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IM, HIM Solid Nutrition?

hwangnyc's picture
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started by hwangnyc on October 20, 2008

For anyone who has done a HIM or IM and had solid food during the course what was it? When did you have it and any logistics behind it?

Gotta lose that head fat.

brittda's picture
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brittda posted 11 weeks ago.

I have used:
1.pb and honey on diet bread---not because it is diet, but because the smaller pieces of bread fit in a pocket easier. Usually around mile 80 or so.
2. fig newtons
3. Cliff bar cut up in pieces in my bento box for eating ease.

Last year I tried a 1/2 turkey sub I put in my special needs bag--no mayo or cheese. I knew the weather would be cooler so it worked out --no different than taking a sandwich to lunch as a kid and leaving it in my lunch box outside the classroom in Phoenix. Hubby carried 1/2 a sub in his pocket, and then had another half at the special needs. I would only recommend this if the weather is not going to be hot--else it could get stinky. PB is the safer bet.

That being said, I plan to move toward an all liquid plan just to make it easier for my next IMC

sasquatch's picture
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sasquatch posted 11 weeks ago.

Haven't done a full IM yet, but have done double century, marathons, and half IMs. Between those and training, what I've found is that the key is to TRY IT OUT in training first.

Personally, I've found that if I do liquid only I have a hard time getting enough calories and keeping up with my nutrition. I seem to do better with liquid on the run and solids on the bike... maybe it has to do with the sloshing around. I also look at the course and try to plan around the course. For example, I tend to digest solids better at the lower end of my aerobic range, as such try to see if there are any good moderate downhills, where I can coast along and get some solids in early in the bike. I think this is also one of the reasons I don't do well with solids on the run, as my Hr has creeped up at that point, and typically continues to creep until the end.

Nutrition is a bit of art, a bit of science, and a bunch of experimentation. I have a friend who swears by butter and sugar sandwiches on long rides (not PB, just plain butter). I have another who only drinks water and eats tahini sandwiches. You just have to find what works

Star's picture
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Star posted 11 weeks ago.

After years of stomach problems, I go easy on the gut...

Pre-race (4 hours prior): Sustained Energy
HIM: Sustained Energy on the bike, and a Hammer bar on the run
IM: SE + bar on the bike, and bar on the run

For both (and ultras) I can tolerate bananas, pretzels, animals crackers, plain potato chips, other organic bars (Lara and Luna)...and I use only water. In the end, you'll find what works for you and your stomach :)

"I'm more fun than an iPod!"
My blog: http://star.trifuel.net

triNick's picture
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triNick posted 11 weeks ago.

PB & Honey, Cliff bar, one every ??? forgot, haven't used this method in while but I want to say every hour, switching between the two.

not sure what you meant by logistics, did you mean logic. for storage i used a bento box and stuff some in back pockets as well. for the IM, you have the special needs bag so you can have some in there as well.

If using solid food, you have to find the right mix to no upset your stomach and the right mix of calories.

I now only use liquid nutrition Carbopro and Powerbar drink mix.

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kylie's picture
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kylie posted 11 weeks ago.

Curious -- why do you want to go with solids?

I have done it -- PB sandwich, nutter butter cookies, gummy bears, fig newtons, energy bars, gels, etc (not all in one race). I used jersey pockets and a bento box and had plenty of room. Now I go with a liquid diet and have concentrated carbo pro.

In response to sasquatch having trouble keeping up with liquid nutrition, I found the key was having in highly concentrated and keeping nutrition separate from electrolytes and hydration. Instead of a frame of mind of having to drink enough, it is a single sip a couple times an hour.

sasquatch's picture
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sasquatch posted 11 weeks ago.

kylie wrote:

In response to sasquatch having trouble keeping up with liquid nutrition, I found the key was having in highly concentrated and keeping nutrition separate from electrolytes and hydration. Instead of a frame of mind of having to drink enough, it is a single sip a couple times an hour.

Thanks! I haven't tried that yet, so I will definitely give it a shot. I've found my stomach will tolerate almost anything, so I have to base my decisions on performance and how easy it is to get the calories down. I preform better with liquid only, but end up short of nutrition in anything longer than 5 hours. I will definitely try the separation of liquids.

hwangnyc's picture
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hwangnyc posted 11 weeks ago.

Kylie, I'm curious about solids becuase I can't imagine 8hrs of liquid food for a HIM nevertheless 15hrs for a IM.

Gotta lose that head fat.

triNick's picture
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triNick posted 11 weeks ago.

hwangnyc wrote:
Kylie, I'm curious about solids becuase I can't imagine 8hrs of liquid food for a HIM nevertheless 15hrs for a IM.

It's not that bad if you have the right mixture, I like it way better now. I tried solids on my first IM on the bike and it was fine. Let's say it didn't sit well on the run. It's gets a bit tricky once in a while, epecially on a hilly course.

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kylie's picture
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kylie posted 11 weeks ago.

hwangnyc wrote:
Kylie, I'm curious about solids becuase I can't imagine 8hrs of liquid food for a HIM nevertheless 15hrs for a IM.

That makes sense. I never imagined how much better it would be for me, either. And it is something you'll want to play with in your training to nail what works for you.

For one thing to try, here is what I do:
I have 2 bottles on my frame of very concentrated carbo pro (often with a nuun tablet just for flavor). I put about 600 calories in each bottle. Then I take a single sip about every 20 minutes. I also usually have a baggie of cliff blocks or a couple gels taped to my frame just in case I want something other than liquid. Sometimes I use them, sometimes I don't.

I keep that separate from hydration and electrolytes, and I found that very important. By doing so, I can adjust my liquid (ie non-nutrition intake) based on the weather without having to change my nutrition plan. I can drink more if it's really hot, less if not so hot. And for that I use water and gatorade (or water and endurolytes if gatorade isn't tasting good to me on race day).

The nutrition part of an IM is tough, and very individual. But you can start with somethings other people have had success with, and try them and figure out what is right for you.

The Dude's picture
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The Dude posted 9 weeks ago.

Doesn't anyone eat bananas anymore? It has been a long time since I did a HIM, but I don't recall packing any food, so I must have relied on whatever it was they handed out or maybe I had a powerbar. In the IM races, I know I ate a million bananas because I couldn't even look at a banana afterwards! I also had a peanut butter sandwich in my special needs bag for my first IM, but I can't remember what I ate in the other 2 IMs. I'm pretty sure I survived on bananas and whatever else they gave out, along with gatorade or whatever they happened to be using at a particular race. I have a pretty tough stomach, so no worries. In fact, I never did figure out what I was drinking when I did the Japan IM, although I remember having a few beers afterwards. :)

-Tod