my first ironman I carried 2 bottles of tailwind with 200-300 calories per bottle and also had my BTA with 200-300 calories. I also carried along some gu gels. In bike special needs, I also had 3 more premixed bottles of my tailwind. And during the ride, I ate clif bars from aid stations as needed and also grabbed water. I had zero GI issues. So I’m hesitant to change this strategy up for my next IM. Part of me felt like my bike was loaded down with extra weight of the bottles but not sure how I can avoid that.
One change I’ve considered is ditching the need for bottles in special needs and just having water in BTA and carry two concentrated tailwind bottles on the bike. My concern with this is tailwind states for each 100 of tailwind you need 10-12 oz of water in order for your body to process that. My concern is not executing that ratio correctly race day and having GI issues. If I have premixed bottles I don’t have to worry about that but I will need to stop at bike special needs.
I’ve also considered just using what’s available at the aid stations on the bike course. Has anybody done this? How did you get enough calories in?
I’m open to suggestions. I’m most likely overthinking things and almost feel like I’d be dumb to go away from original strategy.
Make sure your train with on course nutrition leading up to the race to identify any issues you may have. I leave T1 with a BTA bottle filled with G Endurance and a couple gels
I make a Tailwind “sludge bottleâ€, that is super concentrated and has graduated lines on the side of the bottle so I can refill my BTA with an appropriate number of calories and dilute it down with water from the aid stations. I find I can put about 3 servings of TW into like 5oz of water for about 12 servings per sludge bottle
I have been doing this on the 70.3s, but did my first 140.6 this summer and didn’t feel the course nutrition was adequate for me.
After about 10mi of the run, I really started craving some heavy, high calorie food and the course really didn’t have much other than gels, bananas, oranges, redbull, pretzels, coke, and the like.
I wanted to down some mac and cheese or have a burger or pizza or something really heavy. My nutritional needs are likely much higher than the average triathlete. I eat a lot. I don’t have issues running after pizza or anything and would have loved to run with a slice or something, but they didn’t have anything like that.
I’ve also considered just using what’s available at the aid stations on the bike course. Has anybody done this? How did you get enough calories in?
Yeah on the bike I just had 1 new bottle every aid station and used roughly 8 gels or so over 112mi (Clif Expresso 100mg). I brought the gels with me. Sometimes I grabbed a banana on the aid station and just mashed it in my hand and ate it without peeling and tossed it - I felt like I had enough energy then.
One change I’ve considered is ditching the need for bottles in special needs and just having water in BTA and carry two concentrated tailwind bottles on the bike. My concern with this is tailwind states for each 100 of tailwind you need 10-12 oz of water in order for your body to process that.
That’s what practice rides are for.
Seriously, I race with two concentrated bottles of EFS + water in the BTA. Every 15 minutes means a sip of EFS + chase with a few swallows of water. Every other aid station grab a water bottle and top off the BTA. Works like a champ.
One change I’ve considered is ditching the need for bottles in special needs and just having water in BTA and carry two concentrated tailwind bottles on the bike. My concern with this is tailwind states for each 100 of tailwind you need 10-12 oz of water in order for your body to process that.
That’s what practice rides are for.
Seriously, I race with two concentrated bottles of EFS + water in the BTA. Every 15 minutes means a sip of EFS + chase with a few swallows of water. Every other aid station grab a water bottle and top off the BTA. Works like a champ.
how many calories in your concentrated bottles? I have been training with some concentrated mixes. Maybe up to 600 calories in a bottle. So not too heavy a concentration. Do you sit up when you drink from a bottle? That’s also my concern is I can’t say I’m great at drinking from a bottle in aero.
I make a Tailwind “sludge bottleâ€, that is super concentrated and has graduated lines on the side of the bottle so I can refill my BTA with an appropriate number of calories and dilute it down with water from the aid stations. I find I can put about 3 servings of TW into like 5oz of water for about 12 servings per sludge bottle
Hmmm. So 1200 calories per bottle? I hadn’t thought about doing it that way. I’ve been just taking sips from a concentrated bottle then drinking water from BTA. But I have to sit up to take sips. your method I would just have to fill BTA from sludge bottle, top with water, and drink from BTA.
One change I’ve considered is ditching the need for bottles in special needs and just having water in BTA and carry two concentrated tailwind bottles on the bike. My concern with this is tailwind states for each 100 of tailwind you need 10-12 oz of water in order for your body to process that.
