I did that most foreign of things today. I rode my bike in the real world. 3 hours in local park. First time riding new bike and new wheels outdoors. Cannondale old style Slice. Flo 90s (will add wheelcover for race). otherwise rode the full race set up. NP 245. race goal being 235. felt fresh.
everything solid. bike handles well. my new Quarq upgrade solid.
all great except the knuckle head drivers, pedestrians, and also some cyclists without a legal or common sense clue. I can handle anything on the road bike but things are riskier on the tri bike so I take personally things that threaten my life.
Mike, bit late. But probably still time to do the ugrade deal on your Quarq. I only have the one outside day on my new Riken but it seems much more consistent and reliable. it also compares well to indoors Kickr accounting for Kickr measuring at wheel. I never had complete faith in my old Quarq that had to be replaced three times.
hearing about everyone's outdoors issues lends me to give a pitch for indoor RR. much easier to simulate flat course, hydration, and nutrition of the actual face. and much higher chance of getting the full thing done.
Swim 2800 yds Bike 110 miles IF .79 , 4:16 @ IF .76 , last 46 min @ IF .86 going for a KOM and got it.... Had Epic winds but no real heat....Definitely over rode the distance but great training at the end of a big week. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/478634539 Run 6 miles
Wow!!! Great work everyone!!! Im so impressed with all the work going on and to be a part of such a fine and motivated group of athletes. Yeah us!!
Today was another, and hopefully the last, indoor long ride. 5 hrs on the trainer with 2 quick stops totaling under 5 minutes. This is getting old to say the least! We start early and it is still dark and was only in the low 40s, windy and rainy. No thanks. Ill take the trainer over that any day. We need HEAT! Mixed up my oldie but goodie Perpetuem bottles and drank about 24 oz. of water every 45 min or so. Took 2 add Salt tabs per hour as well. This mix has always worked well for me and did again today. May need to up the salt tabs and water in Texas. BAthroom 2x on bike in 5 hrs.
6 mile run after at avg pace of 9 min. Felt really nice and relaxed. Needed to go to the bathroom about 3 miles in and right when done, so I would say my hydration was on today.
Came home, walked the dog or 1 hour and then proceeded to fall asleep on the counch for almost 3 hours!!!!!!! I NEVER do that! I was just so tired after my week...arn't we all?
Rest day tomorrow.
Monday is RR swim that I pushed off from Friday due to an incredibly sore back and neck from whiplash from Goose attack.. I mean really...lol!! All is good now though!
92 miles in 5 hours today Nice pace given the wind that was strong Noticed my power decreasing little by little at the end though so maybe I was too strong at the beginning Will take a look at the data Idea was to do full 112 but had to cut short due to family commitment
RR #1 done. No major problems. Warm and very windy day....perfect for IMTX prep I guess. Target was 0.69IF and I nailed that on the nose. Took a little longer than expected (no race wheels/helmet) and still not sure about my IF target for race day. Debating 0.68 to 0.70. Input would be welcome. Ride took 6:10 for 112 miles. TSS was ~292. I don't want it that high on race day, as I'm not a strong/experienced/fast runner. Looking at the TSS tables, I'm liking 286. So, I'm thinking that with race wheels/helmet, no stops to refill Perform, etc, that I should be under 6hrs, allowing me to ride at 0.69 and accumulate 286TSS, which is right in the green zone. Agree? VI today was 1.03. A little more climbing than IMTX, but pretty close. Nutrition was ok. I sort of lost focus last 2hours and failed to drink my 12th bottle of Perform. Also, only pee'd once @ about 50miles. So, I'm thinking (after losing 2.6lbs in RR swim last night!) that I need to drink 2.5bottles/hr?...especially if it's hot. It was mid/upper 80's today, and very windy .
Also had a very strange 3rd hour. Was falling asleep? Almost rode into a ditch once. Seriously considered laying down under a tree for a bit, but couldn't find any shade that didn't look like it would probably have a giant fire ant mound nearby. I think this was due to the fact that I don't get as much sleep as I should (this week has been particularly bad) and that my first two hours I used non-caffeinated gels. Once I realized I was sleepy (I wasn't fatigued....just felt like my eyelids weighed 20# each), I hit a 2X caffeinated gel and followed with another 1X gel a little early (30mins later). About an hour later, I perked up and then felt fine the rest of the ride. So strange....who falls asleep pedaling a bike!
