Woohoo! Good luck to you! After all you (both) have been through, I don't see how you could possibly get stressed about such a small thing as an Ironman. IF you plan it out right, you won't have to do too much.
Remember to float the hills, and push the downs into the flats. Steady in the wind. Drink a ton and stay cool on the bike so you can handle the run. Early on the run if you feel good, eat...as you won't want to do that later...and when they give you coke and broth, you should totally try it.
Ha, you wish it was that quick of a read. The weekend started off with the discovery that my bike was damaged in transport and needed emergency repair. I will try to get you a video of the "break" so you can experience the sucking, sole crushing feeling of loosing hope that I felt when I assessed the damage. Thank God, and I mean that. Without his help there is no way, no way I could have raced or completed the race. Also, my bike here to fore will be known as MacGyver.
We will come back to that saga later. Los Cabos is a beautiful location, but I found it difficult to get reliable information about the course. I had to make educated guesses that it would be windy, hilly and hot. All the information I read said it would be wet suit legal but that was not the case. When I was donning my wetsuit for the practice swim I heard someone tell his friend about Hurricane Patricia; that it was a category 5 storm with crazy winds and massive destructive potential. I thought he was messing with his friend so I quit eavesdropping and went for a swim. The water was hot and the guy was not joking about the storm. The good news was that we had beautiful weather for the race.
Some things I would share with my EN teammates who may be considering this race: that the transitions were in sand and not well managed. They had no showers, yet we were told to expect them. There was no sunscreen, which one would expect for a race in the sun. It was on the checklist so I was prepared. Looking back, I wish I had the forethought to have given the volunteer my bottle so she could have shared with everybody. The women's changing tent was not crowded; there were several chairs and volunteers to help out. However; according to my husband the men's changing tent was sandy, no chairs and no available volunteers. This is reflected in our transition times. I packed a bottle of water so I could rinse my feet at the mounting line and felt so smart. Thanks stinky muddy TX for that little gem.
A little side note. The swim started an hour after the half IM and was a rolling start. We were in the water well on our way to the first turn buoy when we realized they were moving the buoy. And I thought it was funny when we landed the plane and the stewardess announced the wrong time sending the Ironman bloated plane into a tizzy. Imagine 1000 swimmers chasing a buoy around the Sea of Cortez. Ok, but seriously my husband thinks the currents may have shortened the course so nobody was complaining about the swim; because, we all got a PR. Hey it still counts!
The bike was a bitch. Oh wait, let me be clear. It was hard! Grueling even, but I was proud of myself. I wanted to put in a good effort and make EN proud. So, I kept repeating your words to myself, float the hills and keep the same pressure on the pedals on the downhill. I didn't check my speed on the downhill, figuring I would do that later, plus I did not want to risk a face plant. I stayed focused on the road and staying upright on my bike. MacGyver was every bit the precision instrument she was built to be and we did good. I decided early on that I would be conservative and stop at the aid stations vs. rolling through. I used this to my advantage by dumping icy water bottles on myself at each station to stay cool. It was hard to keep drinking the Gatorade after 4 hrs. but I kept sipping. Incidentally, my husband went down on his bike and thankfully he landed on a grassy median with no damage to himself or his bike. The ride out to the airport on the toll road was a slow, uphill climb that everyone was dreading. The second trip out there sucked! Respect to all the cyclists who love the hills. I would have enjoyed the ride had it been 3 hrs vs. 7+.
The run was unremarkable. I got a little dizzy starting the second lap so I took a Gu, salt and sport legs. Then I was bloated; it felt the girl must have felt in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory who turned into a blueberry. Marcelo Perez, the other EN teammate and I spent some time together on the run. That was a definite highlight for me. It was beyond cool getting a chance to hang out with him and share the love. When we separated it was a long lonely road. Overall it was a hard course and I was extremely tired. I can't tell you what my speed on the downhill was; because, I forgot to get my watch off my bike at T2 and it was gone when I went to pick up my bike after the race. That is a major bummer. I had asked two volunteers to help me and get it. One even asked me to wait on her while she retrieved it but she returned with an apology and no watch. I trusted it would be on my bike when I finished. If I were thinking more clearly I would have taken the time to go get it.
Nuff said, and I am tired. I will do a more type-A, engineer friendly race report another time.
Another race, another epic day. I am so glad you are okay, but so sorry to hear about your travails! What a PITA. Congratulations to you and your hubby both...more data when you are rested!!!
