@ Linda...I used the EN discount and ordered mine from XTerra. It is a huge discount ($300--> $140). We supposedly get discounts from Blue Seventy, but I couldn't get it to work.
I'm falling out of love with my trainer. That just plain sucked. So glad it's over.
@Linda, I don't think you'll ever need/use a sleeveless, especially in the cold-water races in So Cal. They were more popular a decade ago because they were cheaper and not shoulder-restrictive. Now there are tons of good, relatively cheap full suits (there are also $1,200 ones). You can rent/borrow a sleeveless if you're concerned. But the only way I'll go sleevelss at TX is if the water temp is right at 78 and the ambient temperature is really hot/humid (warmer than the water). Mornings, however, are typically pretty mild, so I'll likely be in full if legal. Then again, I handle heat pretty well and don't plan on being in the water for very long. You're a fast swimmer, so you probably won't broil in a full. But if you were planning on spending much of the morning taking a leisure cruise around Lake Woodlands like someone whose name rhymes with Lon Timmons, then the chances of overheating would go up.
okie dokie. Moved my seat up by 1/2 cm. It had slipped or moved in travel. I am magically much faster now. 90min ride with 2/18 @ 211w. I was 2x15 at 209 last week so I will take it. Then off the trainer and out of the garage as it was light. I have a hill leading up to my house that takes 5mi +- and works well for vo2 test or these 3x5min beatings. On lap #1 I way over road it at 258w but I wanted my KOM (got it!). I paid for it on #2 and 3 with 230 and 217. Back in the pool at lunch.
On the swimskin thing, I guess I will go that rout if we are wetsuit optional. I dunno. On the one hand I really like the idea of having floaty legs. And I have zero chance of a podium spot (in fact I am gonna have to fight like hell to break the top quarter of my ag). So I dont mind not being award eligible. What doe sbother me is starting 10 min behind everyone who didnt wear a wetsuit. Only because I really like the finishline picture and dont want the time padded by 10 min for all eternity. Vanity I know. I wonder though. Would a westsuit make me 10 min faster over the course of the race? It really just might. I could easily see it adding 5+min in the water at the pace I swim. Plus also, what would the impact be of not having to kick AT ALL during the swim over the bike and run legs? Could it be 5min? Something for me to ponder.
@ JA...I have had all those same thoughts about the +/- of wetsuit, as I too have no shot at podium or KQ. What has led me to get one and not go in the wetsuit wave more than the other factors you mentioned (all of which are good thoughts that I have had too) is the additional sweating/fluid loss that will occur if I wear a wetsuit. I did order a sleeveless, just in case. I wouldn't have thought of this on my own, though....Coach P mentioned it at camp. He said that if you wear a wetsuit (esp a full one) you will need to be even more vigilant with fluids on the bike (ie...you'll need to "catch up" and not miss any drink cycles/bottles).
On the other hand, if it happens to be wetsuit legal, I will wear one (sleeveless?).
For me, although I've never done a full, I believe that for this race not getting dehydrated will be THE most important factor in whether I can run the whole marathon. Even though I live here in the heat, I have had some HORRIBLE experiences running in the heat (ie...not being able to run). So, although I hate cold water, am not a fast swimmer, have no chance at podium, etc., I do not want to lose 2 liters of fluids and only gain 5minutes on the swim. I think that fluid loss may cost me more time ultimately.
@MR, agreed, right now there is no love in the love/hate relationship with the trainer - BUT, it is effective!
@All - I will bring both a full sleeve Desoto wetsuit and my TYR Torque speed skin suit to the event. I will use the skin suit unless wetsuits are authorized.
Last night and this morning had the SORE throat (annoying) thing going on. So decided to work from home and attempt a delayed Brick knowing very well it could be a disaster. I have been doing this long enough to know that I can get away with training through a sore throat and sinus issue most of the time without delaying recovery.......but I do not advocate that for everyone. You are not 100% while your body is fighting that and you risk getting more sick if not careful.
Anyway, got through it, but had to go to that dysfunctional dark place to get it done:
@Linda .... wetsuit and skinsuit are like bikes and very individual.... the correct answer is always the one that fits.... I currently have a TYR Torque swimskin XS I think and the Xterra Vendetta small which has been a very good suit for be but I have been wanting to try something different. Yesterday I went to trisports and tried on the HUUB small and the ROKA small and XS and think I am going to go with ROKA XS on my next suit.
