Triathlon Nutrition by Jimmy

Mike Pigg's Food For Thought

Without fail, the most popular question at every camp I attend relates to food. Should I eat a high carb diet? Should I eat a low carb diet? Does the Atkin’s diet work for endurance athletes? Should I eat dairy products? Can I mix my fruits and veggies? What should I eat the night before a race? What should I eat the morning of a race? What should I eat during a race?
There is an endless list of answers to the above questions, depending on whom you ask. However, the only right answer is: You should eat what works best for you.
It took me the better part of my 21 years in this sport to figure this out. In the early days, not a whole lot of information was available regarding what a triathlete should eat. Therefore, my philosophy on nutrition (just like my philosophy on training) was based on the “Modeling Theory.” I would seek out the best in the sport and simply eat what they ate.
For quite a few years, my biggest nutritional supplement was Tums, as we had some big eaters back in the good ole days. It was tough trying to hang with guys like: Rob “Beef” Mackle, Mike “no nickname necessary” Pigg, Paul “OC (Original Clydesdale)” Huddle, and Jeff “the Vacuum Cleaner” Devlin. The common wisdom at that time was the more carbs you eat, the more fuel you stored for race day. And the faster you ate those carbs, the more time you had to train.
It wasn’t until fate intervened that I discovered I didn’t need 1 ½ pounds of pasta, a half-dozen bagels, and a pint of low-fat Ben and Jerry’s Cherries Garcia frozen yogurt – followed by roll of Tums and a thirty-minute walk to try and ease my bloated stomach, and then a restless night of sleep on my back (I normally sleep on my stomach), in order to have a good race.
It happened like this: Due to unforeseen airport delays, I found myself on the streets of Cleveland, Ohio at 11:10 p.m. the night before a big race. I was starved, and the only thing open was a Subway sandwich shop, oddly enough. To make a long story short, after a night of surprisingly pleasant sleep, despite significant anxiety over the fact that I substituted a 12-inch Subway sandwiches for the aforementioned pre-race meal, I had one of the best races of my life. From that point forward I realized that perhaps I should experiment with different meals in order to find my best pre-race meal.
About a year later, through trial and error, I discovered that a simple, normally portioned, well-balanced meal worked best for my pre-race dinner. I slept better, and had no fuel shortages during the race.
I encourage you all to try lots of different nutrition strategies. Listen to your body and zero in on foods that make you feel the best. To illustrate that there are “many ways to skin a cat” when it comes to eating, over the next several months, I’ll interview some of the best athletes in the sport so you can read about their differing food strategies.
I don’t think there is an athlete in the sport who has eaten more food, or tried more diets, than Mike Pigg, so I figured he’s a good place to start. My wife and I can tell you a few things about Pigg’s diet over the years, as he has stayed with us several times for training. But I’ll save that for another article.

Mike Pigg’s Food For Thought:
• In 1988 I had a stomach bacteria that really opened my eyes with regard to diet. I had to be selective about what foods I could eat. My body was talking to me.
• Ask yourself: How does this food make me feel? If you feel bloated and full of gas—that’s a detrimental meal. If you feel good after you eat, that’s a beneficial meal.
• One thing I know is that everyone’s stomach processes food differently. What makes you feel great might make me feel crummy.
• After a hard training day, my body needs carbs. When I’m even keel, my body needs protein and fat.
• Don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path. Don’t eat a certain way just because you’re told that’s how you have to eat. If carbs make you feel crappy, go fat and protein, and vice versa.
• A yogurt shop owner once told me he read of a guy who drank a gallon of milk and then ran for an hour. He told me he thought it couldn’t be done. I told him I could do it, but I’d need some Oreos to wash the milk down. Half a package of Oreos, one gallon of milk, and an hour run later, I won free yogurt for a year.
• Back in the 80’s we were told that the more carbs we ate, the more fuel we’d have. Looking back, I know I could’ve done just as well off of steak and potatoes.
• I look for every opportunity to get the max nutritional value from my foods, that’s why juicing is good. One tip: go easy on the beets and garlic.
• I’m trying to eat my way AWAY from the doctor. I haven’t seen the inside of a doctor’s office in 10 years, so I think I’m doing okay.
• There is no set diet for each person. It’s all about a balance of carbs, protein, and fat that works for you.

Jimmy