Bottle refill and food-holding advice

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2008-10-06 9:43 AM

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Subject: Bottle refill and food-holding advice
IMFL here I come. But I still haven't gotten the whole bottle thing down pat. What I've been doing is filling the aerobottle with my mix and then putting about 4 bottles worth of it in the down tube cage with a bottle of plain water on the seat tube. After I finish the aerobottle one, I open up the top and add about a quarter of the mix with a full bottle of water. I plan on grabbing plain water and refilling that until special needs where I'll get another 4 bottles worth. It still seems clumsy and slow still. Any suggestions? I have practiced this a lot but it's a lot of chemistry. Plus, where does the food go? I use peanut butter sandwiches, cliff bars and some gels. Man, I could run a snack bar? I am one of those people who needs food. Trust me, I've trust drink only and it just doesn't work for me.
Thanks,
Rhonda

2008-10-06 10:05 AM
in reply to: #1720492

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Champion
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Subject: RE: Bottle refill and food-holding advice
My bike looks like a rolling buffet table.

I have 2 bento boxes on my top tube (one secured to the headset and another secured to the seat tube), 4 bottle cages, and an aerobottle on my bike.

Front Bento box:  frequent solid nutrition (nutter butter cookies) and emergency Gu (if I feel like I'm starting to bonk)

Rear Bento box:  Uncrustables (2)

In-frame cages:  eFuel (double concentrated at 400cal/bottle)

Behind-the-seat cages:  gear bottle (levers, co2, tube, hex tool) and an empty cage in case I feel like grabbing an extra bottle of water/gatorade at an aid station.

I know that a lot of people mock the fact that I have a carbon bike, aero wheels, etc but load it up like a camel crossing the desert.  Truth be told, I was able to ride an entire century this weekend without ever having to go back to my car.  That gives me the confidence to put just a couple of throwaways (extra tube/co2 or alternate food) in my special needs bag and bypass the Bike SN area if I feel like it.




2008-10-06 10:07 AM
in reply to: #1720492

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Canton, MI
Subject: RE: Bottle refill and food-holding advice
You do have a lot going on! I'm doing IMFL too - my first IM - but here's what I've done in HIM's. I use Infinit, so I have 1 triple concentrated bottle on my rack, and some water in my aerobottle to start. I drink plain water for about the first 15 min. of the bike to settle my tummy. Then I put in 1/3 of the Infinit concentrate into the aerobottle - making 1 full hour of drink up front. I grab water at the aid stations, dump it into the aerobottle (up to a certain line) swig the rest of the water bottle and toss it, then top it off with my Infinit.

It probably takes me less than 30 seconds each time and I can do it while continuing to cycle at a good pace, just not aero.

For IMFL, I'll have a 2nd bottle of concentrate at special needs.

I'm the opposite of you in that I can't really tolerate solid foods well when I race, but my husband does. He uses a bento box when he's packing a lot of food, otherwise, he just stuffs some things in his jersey.

Hope that helps!
2008-10-06 10:19 AM
in reply to: #1720492

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The Original
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Subject: RE: Bottle refill and food-holding advice

DP



Edited by runnergirl 2008-10-06 10:20 AM
2008-10-06 10:20 AM
in reply to: #1720615

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The Original
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Raleigh/Durham
Subject: RE: Bottle refill and food-holding advice

Bento boxes work great!

I relied mostly on liquid nutirtion so I had Perpeteum in my aero bottle, one bottle of it in the bottle cage, and then a bottle of water in my bottle cage.  At the bike SN I picked up another bottle of Perpeteum to get me through the rest of the ride.  I only used the water stops to get new bottles of water.  That planned worked well for me and my nutrition was dead on.  I can't remember how many cals were in each bottle of Perpeteum, but I did have it pretty concentrated so I'd have enough cals to get me through with 2.5-3 bottles.

I did carry E Gels in my bento box and had an uncrustable in the pocket of my top.



