RACE DAY NUTRITION

They say that nutrition is the fourth discipline of triathlon. Many races have been ruined by poor fueling: either not taking in enough calories or getting cramps or an upset stomach.

During long bike rides, my secret weapon has been to pack a ham sandwich. This isn't a giant Dagwood Bumpstead meal, just a small dinner roll with some ham and butter. Nothing else. The bread provides carbs, the ham gives me some protein, fat, and much-needed salt, and the butter makes it taste delicious. I'll also have a Powerbar and even a Snickers along the way.

All of this works fine for a bike ride. I don't have any issues with digestion and I'm getting my calories. The problem is that during an Ironman, I have to run a marathon afterwards. All of that solid food which works fine on the bike feels very heavy during the run. It was a problem for me during my last Ironman, where I started feeling sick about 6 miles into the marathon.

Hopefully I've found the answer: I’m switching over to all-liquid calories. I've started using Carbo-Pro as my primary source of calories and it really seems to do the trick. I have a strong sweet tooth so I mix some Kool-Aid in with it just to give it some flavor. I take a Gu about once an hour for an added boost, and then halfway through the race I’ll treat myself to a few gulps of Mountain Dew. The caffeine is great, and it is comfort food for me.

During training, this plan seems to be working. Race day is just a few days away and that will be the true test.