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2015-01-21 10:06 AM
in reply to: lisac957

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Subject: RE: Pros/Cons of living off the course

Originally posted by lisac957

Originally posted by AllNewMe
Originally posted by GMAN 19030

Originally posted by McFuzz

Why would you carry your own GU if they have that at the aid stations?  

Because she doesn't like the flavors.

DUH!!!!!!

No pink or condescending tone needed.

I carry my own gels on the run because yep, my palate is sensitive and I will literally gag with most of the more common flavors offered on IM courses. I don't think a safety net like that is uncommon at all.

Also in the last stand-alone marathon I ran, it was advertised there would be gels at 3 aid stations on the back half. NONE of them had any when I reached them. None. 2 of the gals I ran with were depending on them for their race nutrition (because why would you carry your own if they are offered on the course?) and I ended up lending my back-ups to them so they could finish the race.

Agreed. I can have problems too just from switching the flavor of the same type of gel. Even if I was absolutely sure what was available would work I'd still bring some of my own to bridge gaps of missed hand-offs or running out. Maybe not everything I'd need, but some. Not too difficult to fit a few into a well placed bento type box.



2015-01-21 1:52 PM
in reply to: KatieLimb

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Subject: RE: Pros/Cons of living off the course

Originally posted by KatieLimb have done a couple of half IMs and am now prepping for IMTX. I am considering living off the course just due to the convenience of it. Mainly the bike portion I am considering this for. I have ordered and am using Gatorade Endurance in training and it is fine so far. Just want to hear from those more experienced than me the pros and cons of this. I was self sufficient other than water in my previous HIM races.

 

About a year ago we brought out Tim Deboom (2X Kona champ) and he discussed how he and his training partner Peter Reid (3X Kona) trained to acquire a steel gut. Most times, something doesn't go just right out there during the race and if you need to make changes, you need to be prepared to do so. (Dave Scott has discussed similar). So they would eat burritos and convenience store food on some of their training rides so that nothing would bother them. Then on race day, they had their go-to foods that they preferred, but if and when something went wrong, they had no problem moving to course food.

2015-01-21 3:09 PM
in reply to: tjfry

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Subject: RE: Pros/Cons of living off the course

Originally posted by tjfry

Originally posted by KatieLimb have done a couple of half IMs and am now prepping for IMTX. I am considering living off the course just due to the convenience of it. Mainly the bike portion I am considering this for. I have ordered and am using Gatorade Endurance in training and it is fine so far. Just want to hear from those more experienced than me the pros and cons of this. I was self sufficient other than water in my previous HIM races.

 

About a year ago we brought out Tim Deboom (2X Kona champ) and he discussed how he and his training partner Peter Reid (3X Kona) trained to acquire a steel gut. Most times, something doesn't go just right out there during the race and if you need to make changes, you need to be prepared to do so. (Dave Scott has discussed similar). So they would eat burritos and convenience store food on some of their training rides so that nothing would bother them. Then on race day, they had their go-to foods that they preferred, but if and when something went wrong, they had no problem moving to course food.

An IM that serves burritos would be awesome! 

2015-01-21 4:41 PM
in reply to: ChrisM

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Subject: RE: Pros/Cons of living off the course

Originally posted by ChrisM

Originally posted by tjfry

Originally posted by KatieLimb have done a couple of half IMs and am now prepping for IMTX. I am considering living off the course just due to the convenience of it. Mainly the bike portion I am considering this for. I have ordered and am using Gatorade Endurance in training and it is fine so far. Just want to hear from those more experienced than me the pros and cons of this. I was self sufficient other than water in my previous HIM races.

 

About a year ago we brought out Tim Deboom (2X Kona champ) and he discussed how he and his training partner Peter Reid (3X Kona) trained to acquire a steel gut. Most times, something doesn't go just right out there during the race and if you need to make changes, you need to be prepared to do so. (Dave Scott has discussed similar). So they would eat burritos and convenience store food on some of their training rides so that nothing would bother them. Then on race day, they had their go-to foods that they preferred, but if and when something went wrong, they had no problem moving to course food.

An IM that serves burritos would be awesome! 

