I did the Tour du Mt Blanc 2 years ago and was warned that each food stop would have lots of different sorts of food. At first I felt really spoilt for choice, and tried to grab a bit of everything, but after a couple of stops I started to avoid anything dry, and found that in the night sections I would choose a cup of minestrone soup and a slice of bread to dunk in it - soggy bread slips down a treat without chewing (I get a really dry mouth on ultras), and the soup was warm and salty, with a bit pasta.
Later in the race I'd also developed a craving for sweet black coffee and also coke (which I don't usually drink) - must be sugar and caffeine. Coke is better flat or slightly flat, and it can get shaken up inside when running - with unpleasant consequences.
Early in the race and before my mouth dries out, I'd like a marmite sandwich.
I haven't done any really long stop runs such as this, having done the MDS this year, but I suppose something hot and dunkable, such as soup would certainly be great during the night stages, when it's likely to be colder
On other stages, stuff that worked really well for us included flagjacks, biltong/other dried meat, Ritz biscuits, nuts and dried fruit. All light, high energy and keep well in a bag
marc, you mentioned that HEED will be supplied at the checkpoints, do you know what concentration this will be, and will it be in bottles or a bin where we refill our own bottles?
We have large containers for drinks (collapsable ones you get at outdoor shops) and we intend to make it up to the instructions on the packet.. not sure what the %concentration is for HEED but i'm sure it will be the right one if we follow the instructions on't tin. You could always add a bit of water to thin it down if it was too strong.
