4/9/08: 4 days left to IMAZ

Tri Girls Rock!
Jen Lynn and her kids have been busy working on posters for the race. Check it out! This is so awesome! They will be at the Trisports aid station under the 202 on the run. I think that's right around Mile 6 on the first loop. So I definitely need to get on that run course this year so that I can see the poster! It is complete with sparkles and everything. Oh, it's ALL about the bling!

Honestly, I can't imagine doing a far-away IM. I love IMAZ because our friends can come up to the race and cheer. The Trisports aid station is especially important because everyone from Tucson will be there. It's like your whole home team is right there waiting for you. Shari mentioned that her motivation was to get back to that aid station to see everyone again. I think that's going to be my motivation too. I'll get to see and hug everyone 3 times on the run course.

More Packing
Last night I got most of the stuff packed. All that is left is nutrition and non-race stuff. We are also taking our mountain bikes. We are staying at the Courtyard Marriott hotel on Ash Ave, which is 0.3 miles from the race venue. It seems like there's always trips to be made to the expo, or the areas around town. So we're going to bring the mountain bikes to get around on, which is far easier than driving. Parking is always limited at the hotel, so it's nice to just park the car and get around on foot or bike. Last year I walked everywhere, but after awhile it all adds up. Biking will be much easier.

I am leaving work early today to get my 30 min swim in. Yes, MORE SWIMMING, but at least it's only 30 minutes and that's it for today. Then I'll head home to start packing more stuff up. Besides, it's pointless to be at work today. Like I'm getting anything done.

More on Nutrition
I should mention Infinit, and why I'm using it (I realized not everyone may be familiar with it). This stuff is AWESOME! http://www.infinitnutrition.us/

I've tried lots of stuff over the years. For awhile I used Gatorade. Then I used Gatorade with Carbo Pro. For my longer races, it just wasn't working out. I kept feeling empty and out of energy the longer the race went on. I've taken small sips of stuff like Perpetum (EWWW!) and some of the Hammer stuff. But there's something in the Hammer stuff that just doesn't sit well with me. I sipped Accelerade with the famed 4:1 carb:protein ratio after a race once and that just about made me puke. I also have used Spiz (http://www.spiz.net/). I still like Spiz for colder weather as a recovery drink. I'll often use Infinit on the bike for 24 hour MTB races, and in between laps when other team members are riding I'll sip on Spiz just to taste something different. Spiz does NOT work when it gets hot though. Actually, many drinks don't work hot. But Infinit does. That's the reason I tried it. The weather forecasts are showing IMAZ is going to be 95-98 degrees, so you've got to be able to drink something that may get warm.

The reason I love it is the ability to customize your formula. You can buy a standard formula, which is what I did first. I bought the 6 pack sampler which came with a heat mix, a long-distance mix, and a few other mixes, and each came as a different flavor. I wanted to be sure I could stomach the stuff first (this is where Hammer failed). I could, so the next step was to try a formula. I filled out the online survey and the results show your recommended formula and sliders for certain categories (flavor, carbs, calories, electrolytes, protein, amino acids, and caffeine). Your then free to slide the sliders around and see how that changes the nutritional content. First, I slid the flavor way down (I'm not a fan of strong flavor, which is why Gatorade bothers me). I bumped up the electrolytes up a bit. Then I ordered a small canister. I tried that and saw how I felt on training rides. My first mix came out to 263 calories per serving, which I found out for me was too much. So I diluted it and finished up the canister. For my next order I moved the sliders around again. So over time I've been tweaking my formula until I found what works for long rides and what will work for IMAZ. I then trained exclusively with that formula. They have 3 flavors: orange, lemon lime, and fruit punch. My IMAZ mix is orange, with the flavor dialed way down. I'm down to 220 calories per hour, which is where my stomach is happy. I have a little bit of protein in my bike mix, which helps with keeping the hunger at bay. The small bites of food I'm going to take in the middle of the bike will only be to keep my stomach busy. It seems to like a little bit of mass of solid food to play with while I ride, and that keeps it from growling.

For the chemistry buffs, the reason Infinit works is because it's all based on osmolality, which is basically the concentration of a solution. Your stomach can only process so much, and race day is a delicate balance. Too little and you bonk. Too much and your system clogs, usually by having a going out of buisiness sale where everything must go, and go it does.

All of this took me about a year of testing to figure out and dial in, but the results have been great. In fact, this past week it was verified. I commuted to work on my bike 3 times last week. I wanted to save my Infinit mix for IMAZ, so I just took Gatorade on the ride, which I haven't used on the bike in forever. I did NOT feel as good. Gatorade just feels like a sugary drink and empty calories. My commute was only 25 miles, and I had better luck eating small bites of Cliff bar along the way.

This is just what worked for me, and it's all about finding out what works for you. I know Gatorade is easy to find in stores, and some people love that stuff or other stuff. But if you plan ahead, it's worth trying a customized mix. I usually get my Infinit within a week of placing the order. I always order a bit early, just so I know I get it well before my race. Oh, and you can customize your label, which is cool. I would put descriptive things in the label title to know which mix was what back when I was experimenting. Now I'm down to my "Elaine's IMAZ mix".

No, I don't work for Infinit. ;) I'm just happy to FINALLY have found something that works. Trust me, stomach issues in a race are no joy ride. My only regret is that I didn't have enough time to work on a run formula of Infinit. But the bike is where nutrition is key, so I'm glad I got that figured out. I'm still using Shot Bloks on the run, which works. After IMAZ I'm going to start working on a mountain bike mix for Xterras.

I'm planning on bringing my Spiz to IMAZ for after the race. Spiz is a meal in itself and goes down easy if you sip it. My body will have been on a mostly liquid diet for the entire day, and I really don't want to slam it with solid food like pizza and other finish line buffet food. A friend and I went to Chili's one day after a 100 mile ride, and the veggie burger and mashed potatoes caused horrible stomach cramps. The drive home was not fun. So now I know I need to slowly introduce solids back to the stomach. It doesn't know when I've crossed the finish line. It will have been processing nutrition as fast as possible all day, and slamming it with solids will just make it revolt. No...we want to keep the tummy happy and at peace. :)