Today's 97.61 mi bike ride up the coast again. 2 flat tires, rear derailaur problems... hence the time lapse at the bike shop on the way and changing flats. Brutal fucking winds!!! The type that you have to lean into with gusts throughout. Was having a hard time going aero because of that. Freaking nerve-wrecking & mentally draining. Shoulders and crotch were killing me!! I was feeling BLISSFUL after yesterday's bike and run. After today's bike I felt defeated and seriously doubting my ability.
@Linda, no need to doubt your readiness. In fact, a 100-mile, brutal training ride will help a lot. The neck, back and undercarriage will be tougher now, and TX will feel like a breeze compared to yesterday. And way easier than Tahoe.
BTW, that 4:42 goal was tongue-in-cheek. I'll probably be at Mile 90 at 4:42.
@Tim, it goes without saying, but kudos on an epic week. I would have withdrawn from the race by Wednesday had I tried to follow. This should be the springboard to help you do whatever you want to on 5/17.
Finally . . . a Sunday morning sipping coffee on the water, instead of sitting on a small, under-cushioned seat. For those resting, enjoy it.
@MR.... I saw that 4:42 yesterday and thought I need to reply " Are you just trying to see if we are paying attention" and then I was too tired and forgot about it!
@Linda.... Your Garmin files are now accessible .... Nice swimming very fast (where and when are you lining up ? LOL) Bummer about the mechanicals but good mental training. The wind was country wide yesterday since I hear east coasters , west coasters , canadiens , and everyone else comment on it. I had Epic winds yesterday on my 3 x out and back. Was going just as fast uphill as I was down hill and it was a lot easier to go up than down.
@Jeff L.... Since TSS is a factor of Time and Intensity at some point you reach a time where it is impossible to keep TSS under 300 no matter how low your intensity... At that point you just have to bike a reasonable intensity and let the TSS fall where it may.... This is why Pro's can ride an IF in the mid .80's because they are done in 4.5 hrs and TSS is still under 300. OTOH someone who is a slower biker and on a hilly course may ride 7.5hrs and will defintely have a higher than 300 TSS.
The guidance below is sound. I have been following your training and have seen you do many longrides. You will defintely ride below 6hrs in Texas I guarantee it. I know your worried about the run and you should be but I'm hear to tell you no matter what ,the run will still seem impossible at some point. Its a balancing act of not over riding but not under estimating yourself. Execute like an EN ninja and consider targeting the IF's in the data below.. Your fitness and execution will carry you thru. Trust in the process. I dont remember your exact IF's off the top of my head for your recent long rides and camp rides but I really believe you should be able to handle .70 and maybe .72 the 5:45-6:00 window. I wouldnt be surprised to see you finish below 5:45 easy on an IF of .72 and then what would your TSS be??? Review your long rides for IF and how you ran afterwards and repeat on last RR for confirmation.
Power Athletes: Goal Watts, as a percentage of FTP: 5:00 - 5:15: ~74-75% 5:15 - 5:30: 73-74% 5:30 - 5:45: 73-72% 5:45 - 6:00: 72-70% 6:00 - 6:15: 69-70% > 6:15: 67-69%
Hey team! I'm here finally checking in. Great work on all the RR! I can assure you all that the work you are putting on those legs will pay off come race day as I found yesterday on the bike. It was a day where everything came together, but I still learned A TON.
SWIM: 36:55 - 1:44/100yds A little slower than I expected. The water temp was 68 so I went with a full wetsuit. I tried to get in and warm up a bit, but barely got in 50 meters before I was called back to the dock for the Open Category start. Lesson #1: Plan accordingly for a proper warm up.
Gun went off and I tried to pick it up in the first 300 yards. Felt like swimming in butter. Because I wasn't warm, it was a tough start. By the first turn, I was able to hop on someones feet and pretty much drafted off of her until the 2nd turn into home. I still had a good 1100 yards to go, and she seemed to be swimming a decent pace and sighting for me, so I hung on until the end.
T1: Attempted to put my Cool Wings on and learned quickly that they do NOT like wet arms. Decided to do without and took off on the bike. Lesson #2: One application of sunscreen will NOT last you the entire race. Ouch.
