[Plainsman]

This is season 2 for me, and after some sprints and an olympic, I'm about to tackle my first half! I did a swim/run brick today, it was seriously hot, and afterwards I'm a bit concerned about the heat. My event (one week away) has a reputation for putting folks in the fluids tent.

Any advice for a first 1/2. My gameplan is simple. Finish. I'm wearing a wetsuit and am a decent swimmer, so no fear of drowning. I of course will do my best, but my focus will be on pacing myself and having fun.

So, are you really supposed to eat the whole time you're on the bike? That's what I'm hearing from folks now. How often do you hydrate on the run? I welcome any and all tips!

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[Rahzel]

Since you've only got a week until the race, I think the best advice is to (1) rest well this week, (2) don't forget anything on race day and (3) don't go too hard on the bike! :)

I would offer nutritional advice, but since I'm in the same boat as you (doing my first half in a matter of weeks) and I don't know what you've been doing previously in terms of nutrition, I'd just recommend sticking with whatever you've been doing, and taking in more water as well.

[cjbruin]

Well...it's a little late to be thinking about this & I'm not sure where your event is, what the weather will be like, or your weight but here goes...

Best guess is that you will want to consume about 300-400 calories per hour. Assuming the bike aid stations will have Gatorade, a 24 oz bottle will give you 150 so you could go all liquid by drinking two bottles per hour. I recommend supplementing this with Gu or bars...whatever works for you. I personally like Bonk Breakers because they taste good and I don't mind eating them while riding. I'm pretty sure they are 250 calories per bar.

Don't forget salt tablets...especially if it's hot...I like Thermolyte and try to take two every 45-60 minutes.

On the run, I typically go all liquid which usually is made up of Gatorade for the first half and Cola for the second half (I'm not kidding...the stuff is frickin' magic).

If it helps, here was what I did in Arizona...I actually wanted to take in a few more calories but I didn't bonk so I guess it was sufficient...a lot of other folks screwed up their nutrition and they really suffered.

Within the first few minutes off the bike, I started drinking Mango Gatorade out of my Profile bottle to replace the fluids lost on the swim. I went through about 20 oz by the time I reached the first aid station at mile 5. From there I took on two 24 oz bottles of Gatorade Endurance and tried to get through at least one between aid stations that were spaced about 10 miles apart. I took my first two salt tablets about 20 min into the ride and tired to stay on a schedule of two every 45-60 minutes. I ended up taking 22 of them during the ride...it was a little too much but not a disaster. I also had my first Bonk Breaker early and ate a total of three of them over the 112 mi plus some beef jerky that I had in my special needs bag.

On the run, I had two cups of Gatorade at each mile's aid station for the first 13 miles. After that I switched to Cola and drank that exclusively for the remainder of the race.

Best of luck. Remember to eat and drink even when you don't want to...unfortunately, there are times that you need to force yourself to take on calories.

Remember to write a race report :)

Cheers.
-CJ

[Plainsman]

Hey CJ, thanks for the indepth advice, good stuff! I'll be sure to come back with a report. Sorry I was so sparse with the details. I really appreciate the advice on nutrition. I'm long and lean (okay, read tall and really skinny :D), about 6'1 and close to 160lbs. My race is near the NC coast (White Lake, NC), and temps will probably be in the low 80s, but no shade to speak of on the course.

Your tips on how much to eat, even in a general sense, help me know what to expect. I tend to undereat on the bike, as I get focused on just cranking out the miles and don't realize how empty the tank is until it is too late. Here is what I have been planning on taking with me in the trusty bento:

2 clif bars (cut into strips) = 480 cal
2 packs of shot bloks (w/caf) = 200
1 flask of gel (5 servings) = 500 cal
1 Aero drink of gatorade/heed mix.
A hand full of endurolytes.

The only refills on the bike are water in 20z bottles, so I'm toying with the idea of using at least one bottle cage and bringing an extra 20oz of Gatorade. Your comment that you knock out your first gatorade by mile 5 has me a little nervous. My biggest issue in anything over a sprint is dehydration/sweating out all of my salts. Cramping during the run is usually where it hits me. I'll probably be pretty liberal with the endurolytes considering the reputation of the event.

The run aid stations are full service. Energy bars, e-caps, heed, flat cola, etc. I've never done a flat cola before, but I may try one this week in training just to give it a shot. Good stuff huh? It does seem to work for riders in the Tour. I was thinking about taking several gels (w/caf) on the run, as I've done this in an olympic dist, and in training on any run over 5 miles. Any downside to gels on the run?

Rahzel, I hope you have a great race as well. If I'm able to cross the line with a smile (okay, just cross the finish line) and see the wife and kids I'll consider this one a success. Report to come.