General Discussion Triathlon Talk » race provided drink/food Rss Feed  
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2006-07-02 11:09 PM

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molto veloce mama
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Subject: race provided drink/food
i'm trying to iron out my nutrition and drinking for my first HIM. i've heard that you should try and get 20-30 oz of water and 300 carbs per hour, and get it all in as much as possible on the bike. i have played around with some gels and drinks and have an idea of what works for me...but after doing the pace math, it will take me about 6 hours to do the race...which would be 8 big water bottles and 18 gel packets!? there are aid stations every 10 miles on the bike, where there will be bottles with infinIT nutrition brand drink, water, ice, hammer gels, and fruit. should i just pick up water and stick to my own gels? should i train with hammer gels and infinIT and get used to those and then carry less on my bike/self??? do i need to get a fuel belt???? thoughts???


2006-07-02 11:34 PM
in reply to: #472474

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Elite
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Racine, WI
Subject: RE: race provided drink/food

Autumn, this is prep for Spirit of Racine right?  For me personally, I wouldn't change much at this stage in the game.  Maybe try Hammergels if you've been using something different, otherwise just carry your own.  (I don't know ANYONE who's used 18 gels...ewwww). 

Do you have a sports drink that works for you besides water? If you can use your sports drink in conjunction with gels without GI upset bring some of that on the bike (practice THIS WEEK). 

You need to get electrolytes somewhere, if you don't use a sports drink then you have to get them from your gels, which not all gels have electrolytes, or take a supplement like Endurolytes or something similar.  Personally, Endurolytes saved my bacon last year at SoR in that heat...AGAIN, nothing new on race day, go to the LBS or wherever buy some and try them this week if you want to go that route. You can buy small sample size bags for a couple of dollars.

 You just need to find what works best for you.  Do some experimenting this week, don't put it off longer....

2006-07-02 11:48 PM
in reply to: #472481

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molto veloce mama
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Subject: RE: race provided drink/food
thanks, cindy. yes, this is for racine. i am doing danskin next weekend, so i can test out some things there. i've been using clif stuff for the last two years, but after trying some other things, i realize that the clif shots wear off quickly compared to other less tasty gels/drinks. i used e-gels and the crank drink in the sprint i did yesterday and felt good. i will probably use those and maybe some gu stuff for racine.

i used endurolytes last year on a hot long course i did, and they were okay. i just got a sample of them at the oly i did a few weeks ago. could my stomach have changed in the past year? think it would be safe to use the same brand, or should i try them next weekend?

also, i was wondering if i could look at the ingredients and nutrient listings for the beverage they have, and compare that to what i've used in the past???? are the drinks all the different???
2006-07-06 8:41 AM
in reply to: #472484

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Elite
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Racine, WI
Subject: RE: race provided drink/food

Hi Autmumn, I've had the same experience with Clif gels, they wear off FAST! 

For me, yes, the sports drinks make a world of difference if I'm using gels also.  I get cramps and diarhhea if I mix it up wrong, so I tend to be very cautious...Try the endurolytes out at Danskin maybe.  I would think that if they didn't bother you before they shouldn't bother  you now. 

Just reread your post...the website says they will have HammerGels, fruit, water, and Infinit at the aid stations which is the same as last year. 

Have you used the egels and crank drink at the same time you've used Gu in training?  Because they are from different companies (I think) and may not mix so well.  Also egels and Gu both have electrolytes so if you are using all of that you may be able to skip the endurolytes, depending on how hot it is. 

It's supposed to be hot for Danskin so it's a good time to experiment, except the fact that it's a race and experimenting during a race isn't such a good thing, unless you are treating it as a trainng day. 

Good luck!! 

2006-07-06 8:58 AM
in reply to: #474987

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molto veloce mama
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Subject: RE: race provided drink/food
i'm treating every race i do this year as a training day for racine. if i have good race on top of that, great. of course i'm trying stuff out in training too. i may stick to just the egels and crank drink, since that worked fine at minneman and i will try that again at danskin. i have not tried mixing the clif and crank stuff, so i will just stick to one or the other. i may see if i can get my hands on some infinit before the race and try it out during my last long run or something. i doubt i'll be able to get it in time for danskin.
2006-07-06 8:59 AM
in reply to: #472474

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Giver
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Subject: RE: race provided drink/food

autumn - 2006-07-03 12:09 AM i'm trying to iron out my nutrition and drinking for my first HIM.

I think you meant to say you're trying to half-iron out your nutrition for your first HIM.

<i kill myself>



2006-07-06 1:29 PM
in reply to: #472474

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Master
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South of SLC
Subject: RE: race provided drink/food
Try putting your gell in flasks so you have a higher quantity. I also mix up my gatorade really strong so that I have about 600 calories in a bottle. As long as I hit that bottle every 30 minutes, I don't cramp at all.

I know this may not work for everyone, but I also down an Ensure during T1 at every race. I can chug them in about 5 seconds, so it really doesn't cost me any more time and I can get started on nutrition immediately out of the water.

