Nutrition for long bike rides / 1/2 IM

Another curious reader here...my 1/2 IM is coming in Aug. 

My nutrition on past 50+ mile rides has been a mix of raspberry Gu20, water, and good ol' Power Bars in the cinn/raisin flavor.  Occasional pretzels in a baggie for salt or candy corns in the jersey pockets, just for fun.  

But honestly, I am not sure what I'll want to eat during my 70.3

Just a 100-150 cals/hr is my goal right now, till I hear otherwise.

I too shoot for about 400 calories per hour, using Hammer products exclusively. I use Sustained Energy and Hammer Gel on longer rides and HIMs. For me, solids are just too much to contend with (chewing, swallowing, breathing) if you're trying to maintain a pace, and they don't digest as easily as liquids. It's true that you have to find what works for you, and possibly even learn to adapt your taste buds. I will say this: race like you train and start now. Don't mix bars with liquids on a training ride just because you can, and then try to go all bars or all liquids during a race. Race like you train, and train like you race. And don't worry that you need bars on a HIM becasue you'll be hungry. As quickly as the feeling of hunger hits you, it will go away. Hammer also makes a great little plastic bottle and holder that straps to your top tube and holds about 6 servings of gel. It's so much easier than opening a pack and squeezing it out, and there is no wrapper to contend with. Good luck!

I have been using Accelerade for my long bikes.  I have two bottles which I mix 3 scoops per bottle which gives me like 330 per bottle.  I have gotten pretty good in getting each bottle down in a hour.  I then supplement the rest of my calories with gu's, snicker marathon bars and I am thinking of packing trail mix with mm's.  I pretty much have a strong stomach so solids don't bother me too much.  Gatorade Endurance is the drink of the Baja 70.3 so I have been using it but I really don't like the fact its on 200 calories per bottle.  My goal is 450-500 calories per hour.  I am a big boy and plan on having a buffet on the bike.

The one thing I have learned over the last few months is that nutrition makes things alot more fun.  Horrible feeling when  your 25 miles out from the bike finish and your running out of gas due to lack of calories.  I did that on a bike ride and I can imagine that running a half marathon at that point would have been tough.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and input.  For those of you more seasoned in this... the concept of having different  timing intervals for (fluid +/- carbs), gels, electrolye replacement while focusing on the ride/race road, trying to keep pace/cadence and get in a groove...this is a bit overwhelming.  I guess it is just practice and more practice.  So far i have heard of cytomax and accelerade...any other suggestions for fluid/carb mixture.

Thanks again everyone.

JT

My first Half is in 3 more sleeps,  very exciting,  so I've been experimenting with different drinks and gels and food for longer bike rides in the last 4 months.  I struggle to digest some types so this is what works for me.

the advice about finding out what is provided at yoru race is great too.  I found what works for me but then also found there was a different product on the race course so have learnt to tolerate that and now found that I quite like it.

I either use hammer powdered drinks.  Heed or perpetuem (I think thats what they are called)  and Hammer gels in a little flask.  And have worked out what I need to keep me going.  which pretty closely follows the 250 - 300 calories an hour.

for my race they have Carboshotz drinks and gels (not sure if thats an aussie product or not)  which isn't as easy to stomach for me as Hammer stuff but still does the trick now that I'm sued to it.

I have also found that gels and drinks get realy sweet after long rides so I always pack a pria powerbar and lollies in my bento box just in case I need something solid to eat.

 But like everyone has said you need to experiment with a few diff things and find out what works best for you    Good luck and have fun eating/drinking