Edited by runnergirl 2008-10-06 10:20 AM
2008-10-06 10:41 AM
in reply to: #1720492

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The Land of Mickey-Orlando
Subject: RE: Bottle refill and food-holding advice
I have a aqua cell aero bottle on the front of my bike: new two chamber bottle from profile design. I put water in the 17 oz chamber, infiniti in the 25 oz chamber. Triple strength Infiniti in a bottle on the downtube. I have racks in the back for two more bottles but will probably remove those prior to ironman. I fill from water stations with water bottles and 1/3 of bottle of infiniti. Have the second triple strength bottle in my SN bags. Also have bento with gels, salt tabs, and tylenol. No solid food on the bike.

2008-10-06 10:56 AM
in reply to: #1720492

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Subject: RE: Bottle refill and food-holding advice
To add food-carrying capacity check out the combo Bottle-Holder/Aerobar Bag from TNI. They also make an add-on Aerobar Box without the bottle portion. You can see 'em and their Bento Boxes, etc. at
http://www.trinowfitness.com/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=55

I put my food/gels in a combination of Bento Box on top of the Top Tube, 6-Serving Gel Flask under the Top Tube, and a bag I got years ago that's about the size of sandwich that fits horizontally between my old-school Scott Aerobars.
I have down-and-seat tube bottles, and behind the seat bottle holders, plus use up to a 70oz Camelbak. So for longer rides (so far up to just over 7hours this season) I don't use the Aero-bottle up front. Also, like you I prefer at least a little solid food. So right now there's a Zone Bar, a Map, and an Emergency wrong-turn-or-broken-crank-walking-super-bonk Myoplex Bar in the Aerobar Bag on every ride.
2008-10-06 1:37 PM
in reply to: #1720492

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Subject: RE: Bottle refill and food-holding advice
I have the two chamber bottle as well, but I do the opposite-water in the big one and Sustained Energy in the small one. I carry another frozen bottle of SE and fill water from aid stations. I've been carring my solids (fig newtons) in my jersey, but have lately thought a bento box might be easier. Sometimes I drop my Newtons out of my pocket!
2008-10-06 7:40 PM
in reply to: #1720492

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Subject: RE: Bottle refill and food-holding advice
My tenative plan is to roll out of T1 with an aerobottle full of infinit and two bottles in my xlab each half full of infinit.  I will take water as needed from the stations and put it in my down tube.  I will also use it to refill the aero bottle with the infinit half bottles.  At special needs I will have 2 additional bottles of infinit.  So total 5 bottles of infinit.  I will carry a clif bar as a back up but don't anticipate using it. 
2008-10-07 5:46 AM
in reply to: #1720492

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Champion
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Subject: RE: Bottle refill and food-holding advice

There are aid stations every 10 miles so I wouldn'tt bring lots of water as you can get more every 10 miles.

I started LP with only half my aerobottle fulll as I knew there was an aid startion not far from start of bike. I'd rather carry less weight up the hill. I think I was one of the few that picked up something first aid station. 

Do some logistic planning and see what you need.

Jersey pockets work well to carry bulky food and then bento box. 

I didn't want to worry about concentration issues so I trained and used what was on the course as it was. I did find out it would be orange not lemon lime Gatorade a few weeks before but practiced that and it was fine.

2008-10-07 12:49 PM
in reply to: #1720492

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Champion
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Subject: RE: Bottle refill and food-holding advice
Well, I had a 24 oz bottle on my down tube with 4 hours of Infinit in there. I would take two swigs every 15 minutes and wash it with water. At the special needs on the bike I put more mix in there so I would have some to finish with, just in case I needed extra. And I needed extra since my stomach was not keen on food after mile 80.

Make sure you have Plan B for your nutrition, in case you can't stomach solids. If you pack extra liquid nutrition in your special needs you have Plan B.

I had a bike jersey on that I packed with food in T1. I also had my Bento box stuffed with food as well.

Also, all of my food was opened up and in zip lock baggies so it was easy to get to once in my bike jersey.



2008-10-07 1:37 PM
in reply to: #1720492

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Expert
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Missouri
Subject: RE: Bottle refill and food-holding advice

Aero Bottle up front 3/4 way full of water, bottle on downtube full of Gatorade Endurance, Bento Box with PowerBar Gels.  That is it. I do have 1 bottle of Accelerade and a Snickers Marathon at the special needs stop. . but that is it.  Keep it simple. . . That way I can grab (while still riding) at the aide stations and just replace what I have used. 

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