Well, my latest World Cup was a bust. I felt great going to Edmonton, and was pretty confident. I swam really well, leading the first half, and starting the bike with the leaders. I conserved energy and stayed out of trouble near the front of the bike pack, and I felt great starting the run. Unfortunately, I messed up my nutrition and after about 500 meters of running all I could think about was finding a toilet. Lesson learned: make sure you have enough fluid for the amount of sugar you take in on the bike, and error on the side of too little sugar because you probably don’t need much for a 2 hour race. Also, a 4pm start time means you need a more substantial breakfast than two packets of oatmeal and a Powerbar. At least I figured this all out in Canada so I have time to practice proper nutrition before Hy-Vee (also a 4pm start time), which is coming up quick – September 4th.
Aren’t we supposed to be at a high enough level where we don’t mess up our nutrition anymore? That cramping at Monroe was probably the worst I’ve ever had in a race. I suppose that goes to show that we all continue to learn.