Subject: RE: Nutrition before and during Olympic Dist Tri As mentioned above, your nutrition/hydration the day or two before your event is actually what you'll be racing on. For the race this weekend, the only thing I had on race morning before the race was a piece of toast w/ peanut butter before leaving the house, some handfuls of Kix as I was driving down, plus water. I don't take a gel before the swim (although quite a few people seem to do so.) On the bike, I finished most of a bottle of water and about 1/2 the bottle of Amino Vital. No gels. I've found that they sit heavy on my stomach and actually make me feel slower. (Blood diverting to the stomach, perhaps?) On the course itself, I think many folks tend to take in too many calories for an Olympic distance event. You've been training your body to use its stored fuel, so let it do so. I only use water on the run, because regular Gatorade tends to cause cramps, for me. My other new, favorite advice is: if it is a hot day, wear a running cap (not a visor) and dump ice in it at each aid station. The melting ice is great for keeping you cooler. (I don't advocate dumping water on yourself, because you're likely to get your shoes soaked, which is a great way to get blisters during the run.) All that being said, it's a whole different story when we start talking about HIM. For HIM, you probably don't have enough fuel stored for the entire race. |