Racing an Oly Sunday, do the Sat 210min ride?

Danielle Santucci

Hi Coaches,

I signed up (months ago) for a local Oly distance tri and was wondering if I should still do my Sat long ride as I usually take the day before any race completely off (superstition I guess). I'm in week 10 of the Intermediate IM plan.

Thanks!

Paul Hough

Is that week 10 of 20? If you are 10 weeks out and want to race hard then I would not ride more than 60 mins easy with a few pick ups. But if you are within the last 6 weeks, I would do the full Sat race and consider the oly as an ABP ride.

Anyway that is my 2 cents.

Danielle Santucci

Yes, week 10 of 20 week plan. Thanks for feedback!

Scott Alexander

Lurking in the micro forum...

I raced two sprints (18 mile bike) on my way to IMMT this year, and the day before each were my race rehearsals, which ended up at 102 and 92 miles each. The following day, at the respective sprints, I had super fast bike splits and decent runs.

I know, for me, if I'm in the advanced stages of ironman training, that's my focus. Race THRU the short races. And great bike splits to boot, is a good bonus.

Paul Hough

I like that idea Scott...sounds like it would hurt though. I have 3 oly's before Cozumel and will taper properly for them. Since I built high volume for Sweden, I want to focus more on quality and the OLY weeks will ensure I get more rest. Different school of thought, but I second your approach in the later stages of the build so you don't lose the key sessions. At 10 weeks out, I just figure you aren't creating a large hole...especially for an Oly compares to a sprint.

Danielle Santucci

Both points are really good ones, although I think I'm leaning more toward Scott's thinking only because IMAZ is my first IM and its my A race. The bike workouts are really important to me, given Ive never biked over 70 miles in one workout. My experience on the bike is limited and since I've joined EN I've never missed or skipped a bike workout.

Coach Patrick

@Danielle, each and every bike workout counts big for you...let's get those done!!!

Danielle Santucci

I ended up doing the 210min bike workout. It was early and cold, but I'm so glad I got it done. Now it's time to see what happens tomorrow.

Paul Hough

Good luck. Please report back on how you felt.

Danielle Santucci

Great race this am up until the flat tire . @Paul..suprisingly felt good up until I blew out my back tire. I do feel better knowing I got that bike workout in yesterday since I had to call it quits in today's race.

Coach Patrick

Dowh!!! Next time!!!

Paul Hough

At Danielle...I am glad you did the Saturday workout too! Now tell us how you blew a tire out in a race. Was it old and frayed?

Danielle Santucci

Paul, it was bound to happen to me...4 years of triathlon racing and not one blown tire in a race (at any distance). Apparently I was not the only casualty, many other racers were in the same predicament. The bike course (3 loops) had some road construction that was not cleaned up very well. Nail through the tire and tube

Paul Hough

I still don't understand how a nail kills a TIRE. Just change the tube and press on. I have flatted on nails and still got hundreds more miles out of the tire. I have also blown tires that are irreparable...think of holes larger than a silver dollar...THAT is a blowout. By contrast a nail is just a plain vanilla flat. Do you race without spare tubes?

Danielle Santucci

Well it killed the race for me. Sure, I could have changed the tire during the race, lost 15-20 (takes me that long) and completed it. But honestly, since I've never had a nail through the tire (only flats from the tube) I was a bit nervous to try and repair it on the fly and continue. Had it been an IM or HIM, I would have done it, but since it was an Olympic, I didn't feel it was worth it. I guess with more experience and knowledge transfer from fellow ENers like you I will now know better.

Coach Patrick

@Danielle, sometimes the nail does do it (damages tire enough) or hurts the rim. Either way, worth carrying a "boot", which is just an old piece of a tire you cut up that you can put between the tire and your tube to prevent the tube coming out when you inflate. Sounds like you have some practicing to do this winter!!! Maybe Coach Rich can fire up some videos for us....

Paul Hough

Even if you don't want to race after a nail, I figure it is better than walking back depending on how far you were from T2 ... unless somebody gave you a ride! In a sprint, yes you are out of the competition. In an olympic, you still have a fighting chance to do well if you can change it fast (you should be shooting to get that time under 5 mins at least). But in any short course, it beats walking back!!