Nothing groundbreaking here. I use saltstick caps for marathons and Ironmans and never had any problems. I stuff a bunch of them into a small capsule and keep it in my race belt and then pop them into my mouth while heading into aid stations.
Yeah, this is what I used… Usually 1 every hour, not sure if I need the same rate for a half ironman
Hi Guillermo. Great race report. I actually got hot reading it. Congratulations on completing your first 70.3 despite adversity. But something’s bothering me. Why are you at all concerned about finishing time if you spend 17 minutes in transition? That’s massive…
Also, have you considered replacing your $7k road bike with a much faster (and possibly more comfortable) $2-3k tri bike?
Sort of depends on your sweat rate I guess – I think 1 only has 250mg of sodium (or there abouts) which is not a ton if you are a salty sweater (some folks can lose over 1000mg an hour…)
In a half I usually start taking them on the run (take electro fluid on bike) and take 1 every other aid station so about 6 in total). I’ve never had any sweat testing done, but I’ve also never had a problem ingesting too many… It could very well be placebo, but I always feel better when I load up on the sodium.
I tried BASE salt for the first time on race day (for shame!!! 
) and it worked great, until I spilled it everywhere. 
The container is nice and small and much smaller than the picture made it look. My main source was mixing extra sodium citrate into my fuel though.
I’m not? This was a B race and only my second triathlon ever, my only goal was to practice and learn (and finish). In this case one of the things I wanted to learn was how to prepare and execute a pacing plan; finishing times only mattered inasmuch that I wasn’t able to execute properly and I drew some lessons from that. The total finishing time wasn’t important so I didn’t put that much effort into transitioning faster.
Yeah, but I wanted to make sure triathlons are something I want to commit to long term before I get a tri bike (I’m never gonna replace my Aethos, though, I love that thing).
a 3k Tri bike? Where?
2012
Well, $2.8k for a Cervelo P2, $3.8 for a Canyon Speedmax CF 7, and there are a number of even cheaper brands. Anyway I was thinking “used” (but I didn’t make myself clear and I did benchmark the $2-3k against the price of Guillermo’s road bike when new - mea culpa).
One of the things holding me back is that none of my local bike shops carry tri bikes; I don’t have great options to try tri bikes short of driving 5 hours to Salt Lake City or 8 hours to Boulder. I’ve been mulling buying a Shiv if they’re ever in stock, since at least I can have it shipped to one of the LBS around here, but buying a tri bike sight unseen doesn’t seem smart.
The main issue with this is that TT/Tri is sort of niche sport in US. Yes there are many people who do triathlons, but usually bike shops do not carry the bikes. You would need to ask you local Spec/trek etc dealer to order one for you. And even then you might not like the bike. So many bike shops are not willing to order unless you are ready to buy.
That leave most of us buying bike sight unseen and hoping for the best. Just make sure whatever you get, you get it sized correctly.
Huge congratulations!!
I went to a bike fitter, paid for a fit this gave me the data to select a frameset that had the stack and reach range suitable for me, checked my selection with the fitter, ordered online, built the bike at home. Took it to the fitter to double check I’d got it right and tweaked a few things.
Great job on your race and awesome write up! It’s cool to get all those details on your successful training and nutrition in addition to the race!
Sorry that I never responded, those last few weeks were bedlam, my sons birthday on the 16th with 2 parties, our flight was changed which meant that we had to drive down to heathrow the night before, stayed in Slough which there are barely any 24 hour car parks, getting to the airport just Chaos.
With regards to the race
I swam 1.13, I only swam 38 at outlaw half in may. Since then I have had my best ever block of swim training including joining a tri club.
