Pre-race nutrition for half ironman

Eflach

 Just curious what you all eat pre-race for half-ironman?

Peter Greagg

A sports dietician worked with me to develop my plan - which is spread over the last two days before the race, I add 200 gms of sweets, 1000 cals of 4:1 recovery drink made with milk, plus 4 bottles of gatorade, and 400 cals of liquid breakfast. This is in addition to my "normal food" but I cut back fruit and vegs.
On the morning of the race I wake around 2am and have around 600 cals of liquid.

mgraffeo

Wake up, eat two Pop Tarts, drink a gatorade, and take a gel 15 minutes before the race. If I'm up early, I'll have a smoothie or a bowl of cereal. Same basic breakfast whether Sprint, Oly, or HIM. IM is the only different beast, where I'm up early to eat on purpose.

Joe Matchette

Posted By Mike Graffeo on 07 Jun 2012 04:42 AM

Wake up, eat two Pop Tarts, drink a gatorade, and take a gel 15 minutes before the race. If I'm up early, I'll have a smoothie or a bowl of cereal. Same basic breakfast whether Sprint, Oly, or HIM. IM is the only different beast, where I'm up early to eat on purpose.

Two Pop Tarts?  Interesting.    You don't get a massive blood sugar crash with that?

david ware

I like Ensure. All liquid and easy digestion. Drink early if I wake up and spread it out, or all at once about 2 hours before if I sleep. Then a gel about 10-15' before the start.

jwpicciotto

I just have a normal breakfast. Usually pancakes and eggs. My HIM wave seems like it is always one of the last ones, so I have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the morning. Like Mike said, IM is the only one that is different because of the start and duarion.

Beth_S

I'm going to experiment on the next one and eat sweet potato pancakes with jam. They are easy to digest and have ample calories.

John Withrow

I have a bagel with peanut butter and jelly and a 20oz of Gatorade the second I wake up. I usually eat a Stinger waffle on the drive from the hotel to the course, then simply sip on water for the next couple of hours. I'll take a gu 15-20 mins before my wave goes off and always chase it with lots of water. That basically means I'm pee'ing in my wetsuit before the start, but hey, I'm hydrated!

Bruce Thompson

2 bagels, 1 bananna, coffee as soon as I wake up, usually about 2 or 3 hours before the start.  Sometimes I might have a glass of chocolate milk.  Then I sip on Infinity the last 60 minutes before the start of the race.

William Jenks

I'm conservative cuz I don't want to poop during the race, and it takes me 3 hrs after waking to ensure that I'm all done with that.... so I do a variation on the EN recommended IM breakfast...Naked smoothie or two in middle of the night then another at wake-up with a small breakfast bar or something to give me SOME chew and swallow satisfaction. Sports drink/water only after that.

If it's wetsuit legal, I'm all over drinking a ton. Might cut back a bit if not. :-)

Joseph Lombardi

 I don't like to eat solids too early in the am or too soon after waking....so I will do just liquids (ensure, perform) and Gel(s)....I only do the 2am feeding gig for IM.

mgraffeo

Joe, I've had my best performances off of either the 2 pop tarts and juice breakfast or a bagel with Nutella and a can of FRS. For some reason, I do well with a bunch of sugar in the morning before a race. I don't really see the difference versus a two-smoothie breakfast followed by others, aside from the ratio of fructose to glucose...

Joseph Lombardi

 I'm with you Mike...I'm a big fan of Pop Tarts...its just on race morning...solids bug me...LOL

GMAN 19030

Posted By William Jenks on 07 Jun 2012 09:24 PM

I'm conservative cuz I don't want to poop during the race, and it takes me 3 hrs after waking to ensure that I'm all done with that.... 

That's why they invented Imodium.  I make sure I've done my business and then pop one of those to seal the trap.