IMFL Run Nutrition

jmolchin

I have a feeling that I over hydrated on the bike and my system shut down on the run (mile 5).  I would drink 20 oz. of water between aid stations.  When I arrived at the next one I would flll up my aero bottle then try to down another bottle of water.  So every 11 miles or so I was consuming 30-40 oz. of water.  I was taking 2 salt tablets every 1:15. I peed twice on the bike.  At the end of the bike I was feeling like I was going to throw up (never did) and basicaly had the burps the whole day thereafter.  My stomach was in knots and it was all I could do to keep running. I consumed 1800c in 5:30.  This is my 3rd IM and the 3rd time I've felt like I'm going to puke on the run. My first two IM I was using EFS, this one I changed to Infinit.  Does anyone have any similar experiences? How did you solve?

thanks

 

John

novaavant

I used the core diet race plan and my plan called for no water at all. The only time I used water was to pour it on myself to stay cool. I believe the water just flushes your system of all the CHO and sodium you are trying to put in with other products and without enough sodium your stomach can't process the CHO you are trying to add so you can race. This gives you that bloated sloshy feeling and can cause your stomach to shut down.

On my bike I started by front-loading the perform at 2.5 to 3 bottles per hours until I was peeing several times. From there I did about 2 bottles an hour. With that I also used powergels at one every 25 minutes. On the run I continued with gels and clif bloks and took perform at aid stations. The last six miles I switched to coke. I never had any stomach issues and my energy only dipped at the very end around mile 22 but I think that's to be expected and frankly my energy level was the least of my worries at that point as my legs were totally shelled.

[Deleted User]

I used the concentrated Infinite washed down with water method at Lake Placid a couple of year's ago. Although it seemed mostly okay in training, on race day my stomach cramped up - severe pain and reduced me to a walk for a while. I also had issues bonking on the run in Half Ironman races. Since then I too have switched to the Core Diet - no more water for me. I have not tested it in a full Ironman race yet, but I feel much better at the Half Iron distance and in training. I think there is something about diluting concentrated Infinite in the stomach with water that causes stomach distress in a pretty good percentage of people. That is my opinion only, based on my experience and the experiences I read about in these forums from other Infinite users.

kimmydct

John- What makes you think you overhydrated? If you just peed twice on the bike, I wouldn't think so... I suspect I may have overhydrated as well, but with different symptoms. I use Infinit (not concentrate) and Perform. I started similarly to Attila with my Infinit and trying to get a head start on the hydration. I peed at least 4x on the bike (well, not literally) so I tried to back off a bit. I felt a bit nauseous for most of the 2nd half of the bike, but felt better at mile 90-100 or so and fine on the run too.

x3 on no water from above. Did you follow the same nutrition/hydration that you did in training? Similar issues?

John Withrow

John-- It doesn't sound to me like you over hydrated since you only peed 2x. I think I peed 3.5 times on my bike (yes Kim, ON my bike). It was very hot on the bike and if you're anything like me you may have sweated a lot out. I also did Infinit on the bike and supplemented with 2 Powerbars in the first half. I did a 2.5hr bottle before BSN and another 2.5 hr bottle after. I drank water the whole time, but only at the very end did I actually get through my entire Speedfil A2 before the next aid station (as it got very hot). I would estimate that I took in between 14-20oz of water between each aid station. I had some GI issues, but I think it's because I did a Powerbar at hour 1 and another at hour 2 in addition to this. 2x I also took a bottle of Perform in the Aid station and drank several gulps before tossing the bottle just after the aid station. I also supplemented with about 1 salt stick about every hour. I would think with the sodium you likely had in the Infinit and the 8 or so salt tablets you had that you probably got in enough sodium for all that water.

Did you drink because you were thirsty or because you were trying to force more water in? Were you always full?

robin sarner

Yes try the Core Diet all Perform hydration.       Working great for me. 

Nate Parady

I'm a believer in no or minimal water now...perform doesn't stay in your stomach very long while water may...I drank maybe 6oz of water all day in Florida. Mainly to rince my mouth out..

jmolchin

Wow! Thanks for all of your replies. I really need to figure this out, I've been in post race depression since IMFL (kidding) I was so ready to have a break through on my run, all of my training runs were fast. I'll eventually figure this IM puzzle out. Races can be disappointing when you're expecting different results. I'm dealing with that.

