General Discussion Triathlon Talk » 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf??? Rss Feed  
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2013-08-29 5:33 PM

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Subject: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???
I'm trying to figure out why I was reduced to a 12 minute/mile run/walk regimen the final half of my IM run. My swim was a breeze - easiest 2.4 miles ever. Drafting makes all the difference. Bike I took real easy a coasted downhills, spun up hills, stated seated, followed nutrition plan averaging 250 cal/hr. and walked out of T2 feeling okay. Got organized and started running around 9 min miles. Felt okay, not great, but okay. Was taking salt, drinking, fueling, etc... Felt good till around mile 12.


At half way I felt the energy drop. At some point after pushing on I was reduced to my run/walk, around mile 14. I wasn't cramping. I had no GI issues. I was a bit dehydrated, but that's expected. Why didn't I just keep running? I feel like I stopped myself, maybe to strategically preserve energy, but it certainly wasn't my body that gave out, it was my mind. I justified run walking so I could maintain 12 min miles rather than pushing another few miles and then hoping I didn't cramp or fall flat, having to limp home. I feel like it was strategic in the moment, but now I'll never know what would have happened had I kept running.


I guess that's just it ... I'll never know. I took the conservative approach and ended with a conservative time. Pushing, I would have ended with a great time, a really bad one, or a dnf. It's a tough in the moment decision to have to make. Was my decision the right one?



2013-08-29 7:38 PM
in reply to: DV 1

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Master
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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???
I have had the same problem. I don't know if it is low blood sugar, like a light bonk, or the central governor, or just plain old mental toughness.
My IM runs have been....dissapointing.
2013-08-29 9:50 PM
in reply to: DV 1

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Champion
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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???

Probably don't want to hear this but most likely pacing for the swim, bike and the first 10 miles on the run based on your fitness. Nutrition can play a role here as well, but often folks blame nutrition rather than race execution.

Could you have run if you pushed yourself?

2013-08-29 10:06 PM
in reply to: DV 1

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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???
Something very similar happened to me at Lake Placid last month. My analysis is poor nutrition on the run combined with insufficient mental toughness. Improving my mental toughness is now one of my top goals for next season.
2013-08-29 10:32 PM
in reply to: KathyG

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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???
Originally posted by KathyG

Probably don't want to hear this but most likely pacing for the swim, bike and the first 10 miles on the run based on your fitness. Nutrition can play a role here as well, but often folks blame nutrition rather than race execution.

Could you have run if you pushed yourself?




Yep. I'd say almost certainly overcooked the bike and maybe the swim too.

You say that you "Felt okay, not great, but okay.". That's a bad sign. You should feel *amazing* at the beginning of the run. (We'll leave the first mile out of it -- the first mile can be weird; but once you've settled in, you should feel great.) You should be celebrating getting off the bike, and feeling like you could run much much faster, and you could, but you're smart and you don't.
2013-08-30 1:25 PM
in reply to: Experior

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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???
How many 100+ mile bike rides did you do in training? First inclination is you overcooked the bike.


2013-08-30 3:04 PM
in reply to: rbalazs

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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???
I did three 100+ rides during training. As for swim, there's no way I went too fast there. I was basically tickling the guys feet in front of me for an hour. I had the opportunity to jump on a faster swimmers feet twice and opted for my nice easy relaxed pace behind my original guy. The bike wasn't easy, but it was far from hard. My shoulders got pretty sore by the end, but my legs felt good. I feel like my bike speed was a sweet spot between going so slow I'd be out on the course longer than reasonable for me and going my normal speed like last year. Normal easy is 21 and that was way too fast last year. I approach 22.5 in an Oly and 21 - 21.5 in a half. My full speed was 19.7. Maybe the answer will only reveal itself after I race more iron distances. I just wondered if others have had similar experiences and what their solutions/outcomes were. I'm leaning toward not enough nutrition and lack of mental toughness.


The mental toughness one is complicated. If being mentally tough means giving it my all until I collapse in a heap on the side of the road, I'm not sure I want to be mentally tough. Does one have to be prepared to fail in order to achieve to their greatest?

2013-08-30 4:03 PM
in reply to: DV 1

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2013-08-30 4:17 PM
in reply to: Fred D

Iron Donkey
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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???
Lots of factors.  It's an Ironman afterall.
2013-08-30 4:22 PM
in reply to: 1stTimeTri

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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???
Originally posted by 1stTimeTri

Lots of factors.  It's an Ironman afterall.


I was going to say ... where do we begin ... I would say, start with the fact that you'd just gone 128 miles at that point?
2013-08-30 4:27 PM
in reply to: mr2tony

Iron Donkey
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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???

Originally posted by mr2tony
Originally posted by 1stTimeTri Lots of factors.  It's an Ironman afterall.
I was going to say ... where do we begin ... I would say, start with the fact that you'd just gone 128 miles at that point?

Exactly!



2013-08-30 5:52 PM
in reply to: DV 1

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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???
Originally posted by DV 1

I just wondered if others have had similar experiences and what their solutions/outcomes were.




My solution was to suck down a bunch of orange slices. That did wonders. Then I played my motivational song in my head. That got me running to the end.

I don't think I overcooked my bike (although anything is possible). I got my VO2 max retested a few months before the race and I stayed in zone 2 for pretty much the entire 112 miles.

On mental toughness, I don't plan to push myself until I collapse. It will be more about smarter pacing the first half of the run and then building on that so I can negative split and push hard (but not insane) that second half and all the way to the end of the race, no matter the distance. I'll let you know when I've figured that out.

2013-08-30 7:01 PM
in reply to: Experior

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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???
Originally posted by Experior

Originally posted by KathyG

Probably don't want to hear this but most likely pacing for the swim, bike and the first 10 miles on the run based on your fitness. Nutrition can play a role here as well, but often folks blame nutrition rather than race execution.

Could you have run if you pushed yourself?




Yep. I'd say almost certainly overcooked the bike and maybe the swim too.

You say that you "Felt okay, not great, but okay.". That's a bad sign. You should feel *amazing* at the beginning of the run. (We'll leave the first mile out of it -- the first mile can be weird; but once you've settled in, you should feel great.) You should be celebrating getting off the bike, and feeling like you could run much much faster, and you could, but you're smart and you don't.

Right on & Amen about the going just a little too fast on the bike & 250 calories an hour sounds pretty lean for a guy. 1/2 mph and 50 calories / hour can make all the difference. How was your sleep the week before? And your nutrition for the week before?

You should feel awesome starting the run and need to start so it feels way too slow. And even if you had to walk, could you regroup and start running after a mile?
2013-08-30 10:21 PM
in reply to: DV 1

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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???
Definitely the mind. You could have kept running the same pace through the finish. If fitness is good, nutrition is good, and you have not overheated the body will not quit.
2013-08-31 3:04 AM
in reply to: DV 1

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Subject: RE: 2.4 miles - done, 112 miles - done, 14 miles and then ...wtf???
Funny how that happens, right? About the same thing happened to me during my first. Was it your first? How was your training (MPW) and how long did you spend building your base?

My second one I was confident I could do the distance...just a matter of ow fast. I wasn't going to let ,yield quit like I did in the first one. In fact, I told my wife at the finish line I'm doing A second and she called me crazy. Anyways, sounds like a combination of fitness and mental. No one said IMs were easy.

Keep your head up, sign up for another one next year and use this as a learning experience.
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