Baowolf's Winter training is FUN group..no really it is!! (OPEN) (Page 22)

Lindsey - Awesome job! Nice finishes too. Last swim wave. Welcome to the world of triathlon and one of the issues we have to put up with. haha. Sometimes the RD will switch waves up from year to year so the same group is not always going last. I had to do a 2 hour wait once from 1st wave to mine.

Probably not so much in a lazy river swim but you will find that many RDs have set waves up in an order that minimizes the time that people are on the whole course. Older athletes will usually head out near the beginning because as a whole they are slower than say the 25 year olds. Not always, but a majority are set-up this way.

Steve/Carlo - I saw a picture yesterday around mile 95 of the bike course and a SUV was underwater. Fingers crossed it clears up.

Isabella - great attitude towards making time. Love it.

Pam - glad the N. Florida weather is allowing you some outside time. I lived in Destin, FL for awhile. I loved it there. Glad the softball game was a blast. Gotta be able to laugh at ourselves from time to time.

Dennis - how do you like the Xterra wetsuit? I am going to need a new one soon and have started to look at reviews.

Officially 30 days and a wake-up for my 2015 season to start. Jealous of everyone who has gotten to race already. I am getting antsy.

Thanks For all the Wishes Guys and Gals!!!!

All of you are the greatest


Just talk to Steve he arrived well and healthy in Texas .Steve have a brother here.Very nice guy looking forward in meeting him tomorrow.

Thanks Again

Will chat with ya all soon!!!!

I will be cheering for Steve and Carlo up here in Quebec!
Have fun, enjoy the moment and "embrace the suck"!!!

Good week of training so far, I always feel a bit guilty for not swimming more but the bike and run progress nicely.
Had an easy run on Monday and a hard run last night, I wanted to preview a little bit what the race on Monday will look like so I did 10x500 with 2:30 recovery in-between, but on the flat. This race will be hard indeed!!! To top it off, forecast for next Monday (race day) is very hot and humid, bleh. I am revisiting the idea of bringing my 4-bottle fuel belt and actully use the 4 bottles!!!

Bike: although I did not ride as much this winter as I did last year, I think I am still carrying some bike fitness from then. Had a good session with the boys on Wednesday, I am the only girl so far in the more "advanced" group. I think I make them push a little bit more since they don't want to be passed by a girl on an entry-level road bike... (but sometimes I do pass them anyway and they hammer like crazy to repass me) All in good fun

I have another easy run scheduled for Saturday, a bike (no pushing hard) and a swim on Sunday.

Anyone else racing this weekend (long weekend in Canada) ?

Tonight is off, pampering time at the hair salon woot!

Dear Wild Wolf (dogs) Pack,

Thank you for helping me in setting a 20" power PR today. Couldn't have done it without your chasing me. Thanks little buddies.

Brad

Had to go into work today so behind on my stalking. Steve is doing well!!!! 1:33 in swim. Bike info below.

30 mi 30 mi 1:29:16 3:11:17 20.16 mi/h
58 mi 28 mi 1:42:37 4:53:54 16.37 mi/h

And so is Carlo!!!!! 1:51 on swim. Bike info below.
30 mi 30 mi 1:34:57 3:38:31 18.96 mi/h
58 mi 28 mi 1:35:15 5:13:46 17.64 mi/h

Go Boys Go! Steve is #2548 and Carlo is #2231.

Did things differently for my run this morn. Ran into work and got 9.5 miles before I started the testing. Called family and offered to buy them lunch if they would meet me and drive me the rest of the way home. So then ran 2 miles to the restaurant.

Steve and Carlo should be finished with bike in 10-15 mins. Both passed mile 100. They may be riding somewhat together because their bike time for mile 100 were seconds apart. But I don't know if there were in the same wave. Go Steve and Carlo!!!!

Both are off the bikes! Steve is past 1.4 miles on run and Carlos will get there soon.

Dammmmnnn! Wish I could hold Steve's pace for a standalone 5k. Carlos is at 1.4 miles in run!

Steve: 3.7 mi 2.3 mi 19:52 9:12:23 8:36/mi

Steve is at 19.2 and projected to finish around 13 hours. Carlo is at 16.6 and projected at 14:45. You guys Rock!!

Turned on Live Coverage. That is not Mike announcing. :-(
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Update: Steve is at 24.1. 20 more min (or less)!!! And Carlos is at 17.8. I'm so impressed with our guys!
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Just saw Steve finish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bring it on home Carlo. Amazing job by our guys. I can only dream about it but they have trained hard and executed perfectly.




Edited by Pink Socks 2015-05-16 8:13 PM

Yup, I was watching the athlete tracker/live coverage as well. Awesome job Steve & Carlos. Looked like some brutal conditions with the humidity. Wind looked like it picked up as well. Excellent job to both! Can't wait for race reports. Enjoy the recovery.