I am back in the place where I have the mental space to think about this again. I set up a phone call and submitted my 2016 race plan with Coach R. So a few things that stick out for me are:
I want to really do well in IMTX this year. I am seriously hungry for victory. Yes, last year was a great; I was victorious and I did well and I am proud. I humbly feel it is realistic to believe that I can improve my time based on these tangible factors. I am in the states now so I have access to stuff I did not last time (nutrition specifically). I can train on the roads I will ride come race day. I have invested in a proper fit on my tri-bike vs. my improper fit on the road bike I road last time. If I can stay healthy, maintain training and stay upright on my bike during the race there is no reason I can't improve my time. Now that I have a baseline I will admit that I am fiercely competitive with myself. Although, my "run" was acceptable to me at the time, I still hated to be passed by other females who looked strong and steady completing their second and third laps while I lagged behind. This irritant may be my "one thing" that gets me out of bed in the morning. So bring it on.
There are 2 main things I would like to discuss with you. I need a better approach to race day nutrition. Both of my IM's were in hot conditions and it was hard to continue to drink the Gatorade on course. I ended up wearing more than I consumed thanks to my torpedo bottle and bumps. I feel my run was affected both time as evidence by bloating. In Los Cabos I got to the point were I felt dizzy and then when I addressed the dizzy I got bloated and felt nocuous. I am thinking the Run Durability plan will go a long way to helping me out. I fear not having super hot conditions to train in but know that in the end you work with the conditions just like everybody else.
Like I said, I now have the mental space to focus again. I am look forward to having a plan and doing the work.
Love it..and I am ready for sure. We can discuss all those points, but know that solving the nutrition will most likely be a more time consuming effort (trial and error). I'd like to know what type of torpedo bottle you have...as well as how much you normally drink (in training) and then what you actually drank (on race day). If you can write that stuff out here, that would be AWESOME as just riffing on it can get a little messy...not as messy as your sticky bike, but messy enough!
Coach P. I have an X Lab torpedo. For IM Los Cabos the thing I forgot to pack was the quick fill cap so I had to improvise.
I drank Gatorade Endurance for IMTX and took GU gels or Power bar gel every 35-40 min. For IM Los Cabos I started the race with 24oz, & 2x20 oz. Of Gatorade Endurance then used what was on the course (Gatorade) for beverage and did the same GU/Power bar for fuel.
My system is to alternate Chocolate GU and Vanilla Power bar gel b/c the power bar does not have caffeine. Then I will start the run with a double latte Power bar gel with 2x the caffeine. I take a piece of tape and affix salt tabs, Motrin, or Gas-X to the GU or gel packet and I number them #1 (0:40), #2 (1:20), #3 (2:00) and so on. I do the math in advance to figure when I need to add salt and how many salt tabs are required to meet the demand. I always have Excedrin Migraine and a coke with me on the bike and carry the meds on the run and hope they have coke on the course.
In both IM's I would tire of the taste of Gatorade and stop taking it in. The first 4 hrs. on the bike I get in about 48 oz. an hour and by about 4:30 I take in about 20 oz. an hour. I tried to drink water with my GU/gel but sometimes I would chase it with the Gatorade. I would dump 20 oz. or more of ice water on my head, down the jersey, and my back to keep cool. Then by hr. 6 on the bike I would be lucky to get 8 oz. in. It was just so hard to keep sipping it. The fuzzy part for me is late on the bike knowing just how much I am drinking because I am so focused on getting off the bike. Also, I over pack GU/gels and I always have several left over when I get off the bike. I start the run with a 2x caffeine gel and try to maintain the same interval every 35-40 min. but somewhere in there about 3hrs. I just can't take any more. I stopped following my plan on the run. No more Gatorade only water. I took a GU at 0:40, 1:20, & 2:00 on the run but then stopped because I felt sick. Then when I got dizzy I decided I didn't want to trip and fall so I took one. Shortly thereafter I bloated right up and was uncomfortable. So I dug out some Gas-x and continued to shuffle/walk the marathon. My mouth was so dry nothing could sooth the thirst. There was no helping the dryness in my mouth, coke, Gatorade, or water. It just sucked and I had soreness the next day when I tried to eat and drink. I guess I was mouth breathing mess most of the marathon. Nice!
For training I drink G2 and use the same GU/gel system. I will practice the salt, Gas-x and Motrin when I do the RR. The only problem I had in training was when I did a long run 18+miles and I had gastric distress for the remainder of the day. I figured I was not careful with my diet leading up to the long run and needed to respect the influence of diet on training. It felt like it was a wake up call so I was more careful following that.
