Hybrid athlete Fergus Crawley is one of the few people in the world who has to actively look for seemingly supernatural endurance challenges to test his fitness and mental fortitude. However, to run a marathon and a half after posting a 600-kilogram powerlifting total, a sub-12 hour triathlon after a 1,200-kilogram total, lockout the Dinnie Stones like strongman was a second hobby, sprint a sub-five minute mile after squatting 500 pounds, or perform a non-stop double triathlon over 40 hours, Crawley needs fuel.
One of the biggest mistakes people often make when trying to balance strength and endurance training is under-eating.
On Feb. 5, 2023, Crawley took to his YouTube channel to share the diet of 5,000 daily calories he includes to fuel his programming. The additional energy expenditure from training like a hybrid athlete is exceptionally high. The calorie intake needs to be sufficient to not inadvertently be in a caloric deficit, which could lead to fatigue, lower energy, and lack of progress in the gym, on the track, in the water, or wherever else Crawley ends up with an elevated heart rate. Check out how he eats each day in the video below:
Crawley’s baseline calories for the day is 2,500. However, in addition to that, he eats 90 percent of whatever calories he’s burned in training. For example, if he burned 1,000 calories in training, he would eat 900 calories to maintain a sustainable caloric deficit that supports his weight loss goals without disrupting future training. Crawley’s day begins at a crisp 5:36 a.m. when he consumes his first meal consisting of:
- Oats — 100 grams
- Greek Yogurt — 200 grams
- Skim Milk — 250 milliliters
- Plant Protein — 24 grams
- Raspberry Jam — One tablespoon
- Frozen Raspberries
- Calories — 736
He combines his meal with early morning hydration, which combines caffeine and electrolytes. Crawley recommends consuming electrolytes first thing in the morning, every morning, if possible. Embarking on a 20-mile run, Crawley consumes snacks every five kilometers that contain 167 calories each.
[Related: CrossFit Star Brooke Wells Joins Podium Nutrition’s Athlete Roster]
After 57 minutes and 10 kilometers in the books, another two snacks of 167 calories each go down the hatch. Crawley’s conditioning is at a stage where he doesn’t feel he’s had to exert himself in any meaningful way to achieve the time he’s logged. At approximately one hour and 26 minutes, 15 kilometers are complete, and more snacks are unpackaged. The 20 kilometers were finished at the 1:54:54 mark, leaving 12 more kilometers to go.
Crawley averaged a 5:51-mile pace for 20 straight miles (32.21 kilometers) for three hours and 10 minutes. Afterward, he consumes his second meal of:
- Two Chicken Burgers
- Two Bagel Thins
- Unsmoked Bacon
- Mayonaise — 30 grams
- Calories — 706
During his 20-mile run, Crawley burned 2,789 calories and ate 931 calories in snacks during the trek, meaning that he needed to eat 2,510 more calories to make up the previously mentioned 90 percent differential. The menu to make up those calories at dinner was two homemade pizzas with chorizo with a non-alcoholic lager amounting to 2,175 calories. Some late-night ice cream to finish his day of eating brings Crawley’s daily caloric total to 4,894.
Featured image: @ferguscrawley on Instagram