That’s what practice rides are for.
Seriously, I race with two concentrated bottles of EFS + water in the BTA. Every 15 minutes means a sip of EFS + chase with a few swallows of water. Every other aid station grab a water bottle and top off the BTA. Works like a champ.
how many calories in your concentrated bottles? I have been training with some concentrated mixes. Maybe up to 600 calories in a bottle. So not too heavy a concentration. Do you sit up when you drink from a bottle? That’s also my concern is I can’t say I’m great at drinking from a bottle in aero.
600 calories per bottle (3x concentration). I typically sit up as well.
Yep! Exactly. I have better luck sipping from my BTA in aero, but it’s still pretty easy to sit up for less than a minute to refill the BTA from the sludge bottle and top off with water. Let me know if you want pictures of my setup.
I had 18gels (91kcal/gel) in my aero bottle on the tube during my last IM. Then 4 bars (199kcal/bar) on top of that. In total:
18x91=1638kcal in addition to the 796kcal from the bars, which yields 2434kcal. I didn’t go through all of it as I came in a bit faster than anticipated but I hit T2 fresh as a daisy.
I also mix up 2 sludge bottles with Hammer Perpetuem, and with a bit of work, can cram 1200 calories into a standard bottle. I freeze both the night before an IM, then put one in my bike halfway bag and the other on my bike before the swim start. I take small sips during the ride, chasing them with water+Nuun. I make sure I’ve finished the first bottle by the time I reach the special needs station, and make sure the second bottle is done by the time I get off the bike. That way I get off the bike with some fuel still in my gas tank.
I leave T1 with a BTA bottle filled with G Endurance and a couple gels
Same. Depending on conditions I go through about one bottle of GE and 1-2 gels per hour. YMMV.
I used to do concentrated bottles of EFS like someone else mentioned but I like carrying less and not worrying about dropping a bottle. I somehow managed to launch a BTA bottle at nats last month which was a first.
Yep! Exactly. I have better luck sipping from my BTA in aero, but it’s still pretty easy to sit up for less than a minute to refill the BTA from the sludge bottle and top off with water. Let me know if you want pictures of my setup.
yeah. I don’t mind sitting up for a minute to refill BTA. I have a profile design fc25 for BTA. Then on bottle cage on downtube and 2 bottle cages behind my saddle.
I leave T1 with a BTA bottle filled with G Endurance and a couple gels
Same. Depending on conditions I go through about one bottle of GE and 1-2 gels per hour. YMMV.
I used to do concentrated bottles of EFS like someone else mentioned but I like carrying less and not worrying about dropping a bottle. I somehow managed to launch a BTA bottle at nats last month which was a first.
what does that give you? like 380 calories per hour? Do you just dump the GE in BTA from each aid station?
I make a Tailwind “sludge bottleâ€, that is super concentrated and has graduated lines on the side of the bottle so I can refill my BTA with an appropriate number of calories and dilute it down with water from the aid stations. I find I can put about 3 servings of TW into like 5oz of water for about 12 servings per sludge bottle
I don’t use Tailwind, but I am fussy about using a lower osmolarity electrolyte drink and this “sludge bottle” technique works beautifully. I dilute as many scoops as possible in a 20 oz bottle, keep track, and then I know how many BTA refills that could make. I also mark the bottle while inverted so I can see the amount to squirt per refill. I carry one bottle on the bike and keep a 2nd one cold in special needs, but it’s also pretty easy to carry both (then I still have an emergency one in SN in case I jettison one).
Use a concentrate bottle with a good squeeze valve (Podium or Purist) so it’s not dribbling all over the place.
Yeah 280-380 depending on if you do 1 or 2 gels, though I tend to think of my race nutrition in terms of carbs, which for me is about 65g/hr on the bike. I’m only ~62kg FWIW.
Yeah 280-380 depending on if you do 1 or 2 gels, though I tend to think of my race nutrition in terms of carbs, which for me is about 65g/hr on the bike. I’m only ~62kg FWIW.
That makes sense. I’m about 170lbs (77kg). I think my first IM I did do more calculations regarding carbs and calories which is again now what I’m sorting out. I did a half ironman earlier this year but that being so much shorter I didn’t worry too much. But full distance I stress a bit more
