The spirit of Self-sufficiency of the Marathon des Sables is one of the features that makes this competition one of the most demanding races. Self-sufficiency in the desert means that each participant carries everything needed to survive for seven days, from a sleeping bag to all their food, except water. I find it particularly hard to imagine how to carry seven days’ worth of food…
Time to get to work on nutrition for these days. Searching online, I found two very different approaches to food for a self-sufficient race. Both call for a high-calorie diet. One relies on traditional foods, from nougat to marzipan; the more technical version uses freeze-dried meals, gels and the latest energy bars.
Am I lacking magnesium, chondroitin, glucosamine or glutamine? These are the questions that come to mind when reading about everything gels and energy bars offer.
Honestly, I do not feel up to studying the ingredients of every product and choosing the most suitable for my needs. I will stick with ordinary energy bars. Perhaps I should start with a blood test to check whether I am short of any vitamins? I am confused; I think I am leaning towards a more traditional food option for self-sufficiency.
Now the task is to choose foods that provide plenty of nutrition but weigh little.