June 26, 2025 • 30 mins
Trial days are long, unpredictable, and full of high-stakes moments—for both you and your dog. What you eat directly impacts your energy, brain power, recovery, and enthusiasm. In this episode, we’re diving into how to fuel your body like the athlete you are so you stay sharp, steady, and ready to run—without the dreaded afternoon crash.
You’ll learn:
- What (and when) to eat before your first run
- Smart snack strategies to stay energized between classes
- How to dodge the sugar crash cycle
- Why hydration fuels your brain as much as your body
- What caffeine can (and can’t) do for your performance
- How to eat for mental clarity, physical recovery, and consistent focus—all day long
Whether you're new to trialing or looking to fine-tune your performance, this episode is packed with real-world strategies to help you stay energized, clear-headed, and ready for anything from first walk-through to final run.
Ready to move better, feel stronger, and run your dog with more speed and control?
Jump into these free handler-specific stretches designed to boost your mobility, prevent injury, and elevate your performance—click here to get started now: https://liz-joyce-fitnes.kit.com/75a61bb61a
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey dog sport handlers, welcome to the Canine Handler Fitness
podcast. I'm your host Liz Joyce, your go
to expert for all things dog sport fitness.
Whether you're running, agility,doing protection work, tackling,
search and rescue, handling it tough tugger or just looking to
build strength for a lifetime ofadventures with your dog.
Remember you are half the team and I'm here to help you stay
(00:23):
strong, mobile and injury free. Join me as I break down the
unique demands, Handler fitness,speed, strength, endurance and
everything you need to perform at your best both in and out of
the ring. Let's stay strong, stay in the
game and keep doing what we love.
Let's dive in. Hey team, and welcome back to
(00:48):
the Canine Handler Fitness podcast.
I'm Liz Joyce and today's episode is all about trial day
fuelling. Whether you're heading to a
weekend of agility or maybe you've got some obedience,
perhaps rally scent work or any other dog sport, what you eat
and when you eat it really can make or break your performance
(01:10):
and also really impact how much fun you have on that day.
And you know, we've all had these days when the morning
feels fantastic. This likely happens to you at
work during the week too. The morning is great, you're
flying around, everything's going smoothly.
And then somewhere just a littlebit after lunch, your body just
starts to feel heavy and your brain maybe checks out and
(01:33):
you're wondering if you can rally for a little bit more and
maybe you go get a triple shot espresso.
Maybe that's just me, but you'rereaching for whatever you can to
bring yourself back up to those energy levels that you had in
the morning. And I want you to know that that
afternoon crash is not random. And it's usually a result of a
bit of a fuel mismatch where you're not taking in enough
(01:57):
energy. Or maybe it's not the best kind,
or perhaps it's not at the best time.
Today we're breaking it all downinto simple, doable strategies
that help you stay energized, stay mentally sharp and support
recovery for multi day trials. Let's jump in.
Let's start with the obvious. A trial day is nothing like your
(02:20):
average day. You're up real early, you're
likely outside and or in a busy environment.
You're navigating adrenaline spikes, your emotions are high
and there can be long gaps and sometimes too short of gaps
between bursts of like really intense activity.
And on top of that, a lot of y'all are eating out of coolers
(02:45):
or fast food or perhaps hotel microwaves.
And you know, it's not ideal, but it is doable.
And I've got some hacks for you.These are the things that your
body really needs to excel on trial days and trial weekends.
You need steady energy, not spikes and crashes.
(03:06):
We need to fuel you for mental clarity because this is high
pressure situations and having good mental clarity is going to
help a lot. We also need to fuel you to help
you recover, because trials takemore out of you than you
realize. Not even just physical output,
but emotional and mental output all require fueling.
(03:30):
Your brain, for example, requires up to 25% of your daily
caloric intake. That's how much your brain needs
to keep you tip top. It's important to fuel for that
as well. And the challenge that many of
us default to is one of two things.
Barely eating it all because we're nervous or really
(03:53):
distracted, or we're grabbing quick, convenient food that's
high in sugar and also low in staying power.
And neither one of these set youup to perform your best.
Fueling well is a key part of injury prevention, focus and
stamina. We're going to start
chronologically. Let's talk about breakfast.
(04:16):
Even if you're not a morning eater, getting something into
your body before you hit the ground running, in my opinion,
is non negotiable. It doesn't need to be fancy, it
just has to hit the right balance.
It's a super simple formula. You need some protein, some
healthy fats, some fiber, and some complex carbs.
(04:38):
This combo's going to keep your blood sugar stable, support your
energy over several hours, and keep you focused and not foggy.
Did you know that your brain uses approximately 25% of the
calories that you take in in a day?
That's how much fuel and how much resources your brain takes
(05:00):
for you to be able to operate through your day.
So not getting enough to eat notonly impacts your physical
output, but also really can impact your mental clarity and
problem solving abilities. Here's some of my favorite trial
day friendly breakfast. These are great for any
(05:21):
breakfast day actually. So the first one are overnight
oats. I love to put some protein
powder, some berries and some nuts in them that can just stay
in your hotel cooler and or you can pack it in your actual
cooler with a frozen electrolytebeverage and they are fantastic.
(05:43):
Greek yogurt parfaits are also incredible and if you add some
granola and fruit to that combo,you're really off to the races.
One of my personal favorites arean egg wrap.
I love eggs. Adding some spinach and a slice
of cheese is a really great way to get you off on the right
foot. You might also really like
(06:05):
something a little bit lighter like a smoothie with a banana,
some nut butter of some sort, a protein powder.
And chia seeds are fantastic foromegas and also digestive
regularity. I am going to side note those
chia seeds though, because a lotof people come out the gate
going really heavy on the chia seeds and I'm going to recommend
(06:26):
that you don't do that. They can really make your
abdomen bloated and uncomfortable and gassy.