Wetsuits, Temp , etc..... If I wasnt going for the podium I would wear a suit if its optional but that is just me.... I do swim about 10 min fast w/suit so that would make up for the start time.... NO suit is COLD since I'm a freeze baby but must suck it up to be in contention...
woah. Fell off a cliff in terms of energy today. Had planned to swim at lunch but went downhill fast so I bagged it and took a short nap. It wasnt eveon one of those things where I debated it / worked myself over about it. I am semi functional at work today. Hope it is allergies.
@Tim, no big surprise there . . . you decided to get fast in the water, and just went out and did it. Nice work. If you only created a bigger wake, I'd modify my race plan to draft off of you in the swim. Assuming I could hang on.
Mine consist currently of drinking about 20 ounces of Perform before I head out the door. I carry 30 ounces with me.
At Mile 4 or 5 I down 10 ounces of perform and take one Caf Cliff shot, then another Cliff shot and 10 ounces at miles 8 and 11......from there I continue the cliff shots every 3 miles and stop if I need more hydration.........
Once I wobble back in, I drink about 20 ounces of recovery drink which is (Costco purchases) Almond milk, Hershey choc syrup and a scoop of whey protein.........I drink this as I lay on my back with my feet up in a chair for about ten minutes or so.......I drink more water first if feeling dry......
@SS...my 14 mile tm run is tomorrow at 5:30 am...and I WILL win! . If I did it last week I can do it again! . I'm actually sickly looking forward to the challenge. I have officially lost my mind and don't know where to find it!
Today was a 90 min bike. 2x15 and 2x5. Low end of entensity, but had to really et my head in the game since it is or spring break and all I wanted to do was sleep in! I then sat in the parking lot of the pool and argued with myself before finally going inside. Figured it would be a crappy swim, but ended up at 3500 of 300-500 intervals and averaged 1:45/100! Great swim for me! Moral is...don't give up in yourself! We can rest May 18th!!!
Enjoying the convo on swim skin vs wetsuit and 10 min "penalty". I too have had all these same discussions with myself and friends and really do wonder if the wetsuit will make me 10 min faster and save my legs? I was absolutely pummeled at Vegas and don't think that anything about that "swim" actually resembled swimming...this my pause about the issue. Hmmm...
Keep it up peeps!!!!!! The only reason I even got in te pool today was because of all of you!!
@All, 2014 Athlete Guide is up. Don't see any course changes. Swim is still mass (if WS-legal) or 10-min head start for Kona dreamers (if not).
@SS, re training run nutrition. I drink all 28 ounces of Perform during my out-and-back, 7-mile first hour. Fill up at home, put down a gel or some blocks or (last week) a quick pancake, then head out to do the final 8-10 at some silly-hard pace and consume everything I've got (including another gel at some point). Afterwards, big glass of Endurox, feet up, legs compressed, shower, Muscle Milk and two hard-boiled eggs on the drive, stop sweating around 9:30 a.m., start nodding off around 11 a.m., wake up and try not to eat everything in sight at lunch.
Bike and brick run done. I had to have a little "talk" with my legs about the Z3 20' back part. They were not interested in this activity. At least the last mile was Z3, the first one was where the discussion occurred.
@MR....I love reading your posts. LOL today..."stop sweating about 9:30....nod off at 11:00...try not to eat everything in sight"
Since I'm a newbie, and a "direction reader" (I actually read the directions when assembling things, etc.), I am doing exactly what Coaches have recommended...same thing you plan to do on race day. It's a little easier for me re nutrition pre-run, since I always run in the evenings. I'll eat a snack after work (banana, granola bar, not much more), carry 32oz Perform on my belt and drink 4oz each mile. Circle back to the driveway and then run the rest around the block (~1mile), walking 30steps while drinking another 4oz/mile. I take one PB gel every 3 miles. This is all based off my IM nutrition plan. I try to follow it on the bike, although it's hard to drink enough unless it's hot. Seems to be working...no GI upset, no bonking, able to pee a little when I finish (relatively clear...not dark yellow). I have noticed that many of you have no short slow down segments in your runs (mine usually have a 20-30sec abrupt pace change every mile where I walk and drink). How are you doing that? I can drink off my fuel belt while running, but have to slow and circle the driveway to refuel every mile once it runs out. I drink a big glass of chocolate milk within 30mins of finish, after a little water. Then try not to clean out the pantry before bed.
Since I don't know what I'm doing, I have chosen to trust the coaches and follow the recs....so far so good. As it gets hotter, I'm planning to experiment with drinking a little more than 4oz (6-8oz) to see if my stomach can handle it, just in case it's super-hot like last year reportedly was. I am soooo afraid of dehydration (ie....I may have an OCD about it!).