Hope this info. helps. Talk to you soon.
I ask for help because I realize I need to try some new things and maybe can get some guidance or suggestions from the team.
thank you so much for the detail; this is where the magic happens! :-)
Here is what I recommend you do moving third in training as a means of practicing and preparing for improved race day experience:
#1 — you should start the bike with at least one hours worth of Iron Man perform in your bottles. It has a significantly different taste from Gatorade, and has multiple sources of carbohydrates which is, ironically, better for many of us then the higher sodium concentrate that comes with Gatorade endurance. Starting with perform can also give you bandwidth on consuming Gatorade later. I ride with three bottles on my bike so that gives me through my first hour before I change to Gatorade.
#2 — the fuzziness that you experience on the back half of the bike can most definitely be improved by caffeine. I recommend that after the store hour mark on the back your gels should be caffeinated is that as we start to build caffeine across the remainder of your day (you will continue with the caffeine from that point through the end of the run in some form or another).
#3 — this is a minor point, but I would get rid of that chocolate do unless it is your personal favorite is it has very low sodium; I would prefer a different power bar gel product here.
#4 – adding the water to your regimen makes it harder for your body to process what is in your gut. As you taking more more water you would need to take in more sodium, ideally in the form of a salt pill. These would be pills you have in a bag or canister that you could take on an as-needed basis. You do the same thing when you feel bloated; you need to continue drinking but you have to get sodium into your system to facilitate the digestion in your gut. One of my favorite tricks on the lawn when I'm experiencing such an issue is to put a gatorlyte packet (my emergency solution!) Into a cup of Coke and drink the whole thing… Salt and caffeine in one!
Still here, still poking away at fitness. Took a few days off between Christmas and New Years but the wardrobe did not need replacing so I think I can recover quickly. A few things that I am putting in writing, not NY resolutions, just making it known to the accountability gods. 1.) track my diet and exercise 2.) use Garmin data to shape and improve my workouts. Hope you had a good Christmas and New Year celebration. 2016 is going to be fun.
Yep, leg pain. It is my fault for not rolling my legs, stretching- ever, and ignoring self care. Now I too am in a bit of run jail and not very happy with myself.
The saga of Dana's leg pain... You don't want to read that. Vacation must truly be over and it is back to reality for you. Thanks so much for checking in with me. It makes me feel special so I wont kill you with a long report. I have given some thought to TLR (total leg replacement) but then things feel better and I abandon the idea. Truth is that I went off the grid, not staying connected with EN, not truly tracking or working on things but monitoring my pain for signs of "BAD" pain and phoning in my workouts. I think I would be pain free if I could just quit reinjuring it. Did an intense kick set in the pool, then I fell down the stairs, and most recently I lost my balance on the step stool and landed hard on it. The pain felt like glass shattering as it migrated up my leg. I walked it off but it did not help my overall progress. I have been babying my legs by stretching, rolling, massaging, and resting them. The pain at the outset of my runs has incrementally improved. I think I am on my way to pain free legs with continued monitoring and care.
I went for a bike ride outside yesterday. That was magnificent. I was nervous and jittery at first but it turned out to be a beautiful day. Lucky me.
On that note. How cool is it that we are 3x World Champions? World not National, I had to check b/c I thought maybe I was inflating the magnitude on my own. This team is the real deal and I get to be a part of it.
Last thing. Sorry about your pluming issue. It is a shame your cat is trained in holiday card destruction and not house sitting.
Oh, one more thing. How is your pain? Are you in run jail, probation maybe or free?
Dana, glad to hear there is progress for you. I say more bike, more swim, less run. That's a good way to go. Let me know if you want help modifying that...
I am on run probation...hip is tight but hard to say what the root cause is. But I am a bit of a hypochondriac so who knows what's really up. I am just returning to consistent running (as forced by house relocation) slowly to see what I get.
The cats are totally fired...demoted...whatever. Super mad at them for how they built my house...I think they just wanted some new digs. At the very least, the kids are excited for the process and we are staying calm and reflecting on what makes us so lucky to have what we have...
Coach P. I think you are crazy. You have been running on a broke femur? What! That sounds like a new level of suck that I don't ever want to experience.