So if you're new, the chia seeds, using them on a trial day
weekend is not the best thing that you can do because you
don't know how you're going to react to them.
So I would suggest starting withabout a teaspoon of them and
just see how your body does a little less is more with those
(06:50):
bad boys. The last real quick option is a
nut butter on toast and a littleboiled egg if you're on the go.
Here's the things I really want you to avoid.
Sugary muffins or pastries. And also only coffee.
And especially not only coffee if you're already a little
(07:13):
anxious. If you're quite nervous in the
morning, just half a banana and a quick protein shake is better
than nothing. What I really like to do when
I'm going to be in a high pressure situation or I know I'm
going to be lacking some sleep. So I know that my decision
making power is going to be lower than it would be on one of
my best days. Is that I have a go to list of
(07:35):
things when I'm traveling that Iknow I can pick up and store in
my hotel or bring with me placesthat is going to be healthy.
And I know that my digestion reacts well to it and my energy
responds really well to it for long periods of time.
And this is highly individual. So I would suggest you take
taking a look at what you eat during the week and what leaves
(07:59):
you feeling amazing and can you make that something that's to go
to take with you. We're going to talk about snacks
now and strategic snacks that are going to give you energy
that lasts because snacks reallyare your secret weapon,
especially at trials when the lunch timing can be
(08:21):
unpredictable or your classes might be set up in such a way
that eating at regular intervalsis really challenging.
Here's the golden rule. OK, This is the most important
thing. And this isn't just for trial
days, y'all. This is for every day you want a
snack before you're starving. If you wait until you're light
(08:43):
headed, irritable, jittery, yourblood Sugar's already dropped,
it is going to be a lot harder to recover.
You know that feeling? You start getting that little
mild headache and you're ready to tear anybody's face off You
go. I am such an angry person today.
And then something clicks. Oh no, actually, I just need a
(09:05):
snack. Preemptive planned snacks will
help you stay in this optimal zone where your body and your
brain can perform. I'm going to suggest aiming to
have a snack every 2 1/2 or three hours.
Here's some smart snacks. I love these snacks and listen
up. A lot of these you can pick up
(09:26):
at gas stations. A fruit and some nut butter.
At almost any gas station you can find a banana and a pack of
nuts. That's great combo.
Great snack. Next one, some type of jerky,
beef jerky or Turkey jerky and apiece of fruit.
Again, most gas stations are going to have jerky of some sort
(09:49):
and some type of fruit like an apple.
Next one, trail mix with nuts and seeds and maybe a couple of
dark chocolate chips because youknow, we love that stuff.
Again, this is easily found at gas stations.
Protein bars are another amazingquick heavy hitter.
What we want to be looking for though, is a higher protein in
(10:12):
your protein bar. A lot of bars are protein bars
and they have 10 grams of protein in them and that really
just is not enough. What we're looking for are 15 to
20 or even 25 grams of protein in your protein bar.
So just read the labels and pickthe one that has a protein
(10:33):
that's higher than 15, ideally closer to 20, and then compare
the labels and pick the one thathas the less amount of sugar.
Again, those can be found in gasstations.
Hummus and pretzels is a really great one, usually not in gas
stations. Cheese sticks and some cherry
tomatoes or a different kind of vegetable that you really like.
(10:56):
Rice cakes with almond butter can be prepped and brought with
you to the trial. What I really would suggest also
is just rotating your snack choices so you don't burnout and
which is going to usually have people grabbing vending machine
food or something that's a little bit higher sugar.
Because trust me, if your body'shungry, if you wait until you're
(11:18):
light headed or irritable or jittery, your body's smart.
It wants to be at a consistent energy all day.
And remember what we were talking about, your brain
needing such a high percentage of the calories that you intake.
Your body's no fool. So if you get into that zone,
you're way more likely to reach for something that is sweet and
(11:39):
really simple carbohydrate to just get your energy back up in
a really quick way. But that puts you into a bit of
a cycle. It really just isn't as
advantageous as consistent snacking, keeping everything a
little bit more consistent for you during the day.
You can listen to an upcoming episode.
It is going to be coming out next week about sugar cravings
(12:00):
and how to avoid them. Where do they come from and what
are we going to do about these things?
All right, let's talk about lunch now because there's really
a kind of two ways to lunch. You can either have lunch to
feel recharged or perhaps have abig lunch to have a nap
afterwards. And here's how to avoid that
(12:21):
slump. We want to stick to the same
principle, the same recipe as breakfast.
Protein, fiber, fat, slow carbs.This combo digests slowly.
It will give you longer lasting energy and it won't make you
feel weighed down. Here's some really great lunch
options. And I love to pack this again in
a cooler. I will freeze an electrolyte
(12:44):
beverage or water in a bottle sothat I will use that as an ice
pack. And then as the day goes on,
I've got this ice cold energizing amazingness in my
cooler. And during the day it's kept all
the rest of my food that I brought with me cold.
It's like the best hack. I love it so much.
Here's some really great lunch options.
(13:06):
A chicken or a tuna wrap and some carrots or a different
vegetable that you like. People are loving these grain
bowls with like brown rice and veggies and grilled meat.
Avocado is great to put on thereand you can pick that up at a
bunch of different places. Subway sell stuff like that too.
There's also quinoa salad with some lentils, veggies, and olive
(13:27):
oil dressing. Notice there's fats and all of
these things. You could also bring some
leftovers that you had from lastnight, anything kind of along
those lines. So just kind of think about what
you're eating. You want to make sure you've got
some protein, some fiber, some fat, and then some slower
releasing carbs. So like complex carbs, we want
(13:48):
to avoid our huge portions. So you don't want to be eating
like a really large amount of food.
Again, that's kind of indicationthat you could use to snack a
little while ago. So if you find yourself at
lunchtime being so hungry that you want to eat a huge portion
of food, it's a really good queue for you to take a look at
what you ate a couple of hours before that.
