It's a tough call for this weekend. I hate to see you with a stomach ache out there on the 112. Do you not eat more food like options for the bike? I am eating bars, wafers, etc on the bike and saving all the GU for the run.
Kim, for these shorter bikes my nutrition seems to be working. I changed up a few things and in part am glad I did b/c that is how we learn and is part of the process. I added half a power bar every 1.5hr. Will keep the power bar and be more aware of caffeine use as we go forward. I am ashamed to admit that Coach P. told me to get my nutrition over Christmas when I was home. Got G2 products instead of Gatorade endurance, stupid mistake on my part. Thought it would be ok, I can pick some up when I am back in the states in February. Nope. All local stores were sold out and I did not order it from Amazon in time to smuggle it back with me. So I am a little worried about not having the on course nutrition to work with prior to the race. I did order some and it is sitting in my house in The Woodlands. Have to get another expat to carry it for me. I am shy about asking b/c it is kind of heavy and may be questioned by security at the airport. I don't want to put somebody, doing me a favor, through a hassle. A side note is that I ordered my EN gear and was going to bring that back with me as well but it is on back order. Can't wear that for RR to see if it works or rubs. In the end, these little details will get worked out.
Dana: wow! Never thought of those issues you are having! I actually have a hard time finding the Endurance Gatorade here too. I got Power Bar's powder (higher in calories than the Endurance Gatorade) and plan to use that in 4 prepped bottles to start the race. Then I will switch to the Endurance Gatorade when those are empty. I have had End. Gatorade before and never had stomach issues. Although it does KILL ME that there are artificial flavors and DYE in the gatorade. I'm a bit of a health nut.
OK guys, check in. How's things going? How's fatigue? Are you hitting numbers and your workouts? How's your sleep?
So I'm back at it, and this week has been a bit tough. My son is on the mend, so I'm making an effort to hit all workouts this week. And it's probably a bit too much. I'm a bit tired, so I'm taking today's short run off, but still hitting the bike tonight. The rest of the week for me goes Thursday: long run, Friday: 6 hour bike, Saturday: Long swim, Sunday: 90 minute bike. There's still some solid work, this week, but I think as long as I limit to one workout per day, I should be in good shape. I probably need to focus a bit on getting sleep going forward. I've been letting it float a bit, and have tended to get into bed around 11 pm. I need to get that closer to 10 pm.
Woo hoo! My brother Chris is BACK! SO happy your son is doing better! Let's get you back on track. I would say SLEEP is essential for you this week! More than training. So GET the sleep IN! Do we have a 6 hour ride this week? Mine says 5 (300 min).
My training is going well. I'm getting it all in. But my body is feeling a little tired. I just feel like I'm not getting faster (sort of that overtrained feeling). I know SPEED is not the key for IM..but was hoping to see a little more improvement in that department
@Kim. I'm glad you pointed that out about 5 hours vs 6 hours. I totally had it in my head that it was 6. As for your "speed", I'll bet once you get a good taper in, you'll see the results.
Chris you freaked me out when you said 6 hours! Remember when I was accidentally on the HALF Ironman Plan and you made me realize I was NOT on the right program! Ha! Thought it happened again
There is nothing more depressing than riding for 5 hours and when you are done, the Garmin is acting odd! It showed me my total time/miles..but would not show me my laps. Then it would not connect with Garmin Express/Strava! Boo! I realized maybe I needed to delete all activity on it since I have been using it a LOT since Jan (even that 112 ride at camp) and maybe it was overloaded. Just a thought for any of you using one too...before the IM, maybe wipe out the watch so it has room for that LONG day!
Oddly on a brighter note..I got a flat tire out there yesterday! My husband was ahead of me and didn't see. I text him to say I'm DOWN!. I hit a rock HARD and the front tire went out immediately. I was so proud that I calmly CHANGED that tire! I DID IT! Maybe took me 7-10 min..but I did it! The first time I had a flat, I changed the tire and got another flat 5 miles later because I had not felt a tiny thing of glass in the tire. But this time all was good. My husband came back around to help me and I was already up and biking! He was impressed! So I feel confident now that I can handle that on race day...IF it were to happen! Just wanted to share I'm sure you all know how to change tires..but if NOT...definitely get your practice now
@CD Thanks for keeping the chain active and alive. You are towing the line in the midst of your personal circumstances. I am impressed by you brother, keep calling us out and holding the group accountable. Very cool. Been keeping up with you on Strava, happy to see you back out there and putting in some good wko's. Must feel good to relieve some of the stress. Continued healing for your son and I hope he is getting stronger each day. I am sure he's looking at his Dad saying if he can get out there and pound the pavement, I can get through this and come out stronger. Now focus on getting some sleep. DVR is on the TV for a reason, so you can watch it at your leisure!
