Triathlete Linsey Corbin Shares How to Fuel Smartly for a Serious Day of Training

During a typical training week—that is, when races are happening and pools are open—Linsey Corbin swims 12 miles, bikes between 200 and 400 miles, and runs between 40 and 50 miles. To keep up with that workload, the professional triathlete from Bend, Oregon, has to be hyper-vigilant about fueling.

How Gwen Jorgensen Fuels Her Runs

“Triathletes are training, sleeping, eating machines,” Corbin, 39, told Runner’s World. “I have to eat a lot to keep up with the energy I’m expending, and that usually means I have to fuel before I think I need to. By eating during and immediately after my first workout, I’ll be more energized for my next workout.”

Throughout her career, which has included eight Ironman wins, Corbin has tweaked her nutrition plan to reap the biggest performance benefits. After following a vegetarian diet for 20 years, she began eating meat again in 2009 in order to add more protein and nutrients to her diet, and she saw an immediate improvement in her workouts and races. In 2014, she increased her daily protein intake—and therefore boosted her muscle recovery—by drinking a recovery shake after workouts and eating a protein-rich snack before bed.

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The Right Way to Carb-Load Before a Big Race

If I have a big workout or race coming up, I’ll eat something more hearty, like pizza or lasagna. To avoid stomach issues, I cut out fiber completely for the 24 hours before a race—which makes me feel terrible, since I’m someone who eats produce all the time. My prerace dinner is really boring: plain rice and chicken or fish. Postrace, I’ll celebrate with pizza or a burger and fries, as well as beer or wine.

Dark Chocolate for Sweet Dreams

I love dark chocolate—I usually eat a few squares after swimming in the morning and whenever I need a pick-me-up during the day. Most nights, my husband and I split a packet of Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups for dessert. If I could have chocolate and peanut butter all the time, I would. Before bed, I also try to have Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with about 15 grams of protein to help me recover while I sleep.