Snytjie

True. You can only digest a limited amount of the sugars (as said here 150-400kcal). After that your digestive system shuts it out and you puke/get stomach cramps. Moderate intensity exercise will see you burn around 50/50 calories of fat and glucose/glycogen, and for cycling that would translate to about 450 kcal of each. You are thus always in deficit, or in other words, you burn more that you can actually take in even when exercising moderately. Go quicker and the deficit enlarges...

Its more complicated than just taking a gel before an intense part, or taking a standard amount such as one per hour or such. Your body burns a certain percentage of glucose as you exercise, and that percentage rises with intensity. The can however only store a limited amount of glucose, and therefore you run the risk of running out of it (the 'hit the wall' phenomenon). So the idea of race nutrition is to offset the deficiency as much as possible. For example, if you cycle for 3 hours at high intensity you'll burn something like 700kcal per hour in glucose. Typically your body can store 1500-1800 kcal in glucose, plus the opportunity to manufacture some more from protein in an emergency. So, you'll have around 2000-2200 to work with. That means that after three hours you'll be very close to bonking if you take nothing. In crease the time/intensity and you have no choice but eating. But its not only a case of eating to offset the deficit. Each body differs in its capability to digest food during intense workout. You can also train your body to take more. I started e.g. with 150kcal p.h., and can after a year take on 300kcal. I would say that one has to have an idea of how the body uses glucose at certain level, and then do loads of experimentation during training.

Don't know if my settings are just not right, but I don't have the option to add GPS to the swimming profile. I did wonder about it as DC Rainmaker said in his review of the RCX5 that he swam with it. When biking, I put the arm pouch on my aero bars. I too like the RCX5 for the compact watch which I often wear as a day to day one. I always look at the Garmins and can help but thinking that the few added features really isn't worth having that knob on my arm while training/racing...

No-one should wonder why our great stadiums are only 25% full when SA takes on the nr 1 side in the world. Cricket in SA has no more pride or heart to it. Just a weak philosophy of justifying every soft loss or the passing up the opportunity to make history when it comes by. These dimwits think that a 80% or 90% win/draw rate will make them great; it won't. What makes you great is spirit, of which we have none. To get the chance to make history and not going for it just to try and keep up a mediocre record is spineless. On the upside: more time for me to go cycling...

400 kcal is a lot, and you are likely to struggle with that amount. General standards are 200 - 350. You have to train your gut to take that, and can't just do it on race day. I would think that you should also calculate what you need in the light of effort, rather than just aim for some number. With Jailbreak I burned 5900 kcal. I kept my HR mostly in the 150-155 range, and from RER testing I know that means 70% glucose and 30% fat burning. So I used 5900kcal * 70% = 4130 kcal in glucose. I took in 300kcal per hour and was comfortable with that. That left me with 4130-1800 = 2330 deficit which had to come from muscle and liver stores, and from gluconeogenesis (your liver producing glucose from protein). I couldn't do much more, i.e. my gut couldn't take more, I could feel that I'm on the edge wrt energy available and I could feel the blowout come right at the end. So, I know: for 70.3 races, take 300kcal per hour and stay in the 150-155 range otherwise your going to blow. Go longer, and the effort will have to come down to, say, 145-147 HR for most of the race which = 50/50 glucose/fat burning.

It was my first 70.3, and quite an experience! Conditions were pretty good. Swim was choppy, yes, but not too bad. The little bit of wind just cooled things down nicely without bothering too much. I liked the course and found it much more enjoyable than something like Global11 which is mainly in town. Organization overall was good. The officials were mostly friendly and helpful and the course was very well marked. It was a pity that the water point on the bike course was self help, so you had to stop for water. On the run the water points were brilliant: spaced perfectly, and man, those ice water sponges at each!!! I got them right up to the last point I passed too. The only real problem was the fact that the run turned out to be 24km ! I thought my watch's calibration was out, but two runners on course and a number at the end confirmed the distance. Don't know how you make that mistake... My wife said that some of the pro's were livid after finishing. They obviously paced themselves based on the three laps, which turned out to be 8km each rather than 7km resulting in them being pretty shot at the end. I myself only just made the finish, with my quads killing me over the last 2-3km. Overall a great experience, and I think a very good introductory race before EL and Midmar later in the season.

As far as I can see the booklet doesn't explain precisely what you should shove into the bucket. My running shoes + wetsuit will not fit.

I got the stuff at Access Park. Bought some pants and three tops. I am well satisfied with those pants. They are silk smooth and felt very comfortable as I ran around outside the shop. The tops are not tri specific, but rather cycling tops. Still, they fit snugly, are very comfortable and have plenty space. They don't have the extra bits like envelope pockets, but on my level I don't think it really matters. What matters is the fact that it cost R1200 for the pants, three tops and 5 pair of socks. Really a pity that they are discontinuing those pants...