@EE Dude you are getting gangster on the Strava big fella. If I see another workout with an EPIC remark on your suffer score I am going to yack for you. I was on the dead mill today and looked at your long run from yesterday when I was at the 2 hr mark. You ran just shy of 2:18 so I aimed for that number and got close. How are you feeling? Sounds like your nutrition got off track a little bit but in true EE style you gutted it out and pulled some pretty stellar splits. Awesome work.
@Eagle Changing a tire?!? What the heck, that's a confidence builder for sure. So your husband was operating the SAG vehicle?? That's a committed husband right there, sounds like you have some great support down there in 80 degree Austin. I am jealous that you are working out in Houston ish temperatures while I am stuck in 55's and rain. And what about this magical 80 mile ride in Austin?? "My garmin was acting up", oh boy the Strava executives have heard it all!!!! Another jab from your Midwest brother. Hahaha, happy to see that you executed the ride and finished 80 strong with a run to top it off. Keep getting after it.
@Latisha @ Dana Hope you all are staying healthy and strong in this final push. Give us an update when you can, I am curious to see how your rides are going in S Africa Dana and I hope your low back is not acting up on you Latisha when you get out on the new bike.
For me, I switched up a bit this week in prep for Easter. Big Bike on Wed and about 2 1/2 - 3 hour mark stopped for fuel and to check in with Sara. Bad idea. The knee monster came out again in the second spot, more front and to the outside of my left knee. Gut check for sure. Downstroke in low gears was not fun, stayed high cadence and high gear where I could and that seemed to help. Had to stop a few X to stretch and massage it out. Only temporary relief, but relief. Finished at about 4 1/2 covering almost 80. Felt like a victory but short lived with concern about knee. Sore for car ride home, no tylenol in the car (where were you Kim?). Got home, hobbled around for 30 min and still sugared up from all the Endurance fluid / CLIF bars. Sat down on the couch and the boys wanted to wrestle so I stood up and POP! That pop somehow gave my knee a free pass to do whatever I wanted. No Pain, Full range of motion. Really bizarre. I felt like a free man and the pressure was gone. No worries the rest of the night.
Thursday no pain, just some preventative hot tub time. Tried to swim but I was staring at lane after lane of pool walkers! Consolidate the lanes people, nothing opened up in my window of time so I took it as a sign to take it easy.
Today knocked out my big run, and at about an hour into it the same issue in my knee. Stepped off for 5 to 10 minutes and really worked it out. Quick warm up again and back into the main set with no issues for the remaining hour and a half. My body is clearly saying let me catch up to the volume and proceed with caution dumbass. I feel like I am making progress and thats most important. Definitely not jerking my run mechanics like that Saturday brick run in Texas. Seems to be coming around.
Have a great rest of the weekend team, Happy Easter!!
Man Eric, that freakin KNEE!! I hate to be the guy to say it, but have you gone in to a doctor? If not, maybe there's a brace or something that he can use to keep things in line. It's good that you can get it in line when you sit down and relax a bit, but I think we all know you're not going to want to do that on race day. Maybe the doc could recommend something (maybe that tape, if not a brace) to help get you through the day.
@Kim - I had the EXACT same thing happen to me after the first day of camp. I totally should have mentioned it when it happened. For what it's worth, I was at about 90% full when I deleted it. So don't count on getting that last 10% of storage space. And yeah, what EM said. If it aint on Strava...
I just pounded out the long ride. Felt good, but it didn't get as hot as I wanted it to. And it was cloudy too. That all being said, I actually packed an extra bottle of Endurance and I definitely needed it. I think it's time for me to do another sweat test. Maybe I'll put that on the agenda for Sunday. I also wore a tri-top for the first time on a ride this year. Pretty enlightening to see how much less room there is in those back pockets than a traditional bike jersey. I've got to figure out what to do with an extra gel flask.
Speaking of Sunday, I'm confused by our "ABP" rides going forward. Are they supposed to be 90 minutes for those of us with VDOT's above 31? Or are we supposed to do a total of 3 hours? It looks like the Vdot below 31 crowd has a 90 minute run in there.
Great job on your long ride Chris! Yes..those tri tops have small pockets. Good to hold a gu and that's about it! Do you have a bento box on your bike? My nutrition all fits in there.