Brad

Wow, Dennis! You have been and are still on an incredible journey. I know what you mean, the kindness of strangers (and people we know) always has such an impact on me emotionally.

And congrats to our IMTX finishers! Great job Carlo and Steve.

Pam, you're always finding a way to get it done. Way to go!

Isabella, a girl deserves some pampering! Good to know you are pushing the boys on the rides, and betting it works both ways.

With all the rain we have had this spring, getting outside has been a challenge. Joined our newly refurbished rec center here. Quite a nice facility -- indoor track, 2 gyms, plenty of weights and cardio machines. A one year membership only costs $70. I initially bought the "wet" membership as well, but one time to the pool and my sinuses said no way. Bromine is not my friend. Workout of a different kind yesterday moving furniture. Integrating some items that FIL had into our home, and taking others to our local relief agency.

Congrats Steve and Carlo!!

Fellow Mentorees Thanks for the Cheering!!

i know steve did very well compared to his IMCDA this is my first IM finish and took a toll on my body im aching everywhere and have blisters size of Oreos on both feet i know being admitted for severe dehydration if i knew this is hoing to happen yes ill do it again. I'll do a full report this weekend.

Thanks Again Everyone









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Speedy recovery Carlo.

Nice shirt!

Brad

Congrats gentlemen!
Can't wait to hear all about your race.

Carlo you did it! Blisters are temporary, you'll be forever proud you accomplished this.
Steve your meticulous preparation paid off, great great work. Inspiring to say the least!

Isobella, how did your relay go? Details please.

Carlo, yuck! That is bad. But you are an Ironman!!!!

Thanks for all the nice words of encouragement and congratulations. Regarding my next race, I don't have a Tri scheduled yet, but plan on doing a full distance IM next year. It will probably be in the Western US and hopefully later in the season (to allow for more open water swim practice) so narrows my options significantly. You'll be the first to know about it when I pull the trigger. I am however going to compete in the Ojai Valley Century bike ride in a couple of weeks. I'm really looking forward to it and can't wait to see how the legs hold up to the 7,400' of climbing.
Here's an elevation map: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/365700629 It appears to be a bit similar to IM Tahoe but near sea level and hopefully no smoke or snow.
I was amazed how quickly my body bounced back after the HIM at the beginning of the month. No soreness post-race and I was right into my Century training after a couple light training days. Makes me think I should have pushed it more during the race, but based on the conditions, I'm happy I finished upright and looking forward to the next one. That training stuff really pays off. Who'd a thunk...

Steve: Congrats on the job!
Steve & Carlo:I was thinking of you guys this last weekend. I was out of cell coverage so I couldn't track your progress. I'm looking forward to your race reports!
Carlo: Yikes! Those are gnarly blisters. I just read an article yesterday on shoe lacing and how many peoples' feet do fine at HIM distance, but blister up at IM distances. I'm going to go back and re-read it. Hope you start feeling better soon! Please share what you learned and what you would change, if anything, for your next race.
Pam: Thanks for the play-by-play or your softball game and Steve and Carlo's race.
Daniel: Sounds like your swimming is coming around. I'm not an expert swimmer, but I find I focus the most on head/body/core/leg positioning so I don't drag my legs and feet behind me like an anchor. Keep it up!
Dan/Negatorx:Regarding injuries, I lucked out and didn't have any over the past 9 months or so. I didn't follow a training plan until I had a solid base of the three disciplines. I like to stick to the 10% rule of not increasing distance or time more than 10% over the previous week's efforts. That said, I probably only missed 1-2 workouts a month and tried to 'listen to my body' opting for lower effort / shorter duration workouts instead of dropping them completely. A solid base took months to build, but I didn't get crazy with speed workouts or brick sessions until I 'felt strong'. I have not integrated any strength training into my routine except core strengthening (which includes hip flexors and lower back as well as abs.) I noticed my lower back started to get soar on long bike climbs and long run descents. I had neglected my core and strengthening that up, my discomfort decreased and it even improved my swimming. I second what Brad had to say. Another benefit not mentioned of spreading your workouts throughout the day (time permitting of coarse) is that your calorie expenditure will be spread out more, increasing your metabolism, helping you to drop weight. Due to time restraints I did a lot of brick workouts, but had to fuel the workouts with more calories, almost negating the caloric burn of the workouts. When I spread them out (usually late night and early mornings), I found I didn't have to consume as many calories to get through the workouts. - Glad to see you're jumping on the bike even when you're not too excited about it.
David: Great job on the food prep. In your limited time, you'll grab whatever's handy. Control what's handy and you'll improve things a lot. People strapped to desks or to car seats have the same challenges.
Lindz: Great finish and congrats on the bike. How are you liking it? One of my most embarrassing cycling moments was during my first race while in a group of about 20 people. I was in the front, stopped at a light, forgot to unclip and yes, fell over. I jumped up, raised my hand in the air like a gymnast sticking a dismount and got back on the bike before the light changed. The group was really cool about it and seemed more concerned about my bike, than me.
Isabella:Lol! That's the way to show the boys who's boss. Keep it up!