I was told at registration yesterday that the race briefing will be uploaded to the website and that there is a info brochure in the container we got. I decided not to stay for the briefing @14:00. However, there is nothing on the website and the brochure is not too extensive. It says that you must get your container as you exit the water, and then take it with you to the changing tent/transition. Does this mean that you have to put your running shoes in the container beforehand (as opposed to next to your bike)? And, would that mean that you have to shove your wetsuit into it too after the swim?

The gods are not with me on this one. Had to travel a lot for work the past three weeks which hampered training, got a nice airway infection for a week, and last week a wound on my hand became infected... looks like my taper for Jailbreak will consist of 7 days off with maybe a little activity on Tuesday and Wednesday. At least I was well prepared before all these other little challenges arrived. I see the weather forecast looks promising. At this stage its cloudy and only 25 degrees max.

Ok. It would be interesting. I have however fitted a one piece once. The people in the store must have thought I'm a little off my rocker judging from the mixture of laughs, curses and crying sounds that came from that stall. I looked like a cross between a Teletubby and Jan Wilkens... Don't see myself wearing one too soon.

Ahhhhhh... did not try that one. Thanks.

Update: New Balance cancelled their tri kit, could only find some left-over pants at one store in CT. Rocket only has a one piece suit available, two piece to be release early 2014.

I suspect that road closures etc are much harder to get authorised than we might think, so the further you go out of the busy centres the better. During the Gun Run we had to dodge cars in Seapoint on route: if a 16 000 participant event can't get a proper closure for 4-6 hours... I think the best place is swim at Kommetjie, cycle to Cape Point and back(2 lap), run in Kommetjie/Soetmelkstrand resort (no closures needed)... that would be spectacular!

Thanks, I'll have a look.

I looked at USN's Energy gels in the store yesterday. It also has the same calorific value, i.e. 100 kcal. I think I will be pretty much standard (ito calories). What is definitely different is how they are received in the body. Well, at least in mine. I tried getting 300kcal of 32GI in - major cramps. I also ate one of their snack bars the other day and felt very uncomfortable. Not a bad product, just not 'gelling' with my stomach...

You can say that again! My training session last week cost me R250 just in nutrition!

I'm interested to hear what works for you. I had a issue the past two months to get up to taking in 300kcal per hour. I realised it was the 32GI I've been using in combination with GU for running: my body just don't want to accept so much of the 32GI. Switched to GU only during 5 hour brick last week: no problems.

So what do you worry about? I presume it's for EL, right? You have plenty of time left and your already on the right distances. I'm doing those distances for Jailbreak, and that's two weeks out...

I especially value your opinion! Do you guys ever run marathons then, and if so, in which block of training? I'm still battling through Friel's Triathlon Science, and will hopefully get to the Training Bible next...

I think these plans are suitable for a specific type of athlete: experienced, high natural ability, good base, above- average mental strength. He/she doesn't have to be a triathlete but has to have experience in endurance sport. That way the athlete will be able to cope with doing an Ironman without coming close to the volumes in 12 weeks leading up to the race. Me, on the other hand, won't cope with such a plan. I need to know what 3.8km swim feels like. I need to know what 180km biking feels like. And I most definitely need to know what 42.2km of running feels like. To leave this 'experiencing' for race day is to look for trouble. I'm not highly experienced and because of that I don't have the mental strength (yet) to go out on race day and do nearly three times as much as during my biggest training session. I understand the dangers of "racing during training", overtraining and inadequate recovery. Still, I'll have to do at least one 4km open water swim, one 200km bike, run one marathon and do a 6-7 hour brick in the 10 weeks before my race for me to believe that I can produce the stuff on race day...

I live in Noordhoek and always ride alone along the southern peninsula. Vehicles are no bigger problem than what you are used to. Might even be better here as many motorists cycle themselves and the shoulders that you get on most roads. I've heard one report in three years of a cyclist claiming that people tried to rob him at the settlement on Red Hill. Unconfirmed and he said that he turned around anyway when it looked that they tried to block the road on his approach. Apart from that I have never experienced anything which made me feel uneasy, let alone afraid. I find the uphill side from Hout Bay over Constantia neck quite hairy: no shoulder for large parts, blind turns and it seems to me that people ride a little faster around there for some reason. Downhill is great as you ride the same speed as the cars.

Shot, thanks. They eventually answered on FB too: they try to limit traffic but the road is not fully closed. Getting exited! Four more hard sessions, taper, go!

I think it will be the Race. Was told by someone who has ridden them all that the Race is quite a lot harder than the others.