The 10 Biggest Mistakes Endurance Athletes Make

Boyerdavea · May 5, 2011

<div class="description">So I have been researching nutrition to be sure I am prepared for an Ironman and I came across this article from Hammer Nutrition "<a href="http://www.hammernutrition.com/hnt/1273/" target="_blank">The 10 Biggest Mistakes Endurance Athletes Make</a>". 
For those of you that have done multiple Ironman events, do you agree? (Not referring to their recommendations to use Hammer products) 
I am mainly concerned with #s 4, 5, & 6. How do you know how much electolytes to take? What are good sources of protein provided on the course? What are you thoughts on solid foods? 
I want to come up with a game plan while I am beginning my training and incorporate it during all of my training, not just the final weeks leading up to the race. My goal is to use as much products that are available on the course and limit what I carry with me. I don't want to reduce as much weight as I can on my bike and then carry 30 pounds of nutrition. It doesn't make sense. 
Thanks for your input! 
David</div>

donskiman · May 5, 2011

The article should have been titled, The 10 Biggest NUTRITION Mistakes...". Endurance athletes make far more big mistakes than what they wrote about in that article.
 
Except for fluids, I have always trained and raced self supported. I find out what works for me during training. I've never done an IM, but I've done plenty of century rides self supported except for fluids. Same with marathons.
 
During IM training you'll have plenty of opportunity to find out what works and what doesn't, especially during the long rides and runs. The biggest mistake would be to just "wing it" and live off the course without knowing whether that stuff will work.

mrscoby78 · May 5, 2011

This. 

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Donskiman <a href="/forum/thread/73735/the-10-biggest-mistakes-endurance-athletes-make#post_1998036"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> The biggest mistake would be to just "wing it" and live off the course without knowing whether that stuff will work.</div>
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Disclaimer: I've never done an IM. I've never even done a half IM. I've done 2 marathons and probably a dozen halves. 
 
I know Sportbeans work for me. Shotblocks do nothing for me. GU works well, but I have a hard time gagging it down, even with fluids. I much prefer Gatorade to Powerade.
 
It would be teh suck to train on Sportbeans and Gatorade only to find Shotblocks and Powerade on the course. If nothing more than a huge shot to my mental state (oh no! now what?!?)

Boyerdavea · May 5, 2011

Concur with both of you. I have done my research and plan on training with the products that will be available on the course to make sure I can stomach it. Definately don't want any GI issues.
 
I am also not saying I won't carry anything with me; I just want to limit what I carry and make sure I have the "right" mix of nutrition available to me.
 
For example: I train with solid food when riding and I have taken solid food on both HIM distances I have done. Does this detract from my performance? In my mind there is a huge difference from 5 hours on a Half to potentially 11 or 12 hours or more on a full. Nutrition becomes that much more important.

cak73 · May 5, 2011

I have never done an IM.
I have only done one HIM.
 
My pre-race meal is a toasted bagel with peanut butter and half a banana as I leave the house. Maybe half a banana while setting up transition. Gel 15 min before the swim. Though, my coach says peanut butter isn't digested well; he suggests 2 cups of applesauce, banana, sport drink (Hammer perpetuem or one scoop of Hammer sustained energy) and on hot days 1-4 salt tabs in the hours before the race.
 
On the bike, I ate solids (BonkBreaker bars, NRG bars, and chocolate Energy Bites balls from PowerBar...all 5-8g protein per serving) and drank water and orange Accelerade (which has 5g protein per serving).
On the run, I had gels (Hammer, Clif Shots double expresso, Gu chocolate mint), water, and Gatorade Endurance/2 Pro...maybe also some endurolytes.
 
I'd suggest practicing eating solids during long rides followed by a brick run...should give you a good idea of how well things might sit during the run?
 
Many folks I know eat solids during the IM bike. You don't have to carry all of your solids with you...that's what your bike special needs bag is for. I've heard from folks who go the liquids only route that by early during the run they get totally tired with what they're drinking. So, if you want to go with just liquids on the bike, you might want to try experimenting with something different to consume during the run.

Alaska Mike · May 5, 2011

Dave,
 
I skimmed through the article and my opinion is that it has some good information along with a healthy dallop of marketing. Some of the stuff I just flat out disagree with.
 