FYI....I did NOT want to do the brick run tonight, and only did it because you people did it! Gotta keep up with the Jones'!
@Annie- 5 hr trainer ride on Sat sounds brutal!!, but you gotta get it in. Wishing for warmer weather headed your way.
@Jimmy- Something to ponder for sure... but I didn't realize we get a "10 min time PENALTY" for wearing a wetsuit. I'll bring my full wetsuit just in case, but I'll definitely plan on wearing a skin suit, as 10 mins is too much of a hefty price for me. Thanks for the heads up about that, Annie. I've only done cold weather races, so that didn't even enter my mind. Duh.. now it make sense.
@Robin@Annie- I'll take a look at the Xterra Velocity skin suit.
@Tim @ SS- Thanks for the feedback on the wetsuits. I'll take a look at the TYR Torque as well.
@SS- My nutrition routine for the 2 hr run, which I did today was:
Before- Yogurt w/cut up strawberries
During- 205 cal/hr, 435mg sodium/hr, 12 oz fluid/hr. This was via Perform, shot blocks, a GU and a salt tab. It worked well for me. Even burped up a little, which means if anything I was taking too much.
Tomorrow I'll be doing Sat's 5 hr bike ride/40 min run. I can't get these long wko in on weekends because of kids sports. Thankfully, I have a guy that races for Swami's (a local competitive group), and he accompanies me on all my weekday long rides. That's gonna be fun next week when he does the back to back 112's with me. He'll still have to ride hard with the boys in his team that weekend, as I'm sure they'll mock him endlessly if he gives the excuse he just rode back to back 112's with some CHICK!!! Poor bastard.
14 miles on the tm done! Boom!! First few miles EZ pace, then 4 at 8:30 pace, then last 7 were a continual progression bump up each mile until last mile at 7:40. Had to really focus last few miles. I'm not used to doing my long runs like this.
@Linda, there's no 10-min penalty for wearing a wetsuit if they're optional (water temp of 76-84 or something like that). It's just that the non-wetsuit wearers start at 7:00, the wetsuit crowd at 7:10. Your time will be adjusted according to chip time. What Jimmy was saying is, when he crosses the line at 9:51, he wants to buy that photo showing his 9:51 finish, and not a photo showing a far-weaker 10:01 finish. The only true "penalty" for wearing a wetsuit when they're optional is ineligibility for AG awards and Kona slots, neither of which is even a remote consideration for me. As far as advantages of a wetsuit, if you're a 1:30 swimmer, which means you've got some stroke issues (probably including dragging legs), a WS may save 10 minutes. But if you're 1:10 or faster, the WS will probably save 3-5 minutes, about double what a speed suit will. These are just anectdotal guesstimates, not science.
17-miler done this morning. First hour at 8:31, right on target. Felt OK. But there wasn't much gas when I tried to accelerate after that. By 10, the legs were pretty fatigued, and the "push" at the end really didn't happen. Averaged 7:41s. Marginal time negative split, but pretty huge effort negative split. It's pretty typical for me to struggle through the first couple of long runs (15+), then improve through the remaining ones. I'm hoping that plays out here as well. Also, after doing long runs for 15+ years all at conversational pace, I think this old dog is struggling to learn this new negative-split trick. Hope everyone does much better. BTW, it's 10:05 a.m., and I'm still sweating.
@ MR...great job on he long run. I too have done long runs easy for years. The EN way is a huge change for me too. Especially on the rm when I just want to pull the rip cord and stop!!
So....if I understand correctly, there and 2 chip start times? One at 7 for non wetsuit and one at 7:10 for wetsuit? The clock obviously start once at 7, but aside from finisher pic not showing adjusted time, your official results will show an accurate time based on 7:10 start time? This is new to me as I assumed all chips went off at 7, and you just eat 10 min.
@Annie, you are correct. Treat them as separate wave starts. Pro men at 6:50 in Wave 1, Pro women probably at 6:53 in Wave 2, non-WS crowd in Wave 3 at 7:00, and final group in Wave 4 at 7:10. I heard (no proof, but there would have been uproar if untrue) that finish times were adjusted accordingly. That said, the time cut-offs will be based on the 7:00 a.m. start. So, if 9:20 a.m., 5:30 p.m. or midnight are potentially part of your plan, it's something to keep in mind. In my book, though, if making the cut offs is in play, I'd rather wear a wetsuit to bank some time/energy. I heard there were 5-10 people who finished between 11:50 and midnight last year, so it probably impacts some (but only a few).
