More Manatee Mayhem - 2017 Edition - Closed (Page 47)

Thank you all for the birthday wishes. 

I had had a great day. Took it off from work and just worked out and made an awesome soup for dinner 

Both Justin and Sean have had bike's added to the Bike Gallery:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/Albums/Album/17246

And I noticed that my MTB has not made the gallery either. So, I have to find one of Le' Grande Orange to pop in there. And if anyone else has anything to add, please post it or send it to me.

Sounds great!  I'm a big advocate for not working on your birthday! :-D

I use EFS LS for HIM and full but generally have used Gu-type gels for Oly, however, I do think that EFS LS works well on the bike.

Do you plan on having a high calorie pre-race breakfast?  How many calories do you think that you'll need on the bike after a 1500m swim?  Do you plan to carry water/nutrition with you on the run?

I have never used EFS, I have primarily used Hammer products or straight honey, but that is mostly during training, since I rarely race anything over a standard sprint distance. Opening packets of gel on the bike can be a bit of a challenge, but it gets easier with practice. I generally use a 3 oz bottle that I fill with honey. It has a flip top, so it is easy to use. Super secret tip, you can find them in the travel section of any drug store/Walmart for a buck. I stuff it in the leg of my tri suit for the bike during T1, pull it out and take a shot near the end of the bike leg, and leave it in transition during T2. Water on the bike and water on the run and I can be OK. But, again, I only have done sprints, so YMMV.

Karen and Janyne both mentioned pre race nutrition. Do not underestimate the importance of that, especially at that distance.

GO RACING MANATEES!

Big {MELON PRESS} to all the DLers.

I hope everybodee has a nice weekend

Regarding Gu being difficult to open, you can always snip a bit on the top so that they are easier to pull open. Just use a scissors to cut a tiny amount as a starter. 

Racing Manatees!!!

March 11-12
no racers this week.  our racer moved to the DL :-(

Disabled list
Sue - knee scope
Anne - under the weather
Ann-Marie - under the weather

March 15 is Melanie's birthday

For an oly, for me, it's some very similar version of the following.  Long and short - good breakfast, maybe 100 calories within 30' of start, 150-200 calories typically on the bike, then 0-100 (usually 0) calories on the run.

Details:

Goodly breakfast (big bowl of grape nuts with greek yoghurt and milk and honey and maybe blueberries, or a bagel to 1.5 bagels with butter and nut butter, or the like).

I'll take a GU or one of those Gatorade pre-race drinks like 20'-30' before the start.  Then sip Nuun or 1/2 strength Skratch (or water if that's all that I have) up to the start.  Just sipping, though, as I don't want a full belly before the swim.

I'll take one BTA bottle of Skratch or Gatorade or something with some sugar and salt on the bike. Then plan to grab a water on course if and only if I'm feeling REALLY dry.  Otherwise, the one is fine.

I'll take two gel on course with me (I, too, like the Powergel ones while racing, as they're not as sticky/thick as GU and go down easier for me on course - but GU works OK, too, if that's what I have).  If I'm redlined and not flagging, then I'll take one about 1/2 way to usually more like 2/3 of the way through the bike and save the other for the run.

If I'm feeling like maybe breakfast wasn't enough, I'll take one at 1/3 and one before I get off (or so has been my plan - never had to do that and prefer just one on the bike).

I'll take the second (or third - always have an extra gel at T2) one with me on the run.  I play that by ear, but most often have been going too hard to want to take a gel and have felt like the calories on the bike from the gel and drink were enough to get me across the line without bonking. 

I like having the option of the gel on the run, though.  Makes me not feel like I need it, whereas if I didn't have one I'd probably be cursing myself looking for 100 calories!

Enjoy the race!  Oly's are a wonderfully brutal distance.

Matt

GO RACERS.... ummmm... errr...... I mean

HEAL DL-ERS!  HEAL LIKE THE WIND!!!

And happy early birthday Melanie, ides of March and all!!

Matt

Happy early bday Melanie!

Feel better all the sickies -me included!!

For an Oly, I've generally had a pair of Powerbar gels available on the bike. I don't always use both though, have to see how I'm feeling. Never had anything on the run as intensity was too high to manage anything. Water was usually one bottle on the bike, and usually nothing on the run again. By the time it'd help I'd be near or past the finish anyway. Especially since I couldn't have it right away on the run. Most Olys I've done didn't have any aid stations on the bike.

Bottle was between the arms in aero as much I as I could. Gels were either in a bento box, or taped directly to the top tube right behind the stem. For this, I'd tape it right at the tear line so that top piece would stay on the bike. Think I'd tuck the rest of the wrapper just inside the lower cuff on the shorts leg. Then chuck it at a station, if present, or at T2, if I remembered. For the bento box, I had a Dark Speed Works one, which was rather long so lots of space in it. Then a Bontrager one with the Speed Concept, also a longer one. Both had a decent amount of space, so were easy to use. The Bontrager didn't actually have a zipper or fasteners. Just flaps that overlapped on top.

Although I don't love the lack of light in the fall/winter here, I can't imagine not having light until 10pm in summer!  We just did the whole lose an hour this weekend too, so now will be light out until 7pm.  Crocuses are up, spring is coming!!