Bill Eckert Augusta 70.3 Race Rehearsal/Race Plan - Input Needed
Augusta 70.3 Race Rehearsal
September 9, 2016
Race Day: September 25, 2016
A little background on this year to help explain where I am right now. Early this year I was battling with some pains in my right leg that radiated from my hip down to my foot. If I was driving in the car it was really bad. Within 15 minutes of driving my glutes would feel like they were on fire. I keep a tennis ball in the car and that helped a little. Through a lot of research on this site and the internet, I came to the conclusion of some sort of sciatica/piriformis problems. Started foam rolling before Chattanooga 70.3 but it only helped a little and I would swear that at times I felt like it made it worse. Went into Chattanooga knowing I was under trained and injured but hoped for the best. Swim and bike were not too bad but ended up walking all of the run. It was brutal but I did finish in 8:20.
Training after that continued to be rough. I talked to a PT. They said sounds like a problem in the sacrum. They suggested I try a sacral wedge so I did. I know I could have used a rolled up towel but wanted to try something actually designed for the problem. I got a Sacro Wedgy and wow, instant relief. I literally could feel it as soon as I laid on it and felt a big release after about 20 minutes. I lay on that thing after every run and try to do it after every bike. I also use it in the evening and mornings as needed. It allowed me to get back to some regular training.
I had an Olympic race and Augusta coming up. Then another weird thing. My right elbow all of a sudden got really swollen and was in a lot of pain. The mobility in my elbow was reduced to basically holding it in front of me. If I tried to extend my arm or close it up it hurt like heck. Definitely could not swim, could not put any pressure on it to ride the bike, and the motion of running hurt. It eventually went away after about two weeks but I had lost some training time coming into my Olympic race at the end of July. I decided to go ahead. I was even more undertrained than Chattanooga but at least my piriformis problems were a little better.
Next up Augusta. Now I am really behind in training. My right leg/hip issue is better and no more pain in the elbow. I started slow with a lot of walking and very short runs. I have really watched my heart rate during runs to make sure that I am not overdoing it. Many of my runs became an exercise in heart rate management. In the midst of all of this, I had also decided that the sugar drip was causing me some problems. I have been trying to lose some weight with very little success until getting off of the sugar. Know I must admit that craft beers do not help either but I have really been limiting those. I had read John Withrow’s (and many other) posts about nutrition and becoming fat adapted. I had heard of UCAN and decided to try it for longer bikes and runs. I have typically not been fueling anything under 60-90 minutes with anything but water and GU tablets. I use the UCAN at the start of longer sessions and add UCAN as needed. It has been working very good and I am really feeling like the training has come along very well. I am actually at a slightly higher CTL than I was last year coming into Augusta and it looks like I will be almost the same (86.6 this year vs. 85.6 last year) on race day with TSB of about -1.8. I think it will work well for me but any thoughts are appreciated.
Now for my race rehearsal. I am okay with all of the heart rate/power/pace stuff. At this time, I am mostly concerned about nutrition and how to handle it on race day. Here is what I did. I had everything premixed and ready to go.
Pre Swim
Swim File: http://tpks.ws/aaePt
1 packet UCAN (110 calories) mixed with 8 oz. water.
T1
1 packet UCAN, same mix.
Bike (Expected bike is 3:30)
Bike file: http://tpks.ws/Hbf3T
6 - 24 oz bottles of water w/ 2 GU tablets per bottle
It was a cooler day but if it is hotter I will need about 8 bottles.
Had to pee at 28 miles.
1 packet UCAN, same mix, at 1:20 on the bike.
1 packet UCAN, same mix, at 2:40 on bike.
Base Salt – 3 licks every 20 minutes.
Felt pretty good coming off of the bike.
T2
1 packet UCAN, same mix.
Run (Expected run is 2:45)
Run File: http://tpks.ws/OlwY8
12 oz water w/ 1 GU tablet.
3 – Clif Bloks (100 calories) starting at mile 3 and then every half mile.
It felt pretty hot so I am thinking that my feel towards the end of the run was due to heat accumulation more than anything.
As a note, my long run last Sunday morning was 2:19 minutes. Had 1 UCAN at start and at 1 Hour and a Clif Shot at 2 Hours. No problems at all.
I am hoping to get some input on the following things.
1. Nutrition on the bike. Can I add other stuff to eat without messing up ho the UCAN works? I can handle the UCAN and it seems to really do okay. I do begin to feel actual hunger towards the end of the bike but drinking more usually makes that go away.
2. Suggestions on carrying the GU Tablets. I have the 40 oz. Speedfil mounted on my downtube. My plan is to break them in half and put them in a plastic sandwich bag in my Bento. Any other suggestions or confirmation of this method will be appreciated.
3. Run Nutrition. I do plan on using the UCAN in T2. I do not plan on carrying anything with me but can if someone with experience with this suggests it. I do plan on adding Clif Bloks/Shots a little at a time (100-150 cal per hour) beginning at about 30-45 minutes into the run. I figure at this point the sugar/caffeine are a means to an end and I will probably need them. Again, any suggestions on what to do here will be appreciated.
