Ironman Florida : Official Thread (Page 52)

Whoa swam this morning 3500m and burnt 980 cals. Holly molly I have to start eating as soon as I get on the bike to get some of the clas back.

So I am going to carry 9 gels (4 with caffine and 5 non caffinated) and some sports beans and Gu chomps and a honey stinger waffel broken up  for the first 56 miles  and then have the same stuff in my special needs bag for the other half. I am not big eater on the bike. How many eat like solid solid foods on the bike. 

I eat solids on the bike.  I have an iron stomach.  I could eat a tuna sandwich on the bike and be fine.  I use accelerade (I like it) and usually candy.  You need carbs.  It doesn't need to be labeled as sports food.  I cut twizzlers in 1/2.  They fit nicely in a bento box and don't melt and taste a hell of a lot better than a gel.  I have used mini pay day bars too.  Have used fig newtons, mini air heads and laffy taffy.  I'll probably bring a gel or too as well and the rest live off the course.

I guess I am just going to start calling you Mrs Candy Socks from now on lol

on the bike-  i'm using vespa, lava salts, good ole fashioned assorted flavor chewy sour balls and will drink off the course

on the run- i will use vespa and live off the course for the rest

If your curious here's my nutrition plan for the entire race:

Pre-Race

-3:30 hours (3:30 a.m.) 3 cups applesauce, banana, 1 scoop whey protein and 1 bottle of perform

-1:00 (6 a.m.) - Power Bar

-:30 (6:30 a.m.) -- Power gel w/ 8 oz. water

Race

Bike

1:15 (time on the clock) -- 1/2 Power Bar

1:45 - 1/2 Power Bar

2:15 - Power Gel & Thermotab

2:45- Power Gel 3:15 - Power Gel & Thermotab

3:45- Power Gel

4:15 - 1/2 Power bar

4:45 - 1/2 Power bat

5:15 - Power Gel (Caffenated) & Thermotab

5:45 - Power Gel (Caffenated)

6:15- Power Gel (Caffenated) & Thermotab

6:45 - Power Gel (Caffenated)

A total of 9 bottles of Perform over the course of the bike.

T2

7:15 - Banana on the run out

Run

by 9:15 - over the course of the first 13 miles a single shot blok every other mile, perform at each aid station and a thermotab and Power Gel at mile 8

by 11:15 - over the second 13 miles a single caffenated shot blok every other mile, perform at each aid station and tharmotab and power gel at mile 16.

thats Dr. candy Socks thankyouverymuch....just kidding.  I actually HATE sweet things ergo hate the gels.  I was the kid at the birthday party who made an adult scrape the frosting off the cake before I would eat it.  I do like the shot blocks and chomps but the licorace works just as well and is a lot cheeper and easier to find and buy.  I use the bananas on the course too.  I don't use bananas in regualr training because I live where it is mucho mucho hot and teh banana won't survive my ride.  It was 115 when I finished my bike ride on sunday.  Eating a hot brown mushy banana ...BLECH. 

I usually time things out like Kelly.  It keeps me entertained and engaged over a long day if you have to do something every 15 or 20 minutes.   Just figure out how many calories you need per hour factor in what is in your sports drink and divide it up.  easy peasy

Haha Dr Candy Socks thats awesome.  I set my watch for every 15min warning to drink and every 20min to eat. I am not a big eater on the bike so I need to warning to remind me. 

Kelly,

Holy Cow!  8 gels on the bike.  Don't think I can do that.  Yuck.  More power to you.  But, thanks for the post and the ideas.

Nutrition is the one issue I've had on the bike. I should lay it our like you did just to give me an idea of what I need to be doing.  Too often I do it by feel and then it's too late.  I really have to work at taking fluids and nutrition on the bike.  It doesn't come easy for me especially in a race.

Duane  

My nutrition plan is based on a sweat test I did this past winter (and I practice it every time I train).  It pretty much becomes second nature and since I've been using it, I've had no GI issues while racing. 

One of the biggest things I realized from the sweat test is the amout of electrolytes I loose.  So while I would prefer to eat other things, I eat Power Gels because of their eletrolyte profile.  The "big" calorie load on the bike is important so I can execute the run well fueled (the goal at IMFL is a sub-4 marathon).  I'm also super careful about my HR on the bike so that I can continue to digest all the calories I take in.  Going too hard on the bike not only fries the legs for the run but also shuts down the digestive system often leading to GI problems on the run. 

No fluid or nutrition on the bike = BONK on the run. Make a plan and stick to it. 

Longer you go harder it is to keep eating and getting fluid in.  Sweet stuff becomes unappealing over time during the race. I have a watch set and have it beep every 30' so I am sure I eat on regular basis. If I miss one I reset beeper so I don't to much calories in so I could possibly have stomach distress. Not hearing beep isn't an issue at IMFL but more an issue on hilly courses where you descend fast and wind noise can block out beep.

