Hydration-nutrition issues for slower athletes in longer distances

I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you on your post. However, I did want to say GO BUCKS!

O - H

Congrats on your race (even though you said you had problems). So just to get a little bit more info:

1. What were your serious problems on the run? Just elevate HR?

2. What was your HR like on the bike?

Thanks,
Paul

My non-professional opinion is that you didn't fuel enough prior to your event, but took in way too much during. You took in 50 oz of fluid in 1.5 hours on the bike, and added almost 40 oz on the run. I'd venture a guess that your serious problems on the run were intestinal in nature.

I'd take in more calories in the morning prior to the race and dial it back during the event, especially at the Olympic distance.

My goal time was 1:25, so I wasn't off time-wise that far from where I wanted to be.  The problem was how miserable I was the entire run.  Yep, had stomach issues. I was breathing hard and felt out of control for the entire run.  Even when I walked (and towards the end, it was often), my heart rate still didn't drop from the 150s.  My legs were like lead.   Heart rate on the bike was high Z2 to mid Z3, but I always felt under control and was having fun.  There was no fun associated with the run.  It was 90 minutes of hell. 

I guess I would wonder if it was a nutrition issue... or just a fitness and heat issue.

What was your pace on the bike? Was it faster than usual? Were you pushing pretty hard? Are you use to heat and humidity?

I can't believe how much you took in on that race! WOW! That's a lot. My Oly I didn't do hardly any nutrition and had a great race and a wonderful run.

So I kind of think your issues were not related to nutrition, unless you had a sloshing tummy and you were bloated.

My guess would be that it wasn't just one thing. In no particular order I would say it was fitness (not that you don't have it, but triathlon is hard and olympic distance is no joke--it's easy to put out a lot of effort), heat, too much in your tummy. With experience I am guessing that you will learn how to vary your plan depending upon the conditions, e.g., very hot=dial back effort, increase fluids (not necessarily calories). One thing to remember as well is that when your HR goes up, your ability to digest goes down. So maybe the heat and effort caused your HR to go up, causing all those calories that you took in on the bike and run to sit in your stomach, causing you to have tummy issues. You did well, though, as you said so keep on truckin'!!!

For Olympic type racing, less is better most of the time. It is such a different animal when compaired to 1/2 or full IM distance racing. I think you took in too much during and your pre race intake looks about right.
If that was a training day and you were doing a brick, then fine. But for a higher HR race it is just tough to process6-700 calories.
It is my experience that athletes tend to er to the extreme. Most of the time you do better with less/lighter on the shorter stuff.
Now for your half, I would go with what you did for the bike and then lighten up for the run. That is where your HR spikes and processing a bunch of calories can be hard.
You can always e-mail me or call. I went to Denison for two years and am a Grad of THE OSU. So I will be nice!

IO!

Edited by infinIT 1 2008-08-25 8:17 PM

I'm new to this but I have been researching trying to figure out what to eat on my first OLY. I'll list some of the things I have learned and see if they are correct.
1. The pre-race meal should be very light pretty much like a snack. Your meal was o.k. I plan on a banana and 1/2 cup of yogurt and some water.
2. Your prerace meal should be at least 3 hours prior to start. You were good without the extra banana and gel they were eaten to close to race time and you didn't need those calories. I do plan on having a gel but it will be just before the swim maybe 10 to 15 minutes be for the start.
3. The body is only able to process about 200 calories per hour. So in my case the OLY distance is going to take me about 3.5 hours. I need to take in 500 calories on the bike but the simple sugar ratio has to be such that my system will digest those calories. I can't just drink 100 oz. of Gatorade. I will use Perpetuem 130 calories per scoop. Four scoops and 14 oz. of water in one bottle and another 20oz. bottle of water only. I will alternate these bottles finishing both by the end of the bike leg.
4. Your body only needs 17 to 20 oz. of water per hour during exercise. I've always herd to drink and drink and drink some more but apparently overconsumption of water is not a good thing. My hydration plan is to have 8 oz. with my pre-race gel 34 oz. on the bike and that leaves 28 oz. during the run.
5. I will take water at the aid stations and have a gel after about 2.5 miles to fulfill my calorie needs.

Pre-race meal calories you-400 me-200
race calories 580 720
hydration 90 oz. 70 oz.
*not counting the 32 oz. you drank pre-race*

Our numbers came out closer than I thought thy were going to.

I think you ate too close to race time and you over hydrated. I learned a lot from the Hammer Nutrition site sorry I don't know how to put the link in my post but check it out.