For sprint distance races, fueling on the bike isn’t critical, but as the distances lengthen, eating on the go becomes less and less optional. “I’ll hear people say, ‘I wasn’t hungry, so I didn’t eat,” says Simonetta. But then you’re starting the run in a mega calorie deficit, she adds. Figure out a nutritional plan in training and stick to it on race day, no matter what. For Simonetta, that means consuming gels every hour and drinking on a schedule. For other athletes, that may mean eating some solid foods. No matter what, don’t wait until you feel hungry to start eating on race day. Those hunger pangs may never come.
Rulon says that recently, she heard an athlete musing about what could have gone wrong during the final stages of a hot race. “She said, I took water at every aid station and was dumping it over my head,” Rulon says. “I was like, ‘but did you drink any of it?’ She thought she didn’t need to.”
There’s nothing wrong with an on-the-go shower, but keeping your hydration levels up is crucial to achieving race day success. Research shows that once you’re significantly dehydrated, your “rate of perceived exertion” goes up. So, in essence, you may maintain the same pace, but it’s going to feel much harder to do so. In a sprint triathlon, you probably could make it to the finish line without any fluids, but in a longer race, you’re flirting with disaster.
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The final steps of a triathlon are an emotional time, and making decisions at the height of an emotional swell isn’t prudent. “I tell people not to make any decisions for two weeks after,” says Simonetta. So you can’t quit the sport for at least two weeks, but neither can you sign up for another race. Why? Two weeks give you distance from the agony, so you’ll forget the misery of the last few kilometres. Two weeks also gives your body time to
rest. If you immediately sign up for another race, you may be tempted to jump right back into training, thus not getting the R&R you need.