Edited by ojaister 2015-05-19 3:33 PM

While we're waiting for the IM Texas finishers race reports, here is a quick write up about the relay race we did last weekend.
It was so much fun, I want to sign up for next year already!!!

The race was 24.5 km (15 miles) and we could divide it the way we wanted, provided the person with the chip starts running first and crosses the finish first. Other team members were following on the bike. We chose to change every 500m, which was a great strategy IMO: short enough to sprint, long enough to recover in-between. Most teams had 4 members, we were 3.

The weather was cool here last week, but it suddenly became hot and humid during the weekend (not as much as Texas for sure!) but we had to adjust fueling and pace accordingly. We ended up finishing in 2 hours and change, which means we sustained a pace of 8 minutes per mile for 15 miles, including the many relay changes where we would come to a complete stop for a second or 2.

The course was beautiful, first half was flat, then we had a total of 311 feet elevation (as per garmin) for the last part, before the descent to the start. Kms flew by so quickly, people were out there cheering us on, but the best part was that we were passed by so many high schoolers (they have a School challenge where every high school in the area competes against each other, the students all have their shirt representing their school, and they are FAST!!!) We did pass some of them on the climbs though, they were blowing up for starting too fast!

A great time was had by all, and I am excited to see that my running is coming along nicely, slowly but surely, and the ankle is behaving well so far...

Hey guys thanks for all the well wishes and stalking. I am back in CA, got in at 4:00 am (2400 mile drive over 2 days).

That muscle on the top of the knee did affect the bike. I could feel it for the first 40 miles, but then it got painful after that and I had to back off on the intensity a lot and then we turned into that stiff headwinds for the last 60 miles. When I woke up at 3:30 am it was already 77F and humid. The heat really was significantly worse with the humidity than my prior IMs in 95F temps. This was the first IM where I stayed doused in water for the entire bike ride and drank more than 16 oz of water during some of the 10 mile sections between aid stations. I was really dragging that last 10 to 20 miles with the knee (not the joint just that little top of the knee cap muscle). Then on the run that muscle was basically not an issue at all, but the heat was. I only had to take in about 3 ounces of water per mile, but I did end up dumping 2-3 cups of ice down my shirt (one in back one in front) and 2 cups of ice water over my head and top at every aid station. I hit all the calories on the bike fine (2200 calories) and all my run calories 1 GU ever 3 miles starting at mile 3 and then thinning down to just gatoraid for the last 5 miles. I was really happy with the run for the first 5 to 10 miles and then I guess just the cumulative effect of the heat of the whole day just caught up and I started slowing down. I was really dragging around mile 15 or so on the run and was thinking that I might end up having to do some walk/jog thing, but just hung in there at a slow shuffle jog focusing primarily on keeping a good body temperature and maintaining that balance between taking in enough fluids, but not so much that you got sloshy. A number of folks tried to keep cool by drinking too much and ended up losing those fluids to the bushes later with much walking. Probably 80 to 90 percent of folks I saw were walking. On my last lap one of the volunteers complimented me saying he hadn't seen anyone else running for 30 minutes. I tried to pick the pace up somewhat from mile 20 on and finish strong for the finish line effect (I know I am not the only one who puts in a show of speed at the end...). I was in pretty good shape after the race except for that post IM hobble, but I bruised my big toenail on my right foot with all the water in my shoes. I probably should have tightened the laces to compensate for the wet shoes, but oh well.

So on Sunday I drove 1200 miles ish to Boulder CO to sleep at my brother in law's house and then drove another 1170 miles to get home on Monday. I got a nail or something in my car tire about 300 miles from home and had to reinflate it along the way (I noted the no services for 178 miles sign with a cringe). The tire was dead flat when I got up for work, so I used my bike pump to get into town to get it repaired. I drove about 5100 miles total on the trip.

Well that is most of the race report... the swim was the most combative swim I have done. There was chop and then you funnel 2700 athletes into a canal that is roughly 20 feet across for like 1200 yards or some such. The entire transition area was mud that you sunk into about 4 to 6 inches, that was pleasant. I ended up walking barefoot in the mud carrying my bike and shoes, then rinsing my feet off when I got the the sidewalk and putting on my socks and bike shoes.

Hrm 10 weeks until IM Boulder..... (quit my job, do federal jury duty, sell my house, buy/rent a new one, start a new job, train for another IM) yup sounds doable.