One that served slurpees would be even better.

2015-01-24 8:09 PM
in reply to: lisac957

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Subject: RE: Pros/Cons of living off the course
I split the difference. I start with two bottles of my favorite flavors of gatorade (lemon lime is my least favorite flavor), but grab a new gatorade at each aide station and dump it in my aero bottle once the first is gone. If I miss a bottle grab, or if I just want a different flavor, I have a backup, but it's also been bucked off my bike before, so I don't count on it. I find as I get into the race I mind the lemon lime less because SALLLLLT is what I care about. I carry my own gels because, yeah, I have flavor preferences and I time my caffeine intake through the race.

Gatorade or the like has always been ok on my stomach, so I haven't felt motivated to go to something fancier.
2015-01-24 9:24 PM
in reply to: GMAN 19030

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Subject: RE: Pros/Cons of living off the course
Originally posted by GMAN 19030

Originally posted by McFuzz

Why would you carry your own GU if they have that at the aid stations?  

Because she doesn't like the flavors.




I made the mistake of forgetting my own GU in transition. When I got to the first aid station they only had Strawberry GU. I'm allergic to strawberries. While I know there is probably no real strawberry in the GU I wasn't going to chance it. Next station had strawberry and vanilla so I just grabbed extra vanilla and stuck them in my pockets. That was the only station that had something other than strawberry.


2015-01-25 6:51 AM
in reply to: fortissimo

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Subject: RE: Pros/Cons of living off the course
I carry two gel flasks in jersey or short pockets on the bike. I think each of my flasks holds four servings, which gets me through the whole ride. Two big advantages to this. First, I can concentrate on grabbing bottles at bike aid stations and don't have to worry about grabbing both bottles and gels. Second, I don't have to mess with opening those gel packs or worry about the sticky trash.
2015-01-25 11:09 AM
in reply to: tjfry

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Subject: RE: Pros/Cons of living off the course

Originally posted by tjfry

Originally posted by KatieLimb have done a couple of half IMs and am now prepping for IMTX. I am considering living off the course just due to the convenience of it. Mainly the bike portion I am considering this for. I have ordered and am using Gatorade Endurance in training and it is fine so far. Just want to hear from those more experienced than me the pros and cons of this. I was self sufficient other than water in my previous HIM races.

 

About a year ago we brought out Tim Deboom (2X Kona champ) and he discussed how he and his training partner Peter Reid (3X Kona) trained to acquire a steel gut. Most times, something doesn't go just right out there during the race and if you need to make changes, you need to be prepared to do so. (Dave Scott has discussed similar). So they would eat burritos and convenience store food on some of their training rides so that nothing would bother them. Then on race day, they had their go-to foods that they preferred, but if and when something went wrong, they had no problem moving to course food.

A friend of a friend does something similar as part of his IM training.  I didn't know where he got the idea but thought it was stupid.... Mainly because he would be making most long workouts miserable when in reality how many races out of a full season does a person have gastro problems?  

Turns out on long course races more common than I thought...I've only done two HIM's and one of them had gastro problems so for me it is 50% of the time..

I still would rather dial in my nutrition in training and then rely only on myself, the aid stations for water or items I decided not to carry..

As Lisa mentioned, I've experienced the ramifications of expecting to live off the course only to find out the aid stations later in the race were out of supplies I was counting on.....I think for me the psychological aspect was a bigger issue than the physical... .I was mad, then worried (about bonking) then over-analyzing how I was feeling... 

2015-01-25 12:21 PM
in reply to: TriMike

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Subject: RE: Pros/Cons of living off the course

Originally posted by TriMike

I've experienced the ramifications of expecting to live off the course only to find out the aid stations later in the race were out of supplies I was counting on

Go faster next time and get there before they run out of stuff.

2015-01-25 1:00 PM
in reply to: GMAN 19030

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Subject: RE: Pros/Cons of living off the course
Originally posted by GMAN 19030

Originally posted by TriMike

I've experienced the ramifications of expecting to live off the course only to find out the aid stations later in the race were out of supplies I was counting on

Go faster next time and get there before they run out of stuff.

You should be a coach..
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