Eating before really early race start time

Yeah, they are trying to beat the heat and get everyone off the course before it starts to get seriously warm, which is around 9am.

I'm not a morning person, so 3:30-4am wake-up time is about as early as I'll be able to do.  I couldn't do the 2am thing...especially to eat.

In the mornings after my workouts I usually have a bottled protein drink that I buy at the grocery store (it's called Naked Juice).  1 bottle has 20g of protein.  Not sure if that's too much protein before a race.  If so, I could drink 1/2 a bottle (only 10g then) and eat part of a breakfast bar to get a little of something solid in my stomach so that it doesn't start growling.  Of course I've never tried this, so it would be something new on race day and breaking that rule.

I'd probably do 1/2 of that.  So either oatmeal or bagel.  Or, you could go for my favorite (and only) pre-race meal - a Clifbar. 

Note: Anything new that you're going to do on race day, you should try it out in training first.

I think I'd follow this one...carb up good the night before and very light in the morning...1/2 bagel w/pb and jelly would be my personal choice, but if you can't take solids maybe 1/2 of your Naked Juice.  DEFINETLY not a whole one!  Bananas are good if you like them, for some reason they haunt me if I eat them pre-workout.

I can tell from your avitar and your signature you have something about bananas.  I used to do bananas prerace, but between multiple trips to the potty, and reminders during the race of what I ate, I switched. 

Finally settled on Clif Bars.  1 before a sprint, 2 before Olympic.  Gel right before swim start, and in Olympic maybe another gel on the run.

Clif Bars I can handle.  Maybe I'll do that for BF.  I've had Clif bars during races, so I know those won't mess me up.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Would love to meet ya!    There should be 4 BTers there...you, me, Gwozdzilla, and dorkboy.  I'll be wearing my purple Tucson Tri Girls jersey, and you can see what I look like in my photo albums.  If you find me, I can introduce you to Gwozdzilla as she's in the same tri club.  I've only met dorkboy once so I don't know if I could pick him out of a crowd again.  But meeting beforehand and saying "hi" will make it easier to find each other at the end.