70.3 Racine RS with some lessons learned
Saturday morning I did my first and only race sim for 70.3 Racine.
The temp was low 70s when I left and mid 80s when I got back, with a strong wind and not a single cloud in the sky.
I was targeting 230 W for the first 45' and 240 W for the rest which would be just under .87 of my FTP.
The ride went pretty much as planned and here are the numbers. Speed sucked thanks to a ton of stops and cross wind out, head wind back. Plus my route was hillier than racine (because the only thing flater than racine is clearwater).
First 50':
Duration: 50:16
Work: 652 kJ
TSS: 51.8 (intensity factor 0.806)
Norm Power: 227
VI: 1.03
Pw:HR: 3.56%
Pa:HR: 7.44%
Distance: 18.969 mi
Elevation Gain: 319 ft
Elevation Loss: 320 ft
Grade: -0.0 % (-5 ft)
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 454 221 watts
Heart Rate: 128 183 170 bpm
Cadence: 25 130 88 rpm
Speed: 0 33.3 22.0 mph
Pace 1:48 0:00 2:44 min/mi
Altitude: 861 959 904 ft
Crank Torque: 0 625 219 lb-in
Entire workout (226 watts):
Duration: 2:31:19
Work: 2036 kJ
TSS: 167.2 (intensity factor 0.826)
Norm Power: 233
VI: 1.03
Pw:HR: -1.93%
Pa:HR: 1.34%
Distance: 56.132 mi
Elevation Gain: 1102 ft
Elevation Loss: 1178 ft
Grade: -0.0 % (-69 ft)
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 525 226 watts
Heart Rate: 115 183 172 bpm
Cadence: 20 130 82 rpm
Speed: 0 39 21.6 mph
Pace 1:32 0:00 2:46 min/mi
Altitude: 789 959 868 ft
Crank Torque: 0 701 244 lb-in
On the bike I took in 48 oz of water and 24 oz of infinit with 375 calories, which usually works well for me.
I started the run feeling great. My plan was to hold 6:20 for the first 3, 6:10 for the next 7 and then crush the last 3.
First 3 were 6:29, 6:20, 6:16 but I was working way harder than I should have been and getting really really hot. I did an out and didn't bring any water. My mouth got dry quick and I wasn't feeling right so I slowed down a little on the 4th mile on purpose, and then had nothing on the 5th and 6th mile. I basically ran out of gas completely and was seriously craving water. Ended up running 6 miles in 38:50 and about 18 seconds per mile slower than I should have been.
When I got home I went straight to the scale and weighted in at 130.2. I was 137.2 5 minutes before the workout and I took in 72 oz of fuild, so it looks like I lost 11.5 lbs in 3:10. Thats more than 6% of my starting weight and coudl explain why I felt like crap on the run.
Lessons Learned:
- It seems that my sweat rate has greatly increased this year compared to the last few years. I have been testing this in a number of workouts at different times and paces and I'm averaging 3+ lbs per hour of sweat lose. I really really need to force myself to get more water in and more salt in and I was covered in salt after this workout. My body weight is about the same as last year, but my body fat is slighly lower and I wonder if that has anything to do with it. The pushup/pull up challenge and swim work has added more muscle to my upper body this year.
- One of these days I'll learn not to do a out and back for a RS run with no water at all.
- I probably should have taken the day before off instead of doing 3 x 1mi at TP as part of a 10 mile run.
- A feast at Texas de Brazil is not the best thing to eat two days before a warm RS (which is why my starting weight was a 2 lbs heavier than I have been recently).
- Even though I feel the bike was paced right and I am capabile of riding that hard in a HIM and having a good run, I'm going to back my targets down by 5 watts to set myself up better for the run. 5 watts just doesn't get me that much more speed and it isn't worth risking the run.
Comments
Thanks P ... I left out the part that I felt like complete crap the rest of the day and had to drink about 10 full glasses of water before I could pee. I did this to myself last year as well, you would think I would have learned but I guess not. Good reality check before the Kona heat and humidity. BTW, you should have my power file in your inbox.
dontcha get a lil peep t shirt at 130?
Certainly not an area I know much about but it seems strange that you would be able to greatly alter your sweat rate regardless of very slightly changing your body fat percentage. It is not like you had much body fat last year. Seems like a no brainer that you needed more water though.
Excellent work, Matt! And Saturday was warm and windy for a race rehearsal!
Hm. That sounds like a lot of weight lost during a race rehearsal, Matt -- like enough to get Kate Gosselin a tabloid cover this week. Worth posting to the nutrition forum?
Very interesting Matt how you weigh yourself before and after workouts. I have heard of doing this in the past, but never took it serious enough to do it. But, really I am kind of blown away by how much weight you lost over 3 hours! I wonder if being a little peep has something to do with it? I am a little peep also and the run in longer events I usually bonk. Prolly not enough calories. Have to re think my nutrition again on the bike and maybe do some weighing. Thanks for the report. Oh and I will miss not doing Racine this year! I have raced the last four years, but thought it was too close to IMWI to race this year. I am wondering how different it will be now that it is 70.3? Let us know!
I lost this much a few times last year as well but it was usually over a longer period of time, hotter weather, or becuase I didn't have anything to drink. The reason I was shocked this time is because I also took in 72 oz.
Just got back from a 1:25 run and managed to lose 6 lbs, but I didn't bring anything to drink so I expected it. Once again, sweat rate is right around the 3-4 lbs I have been seeing consistantly for the last 2 weeks or so. I guess I may have to put my fuel belt to use one of these days.
Texas de Brazil sounds way yummy---Tex Mex and Brazilian BBQ?
