Freaking out for first HIM in a little over a week

You can stop at aid station and refill your big water bottle or do as I do that on the fly which saves time. Take water from first guy, put it into fly aerobottle as I pedal and throw empty off by end of aid station if okay to do so or keep empty until next aid station then throw it off.

How hot is the water? Not sure what you feel comfortable swimming in a wetsuit temp wise. I've done 35-40' swims when it has been 76-77 and been okay. Depends on you though.

Salt build up on clothes and skin is pretty common.

13.1 easy run will feel very different than 13.1 after 1.2 swim and 56 mile bike...it is part of the anticipation and excitement of how your first HIM will go.

Have fun and enjoy it!

You're only a week, all you can do is trust your training and try and get as much rest as you can. I slept copious amounts (or tried to) the week before my HIM.

1) I don't know what your nutrition plan is but it pays to think about it a bit. Stuff an extra pack of shot blox in your bento.
2) You can stop but try and pull over to your side. I didn't see a single person stopped. When you're racing there's some adrenalin, you may not want to stop. Some thoughts
a) You should practice grabbing a bottle from someone this week. I had my friend stand as I rode by and grabbed the bottle
b) discard old bottles at the beginning of the water stop. Otherwise you'll grab one with nowhere to put it (d'oh)
c) if you are going to stop, move to the right. I haven't seen many people actually come to a dead stop. People want to keep moving.
3) Trust your training!

Hope that helps. Best of luck, don't forget to smile for the photographer!

Oh, and I get hot pretty easily but I did a lake swim in 77 deg water with a full wetsuit and didn't overheat.

Hey man, same boat as you...i'll be doing my first HIM on the 27th (Augusta).

what kind of nutrition are you using? my guess is that you're going to get plenty of salt with your nutrition. sports drinks and foods have way more than enough.

as for the handoff, make sure you take a crappy water bottle. that way, you're not sad to see it go when you handoff...it's not all that hard to grab a bottle as you're riding, but you'll want to slow down a bit.

have you swam in your wetsuit yet? that's really the only way you're going to know...

relax and enjoy the experience...

Trust the training.  Nutrition should probably be 1000-1500 calories depending on body size and tollerability.  Water consumption depends a great deal on temp.  For me if the temp is over 95F I consume way more water, below 80 and I consume way less.  The bike stations should be close enough together that you can get by on 1 bottle per station.  Your legs will be dead after the bike for the first mile or so, that is fine they will loosen up.  Just execute everything as planned and you will be fine.