BIKE: 2:43:51 - This is where I surprised myself. I had used the pacing chart and planned to bike around a .79-.81. I taped my goal numbers to my bike, split the ride in four based on those numbers. First part I went for a 130 NP. Had a great tailwind for at least 15 miles, and gladly let everyone fly past me. 2nd part, I picked it up a bit, but respected the headwind/crosswind/chipseal that I had for the next 25 miles. Then got to mile 45 and it was game on. I was squashing ants like Coach P said he did on the bike. All of the athletes that passed me in the first 30 I just checked off my list. My heart rate sat pretty at 130 for the entire time. I was finding it easy to hit my goal watts, and thanks to another tail wind in to T2, I ended up with a .74, 144 NP, AVG HR 133, AND 3rd best bike split of the overall females! Man it feels good when all this crazy hard work comes together like that. Last Tuesday I could barely hold my 2X20' at FTP and was worried about my bike slipping because of all the building Z1 rides. Huge confidence boost right there. All this crazy work you guys did this weekend will pay off BIG TIME May 17th. OH!! I also saw a Litespeed with a disc wheel and took it as a lucky omen, SS!
FIRST TIME PEEING ON THE BIKE! felt a little weird, and I learned I have to coast and tell myself "waterfall, waterfall, waterfall" -- Had 2 waterfalls during the 56 miles, thanks to taking in 2 bottles an hour with salt, in addition to my 3 doses of UCAN.
T2: Came into T2 strong. By this point it was a GOOD 82 degrees so I knew I needed to keep hydrated. They had an aid station in the transition out chute, but NO TRASHCAN... Here is where the penalty came. I had my paper cup with me, and nowhere to throw it. So, instead of littering, I ASKED someone if they would throw it away for me and BOOM. 4 min gone for unauthorized assistance. The head ref told me later that I needed to hold on to my cup until the next aid station if that happens again. She was handing out penalties like candy bars all day. 3 of my teammates got one; all for different reasons. I'm glad I did, so I know what never to do again. Another lesson learned. She did say that she was going to mention to the RD about having more trashcans outside of the chute for that reason... I was one of 5 athletes who did it.
RUN: 1:56:something. Man was I feeling good. I forced myself into my long run pacing, but still came out a bit fast. Again, some of the faster females on the bike passed me in the first part of the run. I kept my pace and watched my HR. At about mile 5, I caught one to of the girls who just happened to be in my AG. Ran with her for a bit and not only does she live in Charlotte, she is also doing TX as her first 140.6!! She had just started coke and I could tell she was hurting a bit. At mile 6, she went to the porta jon and we shook hands. Onward I went, trying to get at least one 8 oz cup of water down and salt stick every 2 miles. Worked great. Around the hour mark about mile 7.5, I drank my UCAN and it helped get me to mile 10. I promised myself to hold steady until then and go for the coke. I've never tried coke before, but figured now was the best time to give it a shot. Immediately cramped up my stomach, but not badly enough to make me slow down. However, what DID make me slow down was the SWARM of BEES that attacked at mile 11! Luckily, I was only stung once on the chest. I had my frog towel around my neck so at the mile 12 aid station, I had the guys dip it into the ice and I put it over the sting. It helped enough to make my last mile at 8:40 pace. Lesson #4: Don't speed up too soon. I will force myself to stay at my Z1 pace and see what I've got left in the tank after mile 20. Also, plan to practice more with flat coke and not take it in right after I drink my nutrition.
Overall time at first was 5:21:56, after penalty official 5:25:56. 8th overall female, 1st AG.
Went to med tent to have the stinger removed. Muscles feel great today minus a bit of soreness and one pretty tight calf that I'll have worked on this week. I'm way sunburned on my back and neck. Need to figure out how to get those cool wings on. Someone mentioned using trashbags? The sting has me down and out. I'm having a bit of a reaction to it so Benadryl and bed for me today so I don't overdo it.
Very happy with the execution of the day. I surprised myself and learned a great deal in the process. Nutrition was spot on minus the coke which I plan to figure out in the next few weeks.
Keep up the work guys. I'm off to rest. Please excuse any typos. I'm benadryled up like crazy. EB
End of camp week for me. I am toast. 2:15 "run". I hr z1, check. then the 1hr Z2 came in at Z2 + 8sec. Then at the 2 hr mark, I cracked. I put in a few more minutes to get over 13.1mi then I limped in. 2:!5, 14mi.