(14:10):
And can you possibly add some kind of fruit and protein into
your morning? Because that will be so amazing
for you. Anyhow, the things we're going
to avoid are stuff like heavy pastas or greasy foods, or like
really big sandwiches with fries.
Those kinds of things can be like quite dense and heavy and
not fuel you optimally. We also really want to avoid the
(14:34):
opposite side of that, like having a lunch of only energy
drinks or energy drinks and somesoda, which is paired maybe with
like a high sugar meal like a chocolate croissant or some
cookies and a pop and a sweet, you know, milk of some sort.
To try to avoid things that are going to be heavy and dense and
(14:56):
like really full of fats and larger portions.
And you also really don't want to be having lunch of energy
drinks. Sorry monster.
And listen, if you know that youget nervous and you can't eat
very much, a really great idea is to plan 2 smaller lunches
instead of 1 big one. So think about like 1 mid
(15:18):
morning and 1 mid afternoon and just be flexible about it.
That is a really good key. I find if I'm nervous, when I'm
nervous, I don't like to eat as much either.
So the things that I take with me are things that are very
flavorful. That is not a day that I'm going
to be taking plain rice cakes and hard boiled eggs with no
(15:39):
salt or pepper. Like that is not a meal that I'm
going to eat if I'm feeling nervous like I just won't eat
it. So I would though bring like
maybe a hard boiled egg with salt and pepper on it and some
chili flakes. And if I'm bringing the rice
cakes, I would put also something flavorful on that or
bring hummus to dip it in that has like quite a bit of flavor.
(16:00):
And I'd also make sure that I had a flavorful drink with me
too because when I'm nervous, I don't even want to drink water.
So that's a little thing about me.
And Speaking of water, it is notoptional on these trial days.
It's not optional on any day. And if you're not a regular
water drinker, you will be shocked at how much better you
feel and your appetite during the day if you increase your
(16:23):
water intake. It's incredible and especially
on trial days when there's stress and the movement of the
day will increase your fluid needs.
And did you know that dehydration can really mimic
fatigue and anxiety? It messes with your
coordination, decision making and your mood.
(16:46):
So mild dehydration will often show up like this.
Headaches, low energy, brain fog, some people get cramping,
some people have a harder time breathing.
So if you're finding during the day that towards the end of the
day that your runs are getting more challenging for you to
complete, it might not just be the day and it might not just be
(17:08):
what you're eating during the day or what how much you slept
last night. You might actually be
experiencing the consequences ofbeing a little bit dehydrated as
the day goes on. I'm a person that doesn't have a
large intestine anymore. I have Crohn's.
I had to have it surgically removed and your body takes in
20 to 30% of its water from the large intestine and also a lot
(17:33):
of sodium and potassium too. So I'm a person that experiences
electrolyte imbalances and dehydration to like
hospitalizable levels very quickly.
Why I'm telling you that is thatI experienced dehydration faster
and more intense than the average person.
And I'm telling you now it is really not cool.
(17:55):
The things that happened to me are I have a really hard time
breathing. Sometimes it's gets more
challenging even to make it up the stairs in my home, which is
not a fitness thing. It truly is a dehydration or
electrolyte imbalance issue. So if you're I also get
headaches. I also have a hard time
thinking. I also get but a little bit
(18:15):
grumpy or very Moody, like sad too.
If you're noticing that on a smaller scale like mine comes on
in a much more extreme fashion. And if you're noticing these
kinds of things and you just don't feel very good, go have a
couple big classes of cold waterand see how you feel in a little
bit. Here's a great rehydration or
(18:37):
hydration strategy, packing a refillable water bottle and
keeping it nearby. I always suggest that my clients
do two things. Get a water bottle that holds a
lot of water, like 4 cups a liter.
A big water bottle. And here's the next arguably
(18:57):
even more important tip. Get a water bottle that they
love. You got to like the texture of
it. You got to like how you hold it.
Does it fit into your car? Does it fit in your bag?
Do you love the color of it? Loving your water bottle is
going to make it a lot more likely that it becomes your
Velcro to the hip accessory thatit really needs to be.
(19:20):
The next hydration strategy is to sip small amounts regularly
and not chugging a huge amount of water all at once.
Your body can only take in so much fluid at a time, so you
just want to sip smaller amountsregularly, like half of the cup
at a time. I know I just told you to take a
couple of really big cups in when you're feeling dehydrated,
(19:42):
and you should still do that. And also for a regular hydration
ongoing during your day, smalleramounts kind of regularly is
helpful. So when you're picking your
water bottle, think about that. Is taking that cap off going to
be annoying? Do you prefer a straw?
Is having a straw out at a trialgoing to be uncomfortable for
you with the dust or? I don't love, you know, other
(20:03):
people coughing or sneezing around my open water.
So I always have a cap and what I put my lips on is always
covered. And that is a non negotiable for
the water bottles that I have. And you might have different non
negotiables. The last thing is to add some
electrolytes. If it's hot and or you're
sweating, you want to look for ones that have lower sugar.
(20:27):
And electrolytes are very broad in the amounts of different
electrolytes that they actually contain.
And some of them are a little bit more like fluff and some of
them are more of a medical like nearing a medical intervention
(20:48):
type of rehydration solution. The ones that have some type of
label on them like Liquid IV is one of them.
It has really high levels of those elements in it that they
recommend only having one in a day, and that is for a reason,
y'all, You can really mess up your electrolyte balance by
taking in too much of that stuff.
(21:08):
And if you're a regular person and you're not like me, the
thing that people generally are draining out of their body when
they're sweating or it's hot is sodium.
So you can buy electrolytes and also they're not free.
And if what you're losing is sodium, it's totally cool on a
(21:28):
hot day or if you're sweating toadd some salt to your food.
If you hang out with me in person, you will see me adding
salt to all of my food and my juices all of the time.
