I underfueled in France—and paid the price

Last week, I was hiking in 30-degree heat in the south of France. It was meant to be a relaxing getaway with my partner.

We hiked five out of seven days—anywhere from 5 to 10 miles a day, often with 1,500+ feet of elevation. Think steep climbs, long days, and blazing sun.

Sounds dreamy, right?

Except by day five, it felt more like a slog than a stroll.

The mistake I made…

I massively underfueled.

Not on purpose. I thought I was eating pretty well. French breakfasts (read: a bit of bread and cheese), some light lunches, a nice dinner.

But during the hikes? Just a few snacks. Maybe a bar. Maybe some nuts.

Plenty of water and electrolytes… but barely any carbs.

Now, if you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I’m always banging on about fueling properly on the bike. Carbs = fuel = performance.

But what this trip reminded me—hard—is that underfueling doesn’t just mess with your watts.

It messes with your:

Energy
Mood
Decision-making
Recovery

What actually happened:

On our final hike—a 10-miler—I felt wrecked from the first step.

My legs were heavy
My mood was flat
I wasn’t enjoying it

I wasn’t present. I was just… getting through it.

Worse than that, I noticed my decision-making getting slow. A bit clumsy on the trail. Not thinking clearly. In the heat, on uneven ground, that’s a recipe for a twisted ankle—or worse.

And recovery? Forget it. No carbs, not enough protein, low calories overall. My body had nothing to rebuild with.

The big lesson?

Fueling isn’t just about going fast.

It’s about staying safe, staying strong, and actually enjoying what you're doing—whether that’s hiking in the Alps or cycling at the weekend.

3 things to take away from this:

Fuel for the activity, not just the training.
Hiking, long walks, even hot days out all demand energy. Respect the effort.
Don’t rely on meals alone.
Carry carbs. Simple stuff. Gels, dried fruit, rice cakes, bananas. Snack before you feel the dip.
Recovery starts during the activity.
Carbs mid-session = less breakdown. Add in protein post-session to rebuild.

That week in France reminded me of something simple but easy to forget:

If you want to feel good, move well, and actually enjoy what you're doing—fuel like it matters.

Because it really, really does.

Until next week.

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