Eating right
All this work you do training can easily be undone with poor eating habits. I know it’s tough for college student on a limited budget, but there are a few simple rules to eating right. To eat sensibly, eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies and whole grain carbs and limited saturated fats. Avoid trans fats, hydrogenated oils, and high fructose corn syrup found in processed foods and sodas. Basically, if you avoid processed foods and eat as much fresh or natural food as possible you’re on the right track. Snack on fruit, not chips, eat all natural foods when you can, use whole grain bread rather than white, and limit fast food and fried foods, and you’re good to go. The best snack foods to have on hand are apples, bananas, and whole wheat bagels.
Nutrition:
For workouts that will be longer than one hour, I recommend a good carbohydrate and electrolyte drink and a bar or gels for calories. My favorite drink is HEED and I eat Hammer Bars and Hammer Gels. They’re all light, taste good, and are very effective. I don’t go for the convenience store foods like Gatorade and Snickers Marathon Bars—too much simple sugar can upset a stomach, and you can’t assimilate as much simple sugar as complex carbs. You may be OK on your bike ride, but you’ll feel it on your run afterwards.
For workouts of less than one hour, water is fine, unless it’s hot in which case a light electrolyte drink is important.
After hard or long workouts, it is very important to take in a recovery meal of carbohydrates and some protein. I like a manufactured recovery drink like Hammer’s Recoverite, or a fruit smoothie with whey protein powder. Even soy milk or a manufactured smoothie like Odwalla is a good recovery drink. Get this in within 30 minutes of the end of the workout for best results. This will help you mostly for tomorrow's workout.
Drink a lot of water, more than you think you need. As an endurance athlete, you should have a water bottle permanently attached to you. Your urine should be clear or close to it. Avoid excessive caffeine and sugary drinks like sodas, as they dehydrate you.
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