The closer I get to my first IRONMAN, the more race specific my training gets. On today’s agenda is the “BRICK”:

2 hour 15 minutes Endurance Bike Ride (180w) immediately followed by10 minutes run of the bike

Fueling Before:

• 2 cups of coffee 
• Essential Amino acids 
• Whole Grapefruit 360g (40 carbs) 

Hydration

Considering my previous Sweat Rate calculations: ~1500 mL/hour * Workout: 2 hr 15 min = 3000 mL of fluids (4xG2 bottles (2840 ml))

Today I experiment with hydration solution G2 from Gatorade. A bottle (710 mL) is a 5% solution with 330 mg of sodium. (240 cal/64 carbs)

It’s important to mention that the calories in hydration solution are not meant to deliver energy to the muscles, but to improve the fluid absorption. 

Fueling

The formula I use to calculate carbohydrate needs:

• 0.25 x 150 lbs = 38 g/hour
• 2.15 x 38 = 82 grams of carbs
• 2 Protein Bars + banana = 585 cal (86c/23f/15p)

Total Calorie Intake (hydration+fueling): 825 cal (150c/23f/15p) / 2.15 hours = 384 cal/hour

Results:

Had 3 bottles of G2, left one unopened. Found it difficult to drink this much. Couldn’t say the same about eating part. Sugars are always fun. So here is what I’ve got:

• Pre-Weight: 68.4 kg
• Post-Weight: 66.9 kg
• Fluids Consumed: 2130 mL (710 mL less than suggested)
• Total Fluid Loss: 3630 mL
• Sweat Rate: 1613 mL/hour
• Energy Expanded: 1630 calories / 2:30 hours = 652 calories/hour

Felt strong on the bike physically and mentally. Was able to hold ~180w for 2 hours straight. The ride ended up at 100 kilometers, averaging at 44.5 km/h. Running off the bike, my legs felt literally like jelly. Ran 2 kilometers at 4:56 /km pace.

Overall I am impressed by the power output on the bike and how good I felt.

BETTER.FASTER.STRONGER.

Sky is the limit!