So...the ABP is a ride...it's only 90 min. this week. Isn't the Vdot for running? Our run this week is 125 minutes (just over 2 hours). Where did you read something about a 90 min run?
Great update Eric! I'm so not happy about this knee of yours. Definitely get it checked this week. I like that it pops back into place...but I know that you want to be in top condition race day. So get it checked Maybe some more ART
Great job on that almost 80 miler too!!!! So sorry I was not there to give you your advil. So my husband looked up advil vs. tylenol (Because Coach Patrick said advil is too hard on the liver) and we found articles saying the exact opposite. Says advil is still the best. hmmmm..
My hubby was riding his bike with me on my 80 miler...not SAG vehicle. ..but that would have been pretty funny My husband and I are doing a century ride to Shiner Brewery April 25th. THat will likely be the last big ride for me. So he has to train for the distance too (WHICH IS GREAT FOR ME!)
Hi Eric, just my 2 cents: if your knee is still bothering you GET IT CHECKED OUT!! ?? at the least you should try the swim running program that's in wiki. I'm a beleaver of it after my hamstring. Just back off running for a week and try. You still have time to heal up and move on. With the swim run I found when I came back to hard surface I didn't lose much/any of run fitness. So if you can't get an answer from doctors, try it and if it seems to work tack on one more week, bike and swim as per... Good luck! I want to see you race day fit not almost ??
@Kim, my plan (IM beginner plan) has a 90 minute run on it for people with a Vdot less than 31. I'm betting those of you on the intermediate and advanced plans don't have it because you all on those plans probably have higher vdot's. That just confirms that I don't need to lengthen out that ABP ride tomorrow,
Training's been OK... these next few weeks tend to be where I lose a bit of focus and start to fade a bit... going to do my best to avoid that and stay consistent. I've had to sit out a few of the shorter runs to keep fatigue in check, but took off the next two weekend to help with that. It's amazing how much better I feel during these WO's after 8 hours of sleep instead of 4-5...lol
@ Eric... my pool walker story... The other day I was swimming in my pools first lane ( bigger than the others). At the time there were only two of the pools lanes designated for members... the other member lane was taken... the rest were being used by one of the swim teams.
I was on a rest interval and saw this old guy coming into the pool area very slowly using a walker. He was at least 80. I keep doing my work and he finally makes it to the lifeguard after what seemed like forever. I get back to the wall and he's asking the lifeguard about when he thinks a lane will open up. I heard him and offered him the bigger half of my lane. He's happy and I think to myself... what do I care if he walks a bit in the pool. He gets the lifeguard to hold his arm and help him to sit down on the deck so he can slide into the pool.I'm nervous as Hell watching this because the old guy is so frail.
He hits the water and takes off swimming! I couldn't believe it... he's going about 2:10/2:20. Amazing... instantly made me realize what a great thing learning to swim was for when I was older and didn't have the ability to do the more demanding run/bike.
And like everyone said... GET YOUR KNEE CHECKED BY A DR! You get better at this sport by remaining consistent... injuries make consistency impossible.
@ everyone... You guys have been doing great. I may not have the ability to post as much as I'd like to... but I assure you all that every time I see one of your WO's on Strava I open it to see what you've done. You're all on track to have a great day in May and I can't wait to be there with you... keep up the good work... the next few weeks will be tough... but that race will be here before we know it!
I hear ya on the "next fee weeks I start to fade". I don't know about you guys, but I don't really want to do anymore 5 hour rides heee! I have 2 more and then I have a Century Ride (supported) that I will make my Race Rehearsal Day (1 week early). Then maybe one more 5 hour ride the week after (when you guys have Race Rehearsal week). But those days are just killer for me.
Ed you are doing great. Hope you are getting some sleep. That is my biggest worry for you. You have a tough job..I don't know how you make this work. If you can get some extra days off in these next weeks..DO IT
So NEXT week is Week 15 and says RACE REHEARSAL week (CAMP WEEK)...since we did this 2 weeks ago...what is the plan for next week campers? I left Patrick an email on the site to see what we should do.
Hey Kim, lol, email isn't a good thing with "P" , texting is faster. But I'm kind of in wk 15 camp. I switched around wk 14 and 15 due to boston in wk 16. I think for the most part keep volume up as much as you can wk 16 is a little layed back ( recovery).
