Nutrition During Race

I have used gu, e-gels and cliff shot blockers.

Half IronMan - once the race starts.

Bike - 3 Honey Stinger Waffles, 1 at mile 5, 25, 45
Sip Gatorade every 10-15 minutes and make sure 2 full bottles gone plus 1 Water (20 ouncers -all). Nothing after mile 50.

Run
Water/Gatorade per thirst, stop the minute I start to feel a sloshy stomach

I'm probably on the low end, but this works for me. (740 calories for 3 Waffles and 2 Gatorades), I make sure I have a decent breakfast 2 hours before gun time, then a waffle or 2 about 30 minutes before the race.

Generally you'll want to match the same nutrition/hydration that you use in training.
with exception of what is offered in the aid stations (may or may not be suitable to you).

it also varies widely on the distance of the race(s) you are doing.
You don't really need anything for a sprint, maybe a few gels for an Olympic on the bike & run

HIM and IM is where the nutrition/hydration plan becomes more serious.

Personally, I like Chomps, Powerbars and Hammer Gels.

Cliff Shot Blox and Honey Stinger chews have been my go-to nutrition for the Olympic tris and half-marathons I've done. Gu doesn't go down well for me, and lately Gatorade and Powerade haven't sat well, so I just drink water with my energy chews.

Being new and a light weight I've yet to try anything and started a thread asking the same in nutrition.
I searched "caffeine" but didn't find what I was after.

I'm sorry, but that goes against everything I've ever been taught in health class, survival classes, and nutritional readings.
I can name half a dozen reasons why, but who am I to argue? I'm sure scientists know better than an armchair page flipper.

Thanks Swimbikeron and martymo for sharing honeystinger products.

I think this is what I'm after, cause I feel like my glucose levels drop a pinch even during my sprint training.
Sure I could survive fine without anything, but I'd like to push my envelope.
Thanks for asking OP.

I'm kind of a minimalist. Nausea can be a big issue for me when racing and I need to err on the side of caution and make sure I have nutrition that goes down well, and not too much of it!

Sprint: Eat nothing, electrolyte drink (no calories) in aerobottle on bike, water or sports drink off course on run (if hot)

Olympic and International Distance: One gu on the bike, one gu on the run (about 200 calories). Nuun and water to drink.

Half Ironman: I struggled with nutrition in my first HIM and some of my international distance races. (Nausea, gagging, even puking gu, trouble swallowing energy bars). Nor have I fared well with chews/blocks or sweetened sports drinks. After a good training ride where I happened to grab a bar of dark chocolate beforehand, I decided to experiment with this somewhat unconventional fuel..... For a HIM in May, I ate most of a bar of dark chocolate plus one gu on the bike; for a HIM in July, I used the chocolate as my only nutrition on the bike. For me, dark chocolate works great--goes down well, doesn't upset my stomach, keeps my energy levels steady. Don't think I would do this for a shorter race, though. Water and electrolyte drink on bike.

Two gus (thinner one with caffeine and electrolytes) on run. Water and electrolyte drink (Nuun) on run.

Edited by Hot Runner 2015-08-07 4:07 AM

Sprint- drink a little water/ or Gatorade at the end of bike
Oly - 2 Gu's on bike & about 30-32 oz of Gatorade; run- mostly water maybe a Gatorade(small cups)
HIM - 1 gu &24oz of Gatorade every 45 minutes
IM - 1gu & 24oz of Gatorade every 45 minutes - on the run anything I can keep down that they have at the aid stations as the gu & Gatorade starts to taste awful after 8 hrs.