The Pre-Race IV Protocol Sandy Triathletes Are Using
A simple two-touch protocol — one drip 12 hours out, one 30 minutes after the finish line.
We see a lot of the Salt Lake triathlon community at Prime IV Sandy. Wasatch races have a way of revealing every hydration weakness an athlete brings to the start line, and over the last two seasons a particular protocol has emerged as the consensus among our most consistent racers.
It's simple. One Hydration Drip the night before, 12 to 18 hours out from the gun. Standard saline base, full electrolyte mix, a B-complex push, magnesium. Then a second drip — the Recovery Drip — within an hour of crossing the finish line. Same base, plus glutathione and a higher dose of magnesium for the muscle recovery.
The pre-race drip isn't about an edge. It's about removing a deficit you don't know you have.
The pre-race drip isn't about energy or stimulation. It's about making sure you start the race already topped off. Most age-group athletes underestimate how much fluid they're down by race morning — travel, anxiety, an early alarm. You can't out-drink it in the hour before the start.
The post-race drip is where almost everyone says they feel the difference the next day. The 48-hour wreckage that defines a hard race effort gets compressed. By Tuesday you're training again instead of dragging.
It's not a hack. It's a tool. Use it on race weekends and most days don't need any of this at all.