Let us know what coach P says Kim. Unless otherwise told, I'm going to follow the plan and do camp again. I'll probably flip flop a few workouts to make it fit my schedule though. And the second bike will likely get shorter depending on fatigue.
Make sure to listen to the podcasts from this week and next week. Patrick has some good insight on how to approach the race rehearsal.
Ha Ron..I sent him a message via EN not email I already learned that about him
So I will let you know what Coach P says. We are supposed to do 2 Race Rehearsals total. So I count camp as one and we have ANOTHER race rehearsal in week 18 (just so you know). I don't think my body wants to do 3 112 bikes But I will keep y'all posted.
@Kim... I know they suck... but IMO those 5 hr and 6 hour rides are the most important WO's you'll do. They will have the biggest determination on how your race day will go. The more you do... the easier the race day bike will be for you... The easier the bike is... the better you'll run. Do them all... push through the suck.. because it will suck...What I tell myself when I'm doing it... "You're going to feel like shit either right now in training.. or on race day... if it's on race day... everyone will know!".. although... with Strava... a good number know anyway...lol
Ed hit it out of the park with that reply. Embrace the suck. And as a bonus, maybe you figure somthing out on one of those long rides that minimizes the suck.
Rides have been long and lonely at times. I stay patient in the wind, and push more when wind dies down.
Yall, last year was just such a negative experience for me. This year, I just FEEL better. I FEEL positive. I'm not as fast as everyone else ( the more I read on EN Forums, the more I feel like I shouldn't even BE here HAHA!), but I'll finish before 17 hours is up. Even if I'm the last one crossing the line.
Loving my bike! Back starts feeling a little twingy at 3 hours, but it's because of my floppy core I just have to learn how to manage that.
Waiting for my EN top to come in---hopefully before this weekend's race rehearsal! If not, I do have a tight top to swim and bike in , but it's too tight to run in for me. I hate to change, but we shall see!
So my nutrition plan has been as follows ( I am a hefty little girl at 63" and 187 pounds):
1 bottle of Gatorade Endurance ( 160 calories)
Bonk Breaker Bar ( 1/3 every 20 min)=240-270 depending on bar)
This equals to anywhere from 400-430/hr. According to EN, I should be having around 460 because of my weight, but I just cannot put anything else in my belly.
I do carry a few GUs just in case.
Will be taking 1 to 2 salt stick caps also every hour---hard to take now because it's just not warm enough
Now, for the sweat test, I haven't had any luck with our weather. It's not been "warm" at all. I live in South MS, so it should be hitting us anytime now. I will probably have to adjust my fluid intake, so that would decrease the amount of bonk breakers to eat ( which I will have to carry with me--last time I looked, they weren't going to have them on the bike course this year)
The last 15 minutes of the bike, I was planning on sips only and a GU at 20 minutes---that way my belly isn't sloshing with too much at beginning of run.
This is what I'm stressing about. I know the Coaches don't like Bonk Breakers, but it's the only thing that does not make me sick to my stomach!
Last year I used Infinite, but hated carrying what I needed.
Other than this, who wants to come clean my house?!
Love your update Latisha! Sounds like you are hanging tough! I like your plan. Patrick does not love bonk bars because they are not really great for digesting while riding. But that being said,if it WORKS for YOU and you have been PRACTICING with it great. BUT bonk breakers are NOT on the course this year. So you would have to bring your own and they are a little bulky. I started using the power bars that Patrick uses. They are nice and skinny so they fit in my bento box great and are HIGH in calories. I actually only need half a bar per hour. You might give those a try (also NOT on the course).
Do let us know how your RACE rehearsal goes!!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!
PATRICK'S UPDATE FOR THOSE OF US WHO WENT TO CAMP ABOUT SCHEDULE THIS WEEK:
PATRICK SAID "I do like big biking this week -- if you can go 2 x 5 hours...or 2 x 4 hours..that would be good. Remember we didn't do the full camp as planned due to weather, so biking would be great. If you can't do that, then the the alternative week is fine too (it's listed there as a resource). "
Latisha, I'm glad to hear you've got a great attitude this year. Sounds to me like you're going to win the competition for mental toughness. How did that trainer ride end up on Saturday?
FYI all, IMTX posted/updated the athlete guide on their website:
Hey guys, been traveling for spring break to Mauritius in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. Next year when we all do the IMSA we can go there to recuperate.
