General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips??? Rss Feed  
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2017-01-27 12:20 PM

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Subject: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
Hello,
This year I am attempting my first Ironman 70.3 . I know how to fuel myself for a half-marathon, as I have ran two, but fueling for the swim, bike, and run, I am not ashamed in saying I don't have much of a clue. What fueling strategies have worked for you?
Thanks so Much


2017-01-27 3:24 PM
in reply to: anime_lover1992

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???

Scroll down the list of threads and find one called "Nutrition during 70.3" There are 20+ replies with some good info.

2017-01-29 7:29 PM
in reply to: triosaurus

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
Bike 300-350 calories per hour (Infinit, Gels, whatever works for you) 200-250 calories per hour on the run (gels, whatever works for you), fluid intake highly variable depending on how hot it is. You need enough water (base of 16 oz per hour at 80F) less if cold, more if hot, not enough to make you sloshy on the run.
2017-01-30 1:02 PM
in reply to: Baowolf

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???

Originally posted by Baowolf Bike 300-350 calories per hour (Infinit, Gels, whatever works for you) 200-250 calories per hour on the run (gels, whatever works for you), fluid intake highly variable depending on how hot it is. You need enough water (base of 16 oz per hour at 80F) less if cold, more if hot, not enough to make you sloshy on the run.

You really have to experiment for yourself though.  The calorie numbers that work for one person will have someone else hurting.  It depends on your size, temperature outside, how hard you are working and how long you expect to be on the course.  I handle a lot less than the example above -- I'm closer to 200/hr on the bike and 100 on the run.

Do the long rides in training and test test test.

2017-01-30 5:07 PM
in reply to: spudone

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
Same here for calories. That is less than you see most books or coaches recommend but it seems to be enough in my case. Most of my 70.3's have been in hot, humid weather, so that may have something to do with it, but a few of them weren't, and I didn't really feel the urge to take in more than that. I've always finished strong (except for one race when I was sick with a virus before I even started and probably shouldn't have been racing) and never "bonked", so it works for me. In hot conditions, I am doing a LOT of fluids, about 20-24 ounces per hour, mostly Nuun (electrolyte drink). Even that is probably not enough to replace what I'm sweating out, but it's enough to keep me going.
2017-01-30 7:02 PM
in reply to: anime_lover1992

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
Experiment for yourself, there is no one size fits all in my opinion. The most important piece of advice I can give is utilize your long ride training days as nutrition trials. I typically have my long rides on Saturday and typically do a short run straight off the bike on those days. For example this past weekend I did 2 hours and 15 minutes with a 35 min run off the bike. While not the same distance it gives me a good idea on what I can handle given that day, under those conditions, etc.

Personally I really struggled with the Infinit product, but know of many others that love it. I just could not get it to work for me, but can seem to do better with solids on the bike (bars and such) with more fluids and gels on the run.


2017-03-08 7:28 PM
in reply to: anime_lover1992

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
I actually used just gels on most of my early HIMs. Once I stepped up to a full IM, I had to build a true nutrition plan.
2017-03-13 3:52 PM
in reply to: anime_lover1992

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
you should be fueling on your training rides, and runs.

basically this should be the same fuel you use in the race.

You can be fancy with the modern race fuels available, but be comfortable with how they affect your body.

Personally I liked a simple combination of power bars, waffles, and gels. take into consideration how they can be carried without melting together, or becoming a sticky mess. I'd cut them up and put in small plastic sandwich bags in my bento box. For the run, usually carrying gels worked, most aid stations will have fuel too.

depends on your goals, but really anything works, as long as you eat / hydrate every 30-40mins.

don't forget your electrolytes!
2017-03-13 4:07 PM
in reply to: metafizx

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???

My favorite snack on the bike were bite size payday candy bars!  man, they were so good!!!!

2017-03-14 5:28 AM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
Originally posted by jford2309

My favorite snack on the bike were bite size payday candy bars!  man, they were so good!!!!




I freakin' LOVE those (I had one, yesterday). How many calories in the minis?

**Edit -- 90 calories.....w/ 45 g sodium

It also has 10 g carbs. Anything wrong with that?



Edited by nc452010 2017-03-14 5:33 AM
2017-03-14 6:34 AM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
I think if it works for you in training, then it should be okay. Though that sounds kind of low on the carbs. Maybe a combo with that and some other kind of bar? I used Cliff Mojo Peanut Butter Pretzel, which has more carbs (I think) but kind of a similar taste and crunch profile, in two of my HIM.

