What happened? Need your input

Jon,

I've had similiar problems, (but not as severe) when I've taken a Hammer gel in T2 after ingesting alot (bottle) of Heed/Perp on the bike-leg.  I think the Hammer site says to wait 20-30 min. before you take another gel.  Haven't tried it yet, but your symptoms and MO sound similiar.  Also,  I can only speak for myself, but I could never use all the different sugars/fuels your using- Amp, Gel blocs, Hammer etc.  It will be hard to nail down the 'offender' when their are so many suspects.  Good Luck.

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Sounds like you didn't eat enough before the race.  A powerbar isn't gonna cut it...thats like only 200 calories. I eat atleast 2 bagels 2-3 hours before the race.  Oly isn't that far so I don't use all the expensive shot blocks and beans...but for a half I would.

Wow.. that's a lot of calories and carbs for an olympic race.  You might want to ease off the nutrition a bit.  You should definitely start with a healthy dinner and breakfast pre-race.  Maybe replace the HEED with water, cut the shot blocks and maybe take the gel about 15 minutes before the end of the bike leg so it has some time to clear your stomach before you run.

Hope that helps.

for me, that would be way too many calories for an OLY.  during my last oly, i just drank about an aerobottle of water and 1 gel on the bike, and 1 gel right before the swim and that was it.  i probably could have used just a little bit more calories, but during the oly i had done previously, i drank HEED and had a gel and that was too much. 

like others have said, i like to eat bagels before the race (usually while driving there, if it is a couple hour drive).   

I would guess that you stopped processing the calories you were ingesting for one of (or a combination of) the following reasons:

1. Intensity - at high intensity you cannot process many calories, especially on the run
2. Too many calories - it would appear that you ingested around 1000Cal from breakfast to the start of the run and probably 350 or so on the bike
3. Too little water - not that you were dehydrated but with all concentrated fuel sources, you need to consume water in order to reduce the concentration in your stomach - otherwise your body may stop processing calories

Definitely experiement in training but for short course, you probably need many few calories than you have been led to believe; typically for an OD race I will consume about 500-600Cal from breakfast until the end of the race and only 100-200Cal during the race.  If you are interested, you can read some of my thoughts on short course nutrition here.

Shane

Good Article! Thanks, Shane.  I have been WAY overdoing it. 

I agree with the others. You shouldn't need very many, if any, race-day calories for an Olympic distance race. Having said that, I'm assuming that you're not out there for four hours. I'd recommend 20 ounces of carbo drink on the bike. You need your blood in your legs, not your stomach.

Matt Cazalas
Technical Writer

Have you heard it enough yet?

This is what this Clyde puts down leading up to sprint race day

Dinner the evening before ~600 calories

Put a large bagel with 3 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter on my nightstand with a Gatorade.  Eat it and as soon as I wake up.  Drink a 12 oz cup of coffee.

Drink 8 oz of water on the drive to the race

Drink 8 oz of gatorade about 1/2 hour before the start

Two caffeinated gels on the bike 20 oz water

Grab water at every aid station.  Usually adds up to about 12 oz.

For my first Oly, I plan on doing the same, except that I will add some gatorade on the ride, and perhaps one more gel on the bike, and one on the run.

2X.  As I was reading it I thought I can't believe you are trying to get that much in.  A little more water.  Should have had more water less electrolytes.   

You got more than enough electrolytes from the other stuff you took.  Overdo the electrolytes, and you'll cramp as well.

As everyone said, way too much of everything.  That is as much as some would take in for a HIM (other than water).

Make it much more simple.

And do not eat within 3 hours of the event, just hydrate and maybe a gel right before the start with water.  Eating in the window from 3 hours to 15 minutes before is the worst time since your stomach ends up working to digest the food and you start off lethargic as a result in the best case and with GI issues in the worst.

Going with Mike's product above you can get a blend that gets everything you need.  Or if you want to simplify it more, some gels and some water.

An oly. is relatively short in the big picture.  Your body has about 2 hours worth of glycogen stored in it (anywhere from 1,500 - 2,000 calories).  Supplement that with a few gels or a good drink concoction and you will be set.  By the time you are on the run, there is little you can take in that will actually get processed in time to use it unless you take it right out of transition.

My oly. nutrition plan in comparison??  Gu at 45 minutes and 15 minutes to go before the race.  Swim.  Quick drink in T1.  Once on the bike, one 20 oz. bottle of Gu20, usually one Gu (although I bring 2).  sometimes quick drink in T2.  On the run?  Splashes of fluids at each rest stop.

That's it.  Keep it simple.  It is better to race slightly depelted in a shorter event than to overdo it and get GI distress.

My opinion only ...........