General Discussion Triathlon Talk » First HIM Rss Feed  
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2014-10-22 11:19 AM


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Subject: First HIM
Any suggestions on things to have, nutrition or general help for my first half Ironman? Really struggling with the nutrition part. Most say a powerbar/Gel every 20 minutes. Where do I keep that pile of food? Plan to keep a small cooler at transition with smoothie and Gatorade, but during ride/run, don't really know what to do.


2014-10-22 11:29 AM
in reply to: dtchem1

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Champion
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Subject: RE: First HIM

Hi.  THis comes up a lot on the forum, I recommend a search for "HIM Nutrition". I think you'll find more specific and manageable advice than what you've heard so far. 

Good luck!

2014-10-22 11:35 AM
in reply to: dtchem1

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Subject: RE: First HIM
Different things work for different people, and you should be experimenting with this as you're training. I do HIMs on gels and sport drink (or just gels and water). I have 2 bottle cages on my bike. I use one bottle for sport drink, and the other bottle holds all my gels premixed with water. I have Celiac disease and can't use on course nutrition, so I opt for Skratch labs sport drink and Gu gels. If you use on course sport drink, you can swap your bottles at aid stations. Most races will have a dump area with trash bin, and volunteers will hand off new bottles. Usually they hand off water if you prefer that. The number of calories you need is individual. I use around 240 calories an hour on the bike. For the run I'll carry a few gels and take water from the aid stations.

Do you have bottle cages on your bike? You can also get a bento box for your bike if you plan to eat solid food.
2014-10-22 1:10 PM
in reply to: dtchem1

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Alpharetta, Georgia
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Subject: RE: First HIM

Generally speaking, a powerbar or gel every 20 minutes will have you puking pretty fast

General recommendations are to take 200-400 calories per hour, depending on your specific needs. Gels, chews and beans are popular choices as they are easy to carry and digest. Other people prefer "real" food and might carry bars, cookies, sandwiches, fruit, etc. 

Some options for carrying nutrition are your jersey pockets, a bento box, or taping gels onto your bike frame. Typically half-iron and longer races will have nutrition on the course and they will outline exactly what will be where (e.g. gels at aid stations approximately every 10 miles on the bike, or every mile on the run). Sometimes they will even list the flavors that will be available on the course.

You'll have to experiment on long training sessions to see what fits you best. Good luck!

2014-10-22 1:26 PM
in reply to: lisac957

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Subject: RE: First HIM

I lived off the course on my first HIM and had good experience. Research what will be offered and try out some of the products during the training. I took my own gels on the bike and only took liguids at the bike aid stations. I walked through every aid station on the run and consumed what I felt I needed or would help. Oranges were great!

Good luck on your HIM!

2014-10-22 1:33 PM
in reply to: GODAWGS

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Subject: RE: First HIM
I only packed my chews for the run for my HIM, because if I don't do exactly what I'm used to on the run, I'll have GI issues. The bike is not so touchy for me, so I figured I'd live off the course. Big mistake. There were only 3 aid stations and I could only grab a gel and a half a banana at each. I needed more food for the bike. And I found I needed A LOT more salt! Next time I'll pack my jersey pockets with food for the bike and live off the course on the run if they have what I like.


2014-10-22 1:49 PM
in reply to: dtchem1

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Subject: RE: First HIM

As already mentioned, this is something you need to experiment for yourself in training.  There really isn't anything special about race day where you need to take in a lot more calories than you would in training.  In fact, because you may be racing harder, it may be a better idea to eat LESS during the race than you do in training.  

One thing that is important to realize is that your body will not simply digest and absorb food and calories just because you shove it down your throat.  Your stomach requires blood flow for digestion, and while exercising/training/racing, your blood flow is obviously diverted into different places.  If you are putting in a big effort, and you also eat a lot of food at the same time, the blood flow won't go to your stomach, and the food will just sit there undigested.  Do this for too long and you just end up with a ton of food sitting in your stomach until you finally start feeling sick and your body hits the "purge" button.  Generally, once you reach this state, it's hard for your body to recover from it and reset itself.  Sometimes it seems no matter how much you slow down, your body won't digest food anymore.  Then it becomes a double edged sword because your stomach feels like crap...and your body still needs calories, but can't get them.

On the contrary, if you eat too little while racing, your body will likely just feel a little weak and hungry.  So you slow down, eat some...and as the calories enter your blood stream, you feel a little better and can get back to your pace.

Therefore, I would first experiment with less food, and slowly add more if needed.  Spread your calorie intake out.  If you are shooting for 200 calories an hour, try to split it up into three doses of 65 calories every 20 minutes.  This way you help avoid overloading your stomach.  Also, try not to eat during a hard effort.  I know the idea is to keep your effort constant, but sometimes there if there is a tough hill coming up, you want to eat well before that hill or after it...again to make sure your calories can get digested.

Hope this helps.

2014-10-23 9:50 PM
in reply to: #5062104

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Subject: RE: First HIM
I raced 3 70.3s this year and all I can recommend is SaltTabs, SaltTabs, SaltTabs. They are 200mg of sodium per capsule and I take them like Pez. They will help with your digestion and also any cramping. Sports drink is not enough.
2014-10-23 10:43 PM
in reply to: Jeff B

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Subject: RE: First HIM
Since you ask where to keep it, I tape my gels to my aerobars. Not too aerodynamic but I feel more comfortable getting them open that way than trying to rip them open with my teeth. One every 20 minutes would have you either puking or lets say...a lot so enjoyable experience on the run. Test some things out. Remember that sport drinks are calories too and require time to absorb too. What worked for me (again try your own thing!) was a cliff bar after an hour and then a gel + bottle of whatever sports drink every 45 minutes. The Cliff Bar has ~300 calories but is way harder to digest. I make sure to stop taking them ~2 hours before my run and only have gels/liquids in me by then.
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