So if you run into me somewhere and I'm the only person in line
asking for salt to put on their salty stuff, that is why I need
to keep my sodium levels up. And you might need to also if
(21:51):
it's hot or you're sweating, obviously check with your doctor
if you have have issues with high blood pressure.
And if you don't, adding salt toyour food is a much cheaper way
to make sure you've got adequatesodium levels on hot days.
And yeah, guys, coffee is totally fine.
And you want to be making sure that you balance it with water.
(22:12):
Coffee on its own, in my opinion, is not an adequate
fluid for you to really get hydrated in a way that's
meaningful. We're going to talk about
beating this afternoon crash because this is something that
is real. This will take you out, this 2
to 3:00 PM slump, and it is preventable.
(22:33):
I hate this slump. Here's the most common reason
that it will hit you and it hitsyou hard.
Blood sugar dips from poor lunchor snack choices.
Remember the formula? Protein, fat, carbs, fiber.
Those are that's the recipe thatwe want.
(22:54):
OK, so if your lunch or snack choices don't have those 4
components in them, you're likely going to experience this
afternoon crash. Again, Dehydration is huge.
This is trial days when you knowyou've got extra stress, your
brain and your body are having bigger ass, so it's even more
important to take a little bit better care of what you're
(23:16):
putting into the machine that isyour bad ass.
Adrenal fatigue from stress or overexertion can also really hit
you hard. And the last one, and you're
going to love this under fuelingearlier in the day can
cumulatively add up to you feeling really exhausted in the
(23:39):
afternoon, but it's super easy to pass fix.
Here's here's what we're going to do.
We're going to make sure that wehave like a light balanced snack
before our predictable crash. So like 1:00 to 2:00 PM.
This is also a really great formula.
We're going to talk about this in the next slide about sugar
(24:00):
cravings too. The next thing you can do to fix
it is to again, have a big glassof water and or get some
electrolytes in you going outside for a little bit of
fresh air. Or you could even have like a
bit of a reset kind of walk around a little bit of an
energy. Sometimes breaking out of what
(24:22):
you're doing can help you feel better.
One of the best things that you can do for that 2 to 3:00 PM
slump, and this is my favorite thing.
This is what I advise all of my clients to do is eat at regular
intervals. Y'all like don't wait until
you're hungry to eat. Don't wait until you're feeling
dehydrated to have a drink of water.
(24:44):
Like just get on a schedule. It's OK to feel good all of the
time and not wait until you feellike crap to put something good
into your body. So eat during the morning and
think about that 2 to 3:00 PM slump or crash that you might
have as being a symptom of not getting enough food to eat
(25:06):
earlier in the day. Here's a few snacks that you can
have if you find yourself just really hit in the dust, Hit in
the dust hitting the gravel Rd. all right, like a nut bar and
maybe a couple chunks of chickenbreast or something like that, a
banana and some nuts, maybe cottage cheese and some fruit.
(25:29):
That's actually way better than you'd think.
Cottage cheese with pineapple actually is so good.
Or a quick little protein snack.So these are things that are
like high protein. They've got some fat, they've
got some fiber, they've got somesugar in them and that can
really help that that little slump.
So if you hit that and you're like, oh, I better go for a big,
strong coffee. Try having a big glass of water
(25:52):
and a snack that's got some protein and some sugar and some
fats in it, and I pinky promise you on all the stars, you'll
feel so good. The next thing we're going to
talk about is how you recover with purpose.
Because yeah, the day's over, but your body and your brain are
still working. Recovery nutrition is really
(26:15):
important and it will support your muscle repair, also your
immune function. You ever notice people go to
trials and come home and a lot of people are sick?
Yeah, you're stressed and also it's tough to eat, eat properly
and also tough to recover properly.
So it can really help with the immune function.
Also restoring your energy for the next day.
(26:35):
Doesn't matter if you're trialling again the next day or
if you're heading home. This stuff matters today and it
matters every day. What I want you to do is aim to
eat a recovery meal within 90 minutes of finishing your last
run. Some simple things and this
isn't going to surprise you. A very nourishing meal with some
(26:59):
protein and veggies and some carbs.
I don't care what that is. There's, you know, all kinds of
different ways. I love this like plate sort of
thing, like 1/4 of your plate being protein and a quarter of
your plate being carbs and a half of your plate being
vegetables. I love that formula.
I've been eating like that for the last 25 years.
(27:22):
And you know what, I feel great.And when clients start eating
that way too, they feel really great.
You could also have like a wrapper, a sandwich with some
lean meat and salad. Again, if you were to put that
on a plate, it would be the quarter, quarter, half.
You could also, if you're not super hungry in the evening,
think about like a smoothie withsome protein and a banana and
(27:43):
some kind of healthy fat in it. If your appetite's low, you can
keep it small and easy. That's cool, but don't skip it
all together. And here I got some really hot
bonus tip. OK, you might be worth
considering including a magnesium rich food like dark
leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, or you're going to love me for
(28:07):
this, even a little bit of dark chocolate, because magnesium
will help you recover and it will help you sleep.
Who doesn't love a bit of sleep?All right, so here you have it.
This is your full trial day fueling plan to keep your brain
and body ready for anything. And here's a really quick recap.
(28:30):
These are good goals that will leave you feeling so much
better. Want to try to eat well, not
try? These are the goals.
Eat a healthy, balanced breakfast, snack strategically
throughout the day. Pick a light but satisfying
(28:51):
lunch. You want to hydrate, hydrate,
hydrate, hydrate some more. And also don't forget your
recovery meal. And remember, if it's hotter,
you're sweating, add some salt to your food and or grabbing
some electrolytes can be helpful.
And if there's some kind of health warning on them, pay
attention to those things. Fueling is one of the most
(29:13):
underrated performance tools andit's completely in our control.
A little planning goes a very long way and the goal here y'all
is not about having a perfect Instagram ready massage kale
green salad on the side perfection, OK, This is just
(29:34):
about you getting food into you and water into you.
