For those of you who race/train in hot climates where do you keep your E-Caps on the bike? On the run?
bento box during bike and little plastic/rubber football thingy (coin holder) during the run in jersey pocket.
That little coin purse thing they sell works pretty good and then you can use a jersey pocket on the bike and the run if your tri singlet has a little mini pocket.
Honestly, I’ve been using E-Gel from Crank Sports, a 1.9 ounce gel packet with 240 mg of sodium and additional electrolytes per serving. E-Gel eliminates the need for E-Caps.
I carry mine in those little zip lock bags that a lot of electricians use for connectors and such. The bags are smaller than a business card and you can easily put two to three caps in multiple bags and store in a pocket or race belt pouch. They are super easy to remove from the bag as well. Just simply grab the bag with your teeth at the zip lock portion and it rips right off almost like it’s perforated for seperation (i.e., like a ripping a check from a checkbook). Then just simply work the caps out from the bottom with your lips or teeth. Works great I haven’t found anything more convenient.
Get a plastic, flip-top package of mint Skittles, do whatever you want with the Skittles, but use the package. Fits in your hand, flip top, stick it back in pocket. Like a PEZ dispenser for salt. Speaking of, maybe that Darth Vader pez will come in handy now…
Tic-Tac container. Same flip top deal. RUbber banded to aero bar pads in T1, slip into jersey pocket for Bike and run.
Added benefit: you don’t leave ripped mini-ziplock bags all over the course.
T
I went to the jewelry supply store and bought 100 1.5 x 2 ziploc bags for $2.00. Put the caps in for each dosage and then you can either dump them into your mouth or bite the corner off, as suits you. I find that this works nicely, and if you drop a packet you don’t freak out, and if you get it nasty, the other ones will be okay.
For those of us in the south 240mg per 150 cals is not going to cut it come summer time and neither will the e-caps alone be enough… they are pretty weak in the Na (sodium) department actually. For those really hot days (120 miles at 100 degrees) you are going to need lava tabs or thermolytes to get you through. At IM Kona last year I burned through 120 e-caps (full bottle) by mile 10 of the run and still was in need of more to finish the race. Thank god for chicken broth… too bad they serve it hot.
On the bike: Put the number of tablets required or a few extra into a small plastic baggy. Line them up along the bottom of the baggy and cut the rest of the bag away leaving maybe an inch or so above. I tape this to my bars firmly (no flapping in the wind). Tear a samll hole in the corner of the bag that will allow you to push the tablets out as you need them. If you want the cleanest aerodynamics and appearance, this probably isn’t for you. I figured that staying in the aero position instead of reaching anywhere to get the tabs probably makes more gain than what you might lose. Anyway, It separates your tabs from the other food items and keeps them completely protected even in rain.
On the run: I use a small plastic bag, but I don’t find this to be optimal. By the time I’m running, little things like fooling around with the plastic bag start to bug me.
I have typically used an empty film canister for salt pills, etc. May start going with the micro-ziplocks though since if you hit a bump on the road with your open film canister in hand, everything can bounce out! Ziplocks or even tic-tac container would take care of that.
“Added benefit: you don’t leave ripped mini-ziplock bags all over the course.”
The inmates need something to clean up. Gives them a break from their cells.
M&M minis come in a little tube about the diameter of a film can but 4-5 inches long with a flip top. easy to do one handed.
I will second this method, but mention that the mini-Reeses Pieces tube has a better cap that only lets one E-caps pill out at a time. These candy tubes are really easy to stick in a bento-box or a jersey pocket.
Jeromy
What’s with all the bags?
Also, you could use a better username then “Visitor”.
I have some suggestions:
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BagMan
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BIGTriGuy
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HollywoodWantToBe
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SoftRider
And the very original…
- FWC
A PEZ dispenser-like thingy would be great…if I used Ecaps.
You registered to write that?!! Sounds like you have bag envy to me…
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“Bagman” is what I use on the golf course. I’m trying to have more success here.
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“BIGTriGuy” is only temporary, but I did consider it. I am on a diet as of this post.
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“HollywoodWantToBe” is untrue as of your post. “KnowsHollywood” might be better.
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“Softrider” is taken. Though it does more accurately describe my body type.
“Visitor” allows for an easy exit from tris if I get tired of the training partners.
And for you, how about:
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“Transition Pro”
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“IllFinishTheSpeedWorkOnMyOwnGUY”
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“Drinkin’ Dad”
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“The Gambler”
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“Hollywood” (of course)
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“No I Didn’t Get A Flat Guy”
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“Bag Envy Guy”
Tic tac containers!
That is huge. Pure genius, bought to you by slowtwitch.
tic-tac containers are fine until you have gone through have your pills then they shake and rattle until they turn to dust. Then you just gulp the dust. Yes I have been done this road…
. . . that’s when I switched the caps. No dust, easier to get down a dry throat. 
T