After a lot of experimentation, I've found it works best for me to take in most of my bike "nutrition" (it seems funny to call it that, considering what I eat!) in the form of dark chocolate for a 70.3. Even with fairly high % of cocoa (about 70-72%), it still has quite a bit of fat, as well as carbs. But that seems to work better for my body at that distance. With pure carbs, aside from the difficulty of getting them down (really can't stand most gu and sweet drinks; I tend to gag on them, and nearly three hours of gagging is really not appealing), I tend to get energy swings that I don't get from the chocolate. The chocolate has never upset my stomach, despite several coaches and other athletes advising me that it would. In fact, I have shoved uneaten squares into my mouth while running out of T2, with no ill effects. But YMMV. If Payday happens to works for you as a steady, palatable energy source and doesn't cause GI issues on the bike and run, despite the additional protein and fat, then go for it.

Edited by Hot Runner 2017-03-14 6:48 AM


2017-03-14 8:07 AM
in reply to: nc452010

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
Originally posted by nc452010

Originally posted by jford2309

My favorite snack on the bike were bite size payday candy bars!  man, they were so good!!!!




I freakin' LOVE those (I had one, yesterday). How many calories in the minis?

**Edit -- 90 calories.....w/ 45 g sodium

It also has 10 g carbs. Anything wrong with that?




If it has 10g of carbs that's 40 calories from carbs. The other 50 come from fat and protein.
1g carbs ~ 4 calories
1g protein ~ 4calories
1g fat ~ 9calories


2017-03-14 9:12 AM
in reply to: marcag

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???

Originally posted by marcag
Originally posted by nc452010
Originally posted by jford2309

My favorite snack on the bike were bite size payday candy bars!  man, they were so good!!!!

I freakin' LOVE those (I had one, yesterday). How many calories in the minis? **Edit -- 90 calories.....w/ 45 g sodium It also has 10 g carbs. Anything wrong with that?
If it has 10g of carbs that's 40 calories from carbs. The other 50 come from fat and protein. 1g carbs ~ 4 calories 1g protein ~ 4calories 1g fat ~ 9calories

 

For me  it wasn't necessarily about the nutrition aspects of it, but more of the fact that I can only stand so many gels and gu!  These did not melt and the sweet/salty taste was something I looked forward to, and I also used them when I did my IM.

2017-03-14 12:37 PM
in reply to: anime_lover1992

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???

I keep it simple on the HIM.

Use some Gels and a good sports drink that you are comfortable with on the bike.

I use what ever is available on the run course. Find out what the race will be offering to make sure it will not cause stomach issues.
2017-03-14 2:45 PM
in reply to: anime_lover1992

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???

Some good advice here already, particularly Spudone's regarding the need to experiment on your own, Hot Runner's about reducing intake rates in hot and humid conditions, and the others about practicing during long training sessions.  I would note that Baowolf's 300-350 / hour is his particular strategy, and won't necessarily work for you.  Frankly, that's the high end of what I've seen work well, and wouldn't recommend that high for a starting point, unless you're a really big guy who tends to have an iron gut.  IME, most people perform best at lower numbers, typically in the 200-250 range, and most people need less than they think they do.  Personally, I've raced a HIM on a very hilly course with over 6,000 feet of climbing on the bike and 1,200 feet on the run on a total of only 800-900 calories, and felt great.

A couple other things to think about - Because gastric absorption rates decrease as intensity increases, an effective strategy to practice nutrition (plus pacing) is to do long training rides at a little higher intensity than you'll use on race day.  If it works at a higher intensity, it'll almost always work well at lower intensities.  One of the biggest causes of GI issues during races is a combination of trying to fuel with things and at rates higher than was used in training and/or trying to race at a higher intensity than you trained at while maintaining the same fueling rates.

Fuel at higher rates during the bike than the run.  The jostling and higher intensities associated with running will decrease the rate you can absorb fuel and hydration.

Most people do best with fueling during the bike on a modified bell curve.  Limit consumption for the first 20-30 minutes after the swim, fuel at your highest rate during the middle portion of the bike, then taper off to less during the last hour of the bike before starting the run.  It frequently works best for athletes who fuel with solids during the bike to eliminate them during the last hour and only use liquids during that period.

On a side note, most people who swear that they imploded during a race because of inadequate fueling actually screwed up their pacing, and tried to race at a higher intensity than they were capable of sustaining for the duration of the race.

 

2017-03-15 9:28 AM
in reply to: anime_lover1992


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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
Echoing those with far more experience than me.

I was apparently able to learn what I needed to during training and it was nothing elaborate. What worked for me over the course of 4 hours on given Saturday/Sunday....I just extended for an hour or two on race day.

The point I'll add is to learn what DOESN'T work.

I've told my 'story' several times. Lost 100+ lbs. Only time I drink real Coca Cola now is on Christmas Day and after a race. First 70.3 I did, I told myself I would give myself a little sugar caffeine boost with 3 miles to go. The second to last mile was significantly burpy and somewhat uncomfortable.

If you want to grab some coke/etc./etc. on race day.....try it once or twice while you're training.


2017-03-17 9:36 AM
in reply to: dandr614

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???