That's going to leave you feeling steady and strong and
ready to lead your team. And listen, if this episode was
helpful, please follow this podcast and leave a review.
It helps us reach more handlers that are just like you.
You can also head on over to my website at
(29:54):
caninehandlerfitness.com for free resources, trial day tips.
I got a warm up guide on there for you and also performance
support tools to help you keep feeling fast, focused and
fantastic. Remember, you want to warm up,
fuel up and go have a great run.I'll see you next time.
Hey dog sport handlers, welcome to the Canine Handler Fitness
podcast. I'm your host Liz Joyce, your go
to expert for all things dog sport fitness.
Whether you're running, agility,doing protection work, tackling,
search and rescue, handling it tough tugger or just looking to
build strength for a lifetime ofadventures with your dog.
Remember you are half the team and I'm here to help you stay
(00:23):
strong, mobile and injury free. Join me as I break down the
unique demands, Handler fitness,speed, strength, endurance and
everything you need to perform at your best both in and out of
the ring. Let's stay strong, stay in the
game and keep doing what we love.
Let's dive in. Hey team, and welcome back to
(00:48):
the Canine Handler Fitness podcast.
I'm Liz Joyce and today's episode is all about trial day
fuelling. Whether you're heading to a
weekend of agility or maybe you've got some obedience,
perhaps rally scent work or any other dog sport, what you eat
and when you eat it really can make or break your performance
(01:10):
and also really impact how much fun you have on that day.
And you know, we've all had these days when the morning
feels fantastic. This likely happens to you at
work during the week too. The morning is great, you're
flying around, everything's going smoothly.
And then somewhere just a littlebit after lunch, your body just
starts to feel heavy and your brain maybe checks out and
(01:33):
you're wondering if you can rally for a little bit more and
maybe you go get a triple shot espresso.
Maybe that's just me, but you'rereaching for whatever you can to
bring yourself back up to those energy levels that you had in
the morning. And I want you to know that that
afternoon crash is not random. And it's usually a result of a
bit of a fuel mismatch where you're not taking in enough
(01:57):
energy. Or maybe it's not the best kind,
or perhaps it's not at the best time.
Today we're breaking it all downinto simple, doable strategies
that help you stay energized, stay mentally sharp and support
recovery for multi day trials. Let's jump in.
Let's start with the obvious. A trial day is nothing like your
(02:20):
average day. You're up real early, you're
likely outside and or in a busy environment.
You're navigating adrenaline spikes, your emotions are high
and there can be long gaps and sometimes too short of gaps
between bursts of like really intense activity.
And on top of that, a lot of y'all are eating out of coolers
(02:45):
or fast food or perhaps hotel microwaves.
And you know, it's not ideal, but it is doable.
And I've got some hacks for you.These are the things that your
body really needs to excel on trial days and trial weekends.
You need steady energy, not spikes and crashes.
(03:06):
We need to fuel you for mental clarity because this is high
pressure situations and having good mental clarity is going to
help a lot. We also need to fuel you to help
you recover, because trials takemore out of you than you
realize. Not even just physical output,
but emotional and mental output all require fueling.
(03:30):
Your brain, for example, requires up to 25% of your daily
caloric intake. That's how much your brain needs
to keep you tip top. It's important to fuel for that
as well. And the challenge that many of
us default to is one of two things.
Barely eating it all because we're nervous or really
(03:53):
distracted, or we're grabbing quick, convenient food that's
high in sugar and also low in staying power.
And neither one of these set youup to perform your best.
Fueling well is a key part of injury prevention, focus and
stamina. We're going to start
chronologically. Let's talk about breakfast.
(04:16):
Even if you're not a morning eater, getting something into
your body before you hit the ground running, in my opinion,
is non negotiable. It doesn't need to be fancy, it
just has to hit the right balance.
It's a super simple formula. You need some protein, some
healthy fats, some fiber, and some complex carbs.
(04:38):
This combo's going to keep your blood sugar stable, support your
energy over several hours, and keep you focused and not foggy.
Did you know that your brain uses approximately 25% of the
calories that you take in in a day?
That's how much fuel and how much resources your brain takes
(05:00):
for you to be able to operate through your day.
So not getting enough to eat notonly impacts your physical
output, but also really can impact your mental clarity and
problem solving abilities. Here's some of my favorite trial
day friendly breakfast. These are great for any
(05:21):
breakfast day actually. So the first one are overnight
oats. I love to put some protein
powder, some berries and some nuts in them that can just stay
in your hotel cooler and or you can pack it in your actual
cooler with a frozen electrolytebeverage and they are fantastic.
(05:43):
Greek yogurt parfaits are also incredible and if you add some
granola and fruit to that combo,you're really off to the races.
One of my personal favorites arean egg wrap.
I love eggs. Adding some spinach and a slice
of cheese is a really great way to get you off on the right
foot. You might also really like
(06:05):
something a little bit lighter like a smoothie with a banana,
some nut butter of some sort, a protein powder.
And chia seeds are fantastic foromegas and also digestive
regularity. I am going to side note those
chia seeds though, because a lotof people come out the gate
going really heavy on the chia seeds and I'm going to recommend
(06:26):
that you don't do that. They can really make your
abdomen bloated and uncomfortable and gassy.
So if you're new, the chia seeds, using them on a trial day
weekend is not the best thing that you can do because you
don't know how you're going to react to them.
So I would suggest starting withabout a teaspoon of them and
just see how your body does a little less is more with those
(06:50):
bad boys. The last real quick option is a
nut butter on toast and a littleboiled egg if you're on the go.
Here's the things I really want you to avoid.
Sugary muffins or pastries. And also only coffee.