I know that we are not big volume hounds but this has been the biggest work week I have ever put in. Nappy time...
BTW Day #7 is done. Long run 2.5 hrs.... When it came time to do Z2 work I had a conversation with myself. It went something like this. Self , do you want to do some Z2 work today. Me, let me thing about that for a second , ummmm NO..... Self , OK..... So Z1 it was with 20 steps walked every mile. http://www.strava.com/activities/129984314
Dave Tallo and I had a similar conversation on our brick run yesterday after the 5hr ride..... Dave , are we gonna run 6.2 or 6? Tim, 6.2 is metric for you canadiens I'm gonna run 6. Dave OK. At mile 5 both of us are going when is that 6 mile beep gonna go off? Tim , why didn't we just run 6k?
Congrats to everyone else for making it though the week!
Got my RR done yesterday. 112 bike and 6 mile run. Took a little over 6hrs for the bike, but I had to stop to pee and refuel 4 times. Had some weird stomach issues through most of the day, but was able to finish. Had difficulty eating the prescribed amount per Core Diet plan because of the nausea, but still felt good after the bike and the run. Reminded me of an article on Peter Reid where he said he would intentionally eat something to make him sick before some training sessions so that he would know how to cope with it if it happened on race day. I didn't intentionally do that, nor would I, but having felt bad all that time had to have done something positive to my psyche, right? Glad to have the day off! Ready to get back at it in the morning.
Today I did 35 mile ride in 1:53hr with killer winds on the way out (1 hr) that helped bring me back in 53 mins Finished it off with a 6.2 mile brick run in 48+minutes
Comments
I did that most foreign of things today. I rode my bike in the real world. 3 hours in local park. First time riding new bike and new wheels outdoors. Cannondale old style Slice. Flo 90s (will add wheelcover for race). otherwise rode the full race set up. NP 245. race goal being 235. felt fresh.
everything solid. bike handles well. my new Quarq upgrade solid.
all great except the knuckle head drivers, pedestrians, and also some cyclists without a legal or common sense clue. I can handle anything on the road bike but things are riskier on the tri bike so I take personally things that threaten my life.
Mike, bit late. But probably still time to do the ugrade deal on your Quarq. I only have the one outside day on my new Riken but it seems much more consistent and reliable. it also compares well to indoors Kickr accounting for Kickr measuring at wheel. I never had complete faith in my old Quarq that had to be replaced three times.
hearing about everyone's outdoors issues lends me to give a pitch for indoor RR. much easier to simulate flat course, hydration, and nutrition of the actual face. and much higher chance of getting the full thing done.
Strong reports today EB and MR......way to represent and not unexpected!
@Rob - Be glad to meet u at IMTX - Looks like you are a strong/vet from what I am reading in the forums.
1 hour recovery ride for me today - tomorrow long run. http://www.strava.com/activities/129610840
Hope most are resting/recovering tomorrow - Well Earned this week!
SS
Swim 2800 yds
Bike 110 miles IF .79 , 4:16 @ IF .76 , last 46 min @ IF .86 going for a KOM and got it.... Had Epic winds but no real heat....Definitely over rode the distance but great training at the end of a big week.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/478634539
Run 6 miles
Today was another, and hopefully the last, indoor long ride. 5 hrs on the trainer with 2 quick stops totaling under 5 minutes. This is getting old to say the least! We start early and it is still dark and was only in the low 40s, windy and rainy. No thanks. Ill take the trainer over that any day. We need HEAT! Mixed up my oldie but goodie Perpetuem bottles and drank about 24 oz. of water every 45 min or so. Took 2 add Salt tabs per hour as well. This mix has always worked well for me and did again today. May need to up the salt tabs and water in Texas. BAthroom 2x on bike in 5 hrs.
6 mile run after at avg pace of 9 min. Felt really nice and relaxed. Needed to go to the bathroom about 3 miles in and right when done, so I would say my hydration was on today.
Came home, walked the dog or 1 hour and then proceeded to fall asleep on the counch for almost 3 hours!!!!!!! I NEVER do that! I was just so tired after my week...arn't we all?
Rest day tomorrow.
Monday is RR swim that I pushed off from Friday due to an incredibly sore back and neck from whiplash from Goose attack.. I mean really...lol!! All is good now though!
