Half Iron Ettiquette

Triathlon Forum
1

Couple of Questions:

-Can I pee off the bike?
-How should I deal with gel and bar wrappers?
-Do I refill my bottles at aid stations or just toss 'em and get new ones?

Thanks in advance,

I’ll see you in Racine

2

Not sure what the ‘ettiquette’ is but this is what I do:

-Have never had to pee on the bike during a half so can’t help here.

  • All my gel and bar wrappers go in the back pocket of my jersey.
  • The races I’ve done have all had areas where it is legal to toss your bottle and get a full one so that’s what I’ve done.
3

  1. Yes, find a downhill and/or downwind section and go for it…if you can do it when no one else is around, even better.

  2. Do not litter. Put the wrappers in your pocket or bento.

  3. Most people will toss unwanted bottles at the aid stations and pick up new ones.

Good luck.

4

If you haven’t had to pee during the bike portion of a half-IM, I think you could be hydrating better…just my $0.02.

5

Deal with your gel or bar wrappes by stuffing them in a jersey pocket, or if wearing a tri-suit without pockets, simply stuff them down the front of the suit…I did that at the last HIM I did and it worked like a champ…never even noticed they were there. Unzip slightly at T2, they tumble out on your transition towel, and you can pick them up when you’re all done.

6

I’ll try to answer as best I can…

  1. “Can I pee off the bike?”

    I give up. Can you? =)

  2. “How should I deal with gel and bar wrappers?”

    NEVER litter. Stuff them in the leg of your bike shorts when done. Don’t worry about getting messy. You’ve already pee’d all over yourself.

  3. “Do I refill my bottles at aid stations or just toss 'em and get new ones?”

    You can if you want to take a break. Otherwise it’s ok to toss your old one NEAR THE AID STATION. The gracious volunteers will generally pick up your discarded bottle and throw it away. Be sure to thank them.

7

Thanks guys,

This is my first time at the distance. I will endeavour not to give anyone a show - I will not litter - I will grudgingly toss my bottles, forgetting their sentimental value.

Peace

8

– Yes. You will likely need to stand to do so, in order to relieve the direct pressure on your plumbing. Best to do it going downhill to maximize the wind’s effect in keeping it out of your shoes. I usually pee once on the bike and once on the run. Yes, I can pee while I run too. Doing either one in a crowd is generally frowned upon.

– Put them in your Bento or pocket, as has been said. Doing otherwise is a penalty. And is also rude.

– I also am sad to give up my bottles. But time is of the essence. I always race with “replaceable” bottles, so that I know I will always be able to get new ones of the exact same type/size and with the same logos, so I will not feel as if I am sacrificing a special bottle.

9

I’ve only done Ralph’s Half Ironman California a couple of times, so I’m not super-experienced. They had a “bottle toss” before each aid station. After I tossed my bottle, if time allowed, I’d also clear out any trash from my jersey pockets. Fortunately, I ride pretty slow.

10

In his “Mussel II - a look back” newsletter, Jeff Henderson (RD, Musselamn 1/2) refers to the hours his crews spent picking up race litter from the countryside. Why this is a constant problem for race crews is beyond me. Posters have already referred to a few obvious options, such as a Bento Box, or pockets, or shirt fronts. To these I will add my own favorite - the top of my Profile Design aero bottle. Gel and bar wrappers nestle nicley against the yellow sponge thing, and they just become part of my post-race clean-up.

Jeff also says that his crews removed 20 garbage bags of stuff from around transition zone. Are we collectively THIS slobby and inconsiderate that we can’t pick-up better around our spots? If we’re so tuckered out after a 1/2 that we can’t clean up after ourselves, then maybe we ought to downgrade our race distances so that we have sufficient energy left to remove all of our refuse from T-zone.