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Triathlon questions

1,289 Views | 11 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by whoop91
Kool
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AG
I'm going to be doing a half IM in a couple of weeks and was hoping to have some veterans weigh in on their regimens for race day nutrition and (for men) tri kit versus changing into and out of biking shorts.

Backdrop:
I'm old. I've done one Sprint and one Olympic in the past. I abhor running. I have never run a half marathon in my life. I do plenty of biking. It looks to be really hot and humid for the race (Augusta in 2 1/2 weeks).
I don't care about my overall time and my transition times, other than that I need to avoid a DNF.
My normal routine is to eat a small breakfast with a banana in the morning of an event (tri or 5K or decent bike). I usually have a Stinger waffle right before the swim, and I use two bottles filled with water and Skratch for rides of this length. I might also take a GU gel and have it on a 56-mile bike ride. I've never run more than a 10K (see: I abhor running), so all I usually take with me on a run is a handheld water bottle and maybe one GU gel. For any run of less than about 4 miles, I just drink water before and after.
There should be plenty of water along the run route.

I am curious as to what others take with them on the bike, and during the run. Also, do guys typically change into biking shorts then running shorts, or do the whole event in a tri kit? Fresh socks, at least, for the run?

Thanks in advance, hoping not to bonk.
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AggieOO
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whole thing in tri kit. I usually don't wear any socks until the run.

As for nutrition, my first response is that you should have been testing all this out in training, but doesn't look like you did any/much run training. Stick with some sort of nutrition that you already know your body is ok with and use that on the run. if you fuel on properly the bike, you probably won't need a whole lot on the run other than water. I'd take in some calories in T2 and then maybe something around mile 5.
wcb
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AG
AggieOO said:

if you fuel on properly the bike, you probably won't need a whole lot on the run other than water.
Typical recommendation is 300-400 calories / hour on the bike. So assuming you're looking at a 3 hour bike that's 900-1200 calories total. I usually use a combination of EFS, Clif Bars and Liquid Shots. But at this point stick with what you know works.

If it's going to be hot / humid be sure you're getting salts / electrolytes. That's the primary reason I prefer EFS over other alternatives. Also keep a small packet of chamois butter on you for the run. Humid days can make for some really bad chafing.

If you stomach Gu's well I'd recommend one to start the run and then one ever 45-60 minutes. That plus water / gatorade should get you across the finish line.

Good luck, let us know how it goes.

RustyBoltz
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AG
Yeah, it's a little late to to be experimenting with nutrition. There's probably some snacks you eat on occasion that will suffice for race day without needing to turn to unfamiliar recommendations. Nutrigrain bars, fruit snacks, cliff bars, trail mix, frozen PB&jelly uncrustables, bananas...
If you're trained up for the bike leg I would think you really only need to worry about eating enough to get you through the "run." Your water and electrolyte intake is going to be far more important.

Trisuit for the whole race. I put on socks in T1. If you have to wear them for the run, you might was well wear them on the bike. Bending down and putting on socks doesn't get any easier or quicker after 56mi and your feet will be just as wet as they were coming out of the water.
P.U.T.U
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AG
I would wear a tri suit the entire time. As far as socks that is up to you and how you have trained but I prefer to have no socks on during the bike since getting socks on wet feet is not always easy. For olympics and less I never wore socks the entire race but I did during halfs.

As far as nutrition do what you always have, most try to aim for 200-300 calories an hour on the bike for a half. Once again I would try what you have been doing in training and see how it goes. If they have it on the course take some coke in during the run. Seems to sit well with almost everyone is a one of the best things to have during a race
Kool
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AG
Thanks for all the responses. I'll have to see how many calories are in my GU gels and Skratch mix. I can't imagine biking 56 miles without socks. I have to wear calf sleeves or else I get shin splints when I run. I'll just put those on after the swim, and probably treat myself to a fresh pair of socks for the run. As I said, not really concerned about my transition times.
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htxag09
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AG
You wear a tri suit in your previous tris? If so, that's what I'd do. If you've never worn one, I'd probably just change.

May also want to consider throwing some talcum powder in both pairs of your socks.
Kool
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AG
htxag09 said:

You wear a tri suit in your previous tris? If so, that's what I'd do. If you've never worn one, I'd probably just change.