My husband did his first IM in South Africa while the girls and I were in Mauritius cheering him on. Was watching the live feed when he crossed the finish line. The camera cut away from the finish shoot to show a boy and his father running side by side and the referee scolding them. Saw my husbands name flash up on the screen and his finish time but was not able to see him as he finished. NO worries, we got pics. He did amazing, said the course was hilly, windy and he still does not know how he finished the run; can't really remember anything but the suck on the first of 3 loops.
Spent quality time in the ocean working on open water swim with perfect water temps. There was a cove with a buoy line demarking safe swim area that I used for laps. The water was murky like Lake Woodlands but aqua not mud colored. (BTW the entry point for IMTX is where all the ducks like to live and hang out, bonus bacteria level for swimmers.) Also, had some fishy friends who swam beneath me at one end of the "lap". For me this was very cool, I like playing in the ocean. I felt like a bit of a spectacle since many of the residents of the resort were subject to my swim work outs but hey it was worth it.
I did get to ride a bike but it could not be called a work out. Went on a guided tour of a small part of the island on a borrowed mountain bike. It was beautiful and a really cool way to get an idea for what is "outside" the gates of the resort. Later I ran this course a few time; because, running on a tread mill while on vacation is a new kind of hell that I didn't know existed. The outdoor runs were both amazing and crazy! They drive on the wrong side of the road and the roads are narrow, hilly and S curved. After taking my husband on one of my "outside" runs I got sentenced to the tread mill again for safety. Good news, no pain and I feel injury free. The hills had my calves aching a little but it is a good pain not a scary one.
It is a small miracle that I did not pop from overeating. Each meal I gave it my full effort though. I have a dirty little secret that I would like to confess now, I am a lazy procrastinating slacker stuck in an aspiring Ironman's world. Truly I don't want to sabotage myself and I know that doing an Ironman is a stupid idea but... it is going to be so sweet in the end. In comparison to my previous self I did amazing on this trip. I was careful not to take in to much caffeine, I would fill up on healthy choices yet still allow for indulgences and I maintained an altered work out schedule. This week is RR for me so I am terrified. No lie, stinken terrified. Must submit a RR plan and get my head in the game. Oh, crap! This is real, this is really happening people.
Ed thanks for asking about me. It is so good to hear how everybody is doing and for the support. You guys are killing it. I am going to bring a rope to IM and one of you lucky cyclists gets to pull me along, with my skateboard we should have no problem finishing the run as well. Carry on good stewards of triathlon's finest.
Comments
So I'm back at it, and this week has been a bit tough. My son is on the mend, so I'm making an effort to hit all workouts this week. And it's probably a bit too much. I'm a bit tired, so I'm taking today's short run off, but still hitting the bike tonight. The rest of the week for me goes Thursday: long run, Friday: 6 hour bike, Saturday: Long swim, Sunday: 90 minute bike. There's still some solid work, this week, but I think as long as I limit to one workout per day, I should be in good shape. I probably need to focus a bit on getting sleep going forward. I've been letting it float a bit, and have tended to get into bed around 11 pm. I need to get that closer to 10 pm.
Woo hoo! My brother Chris is BACK! SO happy your son is doing better! Let's get you back on track. I would say SLEEP is essential for you this week! More than training. So GET the sleep IN! Do we have a 6 hour ride this week? Mine says 5 (300 min).
My training is going well. I'm getting it all in. But my body is feeling a little tired. I just feel like I'm not getting faster (sort of that overtrained feeling). I know SPEED is not the key for IM..but was hoping to see a little more improvement in that department
There is nothing more depressing than riding for 5 hours and when you are done, the Garmin is acting odd! It showed me my total time/miles..but would not show me my laps. Then it would not connect with Garmin Express/Strava! Boo! I realized maybe I needed to delete all activity on it since I have been using it a LOT since Jan (even that 112 ride at camp) and maybe it was overloaded. Just a thought for any of you using one too...before the IM, maybe wipe out the watch so it has room for that LONG day!
Oddly on a brighter note..I got a flat tire out there yesterday! My husband was ahead of me and didn't see. I text him to say I'm DOWN!. I hit a rock HARD and the front tire went out immediately. I was so proud that I calmly CHANGED that tire! I DID IT! Maybe took me 7-10 min..but I did it! The first time I had a flat, I changed the tire and got another flat 5 miles later because I had not felt a tiny thing of glass in the tire. But this time all was good. My husband came back around to help me and I was already up and biking! He was impressed! So I feel confident now that I can handle that on race day...IF it were to happen! Just wanted to share
I'm sure you all know how to change tires..but if NOT...definitely get your practice now 
@CD Thanks for keeping the chain active and alive. You are towing the line in the midst of your personal circumstances. I am impressed by you brother, keep calling us out and holding the group accountable. Very cool. Been keeping up with you on Strava, happy to see you back out there and putting in some good wko's. Must feel good to relieve some of the stress. Continued healing for your son and I hope he is getting stronger each day. I am sure he's looking at his Dad saying if he can get out there and pound the pavement, I can get through this and come out stronger. Now focus on getting some sleep. DVR is on the TV for a reason, so you can watch it at your leisure!
