IM Bike in the Rain nutrition questions

What you said.  Practice it.  More likely to be wind in Fla, and IMO it's the wind that makes eating hard (have to concentrate more, twitchier bike,etc.)  BUT BUT BUT you HAVE TO MAKE SURE you do whatever it takes to eat in an IM since the consequences of not doing it are disastrous for the run. You do what you have  to do on race day to get the kcals in.  If that means stopping andor/slowing down, you do that.    In wind, it mighteven beeasier if you can reach your bottle while in aero.  Or, an aero bottle is an option. 

Best thing is to train in all weather and you will learn a lot by doing so. In my build to Lake Placid last year all of my last 4 long rides it rained from 20-80 miles during them. So when I started the bike at LP I was like I've done this I know how to do this.

For me riding in the rain, nutrition was no different other if it is cold you take in less fluid. I think using aerobottle makes it easier to drink in any condition (rain, wind, heat, cold) as you just bend down and suck up some fluid. I can drink with my bottles in rain or whatever without looking at my water bottle cages.

Sounds like practice will help. Also try using aerobottle. I also have an old Timex IM watch I strape onto my bar that beeps every 20' to remind me to take in my nutrition. If I miss the 20' due to fast descent with wind, I take nutrition and reset it to 20' again as eating to much to close together can cause stomach issues.

We learn by struggling in situations. I did a long ride on the Cape in January when it was about 30 with big gloves so it was hard to drink or eat and I was the slowest in the group so they were always waiting for me so I didn't eat or drink enough. It was the closest I've ever come to being really low on fuel and feeling out of it.

Worst case is if you feel unsafe riding and eating is to quickly stop and take in calories like a gel and keep going.

Great advice thus far.  One add would be to be careful of lost calories from drinking less.  IMCDA was cold on the bike, luckily no rain, but cold.  With the cold means less drinking.  If you drink anything other than water, you will be getting less calories in.  I realized this a couple days in advance and knew I would need to "eat" more of my calories on the bike.  Problem is, my stomach wasn't trained to process that level of solid foods and I couldn't get them calories in.  My fluid intake was down dramatically from plan, yet I still pee'd 3x on the bike.

Just something to keep in mind.  One possible way to train for this would be to train with drinking water only and get your calories from solid (solidish) sources such as bars and gels. 

Liquid nutrition in an areo bottle for the win... just suck on the straw.  The new podiumquest type areo bottles have a better cover on the top that would not allow water in from the rain.  It is a hexagonal rubber cover rather than a puffy shower sponge.  I like my 2 chamber one, 1 chamber for calories 1 for water, rock and roll. 

On the run I typically just do GU, which is easy enough to consume in a downpour. (Boise was a complete wash this year)



Edited by Baowolf 2009-07-23 12:13 PM