I put this list together based on numerous threads pertaining to salt intake, hyponatremia, dehydration, bonking, do I need a GU and how many, how hard it is to dial in IM nutrition, cramping, etc. I’m not sure dialing in IM nutrition is quite as hard as it appears to be (at least at the 80% level) and I think the following list hits the 80/20 rule and is a good start. Of course, you have to dial in the final 20 percent through your training and the final 20% is significant. Please note this is written by a very heavy sweater that trains in hot humid weather so look out for any bias since we are all prisoners of our own experience. I also confess that the salt intake area is a bit of a conundrum for me because as the years pass and my training levels continue to escalate (thanks to my Coach, my MT, my sports MD and the spousal unit), my need for salt to alleviate cramps is going down (drastically in the last 12 months) suggesting that a major floating variable in all of this is your core muscle endurance and just how good your training was and whether you had realistic expectations for race day. Curiously, my most common cramp as I train for IMOO is a right hand cramp when eating after the long bike workout – the wheels rarely complain these days. This is suggestive of something, but I am not sure what.
I also respectfully suggest that the following thread should be mandatory reading by all STers. Somehow I missed it the first time around but it is fascinating reading and how often do you get to watch Slowman, Coggan, Philbert, Monty, Noakes and respected others exchange thoughts. It takes about 30 minutes to read but is well worth the effort. http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=1364515;page=1;mh=-1;;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC
For that matter, yesterday’s thread on how many gels are required for a 2 hour run contains a lot of food for thought that can be extrapolated out to the 140.6 distance.
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1410525;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread
Electrolyte management is not just a race day item. It needs to be managed during the week before the race. You don’t need to pee every 15 minutes the 2 days before the race. If you just like to do this for some odd reason, make sure you are getting appropriate electrolytes. I find a quick drink right before the swim is much better than drinking a ton at 5:30 AM and then standing around in the porta-potty lines. A GU right before hitting the OW works for me. A GU in the changing tent also makes sense. You have just been working hard for 60 to 90 minutes or so without any nutrition or hydration. Temperature and HR effect what you can eat and absorb. Hot and humid means bland and dilute and a high HR means slow digestion. Start salt at 500 mgs an hour and adjust from there – cramps are the governing factor. It is easier to absorb calories on the bike than it is on the run (i.e., don’t get behind). Eat hard food early on the bike (if you are going to eat hard food). 250 calories an hour (the 20% is you have to figure out whether you are a more or less person). 24 ounces of fluid an hour (the 20% is you have to figure out whether you are a more or less person). Don’t wash down food with a sports drink – use water. Don’t use protein (you might be one of the few that can but please find out in training so I don’t have to watch a Greta Weitz event on the run course). During the run keep an eye on your number belt and watch for bloating and adjust accordingly. Don’t eat an entire GU at once on the run. Maybe a third – there is another aid station a mile away.