Texas has been beautiful BTW. Sunny days perfect for running and riding. The problem is (there is always something) life is so distracting here. I find my adjustment harder now that I want to intensely focus on training. Life is so full that training is less prominent. Yes, I am still getting it done but not with the same enthusiasm or drive as before. It scares me. It is like a terrible dream wherein it is race day, you forgot to train, when you look down your wearing your swim skin and the cannon goes off. Panic! Anxiety much? I know it will be ok but I feel there is so much to get done and time keeps slipping away. My first born and husband have birthdays in March, spring break and Easter are in my face and Saturday is the half marathon. I have had sick kids, sore legs, major changes to the kids after school activities (that have to be worked out) and a hurt husband. Your post about forced run jail helps me keep things in perspective. All things happen for a reason and it will work out in the end.
Dana, and the most important thing is to keep perspective. I bet if we stopped in a random parking lot in your town got out of the car and sit on the roof and did a 360° turn you would probably see 50 people who would gladly trade their life or what you have. There's always challenges, and there are definitely days when it seems like it's too much. And having heard what you've been through in your life, I know this is absolutely nothing. You know the drill: stay focused on what's important and the rest will take care of itself. While your fitness may go up and down the season your experience will never fade and I'm confident that your student have a fantastic race. Give it some time and your training will certainly come back around again. Good luck this weekend!
Thanks Coach for the response about perspective. Half marathon is complete. Nothing stellar but I met my goals with a bonus of having no pain. I wish I could be more excited about my time but truly this was about something else. Overall time was 2:11 officially but Garmin says 2:08.59 b/c I stopped my watch when I detoured into Shell for a pit stop. Pace was 9:46, average hr 170.
My focus was on running conservatively vs. competativly as to not get hurt and to get a long run in. Still I worked hard and was wiped out for the remainder of the day. Evidence of the need to take my training more seriously if I want better results. This is a great motivator and I will use it as such. My mindset was similar to IM mindset vs. half marathon racing. What I mean by that is I focused on keeping moving vs. pushing hard for speed. I guess it says something about my personality that I am still reminding myself that it was not about speed yesterday. I want to be disappointed b/c my PR 4 yrs. ago was 8:49 pace but I did what I set out to do & I am training for something greater. Alright, enough about that. I will give myself grace, that go and move on.
What worked is I can and will train again today. Had I pushed harder then I would require rest. Ok, feeling better. Sometimes I am slow on the uptake but the coaches lessons are being learned.
Dana, just because you are a triathlete doesn't mean you have to be one-dimensional and judge yourself only by speed. There are a myriad set of reasons why 2016 DS is slower than 2012 DS, and I bet when you unpack them, they are all pretty awesome (travel!) to normal (older!)...but nothing to get upset about. Focus on building that consistency...daily work that adds up...build a practice of endurance, your speed will follow!
Crawling out of the pain cave to check in. It is hot and muggy in there anyway. Thank you for the help on nutrition following my last IM. I have implemented the changes you suggested; so far so good. I do Power bar Perform for the first 64 oz. approx.. 2hrs. Then Gatorade Endurance for the remainder. I use Power bar gel, vanilla non caffeinated for the bike and then the last, just as I get off the bike, I do a Power bar double latte with caffeine for the run.
I went to see a chiropractor yesterday for the first time ever. He poked some needles in my back and then did some active release stretching. Walked out of there feeling a little different; then I was woken at 3:30 with a killer headache which made me question my decision. Today I rode my bike 5 hours followed by a 30min. run. The bike felt great and after the first mile on the run I realized I had no pain. Holly crap Batman, it worked. Yesterday when I ran on the treadmill in my pain cave I had a pace of 9:44 with pain, today outside after the long ride it was 8:49. So over the past few weeks my run pace has been about 9:15, 9:12 outdoors. Still, It felt good. No pain and I forgot to be afraid of injury. Woo hoo. Is it fair to say I feel younger and more like myself. I had no idea that I was carrying around so much tension and how damaging it could be.
Any reports on your end? Are you able to train? Will IMTX still be possible for you? I know you have lots to distract you but I will still send best wishes and positive vibes your way. Take care.
Dana...that is awesome!!!! You have seen the light!!!!!!!!
No TX for me..I am still digging chasing the answer...but I am swimming 1x per week which is something! I really like way you are fueling right now. And I still here the guys complaining about how you were putting the hurt on them at the start of the ride at Camp. #beastmode
Sorry to hear that you are still in the dark. My prayers for your wife and girls. You have a great perspective on fitness and training but still, type A and not being able to do your thing. Must make you feel crazy at times.
So, can you talk to the Ironman Gods about TX. Just because you can't do it doesn't mean nobody gets to play. Nah, I'm not worried just find the irony funny.