During my bike I was drinking water even though I was not thirsty. I was trying to stay ahead of the thirst. After reading all of your posts I believe that I didn't over hydrate, I just consumed too much water for the amount of salt I was consuming. I used that same Infinit formula during the race as I did during rehearsals. I believe the difference was the amount of water I was consuming. During the RR I was sipping more than gulping, and never did I force myself to drink when I wasn't thirsty. My 6 mile RR runs were very easy 8:20's and my gut felt fine. I obviously made a serious mistake and it cost me a good race. I'm going to try the Core Diet as well. It makes sense that I was washing away all of the sodium by chugging too much water. thanks again for your replies. Always searching- John

sully77

JM-Lots of limiters to consider:

1. N=1 dynamic; especially nutrition everything "works"for some "One" .

2. 30-40oz every 11 miles= 305+oz! That is ~13+ 24 oz bottles! Now, on our hottest of hot rides that we did, have you really ever averaged that consumption? I know you are a big guy and do indeed consume more than most, but this still sounds like a lot.

3. Have any of our RRs mimicked an hour swimming in a swell laden sea prior to riding?

4. How much legit practice with infinit did you have prior to race day? I think you switched to it very late in the training.

5. Peeing is not as hard and fast a determinant of hydration status as most people think- many other physiological factors that impact it. It's a good indicator,but not a be all end all.

Lanny

 My two cents are that I just did IMFL and I adopted much of the Core Diet philosophy. 

I'm 225lb and on bike took in a Bonk Breaker for first 3 hours, 3 Stingers as well. 

No water.  Just Perform and tried to get a bottle or two in at every aid station. I peed three times on the bike. 

I made a rookie error and forgot my caffeine at home and so at the 3 hour mark decided to have a Gu gel with 35mg of caffeine and OKG.  It was after this point 4-4.5 hours on the bike that I felt nauseous. Finished the bike at 5:30 and on to the run.

when I was running my stomach kept feeling nauseous. So for the first 10 miles it was run, nausea, walk, run. I also started taking in Coke from mile 1 as I felt I neede the fuel and at that point it gelled with what Patrick relayed at the 4 Keys talk. 

So I really struggled over the run but was able to still have a PB over my last IM at 11:58:14. 

My major take away this year is to find a more conscious way of loading CHO as I feel that there must be a healthy way to preload other than eating shit like white bread and other crap I believe causes disease. So I feel that the Core Diet philosophy is great but there must be a way to tweak it from a health perspective. 

Last IM I had bananas, water, coconut water and Coke and didn't have any stomach issues. So I'm not totally convinced about the whole water thing. Perhaps small amounts would be acceptable but I do see how large amounts especially during a taxing day of IM could cause a problem with electrolyte imbalance and GI  problems. 

 

coop6

John, sorry I'm late to the thread, but I would agree with your assessment that you drank too much water and did not take in enough sodium. I'm pretty sure I ended up with hyponatremia at IMFL from drinking too much water. Water was not in my nutrition plan, but I ended up with water only at a couple aid stations on the bike due to crowding and poor volunteer handoffs. I also took a drink from the water bottles I took with the intent of only wetting my arm coolers. Then when I got to the run, I would take a gulp or two of water before I poured the rest of it over my head. By mile 13, I was profoundly nauseous and dumb as a rock. I've been nauseous before due to heat, but this was an entirely different experience and way more severe. I completely underestimated the heat and humidity, and did not have any salt caps for the run. What a moron I was. Fortunately they had chicken broth at a few aid stations on loop 2, so after sucking down too much of that the nausea resolved. I thought I knew what horrible felt like, but after the last 10 miles of that run I have a new definition. I ended up with severe leg swelling up to my hips the day after the race, and my hands and face were puffy.

I think my mistake was that while I was quite meticulous in planning my nutrition, I didn't mentally check in to the fact that I had deviated from the plan and needed to compensate elsewhere. If you haven't yet, I'd go through what you think you took in and look at how many mg of sodium per hour, calories, etc and see how things look. I still can't make myself look at that yet, but I need to.