T-7 Days Till RocketMan 70.3 Triathlon

My next 70.3 race.
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This Sunday I will be in the RocketMan 70.3 race.  This is a unique race because it will be held on the historic Kennedy Space Center complex, Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.  This should provide for some unique scenery.

With your registration you get a free ticket into the Kennedy Space Center which will be cool because I have not been there since I was about 6 years old.

What are you doin this weekend?

New 6 Bottle Hydration System

Six bottles should be fine for the Ironman don't you think
or should I carry more?
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Six Bottle Bike Bag Saddle Bags
Buy Yours Today Here

Now do I need six bottles for the Ironman or do I need twelve?

Per the description the "secure Velcro attachment system (for all the rad jumps)".  Its been a long time since I have jumped some "rad" jumps.  I think I will break out some concrete blocks and a piece of plywood tonight and build a ramp tonight.  Don't worry, I will make sure I am properly hydrated.



It even fits nicely on a road bike.
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God Made A Triathlete

God Made A Triathlete

That pretty much sums up our lives... 

New Training Equipment - Beer Athlete

KickStarter Project: Mug Muscles

Lately, I've been having a hard time getting to the gym to pump some heavy iron.  I now have a solution to the problem.  I will be adding "Mug Muscles" to my Ironman training program.  I can now gain muscles while training for the 26.2 running portion of the race.

Train Running Weekend - Mixing it up

Awesome view of the trail
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This weekend Bonnie and I mixed it up and did a little trail running at Wekiwa Spring State Park. The park has several trail areas that are great for running. The trails run from about 3 miles to 13 miles long. They are filled with wild deer, turkey, squirrels, wood peckers, etc.

This weekend we ran about 10 miles on the trail. It was nice and shaded. Along the run we saw about a dozen deer and one turkey hen.



Don't laugh. 
That is about as big as deer in Florida get.
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A few weeks back I almost ran into a deer. We surprised each other. He was only about 10 feet away from me. I stayed still and he did not care I was there. He just sat there and ate and watched me. His partner was only about 12 feet away from me. She did not care I was there either. It was awesome seeing a deer so close and not having it run away. Along that same run I saw about 18 other deer and about 13 wild turkeys.
 

Why did the turkey cross the road?
He wanted to prove that he wasn't a chicken!
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This run sure beat my normal run through downtown where I can observe all the homeless people and trash laying everywhere.

Personally I think trail running makes you a better runner. Running on the uneven terrain helps you to gain balance muscles and helps you learn foot placement.

A quick dip in the 72F springs is a nice pick me up after running in the FL heat.
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Once in a while you can get a visitor near the springs.
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Another visitor near the springs
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You can rent canoes and travel the river.
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HalfTRIing becoming FullTRIing?!

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Guess who is signed up to volunteer at the Ironman Florida this year?  I think this means 2014 will be the year Mr HalfTRIing because Mr FullTRIing!!  Crazy how things change in three years. 

My Water Bottle Combination: eLoad & CarboPro Review

My Water Bottle Combination: eLoad, CarboPro, SaltStick Review

 

See my 70.3 nutrition schedule for a detailed description of my week long nutrition plan

http://halftriing.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-half-ironman-nutrition.html

I met a fellow athlete this weekend who did his first 70.3  He had issues getting his nutrition correct.  I got his email and sent him my nutrition plan that I have developed over the years.  A local coach has a very similar plan that she gives to her athletes.  All the products I use seem to work well for people with a sensitive stomach.  I also do not like sweets so my goal is to cut down on the overly sweet tasting products.

Over the past two years I've learned that if all my calories come from energy gels I feel sick/nauseous by the end of the race.  I also am so sick of sugar that the thought of consuming anything some what sweet make me nauseous.  I also found that consuming most of my nutrition on the bike keeps me from bonking on the run.

On the bike I use a combination of Carbo-Pro, eLoad and SaltSticks.  How much you use depends on how much nutrition you need based off your weight, fitness level, how hot it is outside, etc.  I carry two bottles each has 2 scoops of CarboPro, 1 scoop of eLoad and one SaltStick cap.  If it is going to be real hot I use 2 Salt Sticks in each bottle (remember I live in hot and humid Florida).  I find this water bottle combination works great for me.



Carbo Pro
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CarboPro is nothing but maltodextrin (a simple sugar).  I like simple products with very little ingrediants.  It has no flavor at all and is not sweet so you can mix it with your favorite sports drink without noticing it.  It is very easy on the stomach.











ELoad
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eLoad is a sport drink that is only slightly sweet and easy on the stomach. It is gluten free, nut free and vegan (if you can for that stuff). 













SaltStick
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SaltStick is a buffered electrolyte capsule.  The buffering helps with sensitive stomachs and aids in the absorption. 











Whats in your water bottle?  Leave me a comment.  I would be interested in knowing what works for you.