Standard Bank Ironman 2016 (10 April)

[T.XTERRA]

I tried High5 this weekend for the first time - overall I was not impressed.

 

Given that it is what will be on course I must say I am disappointed.

 

The gels - easy to get down which is a plus but they lack a distinctive punch and fuelling feeling that "normal GUs" do.  This is evidenced by the fact they encourage their use EVERY 20 minutes - which for me seems insane.

 

The energy bar - borderline inedible.  Very sweet and just crap tasting.

 

The drink - not bad / not great.  I have used Pace and Power to date and feel its hydrating and sustenance qualities are far superior to that of High5.  

 

I was hoping to be able to "feed" off of what was going to be provided to us but now I think I will have to take almost ALL my nutrition with me.

 

If anyone is looking for really good stuff I recommend Pace and Power - superb superb stuff, specifically designed for long endurance type events like IronMan, EPic etc

what are your thoughts on doing something like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQOaJy-ToVc

[T.XTERRA]

I tried High5 this weekend for the first time - overall I was not impressed.

 

Given that it is what will be on course I must say I am disappointed.

 

The gels - easy to get down which is a plus but they lack a distinctive punch and fuelling feeling that "normal GUs" do.  This is evidenced by the fact they encourage their use EVERY 20 minutes - which for me seems insane.

 

The energy bar - borderline inedible.  Very sweet and just crap tasting.

 

The drink - not bad / not great.  I have used Pace and Power to date and feel its hydrating and sustenance qualities are far superior to that of High5.  

 

I was hoping to be able to "feed" off of what was going to be provided to us but now I think I will have to take almost ALL my nutrition with me.

 

If anyone is looking for really good stuff I recommend Pace and Power - superb superb stuff, specifically designed for long endurance type events like IronMan, EPic etc

what are your thoughts on doing something like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQOaJy-ToVc

[Snytjie]

Would like to know who is using what nutrition wise on race day. I have spent a lot of my training sessions conditioning myself through fasting and am now looking to put together a decent nutrion plan that I hope will 'super boost' my performance

 

I have done some research but would like to hear how you guys are tackling your nutrition plans or if any of you have or have made individual super juices.

ps my NUMBER is 898.

I think there are a number of correct approaches/products one can use. I tried a number of things through 3 years of longer races, but learned three lessons I keep to now:

 

1. Whatever I plan I need to test during hard training sessions to make sure it works for me

2. K.I.S.S

3. Add variety to training for in case plan doesn't work on race day

 

I eat complex carbs and MCT oil 1 hour before swim, have two bottles of double strength Roctane on bike which gets taken along with grabbed water, gels and one solid meal from special needs bag at 300-400 kcal per hour, and only grab gels/coke/water on run at 300-400 kcal per hour. Works great, its simple and I've never had issues with GU or High5 during training (unlike 32GI which I must avoid...). 

[Fast Forward]

Special needs bag? Please tell me more.

[nochain]

Numbers out, that means taper starts soon

Hell that worries me, my training only starts this week really....Been struggling with stomach bug for weeks now so have not been able to do as much as I wanted.

Taper will start 6 days before event.....eina..

Have not been on TT bike once also....need to get it build up a.s.a.p.

 

But I can't wait to get there...I only go every second year so been missing the event big time!!

[IceCreamMan]

Special needs bag? Please tell me more.

 

For the Cycle and Run leg you are allowed to put stuff in a bag (special needs bag) and this is available to you on the course at the point where the truck is situated. YOu can access this bag only once on the cycle leg and only once on the run leg. Whatever is in the bag is thrown away after the event so you cant claim it back.

 

Last year I did not use the special needs bag for the run but for the cycle I put in a hot cross bun, a spare tube and a bomb. Ended up not stopping for it anyway.

 

Special needs bags are dropped off on the morning of the event and located at a point on the cycle and run legs. You can stash anything you like in it, but whatever is there gets thrown away at the end.

 

Edit: Just to be clear, you get 2 separate bags, one for the cycle leg and one for the run leg

[reteid]

on what km mark on the bike / run would this be kept?

[IceCreamMan]

on what km mark on the bike / run would this be kept?

 

LAst year it was at the +- 90km on the cycle leg. For the run leg as you run the same course 4 times it would be available at many different points on the run. Will have to wait for the final rules to determine exactly where it will be but for the cycle leg I expect it to be just before the 90km mark and that will also be the 180km mark. (stand to be corrected though pending final rules)

[banna]

1533... I am going to back off from Easter Monday.

