Do you really pee on the bike??
OK, time for a TMI discussion....
I somehow have avoided this problem before. I don't know how. I've done two IMs and multiple halfs, and I think that I just held it until I hit transition everytime. It probably means that I'm not drinking enough on the ride. I did a HIM this past weekend, drank alot more fluid (trying to build that up), and was literally exploding when I hit T2. I was only 4 females back from the leader, so I really didn't want to stop while on the bike course to pee. I did run into the porta-john on my way out of T2, and I kid you not, I peed for 25 seconds straight. 
So, the question to you ladies is....do you pee on your bike? If so....HOW??? I actually tried to make myself "go" around mile 30 of the bike, but um....it didn't want to happen. Even though I for sure needed to.
Any feedback is welcome!
Comments
Yes, I do pee on the bike. Not b/c I'm racing my way to a Kona slot, but b/c I have to pee a LOT and it just didn't seem worthwhile to stop every half hour and get off my bike to do it! I actually lost about a half hour at IMLou stopping at every aid station to refill my water (didn't want to do it on the fly after getting clipped and knocked over at the HIM I did before IMLou, so I stopped - then my BSN bag was lost, and finding it cost another 10 minutes... So peeing on the bike didn't save time necessarily, but if I had been stopping to pee in addition to all that other stuff I don't want to know what my bike split would have been!).
I just wait for a nice downhill section of the course, lilt myself out of the saddle just a little, and go - once the floodgates are open, they're open! Then rinse off with some water and keep moving. I actually practiced this in training. Gross, yes - but it's a skill! ;-)
I definitely pee on the bike, after losing almost 10 minutes at IMFL to porta-potty stops. I taught myself to do it in practice, and I have now used this technique in HIM races. I am frequently on the podium at HIM distance, so it makes enough of a difference for me to do it even though I'd prefer not to. However, it makes your saddle and bike shoes ungodly stinky afterwards. A good pet odor removal product helps.
The trick is really to relax *everything* down there, which is tough and always makes me a bit nervous to tell the truth.
and yes, I just pee in my shorts. It's no different than starting the bike off with wet shorts I figure. And I cover everything important beneath the shorts with Chamois Butt'r beforehand to stop any chafing for any reason.
I am not sure if I would ever want to pee again, but then, I don't want to wait in line to waste my time either...
:-)
And yeah - the girls are right - it smells BAD. Especially in the shoes. I always take a couple of plastic bags with me to put my stuff in to bring home, then soak my shoes in water and Clorox after a race. That helps... And hose off the bike afterward (and never, ever, ever tell your mechanic that you pee on your bike. Ever. ;-)
@Lynn - yep, just go through the shorts - no moving anything out of the way!
AND - if this hit your e-mail as a post from John and then again from me - whoops - sorry! Forgot to log him out... a little problem we're having now that we're both on EN!
http://www.amazon.com/Febreze-Fabric-Refresher-Energy-18-5-Ounce/dp/B002C88J1K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338988801&sr=8-1
This is how it's done on the run: Paula Radcliffe peeing while on the way to winning the London marathon...
No.
I have a male friend who pees on the bike and run, and a female friend (my kona crush!) who pees in T2 in the grass or while running to get her gear (no socks!) on the bike and run if need be. Skills I'll use to get to my pr goals this year if I can manage!
Tee hee... reminds me of Chrissie Wellington's book, she says she pees on anyone who gets too close to her bike.
Gah! I feel exactly the same, and I haven't even had kids! Don't even get me started on the time we went "trampolining"!
I did learn a very tough lesson at the Philly half marathon in Nov. If you have to go #2 before the race, dont procrastinate and say "I can hold it"...um no.
First, prior to doing my first half iron distance tri, I thought this concept was absurd! In no way did I think that this action of peeing on yourself was ok...it just seemed wrong in all sense of body function, self hygiene, and self respect. Then, I did my first half ironman and I had to pee. I actually just peed on myself in transition, which is probably the worst place to go because the puddle next to my spot in T2 just screamed "this lady just peed here" but I saw no other option at the time. So now I see, we need to do what we need to do and that sometimes means - pee on ourselves during a race.
I have yet to actually practice this "skill" and haven't even thought of trying it while actually cycling or running. How do you gals do it, do you have to push very hard? I would imagine you do if you keep your legs moving.
I'm definitely concerned with the amount of push that may be involved... in addition to those of you who say you leak unintentionally, provoked with a tramp, sneeze, cough, or not! None of that is normal. No one should be ok with the fact that they leak unintentionally, ever. I am a physical therapist who treats pelvic floor dysfunctions and the majority of what I see are women seeking help for their stress/urge/mixed incontinence who may or may not also have some sort of pelvic organ prolapse. If you're a female triathlete who pees while competing/training on the bike or run, be careful with how you do it and don't strain or push. If you already leak unintentionally, you may want to chat with your PCP or GYN about it, and potentially seek a referral to a PT who specializes in pelvic floor rehab to improve the stability and control of your pelvic floor muscles to prevent continued or progressed leakage/prolapse.
Regarding SUI (stressed urinary incontinence), no, of course it's not normal (and I'm sure none of us enjoy living with it), and yes, your point that "pushing" will increase pelvic floor instability is 100% valid. I'm an occupational therapist and no stranger to pelvic floor exercises, biofeedback, and behavioral modification/bladder training. After my second was born (BOTH via C-section, believe it or not - #2 was positioned in a way that he put a LOT of stress on my pelvic floor), I did PFE's religiously. Did my own bladder training. Nothing worked. I finally talked to my OB-GYN and followed up with a well respected Uro-GYN. I learned that my urethra is hypermobile because a ligament that supports it is completely TORN (either the periurethral or pubourethral - not sure which as Uro-GYN didn't tell me!). No amount of therapeutic exercise will fix that. My only option at the time - this was almost 4 years ago - was a urethral sling. I never had the sling placed because I wouldn't be able to lift anything over 10lbs for 4-6 weeks after, and my youngest was still a baby. I was picking him up and lifting him in and out of things all day long! So I waited. And now... every time I turn around I see a commercial on TV for women who have been harmed in some way by the mesh of urethral slings! SO! What to do! ;-)
This is getting way off topic, but I wanted to add to your comment... yes, it SUCKS to live with (especially for those of us who had that coughing bug that's been going around!), but, hey, it's not life-threatening, and when it comes down to it, it's little more than an inconvenience and inability to take a Rebounding class at the gym (forget that... I can't even do a jumping jack!). BUT, for those who do intend to do something about it, and find that conservative treatment isn't cutting it, it's very possible that it's not you - it's your urethra - and a consult with a good Urogynecologist is in order.
Finally - I do NOT recommend attempting peeing on the bike in full length cycling pants! Wait until the weather is warmer and you have shorts on if you're going to try it! (Don't ask... you probably don't want to know!)
So for everyone, follow Jess's example by getting everything checked out (if your haven't already), and chat with your Dr. about potential need for a PT referral. You can talk to your PT about urethral mobility too, as he/she should be able to assess this with the exam.
In the mean time, I'll let you all know if I decide to go for it and try peeing on my bike!