Nice pace given the wind that was strong
Noticed my power decreasing little by little at the end though so maybe I was too strong at the beginning
Will take a look at the data
Idea was to do full 112 but had to cut short due to family commitment
RR #1 done. No major problems. Warm and very windy day....perfect for IMTX prep I guess. Target was 0.69IF and I nailed that on the nose. Took a little longer than expected (no race wheels/helmet) and still not sure about my IF target for race day. Debating 0.68 to 0.70. Input would be welcome. Ride took 6:10 for 112 miles. TSS was ~292. I don't want it that high on race day, as I'm not a strong/experienced/fast runner. Looking at the TSS tables, I'm liking 286. So, I'm thinking that with race wheels/helmet, no stops to refill Perform, etc, that I should be under 6hrs, allowing me to ride at 0.69 and accumulate 286TSS, which is right in the green zone. Agree?
VI today was 1.03. A little more climbing than IMTX, but pretty close. Nutrition was ok. I sort of lost focus last 2hours and failed to drink my 12th bottle of Perform. Also, only pee'd once 
@ about 50miles. So, I'm thinking (after losing 2.6lbs in RR swim last night!) that I need to drink 2.5bottles/hr?...especially if it's hot. It was mid/upper 80's today, and very windy 
.
Also had a very strange 3rd hour. Was falling asleep? Almost rode into a ditch once. Seriously considered laying down under a tree for a bit, but couldn't find any shade that didn't look like it would probably have a giant fire ant mound nearby. I think this was due to the fact that I don't get as much sleep as I should (this week has been particularly bad) and that my first two hours I used non-caffeinated gels. Once I realized I was sleepy (I wasn't fatigued....just felt like my eyelids weighed 20# each), I hit a 2X caffeinated gel and followed with another 1X gel a little early (30mins later). About an hour later, I perked up and then felt fine the rest of the ride. So strange....who falls asleep pedaling a bike!
http://app.strava.com/activities/129644147/analysis
Run was boring as heck. Forced myself to do LRP + 30" even though my legs wanted to go a little faster.
http://app.strava.com/activities/129644745
Thanks. JL
Great solid work everyone!!
@MR- 4:42 bike goal pace. Wow!!
@EB- Great job on your HIM! I too can't wait to hear about your race and the 4 min time penalty.
@Annie- you're the trainer ride queen. Definitely safer than cold, wet weather.
@SS- thanks for posting the link to the webinar. I finally got it.
@Tim- Sorry about that. Let me try it again. Here's my swim time trial link from Thurs:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/477408914
Here's yesterday's 100 mi bike ride up the Coast. Windy conditions. Still pushed through it. Nothing to shield you from the coastal winds.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/477967539
Sat's 1 hr brick run:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/477408905
Today's 97.61 mi bike ride up the coast again. 2 flat tires, rear derailaur problems... hence the time lapse at the bike shop on the way and changing flats. Brutal fucking winds!!! The type that you have to lean into with gusts throughout. Was having a hard time going aero because of that. Freaking nerve-wrecking & mentally draining. Shoulders and crotch were killing me!!
I was feeling BLISSFUL after yesterday's bike and run. After today's bike I felt defeated and seriously doubting my ability. 
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/478696211
BTW, that 4:42 goal was tongue-in-cheek. I'll probably be at Mile 90 at 4:42.
@Tim, it goes without saying, but kudos on an epic week. I would have withdrawn from the race by Wednesday had I tried to follow. This should be the springboard to help you do whatever you want to on 5/17.
Finally . . . a Sunday morning sipping coffee on the water, instead of sitting on a small, under-cushioned seat. For those resting, enjoy it.
@Linda.... Your Garmin files are now accessible .... Nice swimming very fast (where and when are you lining up ? LOL) Bummer about the mechanicals but good mental training. The wind was country wide yesterday since I hear east coasters , west coasters , canadiens , and everyone else comment on it. I had Epic winds yesterday on my 3 x out and back. Was going just as fast uphill as I was down hill and it was a lot easier to go up than down.
@Jeff L.... Since TSS is a factor of Time and Intensity at some point you reach a time where it is impossible to keep TSS under 300 no matter how low your intensity... At that point you just have to bike a reasonable intensity and let the TSS fall where it may.... This is why Pro's can ride an IF in the mid .80's because they are done in 4.5 hrs and TSS is still under 300. OTOH someone who is a slower biker and on a hilly course may ride 7.5hrs and will defintely have a higher than 300 TSS.
