IMCDA RR Steve C.

steven cummings · May 19, 2014 11:41AM

Background: This is my second full distance with EN after doing IMFL in 2012 (11:22 finish). Worked on getting faster in 2013 and did Rev3 Anderson (5:15 finish). Upgraded to a power meter early this year in prep for CDA so this is my first long course with power. Age:36 Weight:146 FTP: 225

RR Course: I'll be riding a flat rail to trail course that I trained on for IMFL which has a slight grade. Very opposite of CDA but I can do a two loop route being aero 99% of the time with minimal stopping and no car traffic. I'll be able to refuel my nutrition at my car before the second loop. Taking Friday off with the goal of starting at 7am.

Pre-race Nutrition: Breakfast will be 2.5-3 cups of apple sauce, banana, and sports drink around 4:30am. It takes me forever to eat all of this in the morning...not my favorite but it seems to work for me. I usually do coffee on top of this but I noticed it gave me reflux this past weekend.

Bike Nutrition: 1 24oz Infinit with 240 calories, 1 powergel 110 calories at 45 minute minute mark on the hour, usually chase with 5-10 oz water, and 1 salt stick at the top of the hour. Total calories/hr=350 and sodium/hr=845.

Bike Execution: Set my garmin to auto lap every 15 minutes. First 30 minutes easy @ 65-69% so 146-155. Rest of ride @ 72-73% 162-164. I've noticed I've let my Net power creep up later in rides to a high zone 3 low zone 4 so I need to back off this time.

Run Nutrition: Run with 1 16 oz bottle of perform drink every mile, 1 powergel every 30 minutes, 1 salt stick an hour=~360 calories/hr

Run Execution: Autolap on every mile with LRP at 8:58+30 seconds=9:28

Any critique on nutrition and power/pace would be great! I've been using Infinit for a long time and it seems to work for me on the bike. My only concern is my bike is set up to carry 3 bottles + the 20oz bladder on my shiv and i'd like to not pit stop to grab bottles at special needs or mix infinit on the fly. Any suggestions here would help.

Al Truscott · May 19, 2014 10:47PM

OK, RR comments. Is that 16 oz of fluid for the whole run? Meaning 2.5 oz per mile? That;s way underdoing it. Either get a bigger bottle, a Fuel belt, or do two three mile loops from your car. I;m assuming it;ll be warm, so you'll need on the order of minimum 6-8 oz per mile. And if you do take in that much fluid as Perform, it will be too many calories, so dilute it 50%?

You mention not wanting to hassle with Special Needs, so you carry mass quantities of Infinit with you. I also use Infinit for part of my nutrition these days. I start with two bottles of the stuff on my bike, drink at least one by SN, toss it, and pick up another in SN. Takes all of 30 sec, and the change of pace is a good, not a bad thing, IMO. In addition, I use EFS gel for more calories, one bottle each half, again tossing and taking on a new one in SN. And for further fluids, I rely on water @ aid stations as needed, drinking and dousing self in aid station, so I don;t carry it with me out of there. I try my best to minimize what I have on my bike, But I found after several years of trying to develop a tolerance for Perform, it just was not working for me as an all day, one source fluid.calorie solution. Infinit and EFS + on course water have solved that for me.

steven cummings · May 20, 2014 9:07AM

Al, good point on the running fluids...i've been running with a 16oz and probably way under hydrating myself. I'll test a larger diluted bottle with a 3 mile loop and refuel for the RR and see how it goes down.

I'm pretty sure I stopped at Special needs during IMFL and reloaded my bottles and moved on. Your right it's a very small time loss to execute my nutrition plan. Thanks for the feedback!!

Swanie · May 20, 2014 9:10AM

Agree with Al, that's not enough fluids on the run. If its an out and back run then stash a bottle in the bushes at the turn around. Otherwise you will slow down due to dehydration. And from my experience last week end, I would go to water only on the run. After 6 hours of perform on the bike I was ready for clear water. I would suggest doubling (or more)
your water and adding a gel.

steven cummings · May 20, 2014 10:18AM

This definitely has me thinking that on my long runs (2hrs) that I've been hydrating far to little. Looking back I think that I drank 20oz's over 14.5 miles...I didn't feel bad but the weather was in the low 60's so it wasn't that hot. Time to correct this for sure.

Jason Brandt · May 20, 2014 10:23AM

Steven, I'm with you. Don't feel like I need the fluids for just a run but knowing on race day it is a lot more than just a run, I always use a fuel belt or multiple bottles on a loop course for my long runs to "train" the stomach to keep absorbing lots of fluids while I run. If I ever need proof of my fluid needs I can weigh myself after a long run where I didn't consume enough fluid and that wt loss translated to fluid volume is striking.

steven cummings · May 23, 2014 5:14PM

Today's RR went well, i upped my fluids on the run using a 24oz bottle on two 30 minute loops and easily handled the volume. It was 88 degrees by the time I finished so I definitely needed the extra hydration....in fact I could have taken in more on the bike. I went through 8 bottles over the ride and felt fine but more would have been better for sure.

IMCDA RR Steve C.

Comments