Heal up Carlo, sorry you got dehydrated, but very solid performance, that was one of the harder IM's because of the wind, heat and humidity. (the bike was nice and flat though).

Edited by Baowolf 2015-05-20 12:09 PM

Thanks for the "Get Well" greetings discharged from the hospital after 40 hrs.

I learned a very good lesson in our Tri Lifestyle I thought i only drink water for the following:

1.) Hydration.
2.) Internal core cooling.

I only knew only now theres a 3rd over hydration is better than under hydration for the purpose to flush out the toxins in my body. The Toxins from Muscle breakdown ( Rhabdomyolysis) can seriously damage the kidneys. Toxin levels in my blood are elevated. They needed 9 bags via IV of Normal Saline to flush out the Toxins.

Steve Thanks for all the advice.

Again thanks for the support everyone.

Cheers

Carlo

Edited by strykergt 2015-05-20 7:07 PM

Carlo, walk me through how much fluids you took in on the bike and on the run. That is probably close to the hottest race you will ever do with heat and humidity. Drinking water will not really cool down your core body temp in any significant way, you need to use ice and water outside your body for that. One can drink too much water, which in extreme cases causes death, but doing electrolites and not going too crazy with the fluids should not make that a problem. Just don't go nuts with the fluids.

I only drank about 3-4 oz of water per aid station (per mile) on the run and probably 12 to 14 oz of water per 10-12 mile aid station on the bike. I did, however douse 6-8 oz of water over my clothes each bike aide station and 2 cups of ice water and 2 cups of ice down the front and back of my tri-top each mile on the run (and kept my hat wet).

So ya drained the blister under my entire big toenail tonight, will be losing that nail eventually. I also walked 3 miles which ended up raising my heart rate which told me too much too soon. It was a really slow pace.

Edited by Baowolf 2015-05-20 11:25 PM

steve

let me see if i remember

Bike
28 Oz every hour
300 Cals/hr w/ electrolytes
atleast 1 bottle of water poured to me to cool me down every aid station.

Run or walking.
1 cup every hour
2-3 cups poured into me
1 gel /45 mins
1/2 banana every aid station.

according to my Doc my Potassium and Sodium are normal so i did not have electrolyte defficiency its just that residuals from muscle breakdown are high in my bloodstream which can cause kidney damage i could have prevented it if i hydrated more , but i see what you mean not over do the hydration.

Steve on the side my blisters are almost healed and no soreness in muscle , i guess because i walked almost the entire run course. My brother is running SF Marathon half only in 10 weeks.My brother just recovered from Chemo .What you think i can bridge my fitness from IM to do a full Marathon in 10 weeks. I just plan to run/walk the course. Let me know watcha think.

Thanks

Carlo

Carlo, our fluid intake was almost identical. The only thing I did different was putting ice down my shirt every aid station on the run. On the run I did GU every 3 miles (30 min ish) with no bananas. On the bike I did about the same amount of water. So.... I cooled more with ice is the only real difference in our races and I was fine and not even really thirsty after the race nursing a can of soda for 45 minutes and you were in the ER for 2 days with 9 bags of fluids severely dehydrated. I am sorry that your body reacted so differently than most to the heat. I guess if you do another hot IM you will need to up your fluid intake 25% ish and add ice to your clothing on the run.

For the marathon you should be fine. Walk 1 to 3 miles 3-4x a week for the first 2 weeks then on the 3rd week add in walk jog and then on the 4th week you can start straight jog. Given your current finess you can do long walk of each week of like 4 miles, 5 miles, walk jog 7 miles, jog 9 miles, 11 miles, 6, 13, 15, 9, race. Or something like that with supporting weekly miles.

Carlo just so you know there were like 350 people who did not finish that race, so again grats on your tenacity. (some of those were DNS but mostly DNF). And 26 people finished in the last 10 minutes before the cutoff time for the race. From the meta analysis this year was overall a slower race probably related to the heat and humidity.

Edited by Baowolf 2015-05-22 9:24 PM

Carlo, so glad you are OK. My understanding is that Rhabdomyolysis has about a 5% mortality rate, and perhaps higher for lasting complications. I'm going to say something unpopular here, but is it really worth it to push yourself that hard? Personally, I've come to believe that some folks are much more cut out for the long distance stuff (genetics, athletic history, training consistency and methods, medical conditions, medications, other factors we don't understand). Not saying what anyone's choice should be, just saying it's good to ask in the context of each individual.

Steve, amazing that you were able to run a great race in challenging conditions, drive cross country home, and then go back to work the next day. I like that you challenge me and other members of this group to question self imposed limits and reach for our potential, but also that you respect individual situations and differences. That is what makes you a great mentor!