#4 - Electrolytes. I find I generally don't require any additional supplemental electrolytes beyond what is in either Gatorade Endurance Formula or the Powerbar Ironman Formula (which is what they served at IM races last year). I've taken S-Caps along the last few IMs I did, but the only time I used them was was handing them off to a buddy who dropped his electrolyte pill bottle. I've had one experience where electrolytes made a huge difference. I was doing a training ride in Racine in June and it was about 105 degrees and we were on a 60 mile ride and I bonked. A buddy gave me electrolytes and I picked up 10 min later. But most of the time I find I don't need them. Buy some, try them out on various training rides and see if the help. If they don't, throw them in your special needs bag so you can grab them if its an especially hot day. Special needs bags are your security blanket, I've never stopped to get anything from mine in my 3 IM races, but I felt secure knowing I had a bunch of stuff in them.
 
#5 - Protein. Probably not a bad idea, but not sure you need a special drink for this. I prefer to race with what is on the course if I've tried it in training and it works. I usually have a bag of peanut M&M's in bike transition bag that goes in my pocket. And the IM races will have a range of foods at the aid station, figure out what's there beforehand and find out what works with your GI system.
 
#6 - Solids. The amount of solids you want varies from person to person and will be much impacted by the weather. Cold, rainy day and you're going to want more solid food. Hot, humid day you will want more liquids. Mix it up in your training and figure out what works for you. My first IM I went way too much liquid and ended up stopping to pee 10 times on the bike, I lost a lot of time in the bathroom.
 
The other thing to remember is that training isn't a perfect simulation for race effort. What works at training effort isn't guarenteed to work at race effort. What works at mile 20 of the bike may not work at mile 22 of the run. You do need to be flexible.
 
And most of all, your first IM won't go perfect so don't expect it to. Expect problems and roll with them.
 
Good luck,
Mike

Stitcher · May 5, 2011

Dave....
 
Above all else, race w/ what you train with. 
 
I know that bananas sit well on my gut, so when races have them for hand-up on bike, I can be safe it taking them. So I did.
 
I used custom blend from Infinit for the basis of my fuel for the bike.
On training rides, I carried that with me, plus water (self-supported) and always had a "spare" stash of bars/gels in my bento box just in case the world dropped on my head and I ended up out on the road longer than planned. Only once did I ever have to dip into my stash, and that was the infamous Anniston experience with hypothermia. 
 
I also got sick of drinking fuel during my IM run, especially the fuel I had with me.
Luckily, I was able to fall back on what was provided on the race course.
 
But, as the evening got longer, there were times when what I REALLY wanted was gone from an aid station, so have a plan to deal with that if your race gets to the point that you'll be out there much longer than you intend.
 
The one thing that I found true about me was that even though the Infinit had enough calories, we had to tweak at the formula in terms of protein. I needed a bit more than predicted initially, because I really didn't like the feeling of being hungry on the bike....it was too distracting. So, w/ a bit more protein in the mix, my stomach was not so grumbly and I could focus on what I needed to focus on. Since you eat solids on your long rides, that might not be an issue for you.
 
Also consider the effect of solids over an entire race day as opposed to a training day. Some people's guts process at different rates, and if you want to keep required stops down to a minimum, you may want to evaluate who quickly you process. Get it?

Keep in mind too, that I was training and participating to FINISH as opposed to RACE. So, I was ok having a touch extra with me just in case. I'd rather have had it than not, and then end up needing it. But, I made sure that what I carried with me was light weight. I carried a baggie of Infinit powder in case something happened to one of my bottles. I had M&Ms, and then skittles for a treat in my special needs bag. I saw some people scarfing down PBJ @ special needs.....that made me want to hurl, but if it worked for them, then great. 
 
On the run, I was in the dark most of the time.....the sun goes down early in November at the beach.
I remember liking the gatorade, and the chicken broth the best, and the coke was only so-so....it tended to make me thirsty.
I had bananas in the beginning, but then they were all gone.
Some stops had grapes.............they were FANTASTIC! I was very suprised by that. I made sure only to eat them on my walk breaks, though....no choking for me!
Candy/pretzles/etc from some stops didn't do much for me.
 
After the race, though....my body didn't want to think about solids...............at all.
I had red gatorade.
Back at the condo, I might have had some leftover dinner that I made myself eat before going to sleep, but I had to force myself to do it. I was glad the next day, but it was not great that night. 
 
It took me 2 weeks to get any interest in food back.....and that was different from what I've heard most people say about post-IM eating needs. It almost worried me. 
Then.....all I wanted to eat was Taco Bell.
 
BAD BAD BAD Idea!!~
 
 
So, there's lots in here.....and I hope it sheds light on decision making.....
and that you have an awesome training cycle and race!

mrscoby78 · May 6, 2011

IM in Louisville in August will be ungodly hot. Be prepared. There were lots of problems last year when the temps reached into the 90's. 
 
