Ghost Peppers Don’t PR Ultras | Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station presented by 7 Summits Snacks
In ultra running, there are serious conversations about pacing strategies, hydration plans, and injury prevention. This is not one of those conversations. This is a funny conversation about ultra marathons and nutrition that may or may never happen.
Welcome to Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station, presented by 7 Summits Snacks. This is the only endurance sports podcast where the carb-loading is real, the hydration is questionable, and the humor is spicier than a ghost pepper empanada at mile 82.
Co-hosted by Jason Bahamundi (Run Tri Bike’s resident storyteller, snack enthusiast, and occasional aid station trash panda) and Adam Lee (trail runner, community builder, and the guy who always knows where the good snacks are), this weekly showdown is all about making endurance sports ridiculously fun.
The Game: Eat, Toss, or Carry
Every episode, the hosts and their brave guest, face three absurd aid station food options. The rules are simple:
-
Eat one.
-
Toss one.
-
Carry one to the next aid station.
This week, special guest Derek Sprau stepped into the gauntlet during a very real (but actually imaginary) moment at mile 82 of the Hallucination 100. His Cuban-inspired menu:
-
A bowl of cold rice & black beans (comfort food or bland purgatory?)
-
A ghost pepper empanada (delicious doom wrapped in pastry)
-
Dulce de coco (chalky coconut candy… perfect if you hate chewing).
ADVERTISEMENT
Derek’s Decisions at Mile 82
Faced with the ultimate stomach-and-sanity test, Derek used the kind of decision-making only an ultra runner understands. Spoiler: the ghost pepper empanada didn’t make the cut because nobody wants a mid-race meltdown of that kind. The dulce de coco? Against all texture-related odds, it earned the “eat” slot. And the rice and beans? Perfect for carrying, if only to double as an ultralight hand warmer.
Why Food Matters in Ultras
Beyond the laughs, this episode reminded us that nutrition during endurance events is about more than calories. It’s comfort, mental boost, and sometimes sheer survival. A favorite snack at mile 70 can feel like a finish line gift. A bad choice? Well, it’s a gamble your digestive system might not forgive.
Jason, Adam, and Derek kept it real with stories about aid station surprises, the joy of finding “your” snack, and the horror of realizing your stomach has officially filed for divorce mid-race.
Endurance Athletes, This One’s For You
If you:
-
Think about snacks more than splits,
-
Have strong opinions about aid station food hierarchy,
-
Or fully embrace the “I ran 50 miles for a cookie” energy…
…then Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station is your kind of fun.
Let us know which of these three foods you would have eaten, tossed or carried. Nutrition at an ultra marathon aid station will never be the same but it certainly will be funny.
ADVERTISEMENT
