Eating well on holidays can sometimes be difficult. Finding the right foods to fuel physical activity, and ensure optimal performance can be even more challenging!
On our recent holiday, I experienced this first hand, with my partner planning 3 days of cycling in the Pyrenees, and me planning on some long trail-runs there, and a trail race in Sant Esteve.
So what was the plan? We were not expecting to be able to get our normal brands of sports foods, so we decided to take our own. But what about pre run/cycle meals? And our usual pasta the night before?
I think it is important to try and be flexible when travelling, as it is not always possible to cook, and not always possible to eat exactly what you would like to eat.
Upon arrival in Sant Esteve, a visit to the supermarket was fruitful, providing some wheat flakes, milk and fruit – exactly what I was after. Luckily our room had a fridge! In Bagneres de Luchon, breakfast was part of the deal at our hotel, with a buffet with toast, croissants, muesli and fruit all available. I always tell my clients to practice with what they plan to eat the night(s) and morning(s) before an event as much as possible, however sometimes you can’t determine what will be available. I would recommend choosing something high in carbohydrate, with a source of protein and some vegetables as a great choice for your meal the night before an event. If you can’t choose what you would normally have, choose foods which you know sit well, even if in different combinations to normal! Turkish bread pizza is not a normal ‘pre race’ meal for me, just as veal and potato wouldn’t be for the boy, however they did the job.
If you can, do some research before you go, or get recommendations from others about restaurants and cuisine in the area to help you plan and organise your trip. How easy this is will of course depend on where you were going; in Sant Esteve, we had to rely entirely on Google, whereas for Luchon, we had some great recommendations from Two Wheel Tours about where we could go.
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