The guidance below is sound. I have been following your training and have seen you do many longrides. You will defintely ride below 6hrs in Texas I guarantee it. I know your worried about the run and you should be but I'm hear to tell you no matter what ,the run will still seem impossible at some point. Its a balancing act of not over riding but not under estimating yourself. Execute like an EN ninja and consider targeting the IF's in the data below.. Your fitness and execution will carry you thru. Trust in the process. I dont remember your exact IF's off the top of my head for your recent long rides and camp rides but I really believe you should be able to handle .70 and maybe .72 the 5:45-6:00 window. I wouldnt be surprised to see you finish below 5:45 easy on an IF of .72 and then what would your TSS be??? Review your long rides for IF and how you ran afterwards and repeat on last RR for confirmation.
Power Athletes:
Goal Watts, as a percentage of FTP:
5:00 - 5:15: ~74-75%
5:15 - 5:30: 73-74%
5:30 - 5:45: 73-72%
5:45 - 6:00: 72-70%
6:00 - 6:15: 69-70%
> 6:15: 67-69%
Closing out the week with the Long Run this morning: http://www.strava.com/activities/129868985
@Tim - good comments regarding the TSS/300 point and the ranges below. I have been studying those ranges the last couple of weeks....
Happy rest day all!
SWIM: 36:55 - 1:44/100yds A little slower than I expected. The water temp was 68 so I went with a full wetsuit. I tried to get in and warm up a bit, but barely got in 50 meters before I was called back to the dock for the Open Category start. Lesson #1: Plan accordingly for a proper warm up.
Gun went off and I tried to pick it up in the first 300 yards. Felt like swimming in butter. Because I wasn't warm, it was a tough start. By the first turn, I was able to hop on someones feet and pretty much drafted off of her until the 2nd turn into home. I still had a good 1100 yards to go, and she seemed to be swimming a decent pace and sighting for me, so I hung on until the end.
T1: Attempted to put my Cool Wings on and learned quickly that they do NOT like wet arms. Decided to do without and took off on the bike. Lesson #2: One application of sunscreen will NOT last you the entire race. Ouch.
BIKE: 2:43:51 - This is where I surprised myself. I had used the pacing chart and planned to bike around a .79-.81. I taped my goal numbers to my bike, split the ride in four based on those numbers. First part I went for a 130 NP. Had a great tailwind for at least 15 miles, and gladly let everyone fly past me. 2nd part, I picked it up a bit, but respected the headwind/crosswind/chipseal that I had for the next 25 miles. Then got to mile 45 and it was game on. I was squashing ants like Coach P said he did on the bike. All of the athletes that passed me in the first 30 I just checked off my list. My heart rate sat pretty at 130 for the entire time. I was finding it easy to hit my goal watts, and thanks to another tail wind in to T2, I ended up with a .74, 144 NP, AVG HR 133, AND 3rd best bike split of the overall females! Man it feels good when all this crazy hard work comes together like that. Last Tuesday I could barely hold my 2X20' at FTP and was worried about my bike slipping because of all the building Z1 rides. Huge confidence boost right there. All this crazy work you guys did this weekend will pay off BIG TIME May 17th. OH!! I also saw a Litespeed with a disc wheel and took it as a lucky omen, SS!
FIRST TIME PEEING ON THE BIKE! felt a little weird, and I learned I have to coast and tell myself "waterfall, waterfall, waterfall" -- Had 2 waterfalls during the 56 miles, thanks to taking in 2 bottles an hour with salt, in addition to my 3 doses of UCAN.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/479112889
T2: Came into T2 strong. By this point it was a GOOD 82 degrees so I knew I needed to keep hydrated. They had an aid station in the transition out chute, but NO TRASHCAN... Here is where the penalty came. I had my paper cup with me, and nowhere to throw it. So, instead of littering, I ASKED someone if they would throw it away for me and BOOM. 4 min gone for unauthorized assistance. The head ref told me later that I needed to hold on to my cup until the next aid station if that happens again. She was handing out penalties like candy bars all day. 3 of my teammates got one; all for different reasons. I'm glad I did, so I know what never to do again. Another lesson learned. She did say that she was going to mention to the RD about having more trashcans outside of the chute for that reason... I was one of 5 athletes who did it.
