Whoosh!

To be fair, that's a pretty tired joke...

I usually will skip the first aid station out on the course because I leave T2 with a water bottle in hand. Once I get to the second station, it's been Red Bull and a sip of water. I'll do Red Bull until I need a change of taste, then I'll have some Coke. My body is used to taking in caffeine.

best laugh I had in awhile here, beer on me for that post!

For me, it's just a good fit for run nutrition. Particularly on IMs, I get really tired of Gatorade by the time the run comes. I also have trouble getting down any calories, even gels, on an IM run after the first few miles - my gut clinches up. The caffeine is about right where my plan would be even if I were doing other nutrition sources. Biggest downside for me it's only sugar, no complex carbs. So for me, it's just the best way to get calories and caffeine, but if I could put down gels more reliably, I'd probably only take cola strategically when I specifically needed the sugar and caffeine.

I struggled with whether to bring my own nutrition or just use on-course stuff for my first IM run. I ended up stuffing a few gels in my pockets, but only managed to get one of them down about halfway through. I also put Skratch Labs mix (by far my favorite, with similar numbers to the Gatorade Endurance) in my Fuelbelt, and brought some dry powder packets to refuel my flasks along the way. I refueled them once, but didn't mess with it after that b/c it just took too long to bother with it. I wouldn't rely on course nutrition for gels or bloks - they often have crap flavors.

Those little baggies it comes in, seems to keep it dry most of the time. Thank you for that.

Bump

I agree with you.

Holy crap that's brilliant!!! (I have what some might consider a Mtn Dew addiction). What flavor Heed do you use?

Coke and Redbull saved me at IM Texas this year. Was my first IM and luckily a buddy's coach told me you can finish the marathon on coke and redbull if your stomach starts to rebel. Well, wouldn't you know it about mile 9 on the run my pace started to slow and I could not stomach any more gatorade or gels. I had never tried coke or red bull in training but decided to risk it. It was AMAZING. My stomach calmed down within two aid stations of coke and my pace returned to even faster than when I started. Finished the race flying high from the caffeine and sugar buzz.

I will be incoporating coke and RB into all my race nutirition plan from here on out. I was thinking about starting around mile 4 on the run for 70.3's. It is such a relief to not have to fight down Gatorade at that point.

Awesome glad to hear Skratch is working well for you! Have you only used the sport hydration? favorite flavor?
Thanks for the positive feedback.

Coke is the only thing I take in an IM marathon, start to finish. Cup of coke at each aid station and as much water as I can get down while moving through. Since I have gone to this energy plan I have been able to run the marathon without any GI issues and finish feeling strong (or at least as strong as you can feel at the end of an IM).

Doing this requires that you have done a good job of fueling and replacing electrolytes on the bike. Starting the run in a nutritional and hydration hole will lead to bad outcomes no matter what you are using to fuel your run.

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

I was told by my coach do not start the coke until like mile 15ish. Once on the coke stay on it until finish. Each spike from the sugar you crash harder so you must keep it going. I have done 8 I M's just did Texas. It has not failed me and it will get you through the last 10 K or more.

I think I started with Coke too early at my race last week. I made it through about 13 miles feeling really good and decided to take it. That may have been my biggest mistake. I now understand the rise and fall of a sugar spike very well. It happened after every swig. I guess I need to make it until about 20ish miles before relying on it.