Congratulations! The 70.3 is a rewarding distance.

Aside from the obvious advice to bike and run more, some things to consider:

- Have your bike fit assessed, if you are not already confident in your fit.

- Begin practicing your nutrition strategy as you extend your cycling sessions. Personally, I'm a fan of keeping it simple and Infinit is a product that works very well for me. Three bottles on the bike and I'm good to go.

- Recon the course. Study the maps and profile, read prior athletes' race reports. I use a Trainer Road to ride the course (or portions) virtually all winter long. If logistically possible, schedule at least one session towards the end of your training build as a brick, riding the entire bike course and running the first few miles of the run course.

- Use the experience gained from your training to visualize your race day. Show up prepared and confident.

- Enjoy the journey!

Ps; Which half?

Scott

Wow this is all amazing advice thank you so much!!!!
I'm looking at doing the American multi-sport half in Muncie, IN. On June 10th. Hopefully it won't be too hot then.

Thank you again so much!

-Kaitlin

---

Kaitlin Switzer
KaitlinX3

I think it is easiest to adapt to the nutrition on course. Train your gut to deal w Gatorade endurance & clif gels. Then you won't have to race like a pack rat.

The hardest part for me has been learning to not override the bike. If you do, the run will be miserable. If you nail the bike, the run will be a tolerable form of misery.

If you are already doing Olympics, then you are mostly there. The jump to HIM is only incremental. You just need to build up the bike and run a little.

About a year ago, I went from just running about 25 mi/week and swimming casually 2x days/week to my first HIM in April. I had not ridden a bike in >25 years. I already had half marathon running distance covered, so I focused on biking my fanny off. It took me about 45 days of many trainer hours to get to the point that I could ride a solid 50 miles outside. Then, I just built on that.

One thing I recommend is a confidence brick. Nothing fancy, but about 3-4 weeks out, knock down a 50-ish mile ride followed by a 6-10 mile run. That will give you unshakable confidence for the HIM. Then, if you can, do one or two 80 mile rides. That again will give you confidence.

Nutrition was (is) not a big deal for me in an HIM. I mix double-density drink mix in two bottles, and I take that in on the bike along with regular water along the way from a couple other bottles. Then on the run, I drink what ever sport drink they are handing out at about every station. I have yet to find a solid nutrition thing that I can eat on the bike.

I concur with others that nutrition practice is very key. My first 70.3 I had such stomach pain on the run....so miserable. Practice multiple things and strategies (calories from liquid vs solid food, gels/blocks vs "real" food)...

There's a good thread recently about what "real" foods folks like if u wanna experiment in that category.

Don't over bike the bike or you will pay for it on the run. Don't over run the first half of the run or you will pay for it on the last couple miles. Pacing is key to having a good race. Over cook it too early and you will have a rough last few miles.

The race is twice as long

As long as I was doing Sprints and Olympics I was able to half-ass my training. I just went out and did whatever felt good on any given day and did ok at races.

When I switched up to HIM/IM distance I found a plan and stuck to it. At first it was just a generic plan from triathlon magazine but I followed it absolutely. It made race day a lot less anxiety provoking knowing that I had done the required training, and I had a really good result.

When I think about my nutrition plan for my first HIM it makes me laugh. I was so dumb about what I needed to do to fuel through a five hour race. Since that time I have refined a nutrition strategy that is so much a part of my routine that I don't even have to think about it any more. If I follow the plan then I will have the energy to get to the finish line.

---

----------------------------
Jason
None of the secrets of success will work unless you do.

It depends a lot on what you're aiming for. If you've experience with Olympic distance, it's just a longer race but you're unlikely to have a problem completing it so long as you increase your training distances for your longest runs and rides. You'll need to reduce the pace just as you do from Sprint to Olympic. The biggest difference is probably nutrition. A sprint doesn't really need any attention to this. A single gel late on the bike and a few mouthfuls of water are as much as I'd want. For an Olympic I might have 2 or 3 gels and might drink most of a bottle of water on the bike but still nothing complicated. The difference at 70.3 distance is that you'll likely need 3 bottles of water/energy drink on the bike and/or several gels (or your food of choice). You'll also want some nutrition and fluids on the run. You can carry all of this with you, get it on course, or a combination of the two, but you need to figure that out and check your body is okay with the plan!

I'm doing my first 70.3 in Galveston next month, so I thank you for starting this thread! Good luck with your training!

Definitely pacing & nutrition. Pace for your level of fitness. Which means what can you sustain for each leg of the race consistently without stopping or slowing much. Of course fatigue will set in, but that's where nutrition will kick in to help. Make sure you get a bike fit so you're comfortable sitting for a long period. A bad bike fit can nearly cripple you on the run with really bad back pain--been there & done that.

Good luck!!!! Give us feedback!

---

Kaitlin Switzer
KaitlinX3

Prepare to see a lot more people struggling during the run at a long course event. Follow the advice here, (easier said than done on race day), and swim/bike a bit more conservatively than you think you can. There is a half marathon to make up that time! Get your running legs and keep eating/drinking through the early miles. I like to think of it as "taking care of myself out there." Increase your focus and start running through the field. Running is my weakest discipline, but with good execution, I am able to stay strong while others are fading. That feeling will give you an opportunity to decide if you want to return to long course racing... or stick with short course. Both provide plenty of opportunity to enjoy the sport!

Sprints, with any level of base fitness, you can wing it and be ok.

OLY's, while requiring more work, are still possible to complete with poor pacing and nutrition.

70.3 that all changes. It was the first distance I full on bonked due to poor nutrition and pacing too hard. I took me four attempts before I was able to run without any walking (granted I was a slow learner). What finally got me to a solid race was learning heart rate zones, swallowing my pride, and slowing down enough to go the distance. Once I figured that out I began the process of getting faster at the distance. I learned that it required a lot more training than I had been putting in to hold the paces I wanted. I also learned that you have to use your time on the bike to fuel for the run. I had to figure out what nutrition worked for me and what did not.

Find a good training plan, figure out your nutrition, and you'll be fine.

As others have noted nutrition will be a big factor. I use Infinit. On the bike I mix a concentrated bottle based on the time I plan to spend on the bike and take water from the course. If you go with a concentrated mix you need to take water with the concentrate for your gut to absorb.

On the run I use a different Infinit mix in a softflask http://hydrapak.com/...flasks/softflask-150. (you can get 2hrs (4 scoops) in there by slowly adding water as you go to dissolve the mix). I carry the flask and just need water at the aid stations. I will supplement with salt tabs and gels if needed.

Works for me.

Whatever your plan you need to try it ahead of time to see that it works for you.

In addition to nutrition, I have found that clothing makes much more of a difference with the jump in distance, especially if it is hot and humid (and every time I have been to Indiana in the summer, it has been muggy). Clothing that is perfectly comfortable at shorter distances can chafe like crazy 6 hours into a race. That zipper you never noticed before can become the bane of your existence. So when you do those long workouts, test out exactly what you will wear on race day. For example, don't wear bike shorts, wear your tri shorts. Do your long run in your tri top to make sure that it is comfortable.

Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition! Make sure you train and get use to Gatorade because that's typically what's provided unless you bring your own electrolyte replacement. I personally found the Gatorade to sugary for me so I would water it down. The only other piece of advice is try not to make any drastic changes to your routine leading up to the race. You should be dialed in 2-3 weeks prior to race day from a nutrition standpoint.

Awesome advice thank you so much!!

---

Kaitlin Switzer
KaitlinX3