Nother great day in Tx, I'm going to go appreciate it. You do the same.
Coach P. Wanted to report that I got some more practice riding in windy conditions. I did Galveston 70.3 as day 2 of my wk15 RR. The wind was a cross wind and I was very thankful for that vs. a head wind, both ways. My half IM time was 5:42.16 and I finished just ahead of my husband. His swim wave (40-44 men) was broken into three parts, he found himself in the 3rd wave and was behind everyone else. So as I was running I kept telling myself, "don't let him catch you walking." No walking for me; because, that one time I slowed to a walk he would go running by and then I would pay. I would hear about it every time I wanted dessert, or every time I went to sit on the couch. With relish and in jest, he would remind me that I was supposed to run the half marathon. I think I crossed about 2 minutes before him so he almost caught me on the run. This is a proud moment for me as I don't believe I will ever be at the finish line before him again.
It was swim suit legal but my swim time was not that good. I kept swimming off course. If I had worn my Garmin I would know how much extra I swam since I was zig zagging my way through the course. The bike was 2:50.59 and the run 2:06.42. My average power was 155, average HR 150. I think that is about right for a half. It is right in zone 3.
It was a good day with beautiful weather and a flat course. I think I am more tired from the mental prep. and logistics, followed by the clean up. In truth it will all pay off in a month when we do it again. Overall I feel it was a good choice to take on the race mentality for the weekend. It helped me refresh my planning, list making, and organization. Since this was not my A race I felt more relaxed had fun. I kept reminding myself that this effort was how the magic happens. EN- my secret weapon.
My husband jokes that when he dies and is reincarnated he wants to come back as an expat spouse; because, we have it so good. Disposable income, staff to do laundry, cooking, cleaning and a driver to do the shopping and take you places. I am not going to lie, it is a good life. Unfortunately, our expat time is over. The disposable income has evaporated and hard choices must be made. It is for this reason that I have to cancel my membership. Please know that EN has made a huge positive impact on me as a person; therefore, I will always consider myself a teammate. So when you come to town again, look me up. Think of me, if in the future, an athlete needs a place to stay or support is needed. Also know that in all future races I will strive to represent EN to the best of my ability and I will be sure to encourage others to seek you. It is a fact that EN is badass with stellar coaches, and wicked smart teammates. Carry on.
Dana, so sad to see you go! Life is good when it's good....and tough decisions are around the corner. We're family, so hopefully you stay connected with us on the Twitters or the Facebooks. I love reading your stories!!!! Best best best, ~ Coach P
Comments
Remember to float the hills, and push the downs into the flats. Steady in the wind. Drink a ton and stay cool on the bike so you can handle the run. Early on the run if you feel good, eat...as you won't want to do that later...and when they give you coke and broth, you should totally try it.
Can't wait to see how it goes..safe travels!!!
Ha, you wish it was that quick of a read. The weekend started off with the discovery that my bike was damaged in transport and needed emergency repair. I will try to get you a video of the "break" so you can experience the sucking, sole crushing feeling of loosing hope that I felt when I assessed the damage. Thank God, and I mean that. Without his help there is no way, no way I could have raced or completed the race. Also, my bike here to fore will be known as MacGyver.
We will come back to that saga later. Los Cabos is a beautiful location, but I found it difficult to get reliable information about the course. I had to make educated guesses that it would be windy, hilly and hot. All the information I read said it would be wet suit legal but that was not the case. When I was donning my wetsuit for the practice swim I heard someone tell his friend about Hurricane Patricia; that it was a category 5 storm with crazy winds and massive destructive potential. I thought he was messing with his friend so I quit eavesdropping and went for a swim. The water was hot and the guy was not joking about the storm. The good news was that we had beautiful weather for the race.
Some things I would share with my EN teammates who may be considering this race: that the transitions were in sand and not well managed. They had no showers, yet we were told to expect them. There was no sunscreen, which one would expect for a race in the sun. It was on the checklist so I was prepared. Looking back, I wish I had the forethought to have given the volunteer my bottle so she could have shared with everybody. The women's changing tent was not crowded; there were several chairs and volunteers to help out. However; according to my husband the men's changing tent was sandy, no chairs and no available volunteers. This is reflected in our transition times. I packed a bottle of water so I could rinse my feet at the mounting line and felt so smart. Thanks stinky muddy TX for that little gem.