It's the standard Brazilian Steakhouse place ... all you can eat meat with a huge salad bar as well. I'm glad I only go about once a year at most becuase I can do a lot of damage there...I gained 2.5 pounds this time :-)
Umm, Matt... I don't think this approach is going to help you reach your 2010 goal. I know EXACTLY what it feels like to lose 10 lbs (actual weight loss) racing in Kona and the results ain't pretty.
You need to think of your skin (and your kidneys) as another part of your body which you are training, just like your heart, your muscles, your joints, your brain, and your GI system. Starving your kidneys and your sweat glands of fluid is not going to help them get better at managing the heat. Give them something to work with!
Once your body water drops more than 2%, your brain and your muscles will start to get much less efficient, and you won't be able to catch back up. There's no way to "train" yourself to better tolerate dehydration.
From here on out, I will be doing all my long runs and bricks in the hottest, sunniest time of day I can find (which is usually 75-85F around here thru August), and try to drink at least 60-80 ounces per hour while running, even on a short brick.
When are you arriving on the Big Island? If it's at least 2 weeks in advance of the race, you can get a bunch of acclimitization there, again exposing yourself to the afternoon sun as on race day.
I'm sure you know all this already, but really, there's no margin for error this October. Take a look at the list of previous Kona winners who dropped out of last year's race; or look at a list of those who had previously won an IM, and dropped out in Kona. If it's that hard for those experienced, successful pros to get it right on race day, it surely won't be any easier for the rest of us.
the list of pros who did not finish 2009: Normann Stadler, Tim DeBoom, Thomas Hellriegel, Michelie Jones, Natascha Badman, (all previous winners here, a total of twelve Kona victories), Yvonne Van Vlerken, Bella Bayliss, Belinda Granger, Bryan Rhodes, Marino Vanhoenacker, Courtney Ogden, Jasper Blake, Rutger Beke, Patrick Vernay, Jozsef Major, Gina Kehr, Heather Wuertle, Hilary Biscay, (all winners of Ironman races around the world.)
I made this list the day after I dnf'd last year, while I was trying to figure out what happened.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that as you acclimatize to warmer weather, you will actually INCREASE your sweat rate, rather than decrease it. Your body will actually start sweating sooner and will sweat more to increase the cooling effect. If you decreased your sweat rate, your core temperature would go up more quickly rather than the other way around.
I'm also with Al on not trying to train yourself to drink less - drink according to your thirst, but you need to have it available for that to happen!
See you all at Racine next weekend!
Unfortunately I can only pull off getting to the Kona 7 days before the race, but I take your advice on training in the heat and sun as much as possible before then.
@Mike - the increasing sweat rate as you acclimate makes sense, which just shows even more that I need to very quickly get my body used to taking in more water. I'll be in my blue Zoot gear at Racine, please introduce yourself if you see me.
60-80 OZ an hour on the run. Thats a lot of water. How do you manage to get that much? I just ordered a fuel belt to attempt to use in training as I found out in Buffalo springs i am not gettnig in the water I need to on the bike or run.
Heat acclimatization article - no question, those little sweat glands pump out more water.
@ Philip - I use a fuel belt with 6 ten oz bottles. That's fine for a two hour run in the 65F cloudy weather we often get here. If it's hotter, I add two things: a 32 oz water bottle, and a route that includes a water fountain. I'm drinking every mile, about 8-10 ounces each mile when the temps are in the mid-80s. I can't absorb any more than that at my LRP. Hotter than that, I just slow down!
It's 82F now, the hottest day of the year so far, and I'll go out in 20 minutes @ 2 PM for my first 45 minutes run after IM CDA.
Two questions come to my mind:
- I have to do most of my workouts in the morning, but I can get away with doing some running at lunch. Do you think I'm better off sticking with doing a brick workout and doing both the bike/run in the morning, or should I bike in the morning and run at lunch when I can to take advantage of the heat/sun?
- Also, have you had any luck wearing black or long sleeves on days that are not as warm when you want to accumlate to the heat?
Thanks again for helping me get my head straight. I've been very focused on just having fun and enjoying myself, but in another 2 weeks I am going to start preparing for Kona and of course want to be prepared the best I can be.
Matt - 1. I don't have problems finding warm/hot days thru mid-Sept. If I'm worried about feeling too "cool" while running, I'll dress up one level - wear a short sleeve shirt instead of sleeveless, long sleeves when I would normally wear short, a thin under layer when I would normally have only one, etc.
2. For me, the value of running off the bike twice a week, after the bike interval workout and a long bike, beats the value of trying to squeeze out every last bit of "heat training". The science says acclimatizing takes a maximum of three weeks to accomplish, so really, it's just an issue to pay attention to in September, when a noon run or two might be most useful.
As long as we're talking about scary things at Kona, the wind and the heat/humidity get the biggest press. But I find the total lack of shade on the bike to be as big an issue. There is literally one tree for shade at the half way point, otherwise, it's blazing tropical sun the whole way. Any clouds which appear usually don't arrive until mid afternoon. The relentless radiation not only burns my skin, it also increases fluid loss. I got rid of my aerobar drink setup five years ago, but I'm seriously thinking of getting a speedfil for this race, so I can stay on top of the hydration thing.
I've had some spotty dehydration/too-few-cal issues this year, and a lesson I am learning from EN is that - though there are clearly differences between the fastest peeps and of MOPs like me - the fast guys have to worry about a lot of the same things. It sounds funny to say, but realizing they aren't superhuman is helpful.
@William, I definitely think in IM the FOP, MOP, and BOP experiance many of the same things and we can all learn from each other. After my NYC marathon experience last year, I am 100% convinced it is "harder" the longer you are out there. The 16 and 17 hour group deserves a ton of respect and we can all learn from them.