Bike it all started to go down hill, got out on the bike and literally everyone is going past me (last ftp prediction was 294 so yeah there are better bikers but im not in the middle of the bell curve), I stopped and I literally could not spin my wheel once, break rubbing was not an issue, a lad came and gave me a bit of advice I set back off but it still wasnt right, I then stopped again about 20 miles and again at 45 with only a 15 mph average. On my third stop I pulled my rear wheel out of the frame a little and it spun much more freely, second loop was signfiicantly better, much closer to a 22 mph average and I started going past people easily. All was back on track till the last aid station had gone, I didn’t need anything I hit a bit of a pot hole and my nutrition went out of the back.
By the time i got into transition I was well behind where I wanted to be and struggling because I hadn’t drank anywhere near enough.
For me to improve my run I just need to embrace the discomfort a lot more, I had more in the tank but by then I just settled into a bit of a run walk (I didn’t need to walk anywhere near as much as I did)
The worst thing about the run was the awful logistics on the aid stations, as I got out on the run course (before the first finsher was home just about) they had already run out of non caffinated gels, at certain aid stations, by my second loop they had run out of cups at the end aid station, they were cutting up coke bottles and refilling empty red bull cans, and just getting people to drink from hoses. This is not good enough.
In the end I came in at 13.30 about an hour more where I should have been, disapointing becuause I would say that was exzctly what I was cost with that mechanical.
The other issue that I will convey with cpoenhagen is that on their printers ballsed up on the hoodies, there was no one with the name a-f on there but ok there is a sign saying that they’ll be on the website next week. What they didn’t say is that to britain and ireland there is a FIFTY quid delivery fee while its free to europe.
I don’t feel I’m anywhere near worthy to enter this thread as triathlons let alone Ironmans are only an aspiration for me at this stage but I wanted to say thank you for all the information, tips and inspiration throughout this thread. It’s been a hugely motivational read! There are some very quick people in here putting huge hours in but there are also some “normal” people working hard to be the best version of themselves 
I’ve just started running again after about 10 years off (long term TR user) and as I build that back up I will add some swims and the who knows, I could be back with something to contribute soon!
I’m not sure I’d be described as normal but thanks.
With Weymouth 70.3 looming bright in the headlights and a six week summer holidays of desperately crunched training. My bike seems kind of acceptable and the run fitness feels sluggish. I’m still concerned about the swim cut off. There’s no other way to put it other than I’m slow. I haven’t made any progress and the couple of coached sessions seem to make me slower. I think that my kick is letting me down. The only solace I can take is that it is what it is. Just get down there and get on with it.
For Cardiff I just used my own nutrition, carrying what I needed. Is Gatorade similar to Lucozade? I haven’t been able to test it. I used Torq bars, high5 gels, a banana 
& pick n mix for the run 
(Sugar cola bottles are the best! )
I don’t think that I’ll be using the reusable cup trial on race day.
My itinerary is almost done so now just looking after the fitness that I have.
Oh man, doesn’t sound like a great experience but kudos on the swimming gains. I’ve always been nearer the front out of the swim so I’m used to everyone riding past me and it’s a morale sapper.
I used to order stuff off the IM shop until Brexit so I know about the charges, for some reason best known to them they only offer air freight to the UK - I have heard from other competitors that they will be waiving the delivery fee for their mess up in printing though.
Congrats to wyku, crosshemi, gesteves, and to anyone else I’ve missed who completed a recent race.
Spent 2.5 weeks in Australia this August so training took a back seat. Did a couple of OWS while there without a wetsuit - hadn’t planned on it but saw lots of locals without wetsuits swimming in the 63-degree water - thought I’d give it a try. Holy cow was that cold! Aussies are on a different level of toughness! I’ll happily take my bath temperature Gulf swims 
- Total 26:07:10; TSS=1405
- Run: 5:36:13; 50km
- Bike: 18:35:56, 468.3km
- Swim: 1:55:01, 1897m
Plan is still to re-build a massive aerobic base with lots of Z2/Z3 bike and run work throughout the fall - I’ve lost quite a bit given sporadic training over the past 3 months. Will throw in a few group rides, short cycling races, and maybe a half IM in December just to get one in this year.
Thanks for reading and good luck everyone.