Run for Love:
The Worlds' Toughest Duathlon
Following some tough lessons learnt from a gruelling 1,000 mile run across Eastern Europe, sports nutrition company Tribe knew the key to success on their next challenge lay in their fuelling strategy. Their quest for natural food to sustain them on Run For Love was paramount; and considering their efforts were all in aid of the fight against human trafficking, the stakes were high.
“If what you want doesn't exist, then create it.”
With a clear goal to change the world of performance nutrition with natural products, Tribe’s ethos is to encourage perseverance and camaraderie, and to empower people to test their limits. This is why in 2017 the Tribe community ran for love. This is their story.
The Cause
In the fight against human trafficking, on June 30th, the Tribe community undertook an extremely physically and mentally demanding endurance challenge, heading to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital Sarajevo, to begin the worlds’ toughest duathlon. With the aim of raising £250,000 and increasing awareness for this cause, the team ran and cycled across nine countries in just two weeks.
The Run
The Tribe crew set off with 70 runners from Sarajevo to take on six days of brutal ultra-distance running across Bosnian mountains and rugged terrain. It was a crippling week for the runners, with them suffering heat exhaustion, battered joints, and a hell of a lot of pain.
Each night, niggles and wounds were tended to with incredible work from the team physio, who fixed up the crew for the next day. The team pulled together, using each others energy to keep morale and motivation high even at the most testing times, and the forming of new friendships amongst the team was incredible to watch.
With the running stage over, they set up camp in the Croatian foothills and slept under the stars. The crew bathed in the river and refuelled by the campfire. It was a magical evening for everyone involved.
The Cycle
Then it was time for the cycling stages. The team jumped on their bikes and set off into the Alps, with 1,011 miles of cycling ahead. With just eight days to reach London, they faced seriously tough conditions; immensely challenging climbs through the Austrian Alps along with torrential downpours that seemingly exacerbated the stress on bruised and battered limbs.
Despite this, the vibe was still strong throughout and the crew powered on, making the ferry at Dunkirk with only seconds to spare. Back on UK soil and with just 60 more miles to go, the end was in sight.
It was an incredible two weeks for the Tribe community. Seeing hundreds of Tribe runners and riders come together for the challenge of a lifetime was truly magical.
The Run for Love journey raised £100,000 for the Tribe Freedom Foundation, set up in March 2017 with the mission of fighting modern slavery and ending human trafficking. They aim to inspire and engage the entire Tribe community through fundraising events and challenges which push people to test their limits.
This is just the start, not the end. Watch out for the next Tribe adventure.
Fuelling Run For Love - With Kristina From Tribe
Breakfast
Nutritionists say it’s the most important meal of the day. With six to eight hours on foot or in the saddle ahead of us each day, we made sure to get a good breakfast down us.
Around 5am, we’d start the day with a bowl of porridge, giving us about 45g carbohydrate // 15g protein// 15g fats. This is a pretty complex meal in terms of macronutrients, is low in sugar, and a great source of slow-release carbohydrates. These, along with good fats, are the best source of energy for a long distance endeavour. For additional calories (as we’d be burning around 4000 – 5000 calories a day!), the team would eat a Tribe Infinity Bar before hitting the road. We built the Infinity Bar for the toughest endurance challenges, and they give you a great mix of nutrients to keep you going.
Built from five endurance grains (including teff, the Ethiopian super grain), the Infinity Bar includes only natural ingredients and delivers 40 grams of complex carbohydrates per bar. It was made for this type of adventure.
Energy on the go
As we were burning so many calories each day, it was essential to remain fuelled and hydrated to keep energy levels up. We were running and riding off a mix of energy derived from fat reserves and carbohydrates so it was important to top up these fuels. Our on-the-go energy snacks included bananas and Tribe Energy Bars; the combination of nuts and dried fruits are naturally high in nutrients.
Recovery
The first thing we did at the end of each day was eat and rehydrate. Refuelling immediately after exercise, and in the first hour, is critical. Protein and fast-digesting carbs are essential for muscle repair and recovery. We would aim to have a Tribe Protein Bar as soon as we’d finished, providing 10 grams of natural protein.
Natural ingredients are key; richer in micronutrients and easier for the body to absorb. Giving our bodies these nutrients helped the recovery process, so we could go again tomorrow!
