Taco, Sushi, Hot Dog Decision | Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station

Endurance athletes are no strangers to the aid station buffet. But what if, instead of chugging Tailwind and choking down half a banana, you had to a challenging decision to make between a Japa (hot)dog, a fish taco, and sushi… while 168 miles into a 200-mile gravel bike race? Sounds absurd? Perfect — that’s exactly what Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station is all about.

Presented by 7 Summits Snacks and hosted by Jason Bahamundi and Adam Lee, Food Fight Friday isn’t your typical performance-nutrition podcast. It’s part game show, part comedy hour, and 100% about bringing joy and laughter back into endurance sports. In the latest episode, fan-favorite and Run Tri Bike Hall of Famer Rach McBride returns to play the deliciously ridiculous game: Eat, Toss, or Carry?

Eat, Toss, or Carry: The Game

The rules are simple: presented with three Vancouver-based food options, our guest must decide which one to eat right now, which one to toss (sorry, Japa dog), and which to carry to the next aid station like a gravel-cycling squirrel with elite-level snack planning.

Here’s the food lineup for this round:

• JapaDog 🌭 – A messy, fusion-style hot dog that’s as flavorful as it is impractical mid-race.

• TacoFino Fish Taco 🌮 – Crispy, fragile, and potentially more aerodynamic than your drop bars.

• BC Roll (Salmon Sushi) 🍣 – Bite-sized, rideable, and possibly the classiest food ever to be stashed in a cycling jersey.

Rach’s strategy? In this challenge, they toss the Japa (hot) Dog, eat the fish taco immediately before it self-destructs, and carry the sushi — because small, portable, and shareable equals ultra-running gold.

Laughing Through the Long Miles

Let’s be honest: no one sets a PR because they nailed the aid station spread. But how you eat mid-race can define your experience — or at least make for a good story later. As Rach hilariously recounts a past mistake involving a regrettable cheese and vegan meat sandwich, it’s clear that humor, more than gels or hydration tabs, might be the ultimate performance enhancer.

Hosts Jason and Adam throw in their own wild opinions, with Jason defending the JapaDog like it’s his race-day lifeline and Adam considering the fish taco not just as fuel, but as a strategic distraction — perhaps even a weapon — against competitors.

Why This Matters (Yes, Really)

Sure, the game is silly. But there’s a deeper truth here: endurance sports can be too serious. Between the zone 2 heart rate debates and the gear optimization obsession, it’s easy to forget the joy of just being out there, grinding through the miles with a little laughter and a lot of snacks.

Food Fight Friday reminds us that having fun is part of the training plan. Laughing while you bonk? That’s the stuff endurance legends are made of.

What’s Next at the Aid Station

The team wraps up by shouting out upcoming Trail Running Film Festival dates across Alberta — May 1, 2, 3, 17, and June 5. If you love endurance sports and a good story (plus maybe a JapaDog), grab your crew and check it out.

And remember: endurance is serious, but your snacks don’t have to be.

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