@EE Dude you are getting gangster on the Strava big fella. If I see another workout with an EPIC remark on your suffer score I am going to yack for you. I was on the dead mill today and looked at your long run from yesterday when I was at the 2 hr mark. You ran just shy of 2:18 so I aimed for that number and got close. How are you feeling? Sounds like your nutrition got off track a little bit but in true EE style you gutted it out and pulled some pretty stellar splits. Awesome work.
@Eagle Changing a tire?!? What the heck, that's a confidence builder for sure. So your husband was operating the SAG vehicle?? That's a committed husband right there, sounds like you have some great support down there in 80 degree Austin. I am jealous that you are working out in Houston ish temperatures while I am stuck in 55's and rain. And what about this magical 80 mile ride in Austin?? "My garmin was acting up", oh boy the Strava executives have heard it all!!!! Another jab from your Midwest brother. Hahaha, happy to see that you executed the ride and finished 80 strong with a run to top it off. Keep getting after it.
@Latisha @ Dana Hope you all are staying healthy and strong in this final push. Give us an update when you can, I am curious to see how your rides are going in S Africa Dana and I hope your low back is not acting up on you Latisha when you get out on the new bike.
For me, I switched up a bit this week in prep for Easter. Big Bike on Wed and about 2 1/2 - 3 hour mark stopped for fuel and to check in with Sara. Bad idea. The knee monster came out again in the second spot, more front and to the outside of my left knee. Gut check for sure. Downstroke in low gears was not fun, stayed high cadence and high gear where I could and that seemed to help. Had to stop a few X to stretch and massage it out. Only temporary relief, but relief. Finished at about 4 1/2 covering almost 80. Felt like a victory but short lived with concern about knee. Sore for car ride home, no tylenol in the car (where were you Kim?). Got home, hobbled around for 30 min and still sugared up from all the Endurance fluid / CLIF bars. Sat down on the couch and the boys wanted to wrestle so I stood up and POP! That pop somehow gave my knee a free pass to do whatever I wanted. No Pain, Full range of motion. Really bizarre. I felt like a free man and the pressure was gone. No worries the rest of the night.
Thursday no pain, just some preventative hot tub time. Tried to swim but I was staring at lane after lane of pool walkers! Consolidate the lanes people, nothing opened up in my window of time so I took it as a sign to take it easy.
Today knocked out my big run, and at about an hour into it the same issue in my knee. Stepped off for 5 to 10 minutes and really worked it out. Quick warm up again and back into the main set with no issues for the remaining hour and a half. My body is clearly saying let me catch up to the volume and proceed with caution dumbass. I feel like I am making progress and thats most important. Definitely not jerking my run mechanics like that Saturday brick run in Texas. Seems to be coming around.
Have a great rest of the weekend team, Happy Easter!!
@Kim - I had the EXACT same thing happen to me after the first day of camp. I totally should have mentioned it when it happened. For what it's worth, I was at about 90% full when I deleted it. So don't count on getting that last 10% of storage space. And yeah, what EM said. If it aint on Strava...
I just pounded out the long ride. Felt good, but it didn't get as hot as I wanted it to. And it was cloudy too. That all being said, I actually packed an extra bottle of Endurance and I definitely needed it. I think it's time for me to do another sweat test. Maybe I'll put that on the agenda for Sunday. I also wore a tri-top for the first time on a ride this year. Pretty enlightening to see how much less room there is in those back pockets than a traditional bike jersey. I've got to figure out what to do with an extra gel flask.
Speaking of Sunday, I'm confused by our "ABP" rides going forward. Are they supposed to be 90 minutes for those of us with VDOT's above 31? Or are we supposed to do a total of 3 hours? It looks like the Vdot below 31 crowd has a 90 minute run in there.
Great job on your long ride Chris! Yes..those tri tops have small pockets. Good to hold a gu and that's about it! Do you have a bento box on your bike? My nutrition all fits in there.
