I have done 8 full and about 15 half IMs and have pee’d once once during all of those races, and that was on a cool, cloudy, wet day. I think I take in as much fluid and nutrition as I can. Have been to the medical tent after 4 of my IMs but not after last 3. My blood work has always looked good, but the doctors have been concerned that I hadn’t pee’d since before the race. One time I was transported to the hospital and given 9 IV’s until I was pissing like a race horse.
I am pretty competitive in my AG, so speed and performance are not the issue.
Anyone else have this problem? Is it possible to be well-hydrated and not need to pee while racing?
I did 3 IM’s and never had to pee. I also had no problem with dehydration (slightly dehydrated in one race).
I refrained from having coffee on the morning of the race, drank regularly on the bike and run. I didn’t really think about it too much but figured that is the way it should work.
I have done 8 full and about 15 half IMs and have pee’d once once during all of those races, and that was on a cool, cloudy, wet day. I think I take in as much fluid and nutrition as I can. Have been to the medical tent after 4 of my IMs but not after last 3. My blood work has always looked good, but the doctors have been concerned that I hadn’t pee’d since before the race. One time I was transported to the hospital and given 9 IV’s until I was pissing like a race horse.
I am pretty competitive in my AG, so speed and performance are not the issue.
Anyone else have this problem? Is it possible to be well-hydrated and not need to pee while racing?
I normally don’t have to pee until late in the marathon if ever in an Ironman. 70.3 I never gone while actually in the race. A couple of times when the race got bagged I have gone. Once on the bike in Ironman I had to go and that was my last amatuer IM as I was playing cat-and-mouse on the bike with another guy but really not working that hard.
This is shocking to me. I have done 2 IMs – I peed 9 times in the first and 6 times in the second (getting better I guess). While I realize this may be excessive – I cannot fathom 0 or 1 times. I would be so worried about dehydration/cramping.
Would you say your a light sweater? I am a heavy sweater with a history of cramping so I am extra cautious. Imagine this only works if you absolutely know your sweat rate relative to temp/humidity or you are an very light sweater without a cramping history.
I typically pee only in T2 during an Ironman and that’s it. Typically, I don’t pee at all in a 70.3. I drink tons on the bike, but who needs to pee when you are sweating like a race horse. So imagine my surprise at IMFL 2014 with cancelled swim and cold, windy conditions. I stopped to pee 4 times on the bike…the first time I thought I could have read a novel while I was in the port-a-loo.
I have done 8 full and about 15 half IMs and have pee’d once once during all of those races, and that was on a cool, cloudy, wet day. I think I take in as much fluid and nutrition as I can. Have been to the medical tent after 4 of my IMs but not after last 3. My blood work has always looked good, but the doctors have been concerned that I hadn’t pee’d since before the race. One time I was transported to the hospital and given 9 IV’s until I was pissing like a race horse.
I am pretty competitive in my AG, so speed and performance are not the issue.
Anyone else have this problem? Is it possible to be well-hydrated and not need to pee while racing?
I’ve only done only 1 HIM and didn’t have to pee until a few hours after the race.
I’ve been racing other distances for 7 years now - 1 long course bike/run, several Olympics and dozens of Sprints. I have only had to pee once and it was in the long course bike/run earlier this year. I have to say that was a new experience for me (technically I peed twice in that race - once on the bike and once on the run).
How much fluids are you taking in for a typical HIM?
Anyone else have this problem? Is it possible to be well-hydrated and not need to pee while racing?
I rarely pee during a full or half ironman. Seems like I only pee 1-3 times during a 100-mi run. I drink plenty, and am a heavy sweater. I have other friends who can’t go an hour without peeing.
Wow. I normally have to go like 2-3 times in a 70.3. It’s been killing my transition times, lol. I should drink a lot less based on this thread!
For those above, do you drink much before swim start? I’m always paranoid about cramping so I down a bottle right before. On a 70.3 bike leg, I typically go through 2-3 bottles. (Though I don’t sweat all that much… fear of crashing has been holding me from going all out in the last few races).
I only ever did once in 8 IM and found it hard to get out on the bike thinking I should but I burnt like hell on my chaffing so I will never try again unless really need to. I always try to remember to pee at the end of the swim that gets the initial morning hydration and coffee out.
I see that you regard this as a problem. I see it the other way around, as some other posters here in this thread.
Before my first IM I heared you have to drink a lot, also the day before. So I did that, mainly plain water. During the bikeleg I had to get of my bike 10 times, so loosing 20 minutes. Clearly I had to find a solution.
Now I drink the day before an IM normally, and on the day just one coffee. On the bike I have the first hour only powerbars and drink nothing. Than I start drinking, water with my gels and electrolyte when I want to drink in between.
With this strategy I managed even do one IM entirely without peeing. In my last one I did not have to pee until sometime in the marathon.
I’ve done 4 IMs and never had to go to the bathroom once the gun goes off. I whiz several times beforehand and just before the start of the swim and am good to go. I drink the same way I do in training where I usually have to go to the bathroom at least once, if not twice on a 5-6 hour ride. I think relieving myself multiple times in the water is the reason.
since speed and performance are not an issue sounds like you’re doing okay. I have a tendency not to drink nearly enough on the bike even when it’s hot and in my most recent HIM I’m pretty sure that affected my poor run performance.
how much do you drink on the bike? do you just drink by thirst? If I drink by thirst I’ll just end up drinking very little. I’m practicing drinking on a schedule and plan to do that for my 1st IM. I won’t be competitive in my AG at that distance so I won’t care too much if I have to stop to pee. Hopefully just once or twice during the race not like 10 times like other posters.
I start to get worried after about 3-4 hours and realizing that I haven’t had to pee. For me it is a sign that I am pretty far behind on nutrition/hydration. I try to drink enough for peeing to at least be on my mind.