Click-bait title aside (!) Grenade athlete and endurance runner Sean Conway has just started an epic series of marathons around the UK – and he wants you to join him!

Fuelled by Carb Killa Protein Bars and Protein Shakes, our king of endurance is set to run a marathon a day in each of the UK’s national parks, so no matter where you live you’ll only be a short while away him, and one of the most picturesque runs that you’ve ever done.

If you think you have what it takes to Get Shit Done and keep up with him – even for just a five or ten km stretch – you can download all the maps, routes and start times here.

We spoke with our man earlier this week to find out more about the challenge, and what it takes in the nutritional stakes. Here’s what he had to say...

When it comes to nutrition for endurance challenges, performance, recovery and health are my three cornerstones. While I could write a book on my experiences in these matters – which include blending roast dinners and eating dog food for extra protein (oh, the things I’ve done when I didn't have a delicious Grenade Carb Killa at hand) – here’s is a brief overview of what I’ve found useful. Hopefully this’ll help you on any of your upcoming challenges – great or small!

Performance

For me, a higher proportion of fat makes me feel more level-headed. For challenges such as these, I opt for a 50/50 fat vs carbs split. Carbs are also important to keep me going, especially when i’m running up hills and my heart rate gets going. My go-to items are things that contain peanut butter (as taste is everything!) and carb-filled food that isn’t full of sugar. It’s probably no surprise then that the Peanut Nutter Carb Killa Bar is my personal favourite! I’ll also have things like Defend BCAA Powder, turmeric and some multivitamins (Grenade’s Ration Pack is great!) in case I can’t fit those nutrients into my diet while en-route.

Recovery

Obviously this is where protein comes in. At the end of a run I like to have liquid protein because I’m often not in the mood to chew, so a Carb Killa Protein Shake, with 25g protein, is ideal. As well as hydrating me, these also have some fat and carbs within them, important to replenish my glycogen levels.

Health

This is the corner of the pie that sometimes suffers when I embark on a long multi-day, multi-week challenge. With calories taking precedence, it’s sometimes easy to neglect your vegetables, and I really feel the difference when I do. Why fill your stomach with a salad of 200kcal when you can fill it with a spaghetti bolognese of 700kcal?! But it is important. Antioxidants and vitamins really do help with performance and recovery and I find fresh veg is key.

The last takeaway I have for anyone doing long challenges is to eat before you’re hungry; If you are hungry you’re already in a nutrition deficit and it’s too late! I’ll often snack on a Carb Killa Protein Bar over 20 minutes, rather than eating a whole bar at once and having a long gap between eating again – although this does take some restraint!

So, go out there and consider everything you eat and which category it may fall into; performance, recovery or health. Stay strong, keep going, and Get Shit Done!