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Changes with cancelled swim

ejbeach01ejbeach01
in General Training Discussions

Hi all, new member here.

This past weekend I did Halfmax.  Wasn't expecting to qualify for worlds, but was kinda hoping.  Anyway, as everyone knows by now the swim was cancelled.  Sucked for me as I swam in college and had really focused on swimming for this race. 

Long story short I did not know what to do or how to react with no swim...so I was stupid. My FTP is 305ish.  My 5mile laps on my Garmin go like this - 312, 298, 274, 270, 276, 254, 277, 250, 253, 253, 243.  My NP for the ride was 271. The good news is that at the halfway turnaround I made it a point to slow down and not be too stupid.  My goal prior to the race was 260.  So I backed off before I got too tired and felt good starting the run.  In face my first 8-9 miles of the run were fine.  Probably around a 7:45 pace. 

As many of you already know (by the tone of this post) the last 3 miles did not go so well.  Part of that was due to an injury preventing me from running as much the month prior to the race...and part was no doubt due to riding close to my FTP for the first 45 minutes of the bike. 

So I already know my pacing was not ideal.  But when a swim is cancelled...what do you do?  How much harder can you push?

I've only run one half mary and did a 1:35.  Running is my weakest sport by far. 

Thanks

 

 

Comments

  • Coach RichCoach Rich

    Eric,

    I think the swim has almost no impact on bike pacing, for most of us. I would have still ridden at my planned intensity, perhaps betting on guys like you to do the wrong thing

    Back in the day there was an Ironman Utah, in Provo. The first year it was incredibly windy at the swim start. Lake was very, very choppy, buoys moving, safety kayaks going everywhere, etc. The pros kinda said fuggit and started, chaos, one person drowned, and they canceled the swim and tried to get everyone back to shore. It looked like a shipwreck.

    Anyway, they gathered everyone up on transition while they figured out a solution. They decided to cut the bike down to 56 miles, as one canyon would have been crazy, crazy windy, and the run would be a half.

    So...I bet that doodes who couldn't swim wouldn't think this was their day to hammer and get a Kona slot. Well, turns out the bike was about 65-66mi. So folks rode 66mi like it was a 56mi TT, and started the run like they were on fire. I saw as much walking on the run that day as I have in any other Ironman.

  • Coach PatrickCoach Patrick
    To add to Rich's notes, a non-swim means a change more in nutrition (no 30' effort, right on bike) than pacing. If anything, might have sat _more_ on .85 of my FTP....but ain't no way I would have been at 100% of my FTP, considering I can only do that for an hour before puking. Doing it for 45' before....riding another two hours then a half marathon sounds like H.E.L.L.
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