I really like the UCAN and limiting my sugar intake. In the past I have only been able to lose weight on a lower carb diet like Atkins. It has really helped to reduce my recreational sugar as well as the sugar intake for training. I am by no means where I need to be. I simply have not done what I needed to do over the last year to lose weight. I think I have found something now though in this less sugar/fat adaptation method. I have been doing this for about 8 weeks now and have lost about 18 pounds. I am currently at a whopping 230 pounds on my 5’ 8” frame. Yes, I need to lose more but probably will not lose much between now and race day. I am happy though because I am trained, not injured, and feel pretty good in general and I will continue this time. I have a HM on Thanksgiving Day to look forward to and a group here in my area is talking about doing IMNC in 2017. It is flat and looks like a really good first time IM course. Your input/suggestions on my race nutrition/fat adaptation will be greatly appreciated.
Comments
I don’t have much experience with CTL/TSB, etc. or UCAN so I can’t really comment on those things. I did want to suggest maybe moving your packet of UCAN in T1 to the bike and having it ready to drink when you start the bike. That way you are saving time in transition by having less moving parts? The same with T2. Do you use a go-bag? Maybe have your UCAN premixed and just pull it out of the go-bag when you start the run to save a little time.
Again, I can’t comment on how UCAN works, but it is suggested that if you eat solids on the bike, you do it at the beginning when it is easier for your body to process that stuff. Does UCAN make a bar or anything?
The method for transporting your GU tablets sounds good. Have you tried this during training? Any issues with it?
In the top part of your post you say that you’re going to take 3 – Clif Bloks (100 calories) starting at mile 3 and then every half mile. Did you mean every half hour? That would seem much more appropriate than every half mile.
As I’m sure you know, there isn’t an easy Ironman. IMNC is flat and generally fast. The challenge with flat terrain like that is you don’t have an opportunity to change positions on the bike or utilize the full range of muscles on the run which can cause problems for some people if they don’t move a little differently every once in a while. I haven’t ever done IMNC but IMO it could be a great 1st IM, especially in 2017 when it will be an EN key race.
Getting to the start line healthy and feeling good is a major accomplishment in long course tri. Congratulations on your weight loss. 18 pounds in 8 weeks is tremendous! I need to follow in your footsteps.
Thanks Doug for the input. I think the saddle is a good place to keep an eye on. I have been riding on an Adamo Gel Road for a long time and it is very comfortable to me and has not been an issue in the past so I don't think that was it. I also have been doing some different stretches and strength building for that area and it all seems to be helping a lot.
On the UCAN. I am taking a premixed bottle on the bike and was thinking about taking it all on the bike so that I could take that first drink after I got on the bike. Its just that it is already concentrated in the mix but I think I can make it work. I will move forward with this suggestion put that UCAN for T1 on the bike.
UCAN does make a bar. UCAN tastes horrible (I prefer the Lemonade flavor) and as bad as it tastes I think the bars are worse. Not saying that flavor is everything on race day but they are also kind of chewy and I am finding that chewiness (powerbar, cliff....) are not working for me on the bike. At this point I think I am going to try some honey stinger waffles. They seem to go down easy and seem to help settle my stomach if it is acting up. Going to try it on my ride today and see how things go.
On the GU tabs. I did try it on a recent ride. Had the tabs still in the tube (no go) and they were whole (no go). Had trouble getting them into the Speedfil. In looking at the Speedfil, the tabs will go right in if they are broken in half. Also, I do not need very many. My Speedfil basically holds enough to get me to the first aid station. I can carry two more bottles premixed along with the premixed UCAN bottle with me. My plan is to drink all of the Speedfil as fast as I can at the start of the bike and get the other two bottles into it by the first aid station. I will trash those two bottles and grab two water bottles at the first aid station. I will use those for additional water if needed, cooling, and "bathing" (LOL). Plan to have all of the Speedfil and water bottles gone by the second aid station and grab two more water bottles. This will be get me back and I should only have to add GU tabs one time, either right before or right after the second aid station. This will limit what I have to grab at the aid stations and what I have to do while riding.
Clif Bloks. What I meant to say was that I would take three bloks (100 calories) at about mile 3 and then one of the little bloks (33 calories) every half mile. I have tried this and it keeps my stomach processing the calories and fluids and does not get me feeling to full. I have found that I just really do not like a lot of "stuff" in my stomach while running. Here is my revised run plan:
12 oz water w/ 1 GU tablet. Try to drink this and refill about every three miles. Carry three GU tablets in race belt.
I do like Coke so will probably have some of that after mile 10.
3 – Clif Bloks (100 calories) at mile 3 and then one Clik Blok (33 calories) every half mile or as needed.
Clif Shot as needed, either in place of or added to the Clif Bloks.