Ja, also going to taper for the last 2 weeks only. Doing the +-50% of max volume from 2 weeks out and then 25% for the last week. Ag jeez, there's so many opinions on how to taper. Some say at least 3 weeks, others say the longer the race, the shorter the taper needs to be. I think somewhere in between is probably right. But what do I know....

[nochain]

Ja, also going to taper for the last 2 weeks only. Doing the +-50% of max volume from 2 weeks out and then 25% for the last week. Ag jeez, there's so many opinions on how to taper. Some say at least 3 weeks, others say the longer the race, the shorter the taper needs to be. I think somewhere in between is probably right. But what do I know....

Taper is a very personal thing...you have to know your own body to know what is the right amount of rest. To me it depends on the level off training you are use to, not just for Ironman but what you have been doing over the last 10 years or so. The more Load you are able to handle the shorter the taper. 

Some of these top guys will still do like a 10 x 1k sprint run sessions 7 or 8 days before. Realistically you have to have a hell of a lot of fatigue in your legs not to get rid of it in 7 to 10 days. 

The rule you should follow the last 2 weeks in my opinion is not to have 1 day of training that you can not recover fully from before the next day. Then the last 5 or 6 days is basically just spin the legs and keep them loose.

[banna]

The rule you should follow the last 2 weeks in my opinion is not to have 1 day of training that you can not recover fully from before the next day. Then the last 5 or 6 days is basically just spin the legs and keep them loose.

Jip, that sounds pretty much spot on to me. Do just enough so that the body keeps churning over and doesn't fall asleep before race day.

[clivem]

For the Cycle and Run leg you are allowed to put stuff in a bag (special needs bag) and this is available to you on the course at the point where the truck is situated. YOu can access this bag only once on the cycle leg and only once on the run leg. Whatever is in the bag is thrown away after the event so you cant claim it back.

 

Last year I did not use the special needs bag for the run but for the cycle I put in a hot cross bun, a spare tube and a bomb. Ended up not stopping for it anyway.

 

Special needs bags are dropped off on the morning of the event and located at a point on the cycle and run legs. You can stash anything you like in it, but whatever is there gets thrown away at the end.

 

Edit: Just to be clear, you get 2 separate bags, one for the cycle leg and one for the run leg

Am I right i saying that your special needs bag can be handed to you by a friend, etc who stands at the designated place for special needs bags?  So it follows that surely the friend can take the bag back after you're done with it?

[shawnvan]

Am I right i saying that your special needs bag can be handed to you by a friend, etc who stands at the designated place for special needs bags?  So it follows that surely the friend can take the bag back after you're done with it?

 

No - this used to be the case in the "old days", but now special needs bags are managed by race officials.   You have to hand them over on race morning before the start and you don't get them back afterwards, so don't put anything of value in them (eg expensive clothing) unless you are sure you will stop and take it during the race.

 

NB - you can't accept / give anything to spectators or friends on the course as this would be "outside assistance" and you could be disqualified.

[nochain]

No - this used to be the case in the "old days", but now special needs bags are managed by race officials.   You have to hand them over on race morning before the start and you don't get them back afterwards, so don't put anything of value in them (eg expensive clothing) unless you are sure you will stop and take it during the race.

 

NB - you can't accept / give anything to spectators or friends on the course as this would be "outside assistance" and you could be disqualified.

I miss the old day's where a family member could hand you something at a designated spot on the route. It made them feel part of it all a bit more and was great to get a bottle handed to me by my dad and not some race official.

Can understand why they do it but it is sad.

Its getting worse also, think now running in with your kid is also not allowed anymore? One of my best memories is finishing with my daughter( not even 1 year old at that time) in my arms.

[MK Killer]

Fellow hubbers

 

Anyone (or any idea) with a gpx file of the bike route?

[SwissVan]

I miss the old day's where a family member could hand you something at a designated spot on the route. It made them feel part of it all a bit more and was great to get a bottle handed to me by my dad and not some race official.

Can understand why they do it but it is sad.

Its getting worse also, think now running in with your kid is also not allowed anymore? One of my best memories is finishing with my daughter( not even 1 year old at that time) in my arms.

 

I remember the days when seconds used to drive to 1 or 2 designated water points (on the bike route) and you could stop next to the car and get what ever you wanted, stop and picnic or whatever...and then on the run they could follow you the whole way by car or bicycle or on foot... we used to see some pretty ingenious bicycles (with umbrellas) and other methods used for seconding. 

 

It wasn't that long ago....shoulda taken more pictures