Training for early spring HIM thread? (Page 29)

Just stay consistent!! You'll do great 50 mile bike rides aren't that bad if you change your route up often. Or a neat idea to get the same training stimulus is if you have a bike computer, just go out and ride for 25-30 miles. Turn where you want to, don't pre-plan it. Anthony Bourdain style cycling. Then just turn around and retrace your route (so don't make it too complicated); or if you feel like it then just keep going and find a different route back. It's a lot more scenic that way--just remember to keep a decent effort level.

Shin splints are killer on the mental game--massage out tender spots on your achilles and whatever those two big muscles are on the back of the calf. Trigger points are what they're called I think (those were my issue). I don't know about skeletal shin splints much...

Keep it up! You'll do great don't think too far ahead of the day, just live in the "now" haha.

I get them when I run hard. The problem is, I'll have one bad run where I run too hard and it'll totally flare up again. Annoying! So I've been running slowly and feeling ok but I'm still fighting them.

Lots of stretching and foam rolling and then I'll take a running break after the race.

Try to pay attention to your gait when you do those harder runs... particularly the turnover rate of your feet and where your feet are striking.

Your feet may be getting out in front of you instead of landing under your hips.  You may just need to shorten the stride and lean forward from the ankles a little more.

You're probably right. Up until the HIM, I'll do my runs slow to try to avoid issues. Then I will take a running break to completely heal.

It's frustrating because I want to increase speed. I think you are right though. It is prob turnover and leaning forward. I think when running at a certain speed I have it down but don't adjust properly when picking up the pace. Thank you for this perspective.

Awesome job, mc, and thank you!! GI pain is pretty debilitating both physically and mentally -.- but it sounds like you finished just like you should have (being unable to move)

Which race did you just do?

Hahaha. "And all of a sudden my toes just weren't there anymore!!! Vanished!" God has a thing for toes I suppose.

Wow congrats on your half! What an excellent time. Man, you guys put up some great times over here. I will be toddling along.

Do you think part of your run nutrition issues has to do with the heat? I have been running when it's hottest out and noticed my already sensitive stomach is extra sensitive. Then again, I am also running later in the day and have eaten breakfast and lunch so it's hard to say. I do think the heat makes it worse though.

I really admire people who do not get to train in heat but are able to tough it out. It's amazing to me. It's really awesome that you were able to excel in those conditions.

I had 2 great workouts this weekend - swim and bike - so I am pumped up. I did 7mi in the heat on Friday, felt it in my shin throughout the weekend, but seem to be back to normal today. Now to keep battling those mental demons. Just have to focus on these really good workouts I've had.

My stomach gets the same way in heat when running. On the bike I do ok.

The thing I discovered I can take is Hammer Endurolytes. I have had really good workouts with them. I did 56 on the bike yesterday and felt great. Usually after a long ride, I take a nap and am sleepy all day. Yesterday I came home and got a ton done around the house.

I used them while running as well and even though I was not able to eat I was able to take them with no problem. 

Awesome... congrats!!!

and LOL @ "toe rapture"  :D

So, who's next up on the calendar?  When is yours, Lauren??

And to think--I always thought my toes were just going numb on my long rides....

In retrospect, I think the stomach issues were caused by not exactly following my plan on the bike. On long training rides, I had been taking a sports drink in my aero bottle, with replacement sports drink and a plain water on the bike.

In the race, I didn't want to carry two bottles, just to save some weight, so I mixed up a heavily concentrated sports drink in my extra bottle that I planned to mix in the aero bottle with water from the course. But I ended up drinking the concentrated mix without picking up a water on the course. I wasn't that worried about it at the time, because I've tried a variety of different bars, gels, and drinks in various quantities and combinations, and I've never had any issues.

It may have been a combination of the concentrated drink, warmer temps than I was used to, and the intensity of the effort. I'll try to do a better job of testing my plan in training before the next race.

I'm not sure what race that will be b/c of my work schedule. My wife's family is in California, so I planned to race something out there when we go visit this summer, but it looks like I won't be making the trip with them. There's a few local sprint/olympic races I've done in the past that I might race again this summer. I'm thinking of doing a HIM at Redman in Oklahoma later in the fall if I end up not racing in CA. And my plan always has been to do the full at Ironman Texas next spring.

In the meantime, I look forward to everyone else's race reports!

For giggles, go to http://bikecalculator.com/ and fill it in with all of your pertinent data.  Use a simple guesstimate of 200 watts for your power output if you don't know yours, and guess your bike's weight at roughly 20lbs.  Set it to 56 miles, yada, yada, yada... and see what you expected finish time is in minutes for that HIM bike leg.

Then, reduce your weight by 10 pounds and see what that time changes to.  You'll notice that even a massive weight drop like that has very little impact on your time... as in, it's completely negligible.  ;-)

Carry the bottles, race like you train :-) 

Fascinating stuff. Thanks for the link.

odpaul7 - 2013-04-30 10:34 AM But if there's hills and stuff then wouldn't there be legitimate savings? i've never worried that much about weight (except for when it comes to running) for cycling

Sure, to a minimal degree.  Remember, triathlon isn't peloton racing.  Your number one foe is and always will be wind resistance.  Every other force acting against you pales in comparison to it.  Weight matters in a peloton because for most riders, they are hiding within the peloton and thus they are hidden from the wind... at which point weight becomes eminently important as gravity is the next greatest force and in the absence of wind resistance, it is the one force that could keep you from staying with the group (and thus staying hidden from the wind).

One pint of water equals one pound. Your average Specialized compatible bike water bottle is 750 ml, which is a hair over 25 ounces, which means that it is barely more than 1.5 pounds completely full.

I don't know what math to use to figure the effects of 1.5lbs on a rider's climbing, but I'd imagine that it is nearly negligible.  If that 1.5 lbs is going to have a huge negative affect, you probably could have worked a little harder in the months leading up to the event.

Lauren, you still doing ok there?

Had my first "race" this weekend. Rev3 Knoxville, Olympic. With the weather, I wasn't sure about really being able to push myself safely, so backed way off and had a training day. Not really worth writing a report for. 59 water & air temp, and rain the entire day. Awesome seeing the pros out there going at it.

Unpleasant-ish conditions to race in, and with wet roads in a race that doesn't mean a lot to ya, smart move on making it a training day.

When's your next one?