General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Race day nutrition plan Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2009-05-23 10:06 AM

User image

Member
20

Subject: Race day nutrition plan

I will be running Ironman UK for my first Ironman.  I have been doing some reading on pre-race week nutrition and race day nutrition.  I have been planning to simply use gels, bars, gatoraide and water.  My fiance suggest that I should pack a couple turkey or chicken sandwiches for the bike portion of the event.  She sites the fact that my stomach will most liekly want something a little more like real food.  This has lead us to several debates and alot of joking.

If I am to bring real food with me, I know that I am going to have to start bring it with me on my long training rides now as the Iroman is only about 70 days away.

The question I pose to everyone one is, does anyone out there pack real food to eat during the event or do you simply use gels, bars, sport drinks and water?



2009-05-23 11:18 AM
in reply to: #2169585

User image

Elite
3658
200010005001002525
Roswell, GA
Subject: RE: Race day nutrition plan

I don't know about sandwiches, but a lot of people eat clif bars on the bike portion to put something solid in their stomach. 

2009-05-23 12:53 PM
in reply to: #2169585

User image

Ventura, CA
Subject: RE: Race day nutrition plan
What works for me might not work for you... But I've been experimenting with different bars and find the apple-pie or cherry 'Larabar' work best for me on my longer rides. They're a little more moist then the Cliff bars. Also, Shot blocks work better then gels for me, but too much sugar and my stomach seems to shut down. Find what works for you, it might even be a turkey sandwich! (little hard to eat while riding or running though)
2009-05-23 1:29 PM
in reply to: #2169585

User image

Master
2406
2000100100100100
Bellevue, WA
Subject: RE: Race day nutrition plan
From what I've seen, lots of people eat "real food" but it's not often turkey or chicken sandwich. Along with gels and bars and blocks and other high glucose, calorie and energy dense foods, people supplement with real food that's also calorie / energy dense.

Peanut butter & jelly seems to be popular; I've seen many people eating those at bike special needs. I've seen lots of people eating cookies, usually fig newtons or peanut butter sandwich cookies or the like.

I've eaten lots of fruit on the run at the aid stations - grapes, watermelon, cantelope. I had an apple once in my run special needs and it was great. But I shudder at the thought of gagging down a full sandwich. Ugh. The whole point of food during the event is to fulfill energy needs later in the race. I think if I ate a sandwich, my digestive system would not be able to process it and I'd have lots of GI distress two or three hours later.

I'll go out on a limb and say the closer to the FOP you get, the less "real food" you see; conversely at the back it's a potluck. At IMAZ which is a three loop bike, three loop affair, I would indeed see people eating just about anything, but I'd be on my third loop and they'd be at bike special needs eating away. Or I'd be on my third run loop, and see walkers eating sandwiches as they walked.
2009-05-23 4:58 PM
in reply to: #2169585

User image

Subject: RE: Race day nutrition plan
Infinit (liquid) and one Large size Payday (and water plus about 1/2 bottle of gatorade) were it for the bike

Run...  gatorade, water, cookies, oranges, pretzels, gels
2009-05-23 7:59 PM
in reply to: #2169585

User image

Champion
7595
50002000500252525
Columbia, South Carolina
Subject: RE: Race day nutrition plan
For real food, I like dried fruit (raisins, apricots) on my long rides.  that's what I plan to use in my IM.  But I'm confident that the correct answer here is to try it and see how it works for you.  I, personally, want to wretch at the thought, but that just me...


2009-05-23 9:29 PM
in reply to: #2169585

User image

Champion
10471
500050001001001001002525
Dallas, TX
Subject: RE: Race day nutrition plan
jackedaniels - 2009-05-23 10:06 AM

I will be running Ironman UK for my first Ironman.  I have been doing some reading on pre-race week nutrition and race day nutrition.  I have been planning to simply use gels, bars, gatoraide and water.  My fiance suggest that I should pack a couple turkey or chicken sandwiches for the bike portion of the event.  She sites the fact that my stomach will most liekly want something a little more like real food.  This has lead us to several debates and alot of joking.

If I am to bring real food with me, I know that I am going to have to start bring it with me on my long training rides now as the Iroman is only about 70 days away.

The question I pose to everyone one is, does anyone out there pack real food to eat during the event or do you simply use gels, bars, sport drinks and water?



Eh, what your stomach will do on race day can be odd.

I ate gels, 1 cliff bar some sport gel blocks and drank a lot of Infinit (liquid nutrition) along with water.

At mile 80 on the bike my stomach started feeling questionable. I then switched to only Infinit... and once I hit the run I only ate gels, when I felt like I could hold them down.

Once the race was over (15 hours 45 minutes), I couldn't eat anything... and I felt like I wanted to vomit anytime I ate anything... until 5:00 PM the following day.

You can practice with the sandwiches in training to see what your stomach will do with them. Maybe it will work. Now, will those sandwiches be gross if they sit around 6-8 hours before you eat them? Even if you get to drop off your special needs bag the morning over, it will be hours before you can get to them 1/2 way on the bike.

2009-05-24 6:54 PM
in reply to: #2169585

User image

Member
20

Subject: RE: Race day nutrition plan
Thanks for all the replieas everyone.

As I though, there would be a good mix of answers and ultimately I will need to see what my stomach will like in training.  Not sure I will do the sandwich thing but it will fuel several debates between myself and my fiance until race day.
New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Race day nutrition plan Rss Feed