@ Annie....correct. It's similar to the way they do the chip times for the rolling start races. Austin HIM had Gender-AG starts every 5 minutes, so one year my chip time was a full hour faster than the time on the clock for the "finisher pic", as I was in one of the last waves.
I've always wondered why the Finisher Pix folks can't manage to photoshop your actual chip time onto your finish line photo. I'm never going to purchase a photo of my triumphant finish with the clock showing a time one hour more than my actual time. Seems like something they could do easily and would likely greatly increase their sales.
Another tidbit on the wetsuit issue....I believe (correct me if I'm wrong Tim) that last year Tim initially was shown as finishing 3rd in his AG, but the guy in 2nd wore a wetsuit and so he did not KQ! I remember Tim saying that he figured that guy was kicking himself. Now, for me, unless I get a motor installed on my bike, and some roller skates, it's just not even remotely possible. For some of you (SS, MR, etc.), I haven't done the math for your paces, etc., but........you seem pretty fast and keep nailing your workouts....with Ninja execution, is it impossible?
Good to know everyone! Thanks for clarifying that. I had no idea it worked like wave starts. I am in no danger of not making any cutoffs, I am also in no way even close to KQ or AG award, so now I really have to weigh the benefit/cost of the wetsuit vs skin suit. Hmmmm...bringing both for sure.
I am a mop for sure. Swam 1:23 at IMWI In full suit, swam a 37 at Kansas 70.3 in a full, and a miserable 43 at Vegas in a skin suit. That was just a horrendous experience. But mainly because I'm old and all the young fast ones who started after me attacked me like a pool of piranha! If we were seeded correctly it my be a bit less aggressive and I won't be vertical every 22 seconds gasping for air. lol!
14 miles done and it was a dog fight. Seemed a lot like your run @MR. I'm hoping my legs are a bit more fatigued from the tempo run/VO2 bike yesterday. Glad that is over with. Time for compression.
@JL, although it's nice of you to lump SS and me into your world of KQ possibilities, the odds for me are still Lotto-esque. Especially in the M35-54 ranges, the talent is really high and really deep. For perspective, at Germany I swam under an hour, averaged 20+mph on a fairly challenging bike course, then ran sub-4. The reward? 197th in my AG, just about 2 hours short of the last qualifying spot. But if the top 200 guys in our AG get food poisoning and Kona lightning strikes, I'll let my spot roll down to SS after unceremoniously beating him in a finish line sprint/dive.
The perennial KQ contenders on this board are Tim and Robin, and I expect them to be up front and in the mix again. The wild card for me is EB. If she can unleash that 3.5 w/kg on the bike, coupled with her strong swim and run, she could find herself at the pointy end of her youngish AG. And I'm sure there are plenty others on the team who could put it all together and surprise.
Thursday bike - 1:50 on the trainer at the gym. Running long run tonight after family goes to bed.
Wednesday run - 1:01 outside 8:00mi. I felt great. Happy to be outside for a change. Tuesday's massage really helped. Parents are in town, gotta go rescue my wife, so biking in the morning.
Tuesday run - 1:15 on the treadmill (Really feeling tight). Massage afterwards. Got to figure how to make the massage happen before the run next week.
well, it appears that my crash yesterday was just the onset of allergies. Cuz I bounced back fine today other than the usuall symptoms. In an effort to keep both my sanity and my job I am sleeping till 6 every day and completing morning workouts by 8 on work days. So the thursday long run is getting cut into two runs. This morning I got in 1:40 with 1hr at whatever pace my body wated then 30min targeting z2 and a 10min cool down. Total was 10.78mi for an avg pace of 9:17 with a 30min segment at 8:32 which is just a tick above z2. Then at lunch I got in another 40 minutes covering 4.64mi at 8:37 avg pace which is z2. So the total for the day is 2:20 covering 15.4mi at an avg pace of 9:06 or so. For me, this is a very good pair of runs. Better than last week or the week before which is the idea I guess.
As far a KQ goes - I want to say publicly that I am aiming towards the legacy program. Call it a lifetime achievement award.
I did take MW's thoughts on deferring Caf intake until mile 7 as well as JL's reminder of the EN guidance and walked 14 steps every mile after mile 3 drinking 4 - 5 ounces of perform, both of which were good changes....
@ MR and Annie - I too will not have a cutoff issue but will also not be anywhere close to KQ with my swim and the toll the heat/humidity will play on the run leg.........I may strategize however with Annie to take out 30 - 40 of those young girls on the swim leg and let Annie cruise on up front......
.................why am I always starving?.................