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Boyerdavea · May 6, 2011

Thanks Everyone! I really do appreciate the great advice.
 
mrscoby78 - The heat shouldn't be too much of an issue for me. My temps here are probably pretty close to Louisville if not a little hotter. And the humidity here in July and August or the worst. I will just have to make sure I do some of my long rides in the heat of the day. I am already running at lunch on Monday's just so I can use to running in the extreme heat.

4boysmom · May 6, 2011

I've only done a handful of HIMs, so no expert. However, doing the 12hr challenge last weekend taught both son1 and me a lot. A#1 is be flexible! We had our nutrition all planned out. Then, in the rush we forgot to get stuff out of the cooler and ended up on the road with no food. Well, not no food, just not what we had planned. I had cookies in my bento box, which I had planned on for late in the race. Son1 had only Hammer gels. Oh well, that's all we had, so that's what we used. I was able pick up solids at m50 and was good. Son1 went to restock his Hammer gels only to find they hadn't made it into the cooler. Oh well, he went with my Gu's (I had 6+, far more than I needed and he knew it). At m100, I was whipped and coming into S/F, I was craving a soda which was planned of post race. Whatever--I had it at m100. I swear that's what gave me the boost to start another 50m lap. 
 
Know what foods you can eat and plan on using those. Pack extras in your drop bag. You never know when you are going to take that first bite of Powerbar (or banana, poptart, bagel), only to have the stupid thing break and fall to the ground. Oh well, you might just need to do a Gu to get those calories. Or when you look at what you have and your stomach tells you don't even try it, it's not going down. That's why you have extras in the drop bag.

jroden · May 7, 2011

People did long races before things like powerbars and the winning times at Ironman races were really fast. People didn't talk about "nutrition plans" they just ate food and raced. Seems like a lot of drama and marketing for feeding what is an imperfect and inconsistent organism.

Boyerdavea · May 8, 2011

True
 
But, I would think a lot more poeple failed (or were much slower) to complete endurance events due to the lack of proper nutrients.
 
People also completed ironmans with steel bikes, so why go carbon fiber?

jroden · May 8, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Boyerdavea <a href="/forum/thread/73735/the-10-biggest-mistakes-endurance-athletes-make#post_1998389"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> True
 
But, I would think a lot more poeple failed (or were much slower) to complete endurance events due to the lack of proper nutrients.
 
People also completed ironmans with steel bikes, so why go carbon fiber?
</div>
</div>
 
Hell if I know, I love my Columbus Max steel tubing. I think they make it out to be this tidy little math problem when in fact every person has different absorbsion rates, surface area, efficiency, gastric tolerance, etc. etc. It comes down to fiddling around and taking some risks, in the end most of what is being used for the fancy "nutrition plans" is malt sugar suspensions, table salt and potassium like you find in Kool aid. The new stuff has whey protein like the lunk heads drink before going to the gym, am I missing something?

Swimmerbee · May 8, 2011

I never had real nutrition problems at the 1/2 IM level but with distance swimming anything goes. For my first channel I swallowed diesel and couldn't stomach anything but tea for 25 miles (eventually added honey) I had borught 3 different sports drinks and what saed the day for the last miles was hersey's syrup which I had brought for a "treat". For others I've head incompletely washed bottles made some people sick, infint and other protien drinks get too hot in the sun and curdle, stomach suddenly won't accept liquid/solid etc. So what i've learned is to try as many different things as possible in training and then try to bring as many of those as possible with you and try to find things you can use that you can get locally in case your stuff doesn't make it. I know I can't do gatorade but in a pinch 1/4 orange juice or apricot nectar (the later is better) with wate rand a pinch of salt. Green tea with carbs is great and in a pinch that's corn starch, honey or sugar, fig newtons etc. So I'd prepare by selecting all the things you might have avaialbe and tyring them all a number of times. If htere are things you have to have either have more than one supply or look at commonly available alternatives. Then make a plan of what you intend to do and allow for lots of back-ups. 
 
One aspect that gets less attention these days then it deserves is the prerace nutrition that is the week leading in to the event. Much of what your body is goign to use on race day is what you've already ingested in teh days before. Hydrating is important but I think minerals and vitamins are too. Will you get too hungry if you only carb load the night before? Try it out. What happens if you eat popcorn or salad the night before? Greasy meals...yes these are things I've learned to avoid!
 
The more distance I do the less I like the marketed sports items, they have too many vitamins (some bars and drinks have amounts that are toxice if you take them over a long course) they have coloring, they have flavors that get to you.

The 10 Biggest Mistakes Endurance Athletes Make

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