Mike
2006-07-06 2:07 PM
in reply to: #472474

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Expert
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Wandering through AZ
Subject: RE: race provided drink/food

Nutrition is the most important thing you can figure out for Iron distance races. It's a little close to the race to start changing things up, but it only takes a couple of long training sessions with a new thing to get your stomach used to it. (Or to know it just plain doesn't work for you) Either way, knowledge is good.

Some good things to do or at least try:
- Try what's going to be on course. You may loose or spill the stuff you bring, leaving you with nothing else. If it really works for you, then you can even rely on it.
- Don't rely on the course food completely. Even if it's perfect for you, carry a couple of gels or a flask or bottle of it with you. There's nothing worse than a key aid station being out of gels when you really need it.
- Get most of your carbs with the liquid. Gels get to be hard to digest for many people after 4 hours. Sports drinks for endurance, especially InfinIT, are made to be taken up through the stomach of someone who's continuously active. Osmolality is a term that's thrown around quite a bit lately. 
- Customize for your body's needs. I've known people to go nuts and practically become armchair chemists trying to get the right blend of off-the-shelf mixes to meet their nutritional needs. You don't need to go that far. There are easy formulas based on muscle mass, sweat volume, distance, etc. that you can use to figure out what you should need. Once you know what you need, then you can find a drink, gel, or combination of the two that's right for you.

On the topic of InfinIT:
After just 2 long distance races I'm an InfinIT evangelist. I recommend checking out the info and forums at InfinIT's website. The stuff they have on the course will probably be the default mixture, but if you have the self knowledge, then you can custom mix just about anything you want. Now that I've done that I can just drink this stuff all day, (like for a full IM in 95 degree heat), and I just keep a couple of my gels around for comfort food.

Good Luck!
-Harry

2006-07-07 1:13 PM
in reply to: #472474

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Champion
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Atlanta, Ga
Subject: RE: race provided drink/food
As was stated, Gel Flask.  But I recommend getting the one that goes on your bike.  That way you're not fishing for it in your pocket and it's in your view.  Out of site out of mind sometimes.  if you see it, you will remember to take some gel.
2006-07-07 4:15 PM
in reply to: #472474

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Elite
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Chicago
Subject: RE: race provided drink/food

I'm sure you mean 300 CALORIES per hour and not 300g of CARBS per hour....

Regardless, much good advice here.

I've always stuck to perpetuem and grazed on the run when I didn't feel like sipping from my gel flask.

Also, try to slow down your fuel intake the last 15-20 min on the bike to allow your stomach to empty out a bit before the run.

on the bike i use a 4-hour concetrate bottle of perpetuem and have plain water in my aerobottle and keep refilling the H20 from the aid stations.

i don't think you'll use a fuel belt.  just bring a gel flask and you'll be fine.  you find out that you won't be eating a gel every 30-45 min on the run...you'll get sick of them fast and they'll most likely just sit in your stomach due to the high(er) HR while running (vs biking HR).

2006-07-11 12:35 AM
in reply to: #475009

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molto veloce mama
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Subject: RE: race provided drink/food
haa haa haa. i think you might have been cut from the same mold as my dad and husband. my life is so full of pain


2006-07-11 8:45 AM
in reply to: #478505

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Giver
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Subject: RE: race provided drink/food

autumn - 2006-07-11 1:35 AM haa haa haa. i think you might have been cut from the same mold as my dad and husband. my life is so full of pain

Maybe you and my wife could start a support group...

2006-07-11 10:54 AM
in reply to: #478681

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molto veloce mama
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Subject: RE: race provided drink/food
unfortunately, i have the same gene. i try to suppress it and have perfected the art of the scolding look...but sometimes i still behave punningly. once i even submitted ten puns to a magazine contest hoping to win, but they were so bad that no pun in ten did.
2006-07-11 11:41 AM
in reply to: #476331

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Expert
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Spokane, Washington
Subject: RE: race provided drink/food
Steve- - 2006-07-07 2:15 PM

on the bike i use a 4-hour concetrate bottle of perpetuem and have plain water in my aerobottle and keep refilling the H20 from the aid stations.



I was also going to suggest one or two concentrated bottles on the bike.

Sorry for the (slight) hijack, but did you have any trouble going to such a concentrated mix of Perpetuum? I also have my first HIM on Aug 6 and just recently realized that I could theoretically absorb more on the bike, so I used Hammer's recommendations and went to two, two-hour bottles. Unfortunately, that only leaves my aerobottle for plain water - which I found out wasn't enough. I got a camelbak for last weekend's long ride which let me carry enough water for 4.5 hours, but was wondering about using one more concentrated bottle of Perpetuum (I add HEED and endurolytes to the mix, too) and refilling bottles at the two water stations in the event.
2006-07-13 3:24 PM
in reply to: #478869

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Giver
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Subject: RE: race provided drink/food

autumn - 2006-07-11 11:54 AM unfortunately, i have the same gene. i try to suppress it and have perfected the art of the scolding look...but sometimes i still behave punningly. once i even submitted ten puns to a magazine contest hoping to win, but they were so bad that no pun in ten did.

That was so bad that I've spent the last 48 hours unconscious after having read it 2 days ago.

2006-07-13 4:16 PM
in reply to: #481960

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molto veloce mama
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Subject: RE: race provided drink/food
then my job is done here.


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