IMCDA Nutrition
Ok I need a little help please from all you experienced people. We're getting close to IMCDA time and I'm thinking about my RR bike coming up this Saturday...what I'm going to eat and I'm panicking. This will be the most miles I've ever ridden, by far, and I'm getting concerned that I haven't been taking in enough calories. Over the last two weeks, I've been really pleased with my performance on the bike and I've been keeping up with the volume, but both long runs have ended in monster bilateral quad cramps around the 1:45-2hr mark. I even started cramping with the 2x1mi intervals today! These cramps are new for me and I really don't like it! I always drink water on the bike and with long runs, and plenty of it. If the cramps are related to a hydration thing, I think it's more me not doing a good job hydrating during the day vs. during the activity. As far as nutrition goes, I wish I could eat whatever I want when training/racing, but I have a stomach that can't handle most "synthetic-like" foods (any type of gel, powerbar anything, block chews) even cliff bars make me want to puke. What I've been using is the honey stinger chews (160cal/pack) and an occasional banana. I don't know what exactly it is about them, but they go down pretty good and don't cause stomach problems. I also used to just use a flask of honey from a friends bees, but that became kind of a pain because everything got sticky. Maybe I have to go back to it?
So basically, on the 4-5hr training rides I've had 4 packs of honey stinger chews (640cal max) drank just water (oh yeah strong flavored drinks make me sick too and I actually crave just water). I know this won't cut it for an IM, even if I eat 6 packs of stingers, so does anyone have a recommendation on what I should do to improve my chances of being more prepared with the caloric end of things?
Another side note, are there pros/cons to drinking coconut water on the bike?
Thanks everyone for your help!!
Comments
First off, a banana is 100 cal, and they have them on course, so if you take one an hour plus the honey stinger plan, you've got 200-250 calories an hour, which is getting pretty close to what you might need. Putting honey in a gel flask (http://www.hammernutrition.com/prod...at=bottles) might work to mitigate the potential for stickiness?
After 13 years and 25 IMs, you might think I have nutrition dialed in, but I'm always tinkering. Last year, my tinkering backfired, so I looked for something new this year and gave Infinit (http://www.infinitnutrition.us/ a try). For your purposes, you can customize the flavor, calories, and salt. I don't like a lot of flavor either, so I dialed it way down. I can't take pills while riding, so I dialed salt up a bit. So far (thru training and an HIM) it's worked great for me. Carrying a bottle out of T1, and having another in Special Needs gives you another 500 calories or so. I think it's good to have multiple sources of calories, to keep me interested in "eating" (I take only liquids on the bike.)
On the run, I will usually grab a cup of ice or ice/water, and add some of the on-course Perform to it, diluting out the flavor and calories. Just gotta remember not to pour the ice on my head after I drink!
I was using the honey in a hammer flask, but maybe the way I was handling it was what made everything sticky. Maybe I need to revisit this additional source of calories.
I have also heard of the infinity drinks, but haven't tried them. I know they're a little spendy to keep up, so I'll have to figure out if it's something I really need. What do you think of nuun? I know there aren't a good caloric source, but I also can't take pills and the salt thing has me a little worried too.
That being said, I have used Infinit now for about 6 years and have been very happy with it. It has taken time to get my formula right, but I have it dialed in and stick with it. Same as Al, I dial the flavor all the way down. I also add some protein, just a few grams, to hold off hunger. I use SCaps for sodium, so I can control the sodium outside of my hydration for when it gets hot in the summer.
On the question of Nuun, Penny uses those for Sodium and likes them. I can't get over the carbonation, so I don't. The one thing you will need to think about is logistics. If you are getting water off the course, you have to get the water, add the Nuun, dissolve it, etc... Again Penny has no issue with this, I would be a wreck. On the CDA course, the temps should be low enough that sodium isn't a huge deal like at IM TX.
Finally on the coconut water question, it is just an expensive electrolyte drink. There is nothing remarkable about coconut water except a phenomenal marketing campaign behind it. Save the money and use Nuun or a similar product.
I'm planning on buying the Feedzone and I'm pretty excited about it. I've read a few articles about how helpful it can be and it sounds like it'd be a really useful tool.
I don't mind the carbonation in Nuun, but the flavor just turns me off when I'm really thirsty I just crave water, so maybe the SCaps would be more helpful for me too. Looks like I've got a few things to try out!
Thanks!
ps I hope you had a great race last weekend!!