And especially not only coffee if you're already a little
(07:13):
anxious. If you're quite nervous in the
morning, just half a banana and a quick protein shake is better
than nothing. What I really like to do when
I'm going to be in a high pressure situation or I know I'm
going to be lacking some sleep. So I know that my decision
making power is going to be lower than it would be on one of
my best days. Is that I have a go to list of
(07:35):
things when I'm traveling that Iknow I can pick up and store in
my hotel or bring with me placesthat is going to be healthy.
And I know that my digestion reacts well to it and my energy
responds really well to it for long periods of time.
And this is highly individual. So I would suggest you take
taking a look at what you eat during the week and what leaves
(07:59):
you feeling amazing and can you make that something that's to go
to take with you. We're going to talk about snacks
now and strategic snacks that are going to give you energy
that lasts because snacks reallyare your secret weapon,
especially at trials when the lunch timing can be
(08:21):
unpredictable or your classes might be set up in such a way
that eating at regular intervalsis really challenging.
Here's the golden rule. OK, This is the most important
thing. And this isn't just for trial
days, y'all. This is for every day you want a
snack before you're starving. If you wait until you're light
(08:43):
headed, irritable, jittery, yourblood Sugar's already dropped,
it is going to be a lot harder to recover.
You know that feeling? You start getting that little
mild headache and you're ready to tear anybody's face off You
go. I am such an angry person today.
And then something clicks. Oh no, actually, I just need a
(09:05):
snack. Preemptive planned snacks will
help you stay in this optimal zone where your body and your
brain can perform. I'm going to suggest aiming to
have a snack every 2 1/2 or three hours.
Here's some smart snacks. I love these snacks and listen
up. A lot of these you can pick up
(09:26):
at gas stations. A fruit and some nut butter.
At almost any gas station you can find a banana and a pack of
nuts. That's great combo.
Great snack. Next one, some type of jerky,
beef jerky or Turkey jerky and apiece of fruit.
Again, most gas stations are going to have jerky of some sort
(09:49):
and some type of fruit like an apple.
Next one, trail mix with nuts and seeds and maybe a couple of
dark chocolate chips because youknow, we love that stuff.
Again, this is easily found at gas stations.
Protein bars are another amazingquick heavy hitter.
What we want to be looking for though, is a higher protein in
(10:12):
your protein bar. A lot of bars are protein bars
and they have 10 grams of protein in them and that really
just is not enough. What we're looking for are 15 to
20 or even 25 grams of protein in your protein bar.
So just read the labels and pickthe one that has a protein
(10:33):
that's higher than 15, ideally closer to 20, and then compare
the labels and pick the one thathas the less amount of sugar.
Again, those can be found in gasstations.
Hummus and pretzels is a really great one, usually not in gas
stations. Cheese sticks and some cherry
tomatoes or a different kind of vegetable that you really like.
(10:56):
Rice cakes with almond butter can be prepped and brought with
you to the trial. What I really would suggest also
is just rotating your snack choices so you don't burnout and
which is going to usually have people grabbing vending machine
food or something that's a little bit higher sugar.
Because trust me, if your body'shungry, if you wait until you're
(11:18):
light headed or irritable or jittery, your body's smart.
It wants to be at a consistent energy all day.
And remember what we were talking about, your brain
needing such a high percentage of the calories that you intake.
Your body's no fool. So if you get into that zone,
you're way more likely to reach for something that is sweet and
(11:39):
really simple carbohydrate to just get your energy back up in
a really quick way. But that puts you into a bit of
a cycle. It really just isn't as
advantageous as consistent snacking, keeping everything a
little bit more consistent for you during the day.
You can listen to an upcoming episode.
It is going to be coming out next week about sugar cravings
(12:00):
and how to avoid them. Where do they come from and what
are we going to do about these things?
All right, let's talk about lunch now because there's really
a kind of two ways to lunch. You can either have lunch to
feel recharged or perhaps have abig lunch to have a nap
afterwards. And here's how to avoid that
(12:21):
slump. We want to stick to the same
principle, the same recipe as breakfast.
Protein, fiber, fat, slow carbs.This combo digests slowly.
It will give you longer lasting energy and it won't make you
feel weighed down. Here's some really great lunch
options. And I love to pack this again in
a cooler. I will freeze an electrolyte
(12:44):
beverage or water in a bottle sothat I will use that as an ice
pack. And then as the day goes on,
I've got this ice cold energizing amazingness in my
cooler. And during the day it's kept all
the rest of my food that I brought with me cold.
It's like the best hack. I love it so much.
Here's some really great lunch options.
(13:06):
A chicken or a tuna wrap and some carrots or a different
vegetable that you like. People are loving these grain
bowls with like brown rice and veggies and grilled meat.
Avocado is great to put on thereand you can pick that up at a
bunch of different places. Subway sell stuff like that too.
There's also quinoa salad with some lentils, veggies, and olive
(13:27):
oil dressing. Notice there's fats and all of
these things. You could also bring some
leftovers that you had from lastnight, anything kind of along
those lines. So just kind of think about what
you're eating. You want to make sure you've got
some protein, some fiber, some fat, and then some slower
releasing carbs. So like complex carbs, we want
(13:48):
to avoid our huge portions. So you don't want to be eating
like a really large amount of food.
Again, that's kind of indicationthat you could use to snack a
little while ago. So if you find yourself at
lunchtime being so hungry that you want to eat a huge portion
of food, it's a really good queue for you to take a look at
what you ate a couple of hours before that.
(14:10):
And can you possibly add some kind of fruit and protein into
your morning? Because that will be so amazing
for you. Anyhow, the things we're going
to avoid are stuff like heavy pastas or greasy foods, or like
really big sandwiches with fries.
Those kinds of things can be like quite dense and heavy and
not fuel you optimally. We also really want to avoid the
(14:34):
opposite side of that, like having a lunch of only energy
drinks or energy drinks and somesoda, which is paired maybe with
like a high sugar meal like a chocolate croissant or some
cookies and a pop and a sweet, you know, milk of some sort.
