Pro's can race without gels mainly cuz they are "Pro's"

For me, a mere mortal, I normally do 3 gels for an olympic, sometimes 4. On the bike I use a gel flask, not the individual packages.

1 at beginning of bike leg
1 middle of bike leg
1 at end of bike leg
Sometimes 1 in middle of run depending on how I feel.

As for water, I go through a 30oz aero bottle of water on the bike and a drink from each aid station.

My best oly is only 2:45 so take this with a grain of salt.

jaretj

There you have another reason why I'm not a pro!

For an oly or int I will take a gel before the swim, two during the bike, and one at the start of the run. I may carry one with me for later on the run --- just in case. I use Lava Gel, and on the bike for shorter distances I have a fllask on a bike-mount, velcro-to-velcro. This cuts the hassle of trying to ride and rip open a pouch with my teeth at the same time.

I'm 55 and my times for olys are in the 2:30-2:45 range. Maybe I'm guilty of over-consuming gels at this distance, but I don't see them harming me and it's certainly not an expensive habit!

There is no reason to be taking anything but a bottle of Gatorade during an Olympic tri. Gels will just slow you down by pulling bloodflow away from your limbs to your stomach. If you are well fuelled before the race, calorie wise, the additional 240-300 calories from 3-4 gels is not required. Better to eat a good breakfast and let it properly digest.

Don't listen to anyone who says that you need gels in an Olympic tri. If you need gels during the race, you've done a poor job with breakfast and supper. This is a race that can be survived on "last nite's pasta". Half Ironman and certainly Ironman cannot !

Everyone has an opinion on what works and what doesn't work. It really depends on your body. For Me, I go about 2hours (depending on course) for Oly and I normally like to take a gel halfway on the bike (or about 50 minutes to an hour into the effort) and maybe 1 on the run. I do not like to take a GU before the race because it throws my blood sugar out of whack. I feel the extra little kick of glucose and caffine allows me to feel less pain as I am hammering through 5:50 mile pace.

As far as the comment about drinking gatorade vs gel... If you simply it...GU is just a highly condensed version of gatorade (glucose)... So you have your choice... drink 20 onces of gatorade or 1 GU packet with a cup of water.

You do pose a great question, but I would recommend testing out the effects of GU in your training... That will give you the best answer for race day.

Good luck in your race!

Thanks for the input everyone.

I guess I should have clarified that I generally go in the 2:15 - 2:20 range (closer to 2:20 on this hilly beast of a course). Good points made by all. I think I might try the one gel in the bike at some point when I run out of my small bottle of watered down Endurox. Then wash it down with some water.
Good point on the diet before the race. This year (for the first time) i've really paid attention to the fuel. I did some research on www.byrn.org (I feel like I should write him a check) But I really pay attention to what I eat and try to keep the food as un-processed as possible (oh, and I only drink water and the odd black coffee) I can't believe the difference in only a month. Not only in body composition.. but energy later in workouts. Anyway, that was my little ramble. Thanks everyone for the tips and race well. Cheers

My last two tri's, one a near Oly and the second an Oly, I used water in my PD aero bottle and put 3 eGels in a GU bottle on my beam (or your top tube.) It was great. The eGel really IS an electrolyte drink in a gel. The others are very low in electrolytes. Crank recommends one gel per 16 oz. I found in training rides that I do better with 1 per 8-10 oz. (I sweat a lot and it's salty.)

I recollect that Tom Demerly had used eGel for IMNZ, so I tried it on the bike, and it was great. I can only take so much Gatorade.

I'm a relative newbie to Tri, but not to hydration issues.
I agree with the above post that for an Oly it is not the colories, it's the hydration.

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Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

I take one 20-30 minutes before the swim, then I'll take one about two thirds of the way through the bike. I can't say that it helps, but with the suger rush, and the fact I'm finishing with no physical problems can't hurt at all. I wen't 2:12:10 at my last OLY.


-I could gone a 2:11:59 with a Felt DA

docfuel, i'm glad eGel works for you. It is indeed loaded with electrolytes, but to me it's plain loaded - 56 g or so per packet, and, man, I just can't stomach that much gel in one shot! I guess it's easier for me to do Lava or Hammer spread out a bit rather than one big mother eGel. Good flavors, though! Last year i used eFuel as a drink, but this year it has been bumped by H.E.E.D. (If you want a pile of efuel let me know and I'll send them to you.)

Depends on how fast you go. I can be either side of two hours and only take one if I'm feeling weak towards the end of the bike.

As for their actual benefit, it may be more psychological than anything else in such a short event. Try it without first.

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"Language most shows a man: Speak, that I may see thee. It springs out of the most retired and inmost parts of us, and is the image of the parents of it, the mind. No glass so mirrors a man's form or likeness so true as his speech." - Ben Jonson, Timber, or Discoveries made upon Men and Matter.

Send a private message to Dr. 'Dre, his girlfriend loves it in her Neverreach.

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Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

The Canadian national team was using gels for olympic distance races. One right before the race and one near the end of the bike. So basically one on the bike.

I use at least one, probably two gels in an olympic tri. Some sort of mild drink in my aero bottle. A shot of gel on the bike and carry one on the run just in case.