Feedback on IMLOU Fuel Plan
I post this with a bit of hesitancy, because my fuel plan is based on what I've practiced (which in turn is based on Coach P's 2013 nutrition wiki entry) and what's worked really well for me. So I'm not looking for major adjustments at this point, because I won't have time to practice them. But, I do have a few questions/concerns:
* Wiki prescribes 24 oz/fluid/hour on the bike. Ironman Perform bottle is only 20 oz. My plan is to pick one up at each aid station and keep chugging along, but I'm not sure how to exactly keep track of the fluid oz. over the course of a presumed 6:45 bike. If I stick with one 20oz bottle per hour, after 6:45, that puts me about 24 oz, behind in fluids. But if I add one more bottle of Perform, then I go over in my overall suggested calories/hour. So how do I make up the delta in fluids without go much over in the other categories such as calories/hour? Should I drink water? But then I'm worried about the diluting effect of the water...
Here's a spreadsheet that hopefully makes some sense...
Thanks for any feedback.
Comments
Kate- great spreadsheet (do you mind if I use it to plan out my races?)!
Have you practiced taking that much sodium without any ill effects (bloating, edema etc)? 12000mg of sodium for one day seems a helluva lot!
In training, did you practice taking this many in on any one ride? In addition to that many bottles of perform? I'd rather see you add a bottle of perform and drop a waffle if needed so you don't go over the calories that your body can absorb. The waffles are a concentrated source of calories indeed.
I'd move the bottles to one every 45 minutes if you can, instead of one every hour. (or even one every 50 minutes). I agree it can be tough to keep track of. What I did at LP was one bottle every 45. I just kept an eye on my time and knew that "this bottle needs to be gone by :45...by 1:30....by 2:15" etc.
As you have mentioned its pretty close to game time, so I don't want to offer up a suggestion that will only get in your head, but here it goes.
Below is what is stated in the wiki. Key words for me are "at least" and "hotter=more fluids" . I'm suprised that for a course like IM LOU you are only planning on only drinking 1 bottle of perform an hour. Although you have lined up your calorie and sodium needs nicely on the spreadsheet (I have one of those also), don't forget that you have hydration needs as well. Have you been doing your training in hot environments? If so with no issues, than your all set then and you can ignore everything else I'm saying.
For my RR when I knew it was only going to be in the 70s, I dropped the fluid down which in turn dropped my calories and sodium down. I compensated with extra food. One of the comments in the core diet plan are to drink until you pee and then you can back off a bit. A person could be right on target with sodium and calories and be completely dehydrated by the time you get off that bike if you haven't peed at least twice.
To your exact question: I would plan on drinking two bottles the first hour to ensure you get off to a good start and then fall back into your plan. If its hot and you are not peeing, I would keep up with two bottles an hour until you pee and back off the food a bit.
ultimately you need to really think back on what has worked for you in training and trust your gut feeling on what you need. Listen to your body. After hour 3 on the bike my math skills get really bad. I can only control what i'm doing within any given 15-30 minute period. If I've been drinking and eating within a 15-30 minute period I have historically been on plan.
from the wiki.
Fluid Calories on Bike -- You will need at least 24oz of fluid per hour on the bike, and we recommend no water. Additional fluid is determined by total calories (above) and race day temperature (hotter = more fluids!).
Kate thanks for sharing. My $.02 because I kinda made you do this.
#1, I am not a fan of AM ensure. it has 12g of fat in you AM ensure plan (http://ensure.com/products/ensure-nutrition-shake) an that stuff is a timebomb waiting to go off in an Ironman (not on a training day when you and I could drink beers and ride).
#2, as others have mentioned, the waffles do not fit nutrition guidance b/c of high fat and low sodium. There are 7g of fat per waffle (http://www.honeystinger.com/common/pdf/ProductInfoPacket.pdf) and very little sodium in the product at all...even though you are supplementing with sodium it's important to get WITH the product you are taking.
#3, wiki says one bottle / hour is MINIMUM. IMLOU will be hot. Can't do minimum here.
My modifications:
#1 - figure out a new breakfast without 12g of saturated fats. please.
#2 - I would replace waffle with 1/2 a powerbar. It has 120 cals (22g CHO, and 100mg sodium and 1/2g fat).
#3 - plan on 2 bottles an hour for first 2 hours as you are riding smart over the hills, etc. You drink it until you start to burp it back up, then you dial back. I track bottles via my A2 speedfil on aerobars that holds 1 bottle...that has to be empty every 30' (right when i hit lap button anyway).
So you will be getting in 2 x 175 + 120 bar or 470 vs your 350 cals...the fluids are more important than bars..so when you start to burp it back up...you can push bar #2 back 15 or 30'.
Additional Notes:
1. You start drinking perform right away on bike.
2. You eat first 1/2 bar at 15' in bike and every 15' thereafter...you can't wait until the 60' mark on bike. I would supplement with salt on the 15's as well.
I know it's scary to consider this stuff, but I want to tell you that 95% of folks can't race a full Ironman like LOU with 1bottle per hour (that fails goal of exiting bike not losing lbs of fluids, and peeing 2x on bike), nor can they race with that much fat.
All I can offer is be ready to adjust if necessary based on the conditions. I did not. Having trained in hot & humid conditions the last month before LP, it was overcast and nice temperatures on race day so maybe I did not sweat nearly as much...but who knows, must have p'd 8 to 10 times on the bike alone plus 3x on the run course. Combine that with to much soild food the last hour on the bike, and while I had no stomach ache or anything, I could not run like i wanted.
Next time, I would try to take more calories as fluid and only as fluid late in the bike course, and adjust my fluid intake based on the actual temps. on race day.
Now historically, if IMLOU has been sunny and warm temps, so I would only suggest more fluid and the later you get into the day, the more of your calories should be from either fluid or something very very easy to process in your stomach. Your system is already going to be stealing a bunch of bpm from your heart rate to keep you cool, no need for more than necessary to be going to your stomach too.
That and maybe just think about how you are not going to want to be opening those wrappers on things after 5 & 6 hours on that bike....perhaps cut them ahead of time to make easier.
I really like you spreadsheet, it really helps visualize what your plan is and how it all adds up.
Why not any gels on the Bike? they might be easier on your system than the waffles? unless this has worked for you then do not let anything from me distract you from your goals.
Best of luck,
John