A little side note. The swim started an hour after the half IM and was a rolling start. We were in the water well on our way to the first turn buoy when we realized they were moving the buoy. And I thought it was funny when we landed the plane and the stewardess announced the wrong time sending the Ironman bloated plane into a tizzy. Imagine 1000 swimmers chasing a buoy around the Sea of Cortez. Ok, but seriously my husband thinks the currents may have shortened the course so nobody was complaining about the swim; because, we all got a PR. Hey it still counts!
The bike was a bitch. Oh wait, let me be clear. It was hard! Grueling even, but I was proud of myself. I wanted to put in a good effort and make EN proud. So, I kept repeating your words to myself, float the hills and keep the same pressure on the pedals on the downhill. I didn't check my speed on the downhill, figuring I would do that later, plus I did not want to risk a face plant. I stayed focused on the road and staying upright on my bike. MacGyver was every bit the precision instrument she was built to be and we did good. I decided early on that I would be conservative and stop at the aid stations vs. rolling through. I used this to my advantage by dumping icy water bottles on myself at each station to stay cool. It was hard to keep drinking the Gatorade after 4 hrs. but I kept sipping. Incidentally, my husband went down on his bike and thankfully he landed on a grassy median with no damage to himself or his bike. The ride out to the airport on the toll road was a slow, uphill climb that everyone was dreading. The second trip out there sucked! Respect to all the cyclists who love the hills. I would have enjoyed the ride had it been 3 hrs vs. 7+.
The run was unremarkable. I got a little dizzy starting the second lap so I took a Gu, salt and sport legs. Then I was bloated; it felt the girl must have felt in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory who turned into a blueberry. Marcelo Perez, the other EN teammate and I spent some time together on the run. That was a definite highlight for me. It was beyond cool getting a chance to hang out with him and share the love. When we separated it was a long lonely road. Overall it was a hard course and I was extremely tired. I can't tell you what my speed on the downhill was; because, I forgot to get my watch off my bike at T2 and it was gone when I went to pick up my bike after the race. That is a major bummer. I had asked two volunteers to help me and get it. One even asked me to wait on her while she retrieved it but she returned with an apology and no watch. I trusted it would be on my bike when I finished. If I were thinking more clearly I would have taken the time to go get it.
Nuff said, and I am tired. I will do a more type-A, engineer friendly race report another time.
I want to really do well in IMTX this year. I am seriously hungry for victory. Yes, last year was a great; I was victorious and I did well and I am proud. I humbly feel it is realistic to believe that I can improve my time based on these tangible factors. I am in the states now so I have access to stuff I did not last time (nutrition specifically). I can train on the roads I will ride come race day. I have invested in a proper fit on my tri-bike vs. my improper fit on the road bike I road last time. If I can stay healthy, maintain training and stay upright on my bike during the race there is no reason I can't improve my time. Now that I have a baseline I will admit that I am fiercely competitive with myself. Although, my "run" was acceptable to me at the time, I still hated to be passed by other females who looked strong and steady completing their second and third laps while I lagged behind. This irritant may be my "one thing" that gets me out of bed in the morning. So bring it on.
There are 2 main things I would like to discuss with you. I need a better approach to race day nutrition. Both of my IM's were in hot conditions and it was hard to continue to drink the Gatorade on course. I ended up wearing more than I consumed thanks to my torpedo bottle and bumps. I feel my run was affected both time as evidence by bloating. In Los Cabos I got to the point were I felt dizzy and then when I addressed the dizzy I got bloated and felt nocuous. I am thinking the Run Durability plan will go a long way to helping me out. I fear not having super hot conditions to train in but know that in the end you work with the conditions just like everybody else.
Like I said, I now have the mental space to focus again. I am look forward to having a plan and doing the work.
I drank Gatorade Endurance for IMTX and took GU gels or Power bar gel every 35-40 min. For IM Los Cabos I started the race with 24oz, & 2x20 oz. Of Gatorade Endurance then used what was on the course (Gatorade) for beverage and did the same GU/Power bar for fuel.
My system is to alternate Chocolate GU and Vanilla Power bar gel b/c the power bar does not have caffeine. Then I will start the run with a double latte Power bar gel with 2x the caffeine. I take a piece of tape and affix salt tabs, Motrin, or Gas-X to the GU or gel packet and I number them #1 (0:40), #2 (1:20), #3 (2:00) and so on. I do the math in advance to figure when I need to add salt and how many salt tabs are required to meet the demand. I always have Excedrin Migraine and a coke with me on the bike and carry the meds on the run and hope they have coke on the course.
