Race nutrition (night before/day of/during race)

Your running race experience is exactly what you should go with for your oly in your pre-race dinner. 

Starting the race without much in your stomach (other than mater or some sports drink) is a good idea.  Eat solid food 2-3hrs pre-race.

Some calories for an oly is a good idea.  You can use a gel or two.  Or just go with some sports drink along the way.

Good luck & have fun.

For dinner, I just eat what I'd normally eat for dinner. Typically, it's wine/beer and pizza...but it doesn't have to be. Whatever's available.

Breakfast for a running race is usually a powerbar; for a tri/du PB on a toasted bagel.

For an oly length race, I will carry a gu with me.

Extreme amount of carbs the night before won't do anything for you. They won't be able to get into your system to be used properly for energy. Eat more carbs leading up to the race and let them get into your system and stored. The night before eat a general normal meal, maybe a little bigger if you feel like it, but don't stuff yourself. Race morning I like going with clif protein bar, power bar, gels. I try to eat some whole grain/wheat waffles w/ pbj and some fruits, but sometimes I can't due to nerves. Most likely you'll have enough energy in your system from the days leading up, it's just about the hunger pangs you may get while racing. I use one gel during the oly distance, 2 if it's really hot to get more electrolytes and sodium, but never more. Then one water bottle of just water and one of drink mix (if it's hot) on the bike. I'll have a gel like 20-30min before the swim starts. During the run I don't take in much of anything. I should be properly hydrated from off the bike, and my HR is usually pretty high at the sprint/oly distance so taking in a lot of water is tough, i just work on staying cool. I'll get a small sip at each station and dump it on my head/back and grab ice if there' some for my hands. Longer races I can take in more nutrition. like Half IM I can handle gels and some thicker sports drinks/cola, but my HR isn't at threshold until the final few miles of the half marathon portion.

A lot of this comes down to you and how you react though. Everyone is different in what they can/can't take during a race.

RJ, We're almost neighbors   You're doing the Jax Tri Series ?

2 Hours on your bike with just water, is probably about as far as you'd want to go, I presume. I would certainly not feel like running a hard 6 miles in 88F heat after that.

    Generally, I need some nutrition to get "kickstarted" in the morning. Maybe a bagel & peanut butter, or toast and jelly. Also I start with some water and sports drink. I ziptie a gel or two to my top bar and try to take them as soon as I get on the bike. I also try to drink pretty heavily at the beginning of the bike leg, hopefully getting things well into my system by the time I'm through riding. This should leave you properly hydrated and fueled to run hard off the bike.

YMMV

Yes I am I did 2 of the 3 sprints last year. I'm good on running just finding it hard to pace myself on the bike. The course is going to take us with the wind for the first half and against it on the way back and I'm just a little concerned I'm gonna overwork myself coming back in and not do the times I want to for my run. Sprints are cake 1:10-20 all I need is a cup of water after the bike but I didn't start thinking (until last night) that I'd be going twice that having only really ridden consistently for the last month. I'm confident I'll finish in a somewhat respectable time but I'm uber competitive and wouldn't mind trying to win the big boy (clyde) division

Also I'm super comfortable in the water but if you, or anyone else reading, are doing the Jax tri series tomorrow there's tons of seaweed and gunk in the water. A very unusual amount

Yeah, I heard about the grass everywhere. I haven't done any swimming at the beach this year.

Hope you have a good race !!

I try to have dinner 12hours prior to start.

Kraft Miracoli (Pasta with Tomatoe sauce) is my food of choice.

I love that stuff and use my race as a reason to eat it.

On race day I eat 2 toast slices of breakfast about 2-3 hours before the start.

During any race I take gels, 20min prior to the start and then every 30minutes.

The calories of the gel (130 each) helps a bit, so does the coffeine.

My main concern is normally overhydration/drop of salts as I sweat a lot in the tmeperatures.(Hello, Texas)

At 8am we ahve 80F and depending on the race you find yourself in 90+F degrees.

I sympathize with the heat. The race starts at 730 but by registering for the clyde division I'll be lucky to be in the water by 8 at which time it'll already be 80 and 100% humidity