Racing Ironman Frankfurt in 2 weeks, which has 2 loops and 1000m (approx 3000 feet) climbing and plenty of aid stations.
My aim on the bike is around 4h50m. I am counting on taking in 5 big (750 ml) of energy drink on the bike (and 5-6 gels) which should give my 70 kg body weight enough carbs - approx 70-80 gr carbohydrate per hour.
In my current TT setup, I am having one bottle between my arms and one behind the seat, but I do have room for another bottle behind the seat (or on the frame, but less aerodynamic I guess).
With one extra bottle, I guess I only need to stop once for to get 2 new bottles of energy drink during the 180km, but it also adds almost 1 kg to my whole weight during most part of the bike.
Definitely stick with what you’ve trained with, but I question not having plain water on board. My last IM; 1 bottle sports drink (torpedo style), and 1 bottle of water behind seat. Changed out at aid stations as needed.
There is no right answer. Like they said, do whatever works for you in training. Go on a 100 mile ride and see what works for you.
I’m sure you know but I’ll repeat anyway: make sure you are hydrated off the bike, or else you’ll get in trouble on the run. I made that mistake in my first 70.3 simply because I was used to being a little dehydrated after a 60 mile training ride. I’d drink the last of my water around mile 40-45 and I’d gulp two glasses of water when I got home. Guess what? There was no home, only a 13 mile run. I drank on the run course and took salt tablets but it was too late. I cramped soooo bad about 8 miles into the run. Ugh.
There is no right answer. Like they said, do whatever works for you in training. Go on a 100 mile ride and see what works for you.
I’m sure you know but I’ll repeat anyway: make sure you are hydrated off the bike, or else you’ll get in trouble on the run. I made that mistake in my first 70.3 simply because I was used to being a little dehydrated after a 60 mile training ride. I’d drink the last of my water around mile 40-45 and I’d gulp two glasses of water when I got home. Guess what? There was no home, only a 13 mile run. I drank on the run course and took salt tablets but it was too late. I cramped soooo bad about 8 miles into the run. Ugh.
While I agree, how do you practice using one bottle with exchanges on a 100 mile bike training ride? I had to use 3, if not 4 bottles routinely in summers in the Santa Monica mountains since there was nary a water stop to be found out there, but I’d never race with that many.
That’s the thing. You don’t need to practice x number of bottle exchanges in training. Just figure out how many bottles you need for 112 miles and carry that many with you. Aero and weight make no difference in training. Load up the bike with however many bottles your body needs for that many miles in similar conditions as the race (mostly similar temperature). Then for the race look over the bike course PDF and find the hydration stations and plan where to stop to get more water.
Caution for BOP riders: hydration stations can and have run out of water late in the race. If you are BOP consider loading up your bike with water bottle holders and carry your own hydration.
That’s the thing. You don’t need to practice x number of bottle exchanges in training. Just figure out how many bottles you need for 112 miles and carry that many with you. Aero and weight make no difference in training. Load up the bike with however many bottles your body needs for that many miles in similar conditions as the race (mostly similar temperature). Then for the race look over the bike course PDF and find the hydration stations and plan where to stop to get more water.
Caution for BOP riders: hydration stations can and have run out of water late in the race. If you are BOP consider loading up your bike with water bottle holders and carry your own hydration.
This also means that you should predict either taking only water at the bottle exchanges, or be prepared to be comfortable with whatever sports drink they’re handing out. I use bulk maltodextrin in my bottles in training, but it’s not a typical thing they distribute at the concentration I like during training. Unless I go all-water, it’s a bit dicey to just assume I can carry one bottle on race day and be totally fine just like training given the differences in nutrition. At the same time, racing with 3 bottles sucks.
I know. Everyone has their own prefered system. Mine is 50% liquid nutrition (Perpetuem) and 50% electrolytes. Luckily I got the Shiv this year. The internal bladder holds almost 30 ounces of liquid when filled to the top. I can put Perpetuem in there and have one electrolyte bottle in the cage, and then exchange the bottle as I go. That’s the plan. I’ll try it in a 70.3 and see if there was half a bladder still left after the race.
Whatever works best for you is the answer…because there isn’t a right or wrong answer. For example for my half ironman I have a Torhans Aero 30 in front just with water and 1 Bottle of double concentrate Infinit in back behind the seat with gatorade and a 5 hour energy mixed in, on my full this year I will race the same way but with an extra bottle at special needs bike of the same “special mixture”. I carry other nutrition in my dark speed and take water/gatorade from course.
