Carb loading in a hotel room

Bloody Nipples · 16-09-2009 3:11pm #1

DCM will be my first marathon away from home, and I'm just wondering how the more experienced people here go about carb loading when they're away from home?

RJC · 16-09-2009 3:31pm

I have gone as far as boiling my own pasta in a hotel room with my own 1 ring hob.

Sad but true.

You feel like a total loser eating a pot full of pasta on your own watching the BBC world service. Still, like taping your nipples and greasing your groin, it has to be done!

HardyEustace · 16-09-2009 3:47pm

Waggamamas does nice big bowls of noodle-y things that would be a nice way to carb load the night before.

It's the type of place that I'd happily go to eat on my own. Nice and central as well.

RacoonQueen · 16-09-2009 3:50pm

You could always request the hotel to provide a pasta meal? Hotels are usually very accommodating with things like that especially on marathon weekend.

RJC · 16-09-2009 3:52pm

My only issue about eating in the hotel room is that you may need to eat 300 - 500g of pasta (dry) - that's a big and messy job. If you order a pasta dish from the hotel you will have to get them to lay off the fat and protein (the sauces) and make sure you get the carbs you need.

A good Italian restaurant that does pasta with a spicy tomato sauce will do the trick.

groovyg · 16-09-2009 4:01pm

RJC - you are probably better off to go for a nice three course meal in a restaurant. I don't know where you are staying but there are some nice Italians in the city centre if you just want to eat pasta.

MCOS · 16-09-2009 4:49pm

Lads, why would ye be munching a pot of pasta on the Sunday night before a 9am Marathon start?! I made this mistake once

Just my 2c but think about carb loading over the friday and saturday. You basically just need to make sure your glycogen levels are topped up with lots of slow release stuff. So I would avoid big feeds altogether. On race week drink lots of water and sleep lots. Saturday have 5-6 carb rich meals rather than big feeds. On Sunday have your usual breakfast, a decent lunch and a lighter evening meal. On race morning get your usual breakfast in around 6am.

Last thing you want is to be feeling bloated on race morning

If you are alone on the Sunday night, try hook up with some bordsies for a bit of that pasta n spicy tomato sauce... you don't have to worry about cooking and the banter will relax you and get you in the mood (maybe thats just me tho)

RJC · 16-09-2009 4:49pm

I'm just recounting an experience I had before. I don't need to do it for DCM.

Peckham · 17-09-2009 11:35am

I think the lads who went to Rotterdam this year have some insights into carb loading in a hotel!

donothoponpop · 17-09-2009 12:04pm

Peckham wrote: »

I think the lads who went to Rotterdam this year have some insights into carb loading in a hotel!

Trust nobody, expect the worst scenario, over-prepare yourself, ...

I booked us into a hotel with an Italian (pasta) restaurant attached, five months before the race, turned up to be told they had overbooked us, and sent us to a motel way out by the airport, which only had greasy bar food, and no other restaurants for miles. We ordered the most pasta-looking dish, a potato and cheese based lasagne, as it turned out. A few others from Ireland endured the same treatment, and all five of us who were looking to run sub 3, died in the 2nd half and came in between 3.26- 3.45, which to a man we put down to the food.

If I ever travel to a foreign marathon again, I'll have packed microwave porridge, packs of pasta (with a small electric hob, good idea RJC), or hound the chef to make a simple pasta dish the night before. You can't over-prepare for these things. It's a good thing that you're being anal about it now.

Krusty_Clown · 17-09-2009 1:28pm

One word for you (or two, I'm not sure): Cous-cous.
Packs up small, all you need is a kettle to cook it, full or carbs.
Tastes like sh1t (unless you cook it with flavourings, like mint, coriander, pesto, etc.).

n-dawg · 17-09-2009 5:00pm

Just ask in the hotel.... the twice I've been staying in a hotel before a big race they have been very very nice about it. One of the races I had to eat breakfast at 4:30 in the morning so I asked the manager if I could use my little gas stove to cook porridge in the room.... He said no need and gave me a key to the kitchen! When i got there at 4:30 the chef had laid out a few bananas and some bread for me (and the several other people who were up getting breakfast before the race)

The other time when I went to check in the receptionist said "o your the guy doing the marathon, the owner has left a microwave in your room so you can cook your breakfast"

Stupid_Private · 17-09-2009 5:10pm

Porridge in a tub. Best thing ever if you're away for the marathon and unsure of what they'll have there for breakfast. Just add boiling water and leave for 2 minutes. You can get them in pretty much every supermarket.

rainbow kirby · 17-09-2009 6:25pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

One word for you (or two, I'm not sure): Cous-cous.
Packs up small, all you need is a kettle to cook it, full or carbs.
Tastes like sh1t (unless you cook it with flavourings, like mint, coriander, pesto, etc.).

Bit of sriracha will make couscous a lot nicer

Good idea though, it's cheap enough in Aldi and Lidl.

RJC · 17-09-2009 10:42pm

Only here would this discussion not be considered weird.

Carb loading in a hotel room

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