Originally posted by dandr614 Experiment for yourself, there is no one size fits all in my opinion. The most important piece of advice I can give is utilize your long ride training days as nutrition trials. I typically have my long rides on Saturday and typically do a short run straight off the bike on those days. For example this past weekend I did 2 hours and 15 minutes with a 35 min run off the bike. While not the same distance it gives me a good idea on what I can handle given that day, under those conditions, etc. Personally I really struggled with the Infinit product, but know of many others that love it. I just could not get it to work for me, but can seem to do better with solids on the bike (bars and such) with more fluids and gels on the run.

This is particularly important - when I tried for a HIM (eons ago) the most important aspect of short runs off long bikes was a nutrition check.  Could I sustain an easy-ish pace after a long bike?  When I could answer yes, I knew I had nailed the nutrition (and pacing, of course).   Nutrition must be practiced and decided upon well before race day.

I suggest searching the forum for HIM Nutrition - this comes up a lot, although the answers in this thread pretty much cover it.

2017-04-01 10:10 PM
in reply to: BikerGrrrl

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
The numbers I put up were what you can digest over that time period. One might want to run on the lower end of higher end of that, but it is a starting point. I personally do all Ironmans, HIMs and marathons in that ballpark. Conditions can affect intake etc. Totally agree, play with it etc. I went too low on a HIM once and bonked and I can tolerate what I have been taking in over the last 8 IMs.

Welcome to the longer course, enjoy the adventure, don't get too caught up on your time for the first one.
2017-04-01 10:48 PM
in reply to: Baowolf

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
Body size, speed, and gender play into it as well as race conditions. I am much closer to the 200 calories/hr. on the bike and 100/hr. on the run "lower limit" (and have probably even gone below that), but keep in mind that my racing weight is about 115-117 pounds, I'm female; a fast HIM for me is 5:15-5:20, and I normally race in hot, humid conditions. Guessing that most athletes, especially men, are going to be heavier than me; many will be slower, some will be racing in more temperate conditions where it is easier to get/keep down more calories. I think there are also some gender differences in metabolism on average that mean the same size male will need a bit more calories than a female athlete.
2017-04-02 12:19 AM
in reply to: TriMyBest

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
What was crazy was that my longest bike ride so far (41 miles), I had a cold pressed beet juice drink and a clif bar, and I felt like that sustained me, the juice only had 26 grams of sugar. I am trying to eat whole foods, and have dessert in moderation. I'm not big on pie, but I love me some Halotop icecream
I have a vanilla amino acid protein powder I will mix with a banana and a milk and pb spoon for breakfast. For lunch which is other people's dinner time
(I work 1-9 p.m. most of the time later as a management staff at a residential homeless shelter) I will either eat a healthy choice dinner, or a simple meal from home. I will have clif bars, gels etc and water training.

Running is a different story clif blocks and stingers get me through, but hydration is challenging. I have to drink a ton of water before going to bed, which means a rr trip in the middle of the night will interrupt my sleep. Or, I do several loops on my run, making stops with water from my vehicle.
For the HIM, I won't be anywhere near my vehicle.
What would you suggest???
2017-04-02 12:41 AM
in reply to: anime_lover1992

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Subject: RE: Fueling throughout an IronMan 70.3-tips???
??? I don't see what the issue is. Most, of not all, HIM have plenty of water stops on the run, with not only water but sports drink, ice, sponges (in hot weather) and often "nutrition" such as gels, sports bars, fruit, etc. available. No need to go by your vehicle! There are also places on the bike route where you can exchange an empty water bottle for a full one (so have a bottle or two that you're willing to "sacrifice") or refill a bottle. Whether or not you'd need to refill on the bike depends on how hot/humid it is, how much water you can carry on your bike, and how much you want to carry. There are advantages both to being self-sufficient (dependable brand/concentration/flavor of sports drink, no time lost at aid stations, less risk of collision in crowded aid station areas) and to refilling on course (mainly, less weight and better aerodynamics). It's not that hard to be self-sufficient with bike food--all it takes is a normal-sized bento box, or stuffing some things into a pocket. I'd recommend bringing some of your own, as stations can run out of things and may not have flavors you like or come up when you want to eat. But you can use them as a backup in the event you want more or drop something.

I just hate to do aid stations on the bike--I tend to cramp then, and especially in Vietnam, volunteers tend to be very inexperienced and usually can't do handoffs unless you stop completely--so I have set up my tri bike to carry four bottles of water, and sometimes that is enough to get me through. If not, I refill the aerobottle with plain water at an aid station.

I would check the race info to see what food and drinks will be available, and try training with them. The more you can "live off the course", the simpler things will be. If you find that you can't tolerate the foods or drinks on offer, then make a plan and stick to it in training. Because I tend to have trouble getting/keeping down many flavors of gu and overly concentrated sports drink, I have almost always done my HIM self-sufficient, except for water and sometimes a little sports drink, and it's not that difficult. You just have to experiment with what works for your body and how to carry it.


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