So...the ABP is a ride...it's only 90 min. this week. Isn't the Vdot for running? Our run this week is 125 minutes (just over 2 hours). Where did you read something about a 90 min run?
Great update Eric! I'm so not happy about this knee of yours. Definitely get it checked this week. I like that it pops back into place...but I know that you want to be in top condition race day. So get it checked
Maybe some more ART 
Great job on that almost 80 miler too!!!! So sorry I was not there to give you your advil. So my husband looked up advil vs. tylenol (Because Coach Patrick said advil is too hard on the liver) and we found articles saying the exact opposite. Says advil is still the best. hmmmm..
My hubby was riding his bike with me on my 80 miler...not SAG vehicle. ..but that would have been pretty funny
My husband and I are doing a century ride to Shiner Brewery April 25th. THat will likely be the last big ride for me. So he has to train for the distance too (WHICH IS GREAT FOR ME!)
Keep up the great work team!
@ Eric... my pool walker story... The other day I was swimming in my pools first lane ( bigger than the others). At the time there were only two of the pools lanes designated for members... the other member lane was taken... the rest were being used by one of the swim teams.
I was on a rest interval and saw this old guy coming into the pool area very slowly using a walker. He was at least 80. I keep doing my work and he finally makes it to the lifeguard after what seemed like forever. I get back to the wall and he's asking the lifeguard about when he thinks a lane will open up. I heard him and offered him the bigger half of my lane. He's happy and I think to myself... what do I care if he walks a bit in the pool. He gets the lifeguard to hold his arm and help him to sit down on the deck so he can slide into the pool.I'm nervous as Hell watching this because the old guy is so frail.
He hits the water and takes off swimming! I couldn't believe it... he's going about 2:10/2:20. Amazing... instantly made me realize what a great thing learning to swim was for when I was older and didn't have the ability to do the more demanding run/bike.
And like everyone said... GET YOUR KNEE CHECKED BY A DR! You get better at this sport by remaining consistent... injuries make consistency impossible.
@ everyone... You guys have been doing great. I may not have the ability to post as much as I'd like to... but I assure you all that every time I see one of your WO's on Strava I open it to see what you've done. You're all on track to have a great day in May and I can't wait to be there with you... keep up the good work... the next few weeks will be tough... but that race will be here before we know it!
I hear ya on the "next fee weeks I start to fade". I don't know about you guys, but I don't really want to do anymore 5 hour rides
heee! I have 2 more and then I have a Century Ride (supported) that I will make my Race Rehearsal Day (1 week early). Then maybe one more 5 hour ride the week after (when you guys have Race Rehearsal week). But those days are just killer for me.
Ed you are doing great. Hope you are getting some sleep. That is my biggest worry for you. You have a tough job..I don't know how you make this work. If you can get some extra days off in these next weeks..DO IT
lol, email isn't a good thing with "P" , texting is faster. But I'm kind of in wk 15 camp. I switched around wk 14 and 15 due to boston in wk 16. I think for the most part keep volume up as much as you can wk 16 is a little layed back ( recovery).
Make sure to listen to the podcasts from this week and next week. Patrick has some good insight on how to approach the race rehearsal.
So I will let you know what Coach P says. We are supposed to do 2 Race Rehearsals total. So I count camp as one
Just checking in.
Rides have been long and lonely at times. I stay patient in the wind, and push more when wind dies down.
Yall, last year was just such a negative experience for me. This year, I just FEEL better. I FEEL positive. I'm not as fast as everyone else ( the more I read on EN Forums, the more I feel like I shouldn't even BE here HAHA!), but I'll finish before 17 hours is up. Even if I'm the last one crossing the line.
Loving my bike! Back starts feeling a little twingy at 3 hours, but it's because of my floppy core
Waiting for my EN top to come in---hopefully before this weekend's race rehearsal! If not, I do have a tight top to swim and bike in , but it's too tight to run in for me. I hate to change, but we shall see!
So my nutrition plan has been as follows ( I am a hefty little girl at 63" and 187 pounds):
1 bottle of Gatorade Endurance ( 160 calories)
Bonk Breaker Bar ( 1/3 every 20 min)=240-270 depending on bar)
This equals to anywhere from 400-430/hr. According to EN, I should be having around 460 because of my weight, but I just cannot put anything else in my belly.
I do carry a few GUs just in case.