May also want to consider throwing some talcum powder in both pairs of your socks.


Great idea about the talcum powder in the socks. For last year's Olympic, I wore the tri suit the whole time. Sounds as if that's the consensus for this distance as well, even though my biking pants are much more comfortable on the undercarriage. I just had a Stinger waffle and drank water before the swim, 1 bottle of diluted Gatorade on the ride, and I think I had a total of 3 GU gels during the Olympic . Obviously, though, the bike and run distances are doubled and it promises to be hot and humid. There's a reason that, other than one week a year, they call it "Disgusta".
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P.U.T.U
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AG
Just do what you did during your training, if you wore socks wear socks.

They say do not try anything new on race day, I always changed at least one thing on race day. Most of it was educated and worked.
Crazy Ag 97
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AG
Socks - Obviously you can do what you want and should do what you have practiced, but if you are trying to put on calk length socks in transition, while wet, you will have VERY long transition times. Personally I never wear socks on the bike in any length tri (or training for that matter), including ironman distance; and I don't wear any on the run for any tri up to and including half iron. Just a preference, but I am an extremely heavy sweater, so socks make my life miserable.

As far as nutrition, that really personal. Honestly, there is a HUGE difference between Olympic nutrtion and half Iron, you can wing it on an Olympic and be ok, if you try to just wing it for half, you will be miserable during that run. You will see lots of numbers thrown out, but you have to figure out what works best for you to come off the bike feeling as strong as possible. For me, I tend to have a higher heart rate than most in every zone so I'm in the 400-500 cal/hr on the bike, that's what works for me and lets me come off the bike with the energy to run strong, and once on the run, about 200/hr keeps me going strong. I use a combination of gels and sports drink (base hydro). No water (other than an occasional mouth rinse) and no solids.

Agree with the trikit, changing while sweaty does not sound fun, and there's no changing tents for halfs, so for the most part, you racing in what you started with, for the bottoms at least.
gif
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Crazy Ag 97 said:

Socks - Obviously you can do what you want and should do what you have practiced, but if you are trying to put on calk length socks in transition, while wet, you will have VERY long transition times. Personally I never wear socks on the bike in any length tri (or training for that matter), including ironman distance; and I don't wear any on the run for any tri up to and including half iron. Just a preference, but I am an extremely heavy sweater, so socks make my life miserable.


I never wore socks for the bike or run during any size race(up to half Ironman) or during any training. Well, I tried doing that for my first full IM...big mistake! I guess my feet were so saturated and tender that I had a giant blister on the ball of each foot by mile 2 of the run. Luckily I put a pair of socks in my special needs bag, but it was too little too late. It helped cushion a little the rest of the way, but the original idea of running without socks made an already tough run absolutely miserable.
Kool
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AG
Thanks to everyone for their help. The race was ridiculously hot. High of 96 in Augusta today! As soon as I got off of the bike, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I did tons of gels and Skratch along the way, a couple of Cliff Bars as well. Took 30 mg of Prednisone in T1. Almost bonked at around mile 7 of the run. I was praying to Sweet Baby Jesus to go ahead and take me to end the suffering, but I guess he just wanted me to continue suffering. Orange slices and Red Bull, along with ice in the hat and down the back of my shirt at every aid station saved the day, though. That, along with keeping my head up and smiling. Thank you guys, again, for sharing in your expertise. I love how much people are willing to help in this Forum.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
whoop91
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AG
Kool said:

Thanks to everyone for their help. The race was ridiculously hot. High of 96 in Augusta today! As soon as I got off of the bike, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I did tons of gels and Skratch along the way, a couple of Cliff Bars as well. Took 30 mg of Prednisone in T1. Almost bonked at around mile 7 of the run. I was praying to Sweet Baby Jesus to go ahead and take me to end the suffering, but I guess he just wanted me to continue suffering. Orange slices and Red Bull, along with ice in the hat and down the back of my shirt at every aid station saved the day, though. That, along with keeping my head up and smiling. Thank you guys, again, for sharing in your expertise. I love how much people are willing to help in this Forum.
but what about the socks?


I was there with you. It was very hot. Glad the run had some shade, but where there was none it was an oven. Good venue though and the support was great.

[edit] I would have posted before the race, but didn't see this thread. But sounds like you did great.
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