My first IM was CdA 2004, you will love it. And you will not find better stocked aid stations than an M-dot race. For all the bashing IMNA sometimes takes here on this board, they put on one incredible race. I carried the bare minimum with me, bottle of water and a bottle of whatever your endurance drink is. Gatorade, water, gels, all will be in all the bike aid stations, and the liquids you get two shots at. Water, then Gatorade, then the food/gels, then water and Gatorade again. Run aid stations every mile with water, gatorade, pretzels, gels, coke, chiken broth, oranges, and bananas. Plus, you will get a special needs bag halfway through both bike and run, and you can pack whatever you want in those. Transition areas fully stocked, and have volunteers applying sunscreen for you, and helping you in the changing tents if necessary.

I would think about taking a throwaway bottle of water with you on the bike, and drink nothing but that for the first 20-30 minutes on the bike, let your stomach settle from the swim. Don't start on your enduarnce drink until after finishing the water. Don't eat anything in T1 or on the bike until you finish the bottle of water. Then just live off the course.

CdA is great, I would love to go out there and do it again.

Wow, that is really impressive - an aid station every mile on the run!

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Proud Member of the Cervelo Mafia.

Every mile sounds close but sometimes they seem soooo far apart. On the run I always carry one gel in case I somehow manage to bonk between stations. Otherwise travel as light as possible and try to train with whatever will be offered on course. By switching to liquid nutrition on the bike (Perpetuem) I get almost all of my calories from two bottles (one for each lap of the bike).

Interesting. If you get all your calories from Perpetuem in two bottles, what do you do about just getting enough liquid to stay hyrdated? Two water bottles (about 40 oz total) may be enough calories, but doesn't strike me as enough liquid. I take it you load up on water at the aid stations?

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Proud Member of the Cervelo Mafia.

On the bike I use a Vision Quest water bottle with super concentrated Perpetuem in one tank and add water with Nuun tablets to the other tank in the aid stations. I refill the Perpetuem in special needs. On the run I use Cliff gels for the first half then switch to what the race provides as the race progresses. I never know what my stomach will handle late in the run. Last year I ended up drinking Coke and eating watermelon for the last 20K.

You can trust the M-dot aid stations. Carry as little as possible. No point in turning your bike into a pack mule.

zone2, you are correct, I still grab water and Gatorade from the aid stations.

one a similar note....

has anyone here done IM Brazil and able to comment on the quality of the aid stations? are they comparable to north american M-dot races?