@Jeff Leslie---- Yes there was a mistake in the initial rankings of the M50-54AG @ IMTX last year showing me as 3rd place. When the dust settled I was 2nd but I was never sure what really happened to that guy but just assumed he was a wetsuit athlete.
Swim tried out swimskin today since I will be racing on Saturday..... 2 x 1000 , 1 x 500 , I would say I was definitely faster having matched a 1000yd TT best with less effort. Bike... second ride on new disc on the sprint course for recon... 14' @ .93 , 5' @ .91 , then 11' @ 1.0 , remainder at very low Z1 Run ... 4 mile brick
Comments
@ Linda...I used the EN discount and ordered mine from XTerra. It is a huge discount ($300--> $140). We supposedly get discounts from Blue Seventy, but I couldn't get it to work.
I'm falling out of love with my trainer. That just plain sucked. So glad it's over.
@Linda, I don't think you'll ever need/use a sleeveless, especially in the cold-water races in So Cal. They were more popular a decade ago because they were cheaper and not shoulder-restrictive. Now there are tons of good, relatively cheap full suits (there are also $1,200 ones). You can rent/borrow a sleeveless if you're concerned. But the only way I'll go sleevelss at TX is if the water temp is right at 78 and the ambient temperature is really hot/humid (warmer than the water). Mornings, however, are typically pretty mild, so I'll likely be in full if legal. Then again, I handle heat pretty well and don't plan on being in the water for very long.
You're a fast swimmer, so you probably won't broil in a full. But if you were planning on spending much of the morning taking a leisure cruise around Lake Woodlands like someone whose name rhymes with Lon Timmons, then the chances of overheating would go up.
A little sharp-sticking this morning MR?...I like it!
90min ride with 2/18 @ 211w. I was 2x15 at 209 last week so I will take it. Then off the trainer and out of the garage as it was light. I have a hill leading up to my house that takes 5mi +- and works well for vo2 test or these 3x5min beatings. On lap #1 I way over road it at 258w but I wanted my KOM (got it!). I paid for it on #2 and 3 with 230 and 217.
Back in the pool at lunch.
On the swimskin thing, I guess I will go that rout if we are wetsuit optional. I dunno. On the one hand I really like the idea of having floaty legs. And I have zero chance of a podium spot (in fact I am gonna have to fight like hell to break the top quarter of my ag). So I dont mind not being award eligible.
What doe sbother me is starting 10 min behind everyone who didnt wear a wetsuit. Only because I really like the finishline picture and dont want the time padded by 10 min for all eternity. Vanity I know. I wonder though. Would a westsuit make me 10 min faster over the course of the race? It really just might. I could easily see it adding 5+min in the water at the pace I swim. Plus also, what would the impact be of not having to kick AT ALL during the swim over the bike and run legs? Could it be 5min? Something for me to ponder.
@ JA...I have had all those same thoughts about the +/- of wetsuit, as I too have no shot at podium or KQ. What has led me to get one and not go in the wetsuit wave more than the other factors you mentioned (all of which are good thoughts that I have had too) is the additional sweating/fluid loss that will occur if I wear a wetsuit. I did order a sleeveless, just in case. I wouldn't have thought of this on my own, though....Coach P mentioned it at camp. He said that if you wear a wetsuit (esp a full one) you will need to be even more vigilant with fluids on the bike (ie...you'll need to "catch up" and not miss any drink cycles/bottles).
On the other hand, if it happens to be wetsuit legal, I will wear one (sleeveless?).
For me, although I've never done a full, I believe that for this race not getting dehydrated will be THE most important factor in whether I can run the whole marathon. Even though I live here in the heat, I have had some HORRIBLE experiences running in the heat (ie...not being able to run). So, although I hate cold water, am not a fast swimmer, have no chance at podium, etc., I do not want to lose 2 liters of fluids and only gain 5minutes on the swim. I think that fluid loss may cost me more time ultimately.
Thoughts?
If kona wetsuit ok, will use my full sleeve. Two piece desoto wetsuit.
I have no overheating concerns. 78 without a wetsuit is cold for me.
6-6. 185 lbs
59-65 minute wetsuit swimmer.
70 minutes last year without wtsuit. Hope to do a bit better this year.
@MR, agreed, right now there is no love in the love/hate relationship with the trainer - BUT, it is effective!
@All - I will bring both a full sleeve Desoto wetsuit and my TYR Torque speed skin suit to the event. I will use the skin suit unless wetsuits are authorized.
Last night and this morning had the SORE throat (annoying) thing going on.
So decided to work from home and attempt a delayed Brick knowing very well it could be a disaster. I have been doing this long enough to know that I can get away with training through a sore throat and sinus issue most of the time without delaying recovery.......but I do not advocate that for everyone. You are not 100% while your body is fighting that and you risk getting more sick if not careful.
