Originally posted by jimmyb Hi guys, looks like the forum is up and running strong! I miss you all. I had my Afib Ablation surgery 2 weeks ago and finally have the go ahead to resume activity. It was very difficult to be down during that time but I needed it. Post operatively my resting heart rate is now mid 90's, (from low 50's normally). The EP Cardiologist assures me it will decrease over the next several weeks. Anyhow, I did my first run today and felt fine, just a bit out of shape. I'm excited for the prospect of no more afib, although this is not a perfect procedure (historically up to10-20% re-do rate). He also noted some very atypical atrial flutter during the procedure but did not feel it was clinically significant. As far as the procedure itself, no big deal. The only distressing part for me was waking up with a urinary catheter as I had to lay flat for several hours. That sucked more than anything! As many of you may have known, I had been struggling with paroxysmal afib for years, and when it occured it would kill any hopes for having a good race. If you have afib or know anyone that does, I would be happy to share my experience! Jim

Originally posted by wannabefaster

Stuart

Mountain Dew. Wonderful stuff.

Originally posted by Stuartap



I guess I am too picky. Mountain Dew is worse than coffee. How about a plain old Coke? OK or not enough caffeine or too much sugar or???

Originally posted by Stuartap

Jason awesome post on nutrition. Clearly the area where I am most deficient. I especially like "Sometimes there is some inadvertent extra hydration that goes on during some of the rougher swims"

One question for you or anyone else who would like to weigh in. What is a good substitute if you don't drink coffee? I love the smell, hate the taste.

Originally posted by wannabefaster

Back to Race Nutrition, which I promised I would post about. I am going to tell what I do and the reasons why and then I would be happy to discuss. What works for me might not work for you. What I am doing now is way, way different than what I did for my first HIM in 2010. Some of it has been trial and error. A lot of it has come from reading what others have used. This is long course--IM/HIM nutrition but it is really time driven so you can adjust for whatever length you think you will be on the course.

Race day morning:

At least 2.5 hours before the race I eat the following:

Oatmeal--two packets of instant oatmeal with raisins added. I use this as my standard because it is easy to take to any race and can be fixed almost anywhere.
Banana, sometimes two. Usually purchased at the race location but sometimes I bring this with me.
Coffee. one to two cups.

I eat this whether I am racing an IM or a Sprint. I want calories in the tank on race morning. (I also eat a bowl of cereal about 30 minutes before just about every morning swim I do and it never bothers me so if I start the race with a little bit of food in my gut it is unlikely to cause me an issue).


In the 90 minutes leading up to the race:

I will drink a 20 ounce water bottle filled with my 'bike nutrition mixture'. My goal is to get this finished 15-30 minutes before I go in the water. In the 20 ounces is around 430 calories with 93 grams of Carbs, 2.5 grams of protein, some caffeine, 635 mg of sodium, 260 mg of potassium, a tiny smidgen of calcium and magnesium. I mix two scoops of a custom Infinit mixture with one packet of Generation UCAN to achieve these numbers.

Usually I can't wait to get in the water because I am 'very well hydrated' at the start of a race.


Swim:

Well, there is no nutrition for me during this phase. Sometimes there is some inadvertent extra hydration that goes on during some of the rougher swims. It happens. I have heard of people stuffing a gel pack in their wetsuit and eating it at the halfway point. I have never seen the need but I'm just sharing.


Bike:

Here is where the nutrition strategy gets important. I don't eat or drink anything in T1. The goal is to get out and get going. I can "eat" while I am moving.

My nutrition strategy is 100% liquids, no solids, no gels, for the entire race. I used to take bars, pretzels, gels, etc. What I found was that taking in solids had me very nauseated and with some diarrhea (sorry to be graphic but IM racing ain't for the weak of stomach) when I got to the run. Since I have switched to all liquids I have not had a GI upset issue or a hydration problem in any race. For an IM race, four bottles of the same mixture outlined above is my total bike nutrition (approximately 1720 calories). I start with two bottles on my bike coming out of T1 and then pick up two more at Special Needs. (In a HIM I would only use two total bottles, in an Olympic, only one).