The biggest part of my plan is to really pay attention to how I feel and adjust calorie intake based on that. My body is pretty good about telling me to feed it so I don't think I will get to low. I think I may have have had a problem with overeating during the bike and run in past races and I really hope to keep that in check this time. Part of the overeating will be solved by separating my calories and hydration. This way I can drink a ton and only add the calories that I need. I read this article in the Wiki http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=Monitoring+Hydration+Status and it really seemed to make a lot of sense. Plan to read it several times between now and race day.
Bill, looks to me like you are doing alot of things right and have made some incredible progress to date.....
Doug mentions a strong point in regards to eating on the bike. If you have another RR coming up, experiment with no more than one bar upfront coming out of the swim while you are riding a bit easier trying to get your HR to settle. Power Bars are easily digestible and you can cut them in half ahead of time, wrap them in rice paper and eat them straight from the Bento box without having to deal with a wrapper or plastic bag. The rice paper is edible and you can find int on Amazon. That said, HIM on the bike leg is usually performed around the Z3 HR level. For me, Z3 is not a good area to be eating solids, add any heat to that and you set yourself up for some rough times on the run leg coming up in terms of stomach issues.
What are your HR guidelines for RR2? What do you want your HR to settle down to before you go to work? What is your HR cap for the bike that you will not exceed?
What is your HR cap for the first 3 miles of the run? Miles 7 - 10 HR CAP? Once I reach mile 10, I stop looking at my watch during an HIM, I flip strictly to RPE and I try to bury myself the last two miles and spend what I have left.....
Regarding Clif Blok shots - I do use them on the run. After mile 3 or 4 I start taking 1 of those every two miles with water and that is all I ingest on the run portion given where my HR is for an HIM.
I try to pre load my sodium and hydration the day before if I am expecting a warm race/ 78+ degrees. I might take a handful of salt pills the night before. At 230 lbs, you will generate a lot more heat than a smaller body and any kind of heat will hit you harder than a smaller individual, so you have to accommodate that up front and stay ahead of that on the bike leg by hydrating well and using sodium as needed to set yourself up for the run to workout.
Have a great RR2 and race and keep moving forward man!
SS
Shaughn,
Thanks for the input/suggestions. This was my RR2. I have not done very good about posting anything on my Race Rehearsals. Just always found my answers in other posts and comments. Wish I would have done this more. I read your race summary and man what a day. Congratulations on finishing and handling all of the “challenges and opportunities” so well.
I have posted a more detailed race plan if you or anyone wants to look at it. This should answer any hydration/calorie questions.
Race Plan: http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/21786/Default.aspx
For HR on the bike I want to settle my HR down to at least 125 before getting busy. My long rides have an average HR of 130ish so that is where I would like to see my HR AVG. Last year it was 135. Not sure about the HR cap. Being a bigger guy, my HR goes up whenever I climb even the slightest of hills. It has gotten better with time but there is not much I can do about it. My bike has a 50-34 crank with an 11-32 11 speed cassette. I end up in granny gear a lot going up hills and just try to keep my watts from spiking too much on climbs but sometimes there is nothing I can do about it unless I just want to walk it which I absolutely refuse to do. My HR will go up but then it will come right back down. I think if my average HR starts to go above 137 I will really have to watch it and at an average HR of 140 I will have to really slow down.
For the HR on the run. This is a tough one because this is where my weight really hurts. I plan on keeping my HR no higher than 140 for the first three miles and then 145 through mile 10. After that I will assess where I am at and pick it up based on RPE. Last year my HR just sat at 150. I could not jog any faster but even if I slowed down it just stayed there. Lately in my long runs I have been really trying to use the HR and Pace as a guide and think about my RPE. I have never been good at RPE but have really been trying to pay attention to it is it relates to HR and pace.
Run I did this morning (9/18): http://tpks.ws/2RvrX
Run I did on 9/4: http://tpks.ws/KjKNf
You have nailed me perfectly with the heat accumulation. I do get very hot and struggle with it a lot when training here in GA. On my run today, drank one pound and still lost 4 pounds on a run at 7:15-8:25 AM. You are also absolutely right about the hydration and salt. I know that I have gotten dehydrated in past races and I am going to get more hydration in me during the bike. The GE is just too much for me and makes me feel bloated and not so good. I am using water with GU tablets now and that has been working good. I have really watched my pre-ride and post ride weights while training. As long as I am getting 2 bike bottles per hour my weight will usually be no more than a pound lower after riding. Sooo, I plan on drinking at least the two bottles per hour and more if I can. I really want to pee at least twice during the ride. This will let me know that I am processing the water and staying hydrated. For the sodium, I use Base Salt. I like the saltiness and it really seems to help. I just am not sure how much sodium I am really getting. They have some estimates but nothing exact. It’s kind of like how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. What I have been doing is three licks every 20 minutes on the bike and every mile on the run. It seems to work and does not seem like it is too much.
All of this week will be tons of water and GU tablets, salting food, etc. to try to come into race day hydrated and ready.
Thanks again for the input.
Bill E.