From balancing motherhood and work to training for the UCI Gravel Worlds Championship, Laura King embodies the art of juggling it all, on and off the bike. We sat down with her to talk nutrition, fueling strategies, and her philosophy on enjoying the ride (and the occasional cinnamon roll).
Q: For those who may not know you, tell us a little about yourself.
Laura:
I’m Laura King. I live in Vermont, and I love to ride and sometimes race my bike. My main goal this year is to train for the UCI Gravel Worlds Championship in the Netherlands. I also work as Chief Marketing Officer for Paradis Sport, a by-women-for-women brand. Outside of that, I spend as much time as I can with my husband Ted and our two kids, who are three and five.
Q: Walk us through a typical day of eating for you.
Laura:
Breakfast is usually crepes. They sound fancy but they’re actually simple and full of protein, eight eggs in a batch! I love topping them with apple butter or whipped cream (my kids insist on that part).
Lunch is usually prepped ahead. I’m guilty of working straight through lunchtime, so having something like a big quinoa salad with veggies, garbanzo beans, and feta ready to go is key. Sometimes I’m lucky, Ted makes amazing sandwiches and will take pity on me when he sees me still glued to my computer.
Dinner is a shared effort. Ted cooks about 75% of the time. We love to grill, and dinner usually includes a protein like chicken, a big salad, and some kind of carb—pasta, rice, or bread.
And dessert… there’s always dessert. I love to bake, so there’s rarely a day in our house without cookies or cake on the counter.
Q: That sounds both healthy and balanced! Do you notice much difference between your off-season and training-season diet?
Laura:
Honestly, it’s pretty consistent. I’m a creature of habit. Even on lighter days, I still have a healthy appetite from the training load earlier in the week.
Q: Do you track macros or calories?
Laura:
Not really. I eat intuitively. I do work with a nutritionist, but tracking everything just isn’t realistic for me. I try to stay mindful of on-bike nutrition and hydration—like weighing myself before and after longer rides to monitor sweat rate—but even that’s tough to remember with everything going on.
Time is my biggest challenge, not the desire to improve!
Q: What’s your approach to fueling during rides?
Laura:
I’ve been practicing taking in more carbs during rides. I used to be on the lower side, but right now I’m around 80–90 grams per hour. That seems to be my sweet spot.
Everyone’s different, some athletes can go over 120 grams, but your stomach has to handle it, and heat or humidity can really affect that. I experiment during training so I know what works before race day.
Q: You mentioned sweat rate tracking earlier, what’s that process like?
Laura:
There are patches like the Gatorade Sweat Patch that help establish a baseline, but I mostly do it manually. I weigh myself before and after long rides and track how much fluid I drink. It’s not perfect, but it helps me understand how much dehydration I can tolerate before performance drops off.
There’s a $250 sweat sensor out there, but I’ll stick to the old-school method for now!
Q: You have a background in sports nutrition, right?
Laura:
Yes! Early in my career I worked for PowerBar and GU Energy Labs. PowerBar did a great job teaching us the science of fueling, things like using a 2:1 glucose-to-fructose ratio for better carbohydrate absorption.
We’d give nutrition clinics to local clubs, and one of the biggest takeaways was how dehydration is actually the leading cause of fatigue, before calories even become the issue.
And of course, my husband Ted co-founded Untapped, a maple-based sports nutrition company. So we talk about fueling a lot in our house!
Q: With all that experience, what’s your overall philosophy on food and performance?
Laura:
It’s a balance of science and instinct. You can know all the formulas, but your body might not cooperate on race day, or you might drop a gel and need to improvise.
I’m big on listening to your body and not being too rigid. I eat intuitively, I don’t deprive myself, and I believe everything in moderation. Enjoying what you eat matters.
My nutritionist would love for me to “practice fueling” more on long rides, but sometimes I just want to stop at a bakery instead of eating gels for five hours. There’s joy in that too!
Q: Speaking of bakeries, what’s your go-to treat?
Laura:
Oh, that’s easy, cinnamon rolls. Or donuts. Or scones. Honestly, all of the above.
I’ll totally plan a ride around a bakery stop, and I’m not ashamed of it. In fact, people visiting Vermont sometimes reach out asking if I’ll take them on a “bakery ride.”
If I had to choose one favorite treat, though, it’s a cruller. And that’s a sit-down situation, always with coffee.
Q: Last question—any advice for balancing family, training, and work while staying healthy?
Laura:
Give yourself grace. You can’t optimize everything all the time. Prioritize what keeps you happy and fueled, mentally and physically. Some days it’s crepes and a strong coffee. Other days it’s a long ride to a bakery. Both count.
Train Like Laura
- Train indoors on the Saris H3 Plus and Saris MP1 Nfinity Motion Platform
- Bring your bike on the Saris SuperClamp
Follow Laura’s adventures:
Instagram: @lauracameronking
Learn more about how she trains, races, and balances life on and off the bike with Saris.