Knowing what works on training rides is key.

On my IMs I have done different nutrition. This year I'm doing more real food as I'm sick of Powerbar gels and the after taste.

ok I am sooo sick of these long lonely rides...(cussing and nashing of teeth).  No one near me is training for IM right now so I am once again headed out on saturday to ride alone for 6 hours.  I used to love my bike...right now I honestly feel like I hate my bike, I hate Ironman and I dont even care anymore about this stupid race.  I have completely lost my mojo.  any suggestions how to get it back? right now I swear I will never, ever do this again...it doesnt feel like it was worth it....

does anyone else feel like this? it cant be good to feel this way just three weeks before the race....

I am sick of trainign and READY TO RACE!!!!!  Don't worry taper will be soon and you will feel better.  Its WILL be worth it.  IM week is a blast.  And IM is like crack. You will want more.  It might not be the day after or the week after but you will want more.  This last big build after training ALL YEAR and everyone else is having a off season is really really hard.  Hang tough its worth it.  Promise

Anyone have a suggestion on salt tabs?  Should use?  What kind?  ect.?

Currently use Hammer Endurolytes.  Should I also be taking salt tabs for the IM?

Thanks for the advice!

those lava salts work for me....i have no big scientific reason to back me up on it...all i can say is i like em

Go with what you have used in training. Now is not the time to change. Endurolytes have very little sodium in each like 40 mgs. Compare that to a bottle of Perform or Powerbar gel.

As far as electorlyte replacement tabs go Endurolytes are pretty useless.  If you need extrolyte replacement (in addition to what's in perform and gels) go with thermotabs or lava salts. 

The way you are feeling is completely normal. The training takes a toll physically as well as mentally. You need these next few weeks for your body and mind to recover and cement the benefits of the stress you have been placing on yourself for the past few months. In a lot of ways, the fact that you are feeling like this means the training has worked. Honestly, I am about as happy when I finish my last long ride at the completion of all of the pre-taper training as I am when I finish the actual race.

You will probably swear off Ironmans several times during the race, particulalry during the run, but that all changes at the finish. 

Good luck and enjoy your taper.

I use salt stick salt pills and the dispenser on my aero bars and take 1  or 2 per hour depending on effort and weather. I did notice since I been biking with arm coolers and arm warmers depending what time of day I ride seems to helped my body temp control. I pour water on them when i am feeling hot or leave them dry to stay warm.

On the bike I like to mix it up with e-gels (have about twice the sodium and potassium as Gu which seems to help me), Clif bars, and a PB&J sandwich.

On the run it's usually just gels for me but I might be getting hungry by then and looking for more substance. The water/food stations have all sorts of food don't they?

My plan is all Perpeteum on the bike (325 cals/hr).  My stomache doesn't like gels and I find them hard to get open when racing.  I will use cliff shot blocks on the run and maybe some gatorade.  I think nutrition is not that complicated as people make it out to be.

What I'll eat...

gel before swim

gel after first loop of swim

Wait 20' on bike to let stomach settle in then start drinking

30' start food

Eat about 90-110 calories every 30'

Choices....4-5 Power Bar Gel Blasts, Honey Stinger waffles which is more calories so wait 45' to eat again, 4 werther soft caramels, gel, combo snack pack....just found more at Walmart, 1/2 a banana

Drink nuuns water and if just plain water take Lava Salt with each bottle, plus Lava salt every hour

Stop calories with 30' to go, 20' to go stop drinking to allow food and fluid to process so don't start run with slooshy stomach.

Run....since I'm walking, will eat what I feel like.

Power Bar Gel blasts are my favorite this year...not sticky, no after taste

I can't stand Powerbar Perform. I like the powder but RTD flavor I find very different and yuck!

For those of you racing with power, what IF, vi and TSS are you aiming for on race day? Or if you use other metrics what are they. Using my Joule and Garmin yesterday I was checking my TSS per hour and did a little math about it. Posting thoughts in my blog on Thursday.

Last year my vi was 1.03 and TSS 280.

This year hope to have vi 1.02 or 1.03 and my TSS higher as I don't plan to run.

I looked at all my power files from various IMs I've done...3 full IMs, 1 relay and 2 IM Aquavelos.  First three my TSS was 400 or over. Any guesses why? What did that mean for my run?

I wished I'd taken an extra 30" in transition.  My clothes were quite askew on the bike and I actually had to pull over on the side of the road less than a mile into the course to fix my clothes.  If I had just taken that ONE extra minute in transition it wouldn't have been an issue.

FWIW, we just had a cold snap here in North Florida.  It was in the 50's this morning!