To try to avoid things that are going to be heavy and dense and
(14:56):
like really full of fats and larger portions.
And you also really don't want to be having lunch of energy
drinks. Sorry monster.
And listen, if you know that youget nervous and you can't eat
very much, a really great idea is to plan 2 smaller lunches
instead of 1 big one. So think about like 1 mid
(15:18):
morning and 1 mid afternoon and just be flexible about it.
That is a really good key. I find if I'm nervous, when I'm
nervous, I don't like to eat as much either.
So the things that I take with me are things that are very
flavorful. That is not a day that I'm going
to be taking plain rice cakes and hard boiled eggs with no
(15:39):
salt or pepper. Like that is not a meal that I'm
going to eat if I'm feeling nervous like I just won't eat
it. So I would though bring like
maybe a hard boiled egg with salt and pepper on it and some
chili flakes. And if I'm bringing the rice
cakes, I would put also something flavorful on that or
bring hummus to dip it in that has like quite a bit of flavor.
(16:00):
And I'd also make sure that I had a flavorful drink with me
too because when I'm nervous, I don't even want to drink water.
So that's a little thing about me.
And Speaking of water, it is notoptional on these trial days.
It's not optional on any day. And if you're not a regular
water drinker, you will be shocked at how much better you
feel and your appetite during the day if you increase your
(16:23):
water intake. It's incredible and especially
on trial days when there's stress and the movement of the
day will increase your fluid needs.
And did you know that dehydration can really mimic
fatigue and anxiety? It messes with your
coordination, decision making and your mood.
(16:46):
So mild dehydration will often show up like this.
Headaches, low energy, brain fog, some people get cramping,
some people have a harder time breathing.
So if you're finding during the day that towards the end of the
day that your runs are getting more challenging for you to
complete, it might not just be the day and it might not just be
(17:08):
what you're eating during the day or what how much you slept
last night. You might actually be
experiencing the consequences ofbeing a little bit dehydrated as
the day goes on. I'm a person that doesn't have a
large intestine anymore. I have Crohn's.
I had to have it surgically removed and your body takes in
20 to 30% of its water from the large intestine and also a lot
(17:33):
of sodium and potassium too. So I'm a person that experiences
electrolyte imbalances and dehydration to like
hospitalizable levels very quickly.
Why I'm telling you that is thatI experienced dehydration faster
and more intense than the average person.
And I'm telling you now it is really not cool.
(17:55):
The things that happened to me are I have a really hard time
breathing. Sometimes it's gets more
challenging even to make it up the stairs in my home, which is
not a fitness thing. It truly is a dehydration or
electrolyte imbalance issue. So if you're I also get
headaches. I also have a hard time
thinking. I also get but a little bit
(18:15):
grumpy or very Moody, like sad too.
If you're noticing that on a smaller scale like mine comes on
in a much more extreme fashion. And if you're noticing these
kinds of things and you just don't feel very good, go have a
couple big classes of cold waterand see how you feel in a little
bit. Here's a great rehydration or
(18:37):
hydration strategy, packing a refillable water bottle and
keeping it nearby. I always suggest that my clients
do two things. Get a water bottle that holds a
lot of water, like 4 cups a liter.
A big water bottle. And here's the next arguably
(18:57):
even more important tip. Get a water bottle that they
love. You got to like the texture of
it. You got to like how you hold it.
Does it fit into your car? Does it fit in your bag?
Do you love the color of it? Loving your water bottle is
going to make it a lot more likely that it becomes your
Velcro to the hip accessory thatit really needs to be.
(19:20):
The next hydration strategy is to sip small amounts regularly
and not chugging a huge amount of water all at once.
Your body can only take in so much fluid at a time, so you
just want to sip smaller amountsregularly, like half of the cup
at a time. I know I just told you to take a
couple of really big cups in when you're feeling dehydrated,
(19:42):
and you should still do that. And also for a regular hydration
ongoing during your day, smalleramounts kind of regularly is
helpful. So when you're picking your
water bottle, think about that. Is taking that cap off going to
be annoying? Do you prefer a straw?
Is having a straw out at a trialgoing to be uncomfortable for
you with the dust or? I don't love, you know, other
(20:03):
people coughing or sneezing around my open water.
So I always have a cap and what I put my lips on is always
covered. And that is a non negotiable for
the water bottles that I have. And you might have different non
negotiables. The last thing is to add some
electrolytes. If it's hot and or you're
sweating, you want to look for ones that have lower sugar.
(20:27):
And electrolytes are very broad in the amounts of different
electrolytes that they actually contain.
And some of them are a little bit more like fluff and some of
them are more of a medical like nearing a medical intervention
(20:48):
type of rehydration solution. The ones that have some type of
label on them like Liquid IV is one of them.
It has really high levels of those elements in it that they
recommend only having one in a day, and that is for a reason,
y'all, You can really mess up your electrolyte balance by
taking in too much of that stuff.
(21:08):
And if you're a regular person and you're not like me, the
thing that people generally are draining out of their body when
they're sweating or it's hot is sodium.
So you can buy electrolytes and also they're not free.
And if what you're losing is sodium, it's totally cool on a
(21:28):
hot day or if you're sweating toadd some salt to your food.
If you hang out with me in person, you will see me adding
salt to all of my food and my juices all of the time.
So if you run into me somewhere and I'm the only person in line
asking for salt to put on their salty stuff, that is why I need
to keep my sodium levels up. And you might need to also if
(21:51):
it's hot or you're sweating, obviously check with your doctor
if you have have issues with high blood pressure.
And if you don't, adding salt toyour food is a much cheaper way
to make sure you've got adequatesodium levels on hot days.
And yeah, guys, coffee is totally fine.
And you want to be making sure that you balance it with water.