Will be taking 1 to 2 salt stick caps also every hour---hard to take now because it's just not warm enough
Now, for the sweat test, I haven't had any luck with our weather. It's not been "warm" at all. I live in South MS, so it should be hitting us anytime now. I will probably have to adjust my fluid intake, so that would decrease the amount of bonk breakers to eat ( which I will have to carry with me--last time I looked, they weren't going to have them on the bike course this year)
The last 15 minutes of the bike, I was planning on sips only and a GU at 20 minutes---that way my belly isn't sloshing with too much at beginning of run.
This is what I'm stressing about. I know the Coaches don't like Bonk Breakers, but it's the only thing that does not make me sick to my stomach!
Last year I used Infinite, but hated carrying what I needed.
Other than this, who wants to come clean my house?!
Love your update Latisha! Sounds like you are hanging tough! I like your plan. Patrick does not love bonk bars because they are not really great for digesting while riding. But that being said,if it WORKS for YOU and you have been PRACTICING with it great. BUT bonk breakers are NOT on the course this year. So you would have to bring your own and they are a little bulky. I started using the power bars that Patrick uses. They are nice and skinny so they fit in my bento box great and are HIGH in calories. I actually only need half a bar per hour. You might give those a try (also NOT on the course).
Do let us know how your RACE rehearsal goes!!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!
PATRICK'S UPDATE FOR THOSE OF US WHO WENT TO CAMP ABOUT SCHEDULE THIS WEEK:
PATRICK SAID "I do like big biking this week -- if you can go 2 x 5 hours...or 2 x 4 hours..that would be good. Remember we didn't do the full camp as planned due to weather, so biking would be great. If you can't do that, then the the alternative week is fine too (it's listed there as a resource). "
Latisha, I'm glad to hear you've got a great attitude this year. Sounds to me like you're going to win the competition for mental toughness. How did that trainer ride end up on Saturday?
FYI all, IMTX posted/updated the athlete guide on their website:
http://www.ironman.com/~/media/6bd5f0924ced409889a4e1df6c8dfed9/2015 ironman texas ag 4 3.pdf
Trainer. I ended up using an endurance sufferfest video and using some other videos with tempo/race pace intervals. It got me through the time LOL!!!
My husband did his first IM in South Africa while the girls and I were in Mauritius cheering him on. Was watching the live feed when he crossed the finish line. The camera cut away from the finish shoot to show a boy and his father running side by side and the referee scolding them. Saw my husbands name flash up on the screen and his finish time but was not able to see him as he finished. NO worries, we got pics. He did amazing, said the course was hilly, windy and he still does not know how he finished the run; can't really remember anything but the suck on the first of 3 loops.
Spent quality time in the ocean working on open water swim with perfect water temps. There was a cove with a buoy line demarking safe swim area that I used for laps. The water was murky like Lake Woodlands but aqua not mud colored. (BTW the entry point for IMTX is where all the ducks like to live and hang out, bonus bacteria level for swimmers.) Also, had some fishy friends who swam beneath me at one end of the "lap". For me this was very cool, I like playing in the ocean. I felt like a bit of a spectacle since many of the residents of the resort were subject to my swim work outs but hey it was worth it.
I did get to ride a bike but it could not be called a work out. Went on a guided tour of a small part of the island on a borrowed mountain bike. It was beautiful and a really cool way to get an idea for what is "outside" the gates of the resort. Later I ran this course a few time; because, running on a tread mill while on vacation is a new kind of hell that I didn't know existed. The outdoor runs were both amazing and crazy! They drive on the wrong side of the road and the roads are narrow, hilly and S curved. After taking my husband on one of my "outside" runs I got sentenced to the tread mill again for safety. Good news, no pain and I feel injury free. The hills had my calves aching a little but it is a good pain not a scary one.
It is a small miracle that I did not pop from overeating. Each meal I gave it my full effort though. I have a dirty little secret that I would like to confess now, I am a lazy procrastinating slacker stuck in an aspiring Ironman's world. Truly I don't want to sabotage myself and I know that doing an Ironman is a stupid idea but... it is going to be so sweet in the end. In comparison to my previous self I did amazing on this trip. I was careful not to take in to much caffeine, I would fill up on healthy choices yet still allow for indulgences and I maintained an altered work out schedule. This week is RR for me so I am terrified. No lie, stinken terrified. Must submit a RR plan and get my head in the game. Oh, crap! This is real, this is really happening people.
Ed thanks for asking about me. It is so good to hear how everybody is doing and for the support. You guys are killing it. I am going to bring a rope to IM and one of you lucky cyclists gets to pull me along, with my skateboard we should have no problem finishing the run as well. Carry on good stewards of triathlon's finest.