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IM MD - Week 11 / 20 - 10 to go
"Beefy swim, bike, & run" - so says CoachR in this week's podcast, and that is exactly what we will all be doing this Saturday or thereabouts! Yep, a 1 hour swim / 4 hour bike / 1 hour run... woo hoo!! This will be the "real" kickoff to my IM training block, as I'm driving my daughter to college this week (to start early with a summer semester.) Then it will be only my husband that I have to deal with re: guilt over hours away training, and he's gotten pretty used to it over the years. That's always been a pretty big struggle and balance for me - feeling ok with the choices made between family and training.
Have a great week, all, and keep the posts rolling!
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"regular week through Wed, Thursday is a short 45' run, z2, strides, etc. Friday is Big Day. Saturday is off (BONUS!) and Sunday is long run from Thursday. Monday should be swim only or off if you are beat."
is it crazy that I'm considering staying on the trainer...I'm enjoying my Netflix and have done 3 hour trainer rides the last 3 weeks with not much fuss. besides the legs hurting from the constant motion.
On the flip side, the "constant motion" from the trainer is actually good training for this race. The thing about flat and windy courses is that you never get a break. There's never a descent where you can rest for a few seconds, or a climb where you can sit up. Just 112 miles of aero peddling over and over and over.
As we get ready for this Big Tri Day, I think it's a good time to look at nutrition and what is going to be on the course. Even if you plan on using/bringing your own "stuff", it's always good to know what will be available and to have tried it out so you know what to expect if you have to resort to "plan b" . I just realized that the salt supplement that would be on course is very different than what they have had in the past, and the way you use/take it is a bit different too. So if nothing else, be sure to check out the Forum Thread on Base Salt!
Anyway- here's the list of what will be available at the Aid Stations from the Athlete Guide for upcoming IM Boulder. It should be the same stuff:
Bike: Gatorade Endurance Formula (Flavor: Orange) Water Bananas GU Original Energy Gels Roctane Ultra Endurance Gels GU Chomps Clif Bar (flavor options will vary upon availability)
Run: Gatorade Endurance Formula (Flavor: Lemon-Lime) Water Cola Chicken Broth (after dark) GU Original Energy Gels Roctane Ultra Endurance Gels GU Chomps Pretzels Fruit Clif Bar (flavor options will vary upon availability)
BullFrog Sunscreen Station The Official Sunscreen of the IRONMAN U.S. Series is providing sunscreen to all athletes, located at the BullFrog Sunscreen Station near the ‘Run Out’ arch in Transition.
BASE ELECTROLYE SALT The Official Endurance Salt of the IRONMAN U.S. Series is providing electrolyte salt tubes to all athletes on the run course. BASE beats other sodium products because its crystal form begins absorbing in the mouth, unlike capsules that must reach the stomach and be digested before it starts to work. BASE also doesn’t cause the GI upset that the casing of capsules often causes. Look for their tents and tables near an aid station.
You are so right about the flat course. Having done IMFL and Chesapeake Man which is basically IMMD now, I can attest to the hardness of a "flat" course. It might be faster but it is a grind past mile 80...and the wind at Chesapeake Man was no joke. 155watts with a headwind was giving me 12 MPH sometimes and it felt like I was climbing up hill. with a tail wind it was more like 27 MPH...I was told by someone who did both Chesapeake Man and IMMD that the changes IM made to the bike course protects us a bit more from the wind...will see on race day. I believe the difference is going clockwise instead of counter clockwise.
Thanks for the nutrition info Nemo. I have some Base salt but haven't tried it yet, going to try to this weekend. I am also going to try infinit for my bike calories - I having a hard time getting calories down while riding so I am thinking maybe drinking most of them will be better - I hope so!
Nate - I too am thinking about staying on the trainer - really going to force myself to stay aero for the whole thing.
Nemo - I have enjoyed watching the responses to your swim skin question - let us know if you end up getting one and what you think! On that note will most of you change shorts for each leg or try to go with one trip kit for the whole thing. I am torn. In my HIM in the spring I loved the kit I wore but am thinking I might like a little more padding on the bike and some fresh shorts on the run.
Sarah - regarding shorts for the bike, I'm considering wearing 2 tri shorts. I did this during La Vuelta, a 3 day, 375 mile ride in Puerto Rico, and it worked great. Just as much padding as a bib, and the added compression in the thighs felt great towards the end of each day. With the two shorts, there tended to be less friction in the seat area too. I'm going to try it during Saturday's Big Day and will let you know how it goes.
Anybody else try this or have thoughts?
Sarah- in all 4 of my Ironman races so far I have switched in T2 from Tri Shorts to Run Shorts. It didn't take that much extra time and I felt like getting a little fresh air down there would be a nice lift in the middle of a long day. That said- I'm actually thinking of doing the whole thing in Tri shorts this time around, partially because I've been having some chaffing problems lately with my run shorts.
Sarah, For the race I plan to wear tri shorts and a tight fitting EN cycling top for both the bike and run. Not sure if I will wear it under my wetsuit or not. Need to practice that if I can. For the 3 previous IMs I've done I've been in the same kit shorts from start to finish. Only change I made for the last two was throwing on a cycling jersey for the bike and then changing into a tri top for the run. This is completely up to you. Just keep in mind that the less you do in transition the quicker you will get out of the tent. it also just keeps things simple. One of the main reasons why I started wearing a cycling jersey for the bike is for sun protection. Getting sun burn during an IM makes recovery so much harder and its not worth it. The new EN tight fitting cycling top is also very aero and I wore it last Thursday for my long run and it felt fine while running.
Nate - I love my trainer and have been known to do long rides on it, even when it's sunny and beautiful outside. I do always feel a little "guilty", but sometimes it's just easier! I say go for it if that's what you're feeling!
Drinking water all day like a champ...
Good luck everyone- and remember, it's OK to dial back the pace in this kind of heat/humidity. You can run a little slower pace and still neg split the run to get the training effect the coaches are looking for.