Anyway, got through it, but had to go to that dysfunctional dark place to get it done:
http://www.strava.com/activities/126281078 Bike
http://www.strava.com/activities/126281048 Brick run
http://www.strava.com/activities/126281037 1 mile cool down
Intense but effective work on the books today.
Strong work Jimmy/MR!
Wetsuits, Temp , etc..... If I wasnt going for the podium I would wear a suit if its optional but that is just me.... I do swim about 10 min fast w/suit so that would make up for the start time.... NO suit is COLD since I'm a freeze baby but must suck it up to be in contention...
Swim.... WU , 8 x 200 hard... http://connect.garmin.com/activity/472249671#
Run.... 3 x 1 Z4 http://connect.garmin.com/activity/472329963#
Bike... later today I plan an easy recover spin with my New Disc to try it out
@Jimmy, hope today is just an off day.
@Tim, no big surprise there . . . you decided to get fast in the water, and just went out and did it. Nice work. If you only created a bigger wake, I'd modify my race plan to draft off of you in the swim. Assuming I could hang on.
@ Robin, how's that big tri week going?
@ Annie, who won today, You or the TM?
@ All, what is your long run nutrition routine?
Mine consist currently of drinking about 20 ounces of Perform before I head out the door. I carry 30 ounces with me.
At Mile 4 or 5 I down 10 ounces of perform and take one Caf Cliff shot, then another Cliff shot and 10 ounces at miles 8 and 11......from there I continue the cliff shots every 3 miles and stop if I need more hydration.........
Once I wobble back in, I drink about 20 ounces of recovery drink which is (Costco purchases) Almond milk, Hershey choc syrup and a scoop of whey protein.........I drink this as I lay on my back with my feet up in a chair for about ten minutes or so.......I drink more water first if feeling dry......
SS
Today was a 90 min bike. 2x15 and 2x5. Low end of entensity, but had to really et my head in the game since it is or spring break and all I wanted to do was sleep in! I then sat in the parking lot of the pool and argued with myself before finally going inside. Figured it would be a crappy swim, but ended up at 3500 of 300-500 intervals and averaged 1:45/100! Great swim for me! Moral is...don't give up in yourself! We can rest May 18th!!!
Enjoying the convo on swim skin vs wetsuit and 10 min "penalty". I too have had all these same discussions with myself and friends and really do wonder if the wetsuit will make me 10 min faster and save my legs? I was absolutely pummeled at Vegas and don't think that anything about that "swim" actually resembled swimming...this my pause about the issue. Hmmm...
Keep it up peeps!!!!!! The only reason I even got in te pool today was because of all of you!!
water + PowerBar pre-start
every ~1 mile, I take a swig of Perform -- I start off with two full 24 oz bottles
every 4-5 miles, I take a gel (non-caffeinated at the beginning, switching to caffeinated later on)
big protein breakfast (eggs, bacon, etc.) afterwards
@SS, re training run nutrition. I drink all 28 ounces of Perform during my out-and-back, 7-mile first hour. Fill up at home, put down a gel or some blocks or (last week) a quick pancake, then head out to do the final 8-10 at some silly-hard pace and consume everything I've got (including another gel at some point). Afterwards, big glass of Endurox, feet up, legs compressed, shower, Muscle Milk and two hard-boiled eggs on the drive, stop sweating around 9:30 a.m., start nodding off around 11 a.m., wake up and try not to eat everything in sight at lunch.
Bike and brick run done. I had to have a little "talk" with my legs about the Z3 20' back part. They were not interested in this activity. At least the last mile was Z3, the first one was where the discussion occurred.
http://app.strava.com/activities/126400743/analysis
http://app.strava.com/activities/126417253/overview
@MR....I love reading your posts. LOL today..."stop sweating about 9:30....nod off at 11:00...try not to eat everything in sight"
Since I'm a newbie, and a "direction reader" (I actually read the directions when assembling things, etc.), I am doing exactly what Coaches have recommended...same thing you plan to do on race day. It's a little easier for me re nutrition pre-run, since I always run in the evenings. I'll eat a snack after work (banana, granola bar, not much more), carry 32oz Perform on my belt and drink 4oz each mile. Circle back to the driveway and then run the rest around the block (~1mile), walking 30steps while drinking another 4oz/mile. I take one PB gel every 3 miles. This is all based off my IM nutrition plan. I try to follow it on the bike, although it's hard to drink enough unless it's hot. Seems to be working...no GI upset, no bonking, able to pee a little when I finish (relatively clear...not dark yellow). I have noticed that many of you have no short slow down segments in your runs (mine usually have a 20-30sec abrupt pace change every mile where I walk and drink). How are you doing that? I can drink off my fuel belt while running, but have to slow and circle the driveway to refuel every mile once it runs out. I drink a big glass of chocolate milk within 30mins of finish, after a little water. Then try not to clean out the pantry before bed.