In both IM's I would tire of the taste of Gatorade and stop taking it in. The first 4 hrs. on the bike I get in about 48 oz. an hour and by about 4:30 I take in about 20 oz. an hour. I tried to drink water with my GU/gel but sometimes I would chase it with the Gatorade. I would dump 20 oz. or more of ice water on my head, down the jersey, and my back to keep cool. Then by hr. 6 on the bike I would be lucky to get 8 oz. in. It was just so hard to keep sipping it. The fuzzy part for me is late on the bike knowing just how much I am drinking because I am so focused on getting off the bike. Also, I over pack GU/gels and I always have several left over when I get off the bike. I start the run with a 2x caffeine gel and try to maintain the same interval every 35-40 min. but somewhere in there about 3hrs. I just can't take any more. I stopped following my plan on the run. No more Gatorade only water. I took a GU at 0:40, 1:20, & 2:00 on the run but then stopped because I felt sick. Then when I got dizzy I decided I didn't want to trip and fall so I took one. Shortly thereafter I bloated right up and was uncomfortable. So I dug out some Gas-x and continued to shuffle/walk the marathon. My mouth was so dry nothing could sooth the thirst. There was no helping the dryness in my mouth, coke, Gatorade, or water. It just sucked and I had soreness the next day when I tried to eat and drink. I guess I was mouth breathing mess most of the marathon. Nice!
For training I drink G2 and use the same GU/gel system. I will practice the salt, Gas-x and Motrin when I do the RR. The only problem I had in training was when I did a long run 18+miles and I had gastric distress for the remainder of the day. I figured I was not careful with my diet leading up to the long run and needed to respect the influence of diet on training. It felt like it was a wake up call so I was more careful following that.
Hope this info. helps. Talk to you soon.
I ask for help because I realize I need to try some new things and maybe can get some guidance or suggestions from the team.
thank you so much for the detail; this is where the magic happens! :-)
Here is what I recommend you do moving third in training as a means of practicing and preparing for improved race day experience:
#1 — you should start the bike with at least one hours worth of Iron Man perform in your bottles. It has a significantly different taste from Gatorade, and has multiple sources of carbohydrates which is, ironically, better for many of us then the higher sodium concentrate that comes with Gatorade endurance. Starting with perform can also give you bandwidth on consuming Gatorade later. I ride with three bottles on my bike so that gives me through my first hour before I change to Gatorade.
#2 — the fuzziness that you experience on the back half of the bike can most definitely be improved by caffeine. I recommend that after the store hour mark on the back your gels should be caffeinated is that as we start to build caffeine across the remainder of your day (you will continue with the caffeine from that point through the end of the run in some form or another).
#3 — this is a minor point, but I would get rid of that chocolate do unless it is your personal favorite is it has very low sodium; I would prefer a different power bar gel product here.
#4 – adding the water to your regimen makes it harder for your body to process what is in your gut. As you taking more more water you would need to take in more sodium, ideally in the form of a salt pill. These would be pills you have in a bag or canister that you could take on an as-needed basis. You do the same thing when you feel bloated; you need to continue drinking but you have to get sodium into your system to facilitate the digestion in your gut. One of my favorite tricks on the lawn when I'm experiencing such an issue is to put a gatorlyte packet (my emergency solution!) Into a cup of Coke and drink the whole thing… Salt and caffeine in one!
Let me know what you think!
~ Patrick
A few things that I am putting in writing, not NY resolutions, just making it known to the accountability gods.
1.) track my diet and exercise
2.) use Garmin data to shape and improve my workouts.
Hope you had a good Christmas and New Year celebration. 2016 is going to be fun.
The saga of Dana's leg pain... You don't want to read that. Vacation must truly be over and it is back to reality for you. Thanks so much for checking in with me. It makes me feel special so I wont kill you with a long report. I have given some thought to TLR (total leg replacement) but then things feel better and I abandon the idea. Truth is that I went off the grid, not staying connected with EN, not truly tracking or working on things but monitoring my pain for signs of "BAD" pain and phoning in my workouts. I think I would be pain free if I could just quit reinjuring it. Did an intense kick set in the pool, then I fell down the stairs, and most recently I lost my balance on the step stool and landed hard on it. The pain felt like glass shattering as it migrated up my leg. I walked it off but it did not help my overall progress. I have been babying my legs by stretching, rolling, massaging, and resting them. The pain at the outset of my runs has incrementally improved. I think I am on my way to pain free legs with continued monitoring and care.