(22:12):
Coffee on its own, in my opinion, is not an adequate
fluid for you to really get hydrated in a way that's
meaningful. We're going to talk about
beating this afternoon crash because this is something that
is real. This will take you out, this 2
to 3:00 PM slump, and it is preventable.
(22:33):
I hate this slump. Here's the most common reason
that it will hit you and it hitsyou hard.
Blood sugar dips from poor lunchor snack choices.
Remember the formula? Protein, fat, carbs, fiber.
Those are that's the recipe thatwe want.
(22:54):
OK, so if your lunch or snack choices don't have those 4
components in them, you're likely going to experience this
afternoon crash. Again, Dehydration is huge.
This is trial days when you knowyou've got extra stress, your
brain and your body are having bigger ass, so it's even more
important to take a little bit better care of what you're
(23:16):
putting into the machine that isyour bad ass.
Adrenal fatigue from stress or overexertion can also really hit
you hard. And the last one, and you're
going to love this under fuelingearlier in the day can
cumulatively add up to you feeling really exhausted in the
(23:39):
afternoon, but it's super easy to pass fix.
Here's here's what we're going to do.
We're going to make sure that wehave like a light balanced snack
before our predictable crash. So like 1:00 to 2:00 PM.
This is also a really great formula.
We're going to talk about this in the next slide about sugar
(24:00):
cravings too. The next thing you can do to fix
it is to again, have a big glassof water and or get some
electrolytes in you going outside for a little bit of
fresh air. Or you could even have like a
bit of a reset kind of walk around a little bit of an
energy. Sometimes breaking out of what
(24:22):
you're doing can help you feel better.
One of the best things that you can do for that 2 to 3:00 PM
slump, and this is my favorite thing.
This is what I advise all of my clients to do is eat at regular
intervals. Y'all like don't wait until
you're hungry to eat. Don't wait until you're feeling
dehydrated to have a drink of water.
(24:44):
Like just get on a schedule. It's OK to feel good all of the
time and not wait until you feellike crap to put something good
into your body. So eat during the morning and
think about that 2 to 3:00 PM slump or crash that you might
have as being a symptom of not getting enough food to eat
(25:06):
earlier in the day. Here's a few snacks that you can
have if you find yourself just really hit in the dust, Hit in
the dust hitting the gravel Rd. all right, like a nut bar and
maybe a couple chunks of chickenbreast or something like that, a
banana and some nuts, maybe cottage cheese and some fruit.
(25:29):
That's actually way better than you'd think.
Cottage cheese with pineapple actually is so good.
Or a quick little protein snack.So these are things that are
like high protein. They've got some fat, they've
got some fiber, they've got somesugar in them and that can
really help that that little slump.
So if you hit that and you're like, oh, I better go for a big,
strong coffee. Try having a big glass of water
(25:52):
and a snack that's got some protein and some sugar and some
fats in it, and I pinky promise you on all the stars, you'll
feel so good. The next thing we're going to
talk about is how you recover with purpose.
Because yeah, the day's over, but your body and your brain are
still working. Recovery nutrition is really
(26:15):
important and it will support your muscle repair, also your
immune function. You ever notice people go to
trials and come home and a lot of people are sick?
Yeah, you're stressed and also it's tough to eat, eat properly
and also tough to recover properly.
So it can really help with the immune function.
Also restoring your energy for the next day.
(26:35):
Doesn't matter if you're trialling again the next day or
if you're heading home. This stuff matters today and it
matters every day. What I want you to do is aim to
eat a recovery meal within 90 minutes of finishing your last
run. Some simple things and this
isn't going to surprise you. A very nourishing meal with some
(26:59):
protein and veggies and some carbs.
I don't care what that is. There's, you know, all kinds of
different ways. I love this like plate sort of
thing, like 1/4 of your plate being protein and a quarter of
your plate being carbs and a half of your plate being
vegetables. I love that formula.
I've been eating like that for the last 25 years.
(27:22):
And you know what, I feel great.And when clients start eating
that way too, they feel really great.
You could also have like a wrapper, a sandwich with some
lean meat and salad. Again, if you were to put that
on a plate, it would be the quarter, quarter, half.
You could also, if you're not super hungry in the evening,
think about like a smoothie withsome protein and a banana and
(27:43):
some kind of healthy fat in it. If your appetite's low, you can
keep it small and easy. That's cool, but don't skip it
all together. And here I got some really hot
bonus tip. OK, you might be worth
considering including a magnesium rich food like dark
leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, or you're going to love me for
(28:07):
this, even a little bit of dark chocolate, because magnesium
will help you recover and it will help you sleep.
Who doesn't love a bit of sleep?All right, so here you have it.
This is your full trial day fueling plan to keep your brain
and body ready for anything. And here's a really quick recap.
(28:30):
These are good goals that will leave you feeling so much
better. Want to try to eat well, not
try? These are the goals.
Eat a healthy, balanced breakfast, snack strategically
throughout the day. Pick a light but satisfying
(28:51):
lunch. You want to hydrate, hydrate,
hydrate, hydrate some more. And also don't forget your
recovery meal. And remember, if it's hotter,
you're sweating, add some salt to your food and or grabbing
some electrolytes can be helpful.
And if there's some kind of health warning on them, pay
attention to those things. Fueling is one of the most
(29:13):
underrated performance tools andit's completely in our control.
A little planning goes a very long way and the goal here y'all
is not about having a perfect Instagram ready massage kale
green salad on the side perfection, OK, This is just
(29:34):
about you getting food into you and water into you.
That's going to leave you feeling steady and strong and
ready to lead your team. And listen, if this episode was
helpful, please follow this podcast and leave a review.
It helps us reach more handlers that are just like you.
You can also head on over to my website at
(29:54):
caninehandlerfitness.com for free resources, trial day tips.
I got a warm up guide on there for you and also performance
support tools to help you keep feeling fast, focused and
fantastic. Remember, you want to warm up,
fuel up and go have a great run.I'll see you next time.
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