What Food to Pack for Marji Camp

If you're signed up for Marji Camp then you saw that under Weather, Gear, and Lies it says, "supplemental food, hydration, basic nutrition." That might have you scratching your heading wondering what the heck do you actually need? We can help with that.

As a sports dietitian who attended Marji Camp as a participant in 2023, as a run coach in 2024, and returning again this year as a coach, we can safely say that you're in good hands.

So what is supplemental food, hydration, and basic nutrition?

Supplemental food is meant to cover meals and snacks that won't be provided by 906. For meals, this includes dinner on Thursday night and breakfast Sunday morning. For snacks, this includes pre and post-ride snacks on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. What you need for meals depends on if you're staying at Rippling River or nearby and if you plan to cook or eat out. For dinner Thursday night, bring something you can prepare quickly or grab something in town. I recommend Border Grill, Laker's, or Sando's (don't ask questions and get the steak grilled cheese). The same goes for breakfast on Sunday morning cuz you're going to be tiiiired. Maybe have a morning snack with your gallon of coffee and stop for breakfast before you head outta town. You won't be disappointed with a breakfast burrito & cortado from 231 West, the Red Rooster + hash browns from Donckers, or the sunrise tacos from Bodega. For your pre-ride snack, you want to have primarily carbohydrates within an hour of your ride. Carbs are preferred because they are easily digested. This could be an applesauce pouch, banana, pretzels, or fig bar. For your post-ride snack, you'll need a source of protein + carbohydrate within 30 minutes of leaving the trail. THIS HELPS WITH RECOVERY and assures your body can tackle whatever comes up in the next training ride or next day at camp. Some favorites include a ready to drink protein shake + banana, crackers + meat stick, or peanut butter & jelly!

Hydration includes water (which you should be drinking throughout the day), something with electrolytes, and post-ride beverages. If you're a heavy sweater, you should aim for ~1 gram (1000 mg) sodium per hour of riding so make sure to bring enough electrolytes to cover that. The weather forecast doesn't look super duper steamy at the moment but wait a minute and all that could change. For hydration, I'm a fan of Skratch hydration and Saltstick electrolyte capsules while I'm riding and sparkling LMNT post-ride.

Basic nutrition is what you're going to eat while you're riding. We recommend bringing what you usually eat on a ride 3 hour ride. Why 3 hours? Because each daytime ride lasts that long with an opportunity for a meal before & after. If you're not sure what to bring, may we suggest carbohydrates? If you're wondering how much to bring, that can vary on your goals for the race. Plan to bring enough nutrition to fuel four 3-hour rides. For basic nutrition, I'll be bringing Honey Stinger waffles, Skratch or Honey Stinger Chews, and Skratch Super High Carb. I'm also likely to carry dried mango, gluten free Velodrome waffle dupes, Picky Bars, Nerd Cluster gummies and a mini can of Coca-Cola.

Note: if you run out of nutrition there are plenty of amazing bike shops in the area to help you get restocked. If you're in Ishpeming, check out West End Ski and Trail. If you're in Marquette, head to Sports Rack.

We'll be talking more about nutrition at one of the Campfire Talks but if you see Coach Dawn around, say hello & feel free to ask all your nutrition-related questions! See you at camp!