RUN: 1:56:something. Man was I feeling good. I forced myself into my long run pacing, but still came out a bit fast. Again, some of the faster females on the bike passed me in the first part of the run. I kept my pace and watched my HR. At about mile 5, I caught one to of the girls who just happened to be in my AG. Ran with her for a bit and not only does she live in Charlotte, she is also doing TX as her first 140.6!! She had just started coke and I could tell she was hurting a bit. At mile 6, she went to the porta jon and we shook hands. Onward I went, trying to get at least one 8 oz cup of water down and salt stick every 2 miles. Worked great. Around the hour mark about mile 7.5, I drank my UCAN and it helped get me to mile 10. I promised myself to hold steady until then and go for the coke. I've never tried coke before, but figured now was the best time to give it a shot. Immediately cramped up my stomach, but not badly enough to make me slow down. However, what DID make me slow down was the SWARM of BEES that attacked at mile 11! Luckily, I was only stung once on the chest. I had my frog towel around my neck so at the mile 12 aid station, I had the guys dip it into the ice and I put it over the sting. It helped enough to make my last mile at 8:40 pace. Lesson #4: Don't speed up too soon. I will force myself to stay at my Z1 pace and see what I've got left in the tank after mile 20. Also, plan to practice more with flat coke and not take it in right after I drink my nutrition.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/479121555
Overall time at first was 5:21:56, after penalty official 5:25:56. 8th overall female, 1st AG.
Went to med tent to have the stinger removed. Muscles feel great today minus a bit of soreness and one pretty tight calf that I'll have worked on this week. I'm way sunburned on my back and neck. Need to figure out how to get those cool wings on. Someone mentioned using trashbags? The sting has me down and out. I'm having a bit of a reaction to it so Benadryl and bed for me today so I don't overdo it.
Very happy with the execution of the day. I surprised myself and learned a great deal in the process. Nutrition was spot on minus the coke which I plan to figure out in the next few weeks.
Keep up the work guys. I'm off to rest. Please excuse any typos. I'm benadryled up like crazy.
EB
End of camp week for me. I am toast. 2:15 "run". I hr z1, check. then the 1hr Z2 came in at Z2 + 8sec. Then at the 2 hr mark, I cracked. I put in a few more minutes to get over 13.1mi then I limped in. 2:!5, 14mi.
I know that we are not big volume hounds but this has been the biggest work week I have ever put in. Nappy time...
@Jimmy way to finish up your camp week....
BTW Day #7 is done. Long run 2.5 hrs.... When it came time to do Z2 work I had a conversation with myself. It went something like this. Self , do you want to do some Z2 work today. Me, let me thing about that for a second , ummmm NO..... Self , OK..... So Z1 it was with 20 steps walked every mile.
http://www.strava.com/activities/129984314
Dave Tallo and I had a similar conversation on our brick run yesterday after the 5hr ride..... Dave , are we gonna run 6.2 or 6? Tim, 6.2 is metric for you canadiens I'm gonna run 6. Dave OK. At mile 5 both of us are going when is that 6 mile beep gonna go off? Tim , why didn't we just run 6k?
Congrats to everyone else for making it though the week!
Got my RR done yesterday. 112 bike and 6 mile run. Took a little over 6hrs for the bike, but I had to stop to pee and refuel 4 times. Had some weird stomach issues through most of the day, but was able to finish. Had difficulty eating the prescribed amount per Core Diet plan because of the nausea, but still felt good after the bike and the run. Reminded me of an article on Peter Reid where he said he would intentionally eat something to make him sick before some training sessions so that he would know how to cope with it if it happened on race day. I didn't intentionally do that, nor would I, but having felt bad all that time had to have done something positive to my psyche, right? Glad to have the day off! Ready to get back at it in the morning.
A bee attack?? Holy Hannah!
bees and geese.
yes Shaughn will be nice to meet you. and all.
my race sim this coming weekend. and 16 mile run next sunday.
and 20 mile run the weekend after this next.
then last long bike the weekend after.
then that race thing.
Today I did 35 mile ride in 1:53hr with killer winds on the way out (1 hr) that helped bring me back in 53 mins
Finished it off with a 6.2 mile brick run in 48+minutes