Sprint nutrition

Depends on the distances. But I would generally say that you might want to go with a gel early in the bike and if they have a "sports drink" on the run - use that other wise use a sports drink on the bike and go with water only on the run....most sprints are short enough that you can get by with water alone and whatever they're serving on the run.....

my .02
Paul

Depends on what time you expect to do it in I suppose. My goal time for my first sprint was under 2 hours so I did a gel after a few miles on the bike. This year the goal is under 90 minutes so I'll stick to gatorade on the bike.

I'm shooting for sub 1hr 15 minutes. Depends how fast I am on the bike. My swim and run times should be in the range I can hit that mark.

If we're ever in the same race, be sure to say Hi to me when I eventually cross the finish line and you're heading to your car!

Short swim and short run the bike is probably considered short too

500 yard swim
10 mile bike
2.5 mile run

Edited by ODogg 2005-04-14 1:17 PM

Owen,

Are there any hills in DC? 1:15 and you're worried about nutrition?!?!?!?! My son will lend you one of his little sippy cups!

Mark

Yes there are hills in DC...CAPITOL HILL! This is in the burbs.

I said I was only going to use Gatorade and maybe a gel. Sheesh!

I did a sim of my upcoming tri (400m/13.5 mile/5k) the other morning at my gym.  Granted the bike was a stationary( I set resistance to match my road pace), and the run was on a mill.

My pre"race" nutrition consisted of a can of red bull and a balance bar,  at miles, 3 and 10 of the bike I did a clif shot gel....and had water on the bike

I was fine, had plenty of energy and think I could have done the run a lot faster than I did, but not having done a sim before, I wanted to make sure I finished it.

I'll be downing the Red Bull pre race for sure.

I don't see how anyone can drink Red Bull and race. I was given a can after a race once, by the cute girl in the goofy car. In about 10 minutes I felt like I had swallowed a red-hot barbed-wire gut bomb. If you can take it, more power to you.

Maybe I'm old (sigh)

It beats the alternative!

Mmmm...Red bull... Gonna get back to Costco to pick up a case. I think it tastes great.

The alternative?  Being young?  HUH?

No, being dead. As years pass, you have two options: getting older or getting dead. They don't give us "getting youger" as an option.

what you eat in the days leading up to it is probably more important than what you eat race day. for the events i've done that i knew would last more than an hour (sprints, indoor tris, 1/2 marathon) i ate a few more carbs, and drank some extra water in the days leading up (and had at least one rest day). morning of the race - a cup of oatmeal w/ honey about 2-3 hours before race. right before the race (15 mins) - a little water and half a clif shot (if i didn't have coffee that morning, i would use a shot w/ caffeine to avoid a headache - hopeless coffee addict). after the swim, i drank a little water and ate the rest of the shot (stuck it in my bike shoe so i wouldn't forget it! imagine if i had. squish. hee hee). dixie cup of water on the run at the turn around. that's all. just tried a honey stonger at the 8 mile race last weekend and it seemed to help keep me from getting tired or bonking. did half at about mile 2 and the rest just after the turn around mile 4). may try those instead of clif shots this season.

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That's a good theory, but has little basis in fact. your body has readily available energy, stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver, enough for up to two hours of aerobic activity. This energy does NOT have to be converted to use, and is not fat or muscle. The glycogen can be replaced in the hours after your event.

Edited by the bear 2005-04-14 9:50 PM

Yo,
there is this new stuff called Crunk Juice. It is redbull on crack. Check it out before a race and you will be feeling it. nice, if you know what I'm saying. peace
jdog

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One of my favorite sayings is,  "Even if it only works in your mind, then it still works." Certainly doesn't hurt to take a gel or two during a sprint, but it's probably not necessary.

I agree with Bear. I usually eat a cliff bar one hour before the race and that has more to do with superstition than anything else. Then I drink some water on the bike and that's it until the post race pizza and beer