I went for a bike ride outside yesterday. That was magnificent. I was nervous and jittery at first but it turned out to be a beautiful day. Lucky me.
On that note. How cool is it that we are 3x World Champions? World not National, I had to check b/c I thought maybe I was inflating the magnitude on my own. This team is the real deal and I get to be a part of it.
Last thing. Sorry about your pluming issue. It is a shame your cat is trained in holiday card destruction and not house sitting.
Oh, one more thing. How is your pain? Are you in run jail, probation maybe or free?
I am on run probation...hip is tight but hard to say what the root cause is. But I am a bit of a hypochondriac so who knows what's really up. I am just returning to consistent running (as forced by house relocation) slowly to see what I get.
The cats are totally fired...demoted...whatever. Super mad at them for how they built my house...I think they just wanted some new digs. At the very least, the kids are excited for the process and we are staying calm and reflecting on what makes us so lucky to have what we have...
Texas has been beautiful BTW. Sunny days perfect for running and riding. The problem is (there is always something) life is so distracting here. I find my adjustment harder now that I want to intensely focus on training. Life is so full that training is less prominent. Yes, I am still getting it done but not with the same enthusiasm or drive as before. It scares me. It is like a terrible dream wherein it is race day, you forgot to train, when you look down your wearing your swim skin and the cannon goes off. Panic! Anxiety much? I know it will be ok but I feel there is so much to get done and time keeps slipping away. My first born and husband have birthdays in March, spring break and Easter are in my face and Saturday is the half marathon. I have had sick kids, sore legs, major changes to the kids after school activities (that have to be worked out) and a hurt husband. Your post about forced run jail helps me keep things in perspective. All things happen for a reason and it will work out in the end.
My focus was on running conservatively vs. competativly as to not get hurt and to get a long run in. Still I worked hard and was wiped out for the remainder of the day. Evidence of the need to take my training more seriously if I want better results. This is a great motivator and I will use it as such. My mindset was similar to IM mindset vs. half marathon racing. What I mean by that is I focused on keeping moving vs. pushing hard for speed. I guess it says something about my personality that I am still reminding myself that it was not about speed yesterday. I want to be disappointed b/c my PR 4 yrs. ago was 8:49 pace but I did what I set out to do & I am training for something greater. Alright, enough about that. I will give myself grace, that go and move on.
What worked is I can and will train again today. Had I pushed harder then I would require rest. Ok, feeling better. Sometimes I am slow on the uptake but the coaches lessons are being learned.
I went to see a chiropractor yesterday for the first time ever. He poked some needles in my back and then did some active release stretching. Walked out of there feeling a little different; then I was woken at 3:30 with a killer headache which made me question my decision. Today I rode my bike 5 hours followed by a 30min. run. The bike felt great and after the first mile on the run I realized I had no pain. Holly crap Batman, it worked. Yesterday when I ran on the treadmill in my pain cave I had a pace of 9:44 with pain, today outside after the long ride it was 8:49. So over the past few weeks my run pace has been about 9:15, 9:12 outdoors. Still, It felt good. No pain and I forgot to be afraid of injury. Woo hoo. Is it fair to say I feel younger and more like myself. I had no idea that I was carrying around so much tension and how damaging it could be.
Any reports on your end? Are you able to train? Will IMTX still be possible for you? I know you have lots to distract you but I will still send best wishes and positive vibes your way. Take care.
No TX for me..I am still digging chasing the answer...but I am swimming 1x per week which is something! I really like way you are fueling right now. And I still here the guys complaining about how you were putting the hurt on them at the start of the ride at Camp. #beastmode
Let's keep this good stuff rolling!!!!
So, can you talk to the Ironman Gods about TX. Just because you can't do it doesn't mean nobody gets to play. Nah, I'm not worried just find the irony funny.
Nother great day in Tx, I'm going to go appreciate it. You do the same.
It was swim suit legal but my swim time was not that good. I kept swimming off course. If I had worn my Garmin I would know how much extra I swam since I was zig zagging my way through the course. The bike was 2:50.59 and the run 2:06.42. My average power was 155, average HR 150. I think that is about right for a half. It is right in zone 3.
It was a good day with beautiful weather and a flat course. I think I am more tired from the mental prep. and logistics, followed by the clean up. In truth it will all pay off in a month when we do it again. Overall I feel it was a good choice to take on the race mentality for the weekend. It helped me refresh my planning, list making, and organization. Since this was not my A race I felt more relaxed had fun. I kept reminding myself that this effort was how the magic happens. EN- my secret weapon.