One of the key aspects of a Long Distance triathlon is about planning your nutrition and pacing so that you have enough energy and fuel to execute a good last leg, the run. How does this change when each leg is on a different day?
In a Half or Full Ironman Triathlon, athletes tend to deliberately take on extra nutrition during the bike leg; because it is much easier to eat on the bike compared to the run. So consuming a little bit more on the bike can help compensate for the lack of fuelling on the run. Worth taking into account if you are following a Triathlon nutrition plan; 40 to 60 grams of carbs per hour on the bike should be adequate to avoid any hunger flats, but with minimal chance of gastric distress. Like usual, something you need to practise in training.
In regards to pacing, it depends on how comfortable you are with the distances. In this year’s Hawaii Ironman, 2nd placed Sam Laidlow averaged 44 kph @ 315 watts for the 180km bike leg. I doubt he would have gone any faster if it was a 3 day event. Whereas the rest of us ‘mortals’ need to ride conservatively to protect our run legs. How you pull up the day after a long and fast ride is something you need to discover for yourself in training. I’m guessing the younger athletes will have a big advantage in this area.