But what works for me just works for me because I train that way…
Agree with those who say use what you have trained with. My last IM was 11 years ago at the last full length on Camp Pendleton. One bottle on the aerobars for water picked up at aid stations, and one bottle behind with my Carbo-Pro (mixed with something else for flavor). The rear bottle lasted exactly to the special needs station where I swapped it for another bottle.
With that combination, I used no other nutrition (gels, gu’s, bars, etc.) except for a Payday bar at special needs (which was a standing joke at the time). But I trained with it, so I knew it would work for me.
P.S. - I technically had the 2nd bottle in the rear cage as well, but it was my tire lever, air cylinder, bike wrench, extra tube holder so I kept the bottles off the frame (the jury was still out in '91 if 2 bottles on the frame were better or worse than 2 bottles behind).
less aerodynamic I guess Yep
adds almost 1 kg to my whole weight during most part of the bike. That too
Tom
I’ve raced IM a few times with 2 bottles, and more than 20 with only one.
I can understand the argument for 2, but not for 3. No real advantage but a real cost. Ad absurdum why not carry 6 bottles, and avoid aid stations altogether? If you can answer that question, you can answer your own.
I use on-course nutrition and start with one bottle of water. At the first aid station, I’ll pick up a bottle of Perform and put it in my second cage and then continue swapping out water and Perform for the rest of the bike.
In the past I have been a weaker swimmer (1h10m) and have improved a bit to be able to sub the our (on a good day) - hope this means I won´t have as many rookies slowing down too much at aid stations. Sometimes I have been forced to almost stop entirely as there has been a line bikes picking up bottles/gels/bars, which quickly jeopardize a high average speed (23.5+ mph)
I see many pros racing with 3 bottles, not only in Kona. A lot (Raelert, Macca, Lance, eg) of them bring a bottle on the frame - but maybe they just trust they leg power to overcome the extra weight and drag?
Suppose you need water for warmer races. But would you consider more than 5 x 750 ml of liquid in total for let´s say a 25 degress celcius race day ?
T
I haven’t taken water EVER in a race on the bike. Twice in three years took water, had a drink, squirted myself and got rid of it before the drop, but I only use drinks. Water, TO ME, just eliminates electrolytes, so I use my drinks and on course nutrition. I don’t go thru a bottle every 10 miles so 2 bottle cages for me is totally fine.
In the past I have been a weaker swimmer (1h10m) and have improved a bit to be able to sub the our (on a good day) - hope this means I won´t have as many rookies slowing down too much at aid stations. Sometimes I have been forced to almost stop entirely as there has been a line bikes picking up bottles/gels/bars, which quickly jeopardize a high average speed (23.5+ mph)
I’m trying to wrap my head around your question… So, you are trying to go under an hour on the swim, which IMO does not qualify as a ‘weaker’ swimmer. Then, you are hoping to do 23.5 mph on the bike, which is pretty damn kick ass. It also implies that you have done a significant amount of biking and training for this event.
If you have 2 bottles on the bike, in theory you won’t have to stop for a refill until roughly 2+ hours into the race. Where are these rookies that you speak of?
Suppose you come out of the water at a 1:10 and are capable of the 4:50 bike split, I can’t fathom that there will be a significant number of ‘slow’ people in front of you after 40+ miles on the bike. Hypothetically, you do your slow 1:10 on the swim and hold your bike at 23 mph. Let’s pick an above average IM triathlete who comes out of the water in a 55 minute swim and holds a pretty good 20 mph bike. You gain roughly 10 minutes in the first hour on this guy and are only 5 minutes behind. In the second hour, you will have passed him with plenty of room to spare before you pick up water, gels, whatever. Most of the people you should encounter will be a far cry from rookies or slow people causing you to stop.
Therefore, put whatever you want on the bike that you think will help you go faster. It seems like you are leaning towards 2 bottles due to the weight savings. Being stopped in a line should not be a concern.
I drank on the run course and took salt tablets but it was too late. I cramped soooo bad about 8 miles into the run. Ugh.
Everyone has their own prefered system. Mine is 50% liquid nutrition (Perpetuem) and 50% electrolytes. Luckily I got the Shiv this year. The internal bladder holds almost 30 ounces of liquid when filled to the top. I can put Perpetuem in there and have one electrolyte bottle in the cage, and then exchange the bottle as I go. That’s the plan. I’ll try it in a 70.3 and see if there was half a bladder still left after the race.