Since I don't know what I'm doing, I have chosen to trust the coaches and follow the recs....so far so good. As it gets hotter, I'm planning to experiment with drinking a little more than 4oz (6-8oz) to see if my stomach can handle it, just in case it's super-hot like last year reportedly was. I am soooo afraid of dehydration (ie....I may have an OCD about it!).
FYI....I did NOT want to do the brick run tonight, and only did it because you people did it! Gotta keep up with the Jones'!
@MW- 2x1 at 6:35 pace is great!
@Annie- 5 hr trainer ride on Sat sounds brutal!!
, but you gotta get it in. Wishing for warmer weather headed your way.
@Jimmy- Something to ponder for sure... but I didn't realize we get a "10 min time PENALTY" for wearing a wetsuit.
I'll bring my full wetsuit just in case, but I'll definitely plan on wearing a skin suit, as 10 mins is too much of a hefty price for me. Thanks for the heads up about that, Annie. I've only done cold weather races, so that didn't even enter my mind. Duh.. now it make sense.
@Robin @Annie- I'll take a look at the Xterra Velocity skin suit.
@Tim @ SS- Thanks for the feedback on the wetsuits. I'll take a look at the TYR Torque as well.
@SS- My nutrition routine for the 2 hr run, which I did today was:
Before- Yogurt w/cut up strawberries
During- 205 cal/hr, 435mg sodium/hr, 12 oz fluid/hr. This was via Perform, shot blocks, a GU and a salt tab. It worked well for me. Even burped up a little, which means if anything I was taking too much.
Yesterday I did the 40 min TM run:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/472549568
Trainer Ride:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/472549570
Today I did the 2 hr run on the TM:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/472549602
Tomorrow I'll be doing Sat's 5 hr bike ride/40 min run. I can't get these long wko in on weekends because of kids sports. Thankfully, I have a guy that races for Swami's (a local competitive group), and he accompanies me on all my weekday long rides. That's gonna be fun next week when he does the back to back 112's with me. He'll still have to ride hard with the boys in his team that weekend, as I'm sure they'll mock him endlessly if he gives the excuse he just rode back to back 112's with some CHICK!!! Poor bastard.
Have a great day everyone!!!
@Linda, there's no 10-min penalty for wearing a wetsuit if they're optional (water temp of 76-84 or something like that). It's just that the non-wetsuit wearers start at 7:00, the wetsuit crowd at 7:10. Your time will be adjusted according to chip time. What Jimmy was saying is, when he crosses the line at 9:51, he wants to buy that photo showing his 9:51 finish, and not a photo showing a far-weaker 10:01 finish. The only true "penalty" for wearing a wetsuit when they're optional is ineligibility for AG awards and Kona slots, neither of which is even a remote consideration for me. As far as advantages of a wetsuit, if you're a 1:30 swimmer, which means you've got some stroke issues (probably including dragging legs), a WS may save 10 minutes. But if you're 1:10 or faster, the WS will probably save 3-5 minutes, about double what a speed suit will. These are just anectdotal guesstimates, not science.
17-miler done this morning. First hour at 8:31, right on target. Felt OK. But there wasn't much gas when I tried to accelerate after that. By 10, the legs were pretty fatigued, and the "push" at the end really didn't happen. Averaged 7:41s. Marginal time negative split, but pretty huge effort negative split. It's pretty typical for me to struggle through the first couple of long runs (15+), then improve through the remaining ones. I'm hoping that plays out here as well. Also, after doing long runs for 15+ years all at conversational pace, I think this old dog is struggling to learn this new negative-split trick. Hope everyone does much better. BTW, it's 10:05 a.m., and I'm still sweating.
So....if I understand correctly, there and 2 chip start times? One at 7 for non wetsuit and one at 7:10 for wetsuit? The clock obviously start once at 7, but aside from finisher pic not showing adjusted time, your official results will show an accurate time based on 7:10 start time? This is new to me as I assumed all chips went off at 7, and you just eat 10 min.
@ Annie....correct. It's similar to the way they do the chip times for the rolling start races. Austin HIM had Gender-AG starts every 5 minutes, so one year my chip time was a full hour faster than the time on the clock for the "finisher pic", as I was in one of the last waves.