To calculate nutritional needs on the bike. I use 4-6 calories/kg/hour as my nutritional requirements. For a 70 kg male (me, approximately) that is 280-420 calories per hour. I don't have the reference on that number but I know it is out there and that it works. Where you fall on this spectrum needs to be worked out in training.

So, once I am on the bike I try to suck down an entire bottle (430 calories, remember?) in the first hour. I figure coming out of the swim I am a little behind and need to get some calories in. Once I finish that first bottle I drop it at an aid station and get a water bottle to supplement my hydration--drinking to thirst (at a hot race I will also use the water I pick up at each aid station to douse my jersey, shorts, helmet, etc to aid with evaporative cooling). After the first bottle I try to make each subsequent nutrition bottle last about 1:15. At the half way point at Bike Special Needs I dump everything and pick up two fresh bottles of the same stuff and follow the same plan.

If I drink all four bottles, 1720 calories in 5.5 hours (my projected IM bike split) I will have taken in 313 calories per hour which is on the lower end of the above formula but experience has shown me that this will have me coming off the bike well hydrated, calorically ok and ready to run.


Run:

All liquids.......

I hate carrying stuff with me when I run. I use a Nathan hydration belt for long training runs but I hate it. I don't like how it feels. I hate lugging around an extra pound (or two) of stuff when I am racing. Most of these races have aid stations every mile anyway so I don't feel the need to carry my own stuff at this point.

I go with water as much as I can get and coke every time it is offered. I don't wait for the half way point of the run or anything like that. When coke is available, I grab a dixie cup and down it. I also drink at least one water per aid station if not two. If it is hot I grab a third to pour on me to cool off. I have never figured out my consumption on the run but lets say 30 calories per cup times 16? aid stations, would come out to 480 calories...... More than enough to run the marathon if you have done your job fueling on the bike. I have never felt that nutrition has been a limiter for me on the run since going with this plan. If you really want numbers, you should probably shoot for 2-3 calories/kg/hour on the run. The body just cannot absorb the same levels of calories while running as while biking. If you tried to keep up the 4-6 calories/kg/hour I guarantee that eventually you will end up bloated, nauseated and miserable......

My last two IMs I did not turn in a Run Special Needs bag. I am fueling off the course. I'm not going to change my shoes. At the half way point of the run I am going to just suck it up and finish....... I'm not saying that is what you should do but for me Run SN doesn't offer much.


Post Race:

Goal is to feel good enough to eat within a couple of hours of finishing. Beer. Wings. Poutine in Mont Tremblant......

Everything I take in for the entire race is caffeinated. I am probably going to put myself in to Afib at a race some day. I have never really slept the night after an IM. Whether I am on an IM high or just caffeinated to the gills, it is what I have come to expect.


Questions? Comments?

Like I said, it works for me

Originally posted by mtnbikerchk



TEA!! I'm kind of a tea nut!

Originally posted by PhoenixM

Tea is definitely a win, but I'm not the biggest fan of green tea; taste is a bit off putting.

I've never had yerba mate tea, but I've heard of it. What does it taste like?

Originally posted by mtnbikerchk



Green teas are usually bitter because they are steeped for too long at too high a temp. Greens and whites should only steep for a minute at 175 degrees.

I think Mates tend to have the highest caffeine of the teas so I usually just go for a black tea.

Currently, my favorite is the black Mango from Harney and Sons. There are dried mango pieces in the tin - I swear I just want to eat them.

OH another favorite of mine is the Harney cinnamon! Generally I'm not a big cinnamon fn but there's something about that one - OMG YUMMY!

Originally posted by mtnbikerchk



Green teas are usually bitter because they are steeped for too long at too high a temp. Greens and whites should only steep for a minute at 175 degrees.

Originally posted by ndechant  Is the plan. I'm trying to cover the distances and finish. I've been doing a lot of reading lately on going slower to go faster. For those with heart rate monitors...does it work? Can I run my steady runs and steady bikes in heart rate zone 2 and get faster? The theory seems solid, but has anybody actually done it?