What Do Triathletes Eat? The Week Before the Ironman

What do triathletes eat?

Anything and everything. We are notorious for putting all-you-can-eat places out of business.

The Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, followed by a full 26.2 mile marathon.

All in under 17 hours.

The training are longer than the race.

My longest swim was 6,000 meters.

My longest bike ride was 117 miles.

My longest run was 27 miles.

I burned over 41,000 calories along in training that month.

We are always hungry.

5 Days before an Ironman

Drink a lot of water. I was told to make sure to get a little extra protein in my meals. I start to triple everything.

3 Days before the Ironman

This is where I start having fun. Midnight snacks become another meal. Meals become events.
I eating anything and everything I want. A box of cookies, a pint of ice cream, whole pizzas, even a sushi boat.

The Day before the Ironman

8 a.m. Nibble through half a package of lox for breakfast.
Sip cold brew coffee.

10 a.m. snack on cookies. 

Sip Gatorade
12 noon, waiting on lunch guest, I devour a bag of chips.
Drink a 16 ounce water.

1 p.m. Lamb Cholent & London broil & kugels.

More water

3-5:30 p.m. nap

6 p.m. pint of ice cream.

Sip Gatorade

7 p.m. Tub of hummus and crackers. 

Sip Gatorade

8 p.m. Snickers Ice Cream Bar. 

Sip water

9 p.m. Canister of Jalapeno Pringles.

Gatorade empty, sip more water.

Some how I was a half pound lighter than my normal weight on race day...