I've always wondered why the Finisher Pix folks can't manage to photoshop your actual chip time onto your finish line photo. I'm never going to purchase a photo of my triumphant finish with the clock showing a time one hour more than my actual time. Seems like something they could do easily and would likely greatly increase their sales.
Another tidbit on the wetsuit issue....I believe (correct me if I'm wrong Tim) that last year Tim initially was shown as finishing 3rd in his AG, but the guy in 2nd wore a wetsuit and so he did not KQ! I remember Tim saying that he figured that guy was kicking himself. Now, for me, unless I get a motor installed on my bike, and some roller skates, it's just not even remotely possible. For some of you (SS, MR, etc.), I haven't done the math for your paces, etc., but.....
...you seem pretty fast and keep nailing your workouts....with Ninja execution, is it impossible?
I am a mop for sure. Swam 1:23 at IMWI
In full suit, swam a 37 at Kansas 70.3 in a full, and a miserable 43 at Vegas in a skin suit. That was just a horrendous experience. But mainly because I'm old and all the young fast ones who started after me attacked me like a pool of piranha! If we were seeded correctly it my be a bit less aggressive and I won't be vertical every 22 seconds gasping for air. lol!
Thanks!
http://www.strava.com/activities/126573251
@Annie you're a beast! I can barely stay on my tm for 60min... way to go.
@JL, although it's nice of you to lump SS and me into your world of KQ possibilities, the odds for me are still Lotto-esque. Especially in the M35-54 ranges, the talent is really high and really deep. For perspective, at Germany I swam under an hour, averaged 20+mph on a fairly challenging bike course, then ran sub-4. The reward? 197th in my AG, just about 2 hours short of the last qualifying spot. But if the top 200 guys in our AG get food poisoning and Kona lightning strikes, I'll let my spot roll down to SS after unceremoniously beating him in a finish line sprint/dive.
The perennial KQ contenders on this board are Tim and Robin, and I expect them to be up front and in the mix again. The wild card for me is EB. If she can unleash that 3.5 w/kg on the bike, coupled with her strong swim and run, she could find herself at the pointy end of her youngish AG. And I'm sure there are plenty others on the team who could put it all together and surprise.
Thursday bike - 1:50 on the trainer at the gym. Running long run tonight after family goes to bed.
Wednesday run - 1:01 outside 8:00mi. I felt great. Happy to be outside for a change. Tuesday's massage really helped. Parents are in town, gotta go rescue my wife, so biking in the morning.
Tuesday run - 1:15 on the treadmill (Really feeling tight). Massage afterwards. Got to figure how to make the massage happen before the run next week.
This morning I got in 1:40 with 1hr at whatever pace my body wated then 30min targeting z2 and a 10min cool down. Total was 10.78mi for an avg pace of 9:17 with a 30min segment at 8:32 which is just a tick above z2.
Then at lunch I got in another 40 minutes covering 4.64mi at 8:37 avg pace which is z2.
So the total for the day is 2:20 covering 15.4mi at an avg pace of 9:06 or so.
For me, this is a very good pair of runs. Better than last week or the week before which is the idea I guess.
As far a KQ goes - I want to say publicly that I am aiming towards the legacy program. Call it a lifetime achievement award.
@ Annie - well done! 14 on the TM! like clock work!
@MR - 17 miles like it was nobody's business! Very strong work considering what you did Mon - Wed! You must be training for an IM!
@ Jimmy - way to get it done!
@EB - Great run and I hear you......dog fight city for me too!
http://www.strava.com/activities/126627560 Mon - Wed bike/run intensity translated into a difficult second half.
I did take MW's thoughts on deferring Caf intake until mile 7 as well as JL's reminder of the EN guidance and walked 14 steps every mile after mile 3 drinking 4 - 5 ounces of perform, both of which were good changes....
@ MR and Annie - I too will not have a cutoff issue but will also not be anywhere close to KQ with my swim and the toll the heat/humidity will play on the run leg.........I may strategize however with Annie to take out 30 - 40 of those young girls on the swim leg and let Annie cruise on up front......
.................why am I always starving?.................
@ALL nice long runs today!
Swim tried out swimskin today since I will be racing on Saturday..... 2 x 1000 , 1 x 500 , I would say I was definitely faster having matched a 1000yd TT best with less effort.
Bike... second ride on new disc on the sprint course for recon... 14' @ .93 , 5' @ .91 , then 11' @ 1.0 , remainder at very low Z1
Run ... 4 mile brick