Every athlete prepping for his first long endurance event should have a well thought out nutritional strategy. But what to do when that perfect plan goes out the window?

You've been training for months, maybe years, for that big race. You've raced many times from 5K to 10K, even the marathon, and are ready to make that leap to your first full Iron-distance triathlon. Your workouts have been perfect; you've been in the pool for countless laps and in the ocean a dozen times practicing your open water swimming. You've climbed every hill in your area to be sure the ones in the race are easy. You've practiced your ‘brick/transition' runs (running immediately after a bike ride), and can dial into your race pace without even looking at your watch. You've practiced your nutritional strategy countless times and know exactly what you're going to eat and drink every minute of the day from breakfast to the finish line. You are 110% prepared for your first attempt at the Ironman^TM distance. You are ready - nothing could go wrong!

If there's anything typical about long course racing it's that nothing is typical, and even the best laid plans can go by the wayside when that reality slaps you in the face.

‘Experience is something you get the moment after you need it.' Whether the race is 15 minutes or 15 hours, the experience gained with each event you compete in is greater than anything that can be achieved from training. As such, the purpose of this three-part series is for you to learn from the experiences of those who have already gone the distance, and take that information into your next event to avoid making their mistakes.

Mishap #1: "Oh $#!%, I just dropped all of my nutrition!"
You've just finished the swim right on your projected time, had a great transition and are off onto the bike. A few miles into the ride, BUMP, gone are the majority of the calories you were counting on to sustain you through the next 50+ miles of the ride. What do you do?

The cycling portion of an Iron-distance triathlon will take anywhere from 2 hours for the professionals to nearly 4 hours for some amateurs. That means a large calorie expenditure, and you need to have a strategy in place to replace them. If you've planned your race accordingly, you've already calculated the approximate amount of calories you need to consume on the bike to still have enough gas in the tank to execute a good run.

There are a few ways to approach Mishap #1:

• Continue with your hydration strategy, taking water at the aid stations, and hope you'll still be able to get through the run on a lower calorie consumption.
• Carry an excess of calories with you on the bike in the event you lose something; essentially keep a reserve in your pockets.
• Make up those lost calories through on-course nutrition at the race supported aid stations.

Of these three options, the first is a roll of the dice and definitely isn't recommended. Unfortunately for one particular athlete in his first attempt at the 70.3 distance, that is what he opted to do. Despite having a world-class running pedigree, flawless training cycle and pre-event taper, not having a strategy in place for this mishap led to a less than perfect race. His detailed race report, containing valuable race-day experiences which we can all learn from, is posted here .

Knowing now that you don't want to skip making up those lost calories, the second option is a good alternative. The problem is that you're now going to be carrying extra ‘stuff' on the bike, in either liquid or solid form, which you may not need. That said, the second option is still 1000x better than the first and may be the only plan for those who can't tolerate the nutrition being offered on-course. Remember, carrying a few extra ounces is still a much better plan than needing to walk the run portion due to inadequate calorie consumption.

This brings us to our third possible alternative, making up lost calories through on-course nutrition at the race supported aid stations. If this is your first time tackling the longer distance races, you may ask, ‘Why not use what's offered on-course as your initial strategy anyway?' Unfortunately, the on-course nutrition offered by many races is rarely the best option. The overwhelming majority of amateurs and professions do not rely solely on the nutrition available on-course; it comes down to quality and digestibility. Whether you're finishing first or 500th in a race, you want to be putting the best nutrition available in your body. Some races do offer the best of the best, and athletes can rely on it as their first and only plan. The problem is, the vast majority of races offer only a fluid replacement which derives 100% of its calories from sugar, most notably high fructose corn syrup. These fluid replacement drinks may be fine for a weekend softball game, but for endurance athletes it's not an ideal option.

The nutrition available at aid stations may not be your favorite, but as long as you've experimented with it in training and know you can get it down without issue, you should be able to overcome this hurdle and still be on your way to a great race. The key word is EXPERIMENT! Months in advance, most races will publish what their on-course nutrition will be, including the flavor(s). It's important that during some of your long training sessions you experiment with this fluid replacement to be sure it sits well with you. Again, this drink may not be your first choice, but as long as you can drink it and it's not going to cause major digestive problems, you know you can use it as ‘Plan B.'

The next installment in the Race Day Nutritional Pitfall Series will cover unexpected weather extremes. What do you do when the weather forecast calls for cool temps and the gun goes off when the thermostat is already cracking 90F!

If you have specific questions please don't hesitate to contact me. Good luck with your season, I hope to see you at the races!

Brian Shea comes to Competitor with a wealth of experience in endurance sports as both a triathlete and coach. He has been competing in all levels of endurance sports from 5K to Ironman to Ultra-marathon, including the Ironman Hawaii World Championships with a 9:31 personal best. He is also a certified coach and has worked with athletes ranging from beginners to professionals, formulating training and sports nutrition programs for over 15 years. Brian is also the President/Owner of www.PersonalBestNutrition.com , a nutritional supplement resource specifically catering to the needs of endurance athletes. He can be reached at Brian@PersonalBestNutrition.com.