handle more than others, but if you are having problems then keep it simple, keep it white. Boom eats "balls of bread" before races and drinks Coke's. The 1/2 hour after your race is the most important time to eat, and it should be a protein and carb based drink. Either mix one up before hand or buy something like Naked, or simply chocolate milk. After this, let it settle a bit and eat whatever you want.

Its the protein, you are getting too much before the race. I would cut out the bacon and eggs and/or check the ingredients of your gel.

Oatmeal should be fine, or you may want to go with something as simple as bread and honey about an hour before the race, then a gel, non-protein. Some of us can handle more than others, but if you are having problems then keep it simple, keep it white. Boom eats "balls of bread" before races and drinks Coke's. The 1/2 hour after your race is the most important time to eat, and it should be a protein and carb based drink. Either mix one up before hand or buy something like Naked, or simply chocolate milk. After this, let it settle a bit and eat whatever you want.

Ok so you sound like you have a handle on this. So let me ask you this. I typically do two races a day, the Masters and then the Pro/1/2. I can never figure out what to eat between the two races and it's usually about a 2 hour wait. So I drink lots, shoot gels, and ride the trainer and watch the races. Any dietary suggestions for the next race? It's not like I expect to perform in the pro/1/2 races and in fact my goal is usually to not come in last, it's just training for me but still sometimes I feel great and others totally dead and I wonder if a good eating regiment could help.

Sorry OP about the quasi related hijack!

my last race i had the exact same problems as nitropowered! as i was watching my friend's race and pre-riding the course, i started feeling worse and worse. by the end of my race, i was in agony. however, i somehow managed to not get lapped or dfl even. 13th out of 15!

i ended up having the super bad stomach cramps stick around for about 3 days after. i was starting to feel a good deal better, then went on a 6 hour hike at high altitude with my wife. towards the end of the hike, i was feeling terrible again. of course, the race was on sunday and i did that hike on friday. maybe not enough time to get over whatever it is. about two months back i had a similar experience on a super fast, super long group mountain bike ride. the problems only lasted that one day though.

all three sick days i've had eggs for breakfast. i've been vegetarian for 11 years now, but starting eating eggs and fish again this spring. typically eggs haven't bothered me... or that i've realized.

i haven't been able to figure it out either. my wife is gluten intolerant and thinks my symptoms were candida related. i do eat a ton of sugary items and white flour items, etc... a friend suggested it could be some secret funk in my 3 liter camelbak bladder, which i was drinking from on that mtb ride, on the hike, and prior to that race... however, i've been on rides using the same bladder after that initial problem mtb ride and have been fine.

or, it could be i was just getting sick last week and the race and hike problems were symptoms of that? the protein overload is interesting though and speaks to me more than my other theories.

the other thing with my last cross race is that i witnessed a super bad car crash on the way there and saw some gore that made me feel sick to my stomach and sort of set the precedent for the day. i think that's more coincidental though.

Are you getting a good enough warm up and cool down, Nitropowered?

I noticed that when I don't warm up well enough my stomach turns itself inside out pretty much.

I think anyone interested in racing bikes should get Friel's training bible. If nothing else, the section on nutrition is worth the $20 alone.

The protein thing is evidence based, meaning there have been studies showing people can experience stomach problems when eating protein prior to extreme physical activity. With that said, some people are just fine cramming down a steak before a big race. I am not sure what the odds ratios are on this. Eggs are not going to do anything for you beforehand.

Here is my recipe for post race/training shake (adapted/modified from Friel).

Couple scoops of Carbo-Pro
Couple scoops of whey protein (super cheap at Vitamin Cottage)
Handful of frozen blueberries or whatever you have
1/2 cup of Non-fat, organic plain or vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup of soy milk
Ice cubes
Blend


The difference between me drinking the above a 1/2 hour after racing or training is the difference between me feeling ill or not for the remainder of the weekend. I find that my energy stores are almost completely replenished when I do this. There is a huge difference between liquid and solid protein after a race, you really need something quickly and to work immediately. After about an hour then eat something of substance...Chipotle burrito:love:and Belgium beer:innocent:

pre-race meal plan that works for me

Carbs two nights before big race - pasta maybe
Stick to the foods my body knows and likes
Plan or prepare food the night before
If your a coffee drinker drink it within an hour of racing, evidence shows some benefit only within this time frame
My stomach responds better to Hammer rather than Accel gels
I prefer solid foods in the morning instead some type of shake. Maybe bread with honey (sugar is good) first thing. High starch foods are good such as potatoes, bananas, rice, white bagels, oatmeal. Essentially you want to eat easily digestible high-complex carbohydrates with some fiber, simple sugars and fat.


I'm not an expert in nutrition, though I do have an MPH and have bit of experience in public health nutrition research. I'd buy the Friel book if you don't have it. As far as two races go, I would just pound carbs and head to the buffet for dinner.

This is a good article:

http://www.velonews.com/article/83912