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Vanessa Gebhardt can officially add professional volcano scaler to her resume.
Josue Fernandez Photography / @josuefphoto
Gebhardts eating plan actually started two months before the race, when she cutcoffeefrom her diet completely.
I dont really put a label on it, but I dont drink that much overall.
My boyfriend is a vegetarian, so we cook mostly plant-based foods when were together.
Margaret Schlachter / @dirtinyourskirt
Its really helped me stay in the moment and actually appreciate what I do on a daily basis.
What matters is how you treat your body for the full week leading up to the race.
Later, at 11 A.M.one hour before the race beganshe fueled up again with raw beetroot and a banana.
Luis Escobar
I love to eat beetroot before my workouts, because its rich in nitrates, she says.
Nitratesmay help you exercise longeroverall, so some competitive athletes fuel up with it before events.
But mostly, I like them because theyre not fake or super sugary.
Christer Schapiro
Some of them even have coffee in them, which gave me some nice energy.
Also, theyre natural.
I dont love these as much as the other snacks, but theyre easy and effective.
Vanessa Gebhardt
Lemon is my favorite flavor.
Pure water is essential, but the boosts helps, too, for added energy.
Without water, you wont make it as farand you certainly wont cross the finish line.
Luis Escobar
I had to go three hours without eating during that time!
Its important to note that Gebhardt didnt ever stop to eat, either.
Eating breaks were never on my list, she says.
I love doing things efficiently, even when Im not racing.
Makes sense: Its a lot easier to eat when youre not gasping for air at the same time.
I will never forget that moonset, she says.
It was so orange and it looked so great.
That was my moment when I felt especially happy to just be there.
I had a nice moment when I was carrying my bucket filled with water, she begins.
Knowing that what I was doing had a deeper meaning really helped me motivate.
I just wanted a lot of vegetables and carbs in the my body!
But the next day, she celebrated with lots of delicious island food, too.
We had some greatfruit smoothiesand curries with platanos, which are grilled bananas.
The goal is to be happy during these races.
And if you’re able to throw in a first-place win at the end?
Well, that doesnt hurt, either.
To find out more about Vanessas other fitness adventures, follow her on Instagram at@for_the_life_of_me_.
