kaburns1214 Mentor Group 2012 Part 2 - CLOSED (Page 130)

Now there's the confident woman we know and love!!!!  Finally under you belt. Congrats on a great race Jen.

Congrats Scott on Pumkinman!

IMWI spectating and aid station was great and painful (lots of time on my feet, I won't complain too much cuz alot of other were in much worse pain).  It is hard being a spectator ...

Great race!  Front row for the swim start .. my favorite part of the race.  On the 2nd hill of the 3 B**ches on the bike to watch everyone (very steep, very long hill).  That was a great part of the race.  The entire hill is lined like the Tour de France all the way up with fans!!!  I even ran up the hill with IronAli (first timer).  I wondered how many this helped to get up this hill and how many dreaded the world seeing them at their worst?  Hopefully for the most part the former.  Then off to the run aid station for 4 hours.  We got to see most of our tri club somewhere along the course.

We had about 20 racers: 

99% finishers

6th and 9th place Men's AG finish (just missed Kona) and Women's 3rd (think she got a slot)

1 marriage on the course

multiple first timers

multiple multiple timers

a couple crashes (but they were able to finish ... 1 dislocated shoulder)

.... and many that can now call themselves and Ironman, or Ironman again!!!

I think the longer you go, the less it hurts.  An IM is less intense than a HIM.

Same reason I like doing 13.1 races better than 5Ks.

Well I wouldn't call it lifting but more like physical therapy. I mean normally I'll take 80-100 pounds and bang out 25-30 reps on extensions or curls. This was 30-40 pounds for 15 reps. As soon as I felt any muscle twinge I was done. Strictly to promote blood flow.

I'm thinking next year will be similar to this year. I want to race at the HIM level before moving to IM. I felt like I got my volume to the next step and now need to take it one more. I also need to improve my core especially my hips including the flexors and gluteus medias. Patriot I was in the top third and Pumpkin the right in the middle. Next year whatever races I choose I'd like to move into the top quarter and hopefully move from the 5:40's to the 5:20's or better.

How about yourself? You took the IM plunge if I recall correctly.

At Patriot I did 60 oz of sports drink and a total of 7 gels and those were difficult to get down. Pumpkin I upped it to 70 just on the bike and then drank another 10 on the run plus about 16 of water. I did 10 total gels. My stomach so was upset for all the sugar. Just gross. They had a catered turkey dinner after which was simply awesome. Eating turkey, mashed pots, squash, stuffing, green beans, etc after all that sugar just felt so right.

I've actually never done it.

The best thing about Pumpkin was the course was all these country roads with next to no traffic and the little there was I have to give the nod for how good they were.

That was me after Patriot but Pumpkin was overcast which spared me from that layer of salt. It really is awful.

I'm with you. I need to improve my core.

I thought the cramping at Patriot was bad but I cramped twice as bad at this one. Never walked but man did I want to. The run finished down a grass hill and I was so off balance trying to control my speed on the rough terrain I just kept thinking please don't let me take a dixie.

I have a friend who did IMWI.  He can't stop raving about the support.  Especially since it's the exact opposite of how the Woodlands treats IMTX.

The forecast played cruel tricks on me all week, but my race day turned out to be perfect weather.  Water was calm, warmed up just in time for my bike, and clouds came out for me during the run.  Perfect!  

About the salt crystals - what is up with that?  I mean, my hair was a solid ball which didn't even move when I turned my head.  A helmet, actually.  

I did sports drink and gels on bike.  Gels during run and took gatorade, water, and cola from aid stations.  I had an odd side stitch on the bike from mile 30 on, but it went away just in time for the run (thankfully!!!).  No muscle cramps or anything on the run.  My quads felt tight, but otherwise it was just normal pain stuff.  I guess I fueled right for the weather.  Felt dehydrated after the finish.  Ate a big black bean burger with chipotle mayo, fries, and 2 margaritas after my race  

I am really wondering if I'm ready for the full distance.  I will rise to the occasion and train/race as best as I can, but as far as being ready for it....I don't know.  I am going to find a pilates studio in my area and sign up for beginner sessions.  My abs and glutes are sad, and I want to beef up those bad boys!!!! 

After doing the half I realize how important the crowd support is to the racers.  Cedar Point is a lonely, lonely course.  I found myself feeling bored to death on the bike.  I had to play games in my head.  It was better on the run because we ran through the town of Sandusky, and there were lots of locals out there cheering us on.    

Sounds like your friends did well this weekend, Carrie!

great Job to everone!! This weekend

I can address some of the nutrition questions.

Gels are Gels they are gross so on the bike use a Gel Bottle I got this idea from Bryan Dunn and it works. For IM I had a 24 oz bottle and put 8 gels in it (4 Roctane & 4 Hammer) and filled it the rest of the way with water and shook it up. The gel turns to liquid and it is not a 800 Cal Bottle. I also had one Roctane at the 95 mile mark on the bike.  On the run I choose not to use gels either. Instead I did as Kelly suggested I used Clif Shot Bloks one block every 2 miles and that was sufficent. I swithched to Caffinated Bloks for the 2nd loop.

For liquids I stuck to water and Hammer  endrolytetes pils and I started with a Bottle of GU Brew 2x soudium on my bike and I had another one in my special needs bag.

I honsetly learned for 1/2 IM & IM racing less is more. You can always fill the tank but when you stuff to much in thats when GI problems start.

My weekend was fun

Friday - suffered through a 8.25 mile run (Tired)

Staurday - Storms put me on the trainer for a 1hr spin.

Sunday - Was test day (Next week there is a local 13.1 that I can't run due to church) So I went out to the course and time trialed it (if you can do that running) My previuos PR for a 1/2 marathon is 1:43:11. Today I ran a 1:36:22 on a much harder course. So with the USMC Marathon coming up I am feeling more confiodent I can run below a 3:30.

My open marathon PR is 4:20 back in 1995

and I have run a 4:06 & 4:15 IM Marathons so 3:30 looks scary but being run focoused now is really paying off.

I don't mind the gel I do which are the honey stinger ones. I actually look forward to them on training rides. But you do ten of them with a sports drink and that's just way too much sugar. I might try out doing power bars or something like that. I just don't know what I'll do to replace the sports drink which is what really kills me. I'd rather just drink water but know I need the calories and electrolytes.

So I'll offer my 2 cents on the gel thing too.  I started going Bryan's route on them too.  I put the gel bottle in my torpedo mount and run sports drink on my rear hydration mount.  For Oilman I plan on running the gel bottle on the bars and starting with one bottle of Perform on the back that I replace at the hand ups.  I'll put one cliff bar in the bento box along with a handful of salt stick caps.  Putting one package of shot blocks in the run bag.  So far this has been money in training. 

When we had the lead sports nutritionist from the Ironman Institute at our meeting last month she said that she personally would rather go with Infinit.  She finds more athletes have major issues with gels because they have to be diluted before absorption.  So if you're not drinking enough water at the time they end up sitting like a brick in your stomach. 

I did 5 gels mixed with water in a 24 oz. bottle on the bike + 4 gels mixed with water in a handheld flask on the run.  I probably drank 32 oz. of diluted gatorade on the bike + whatever I took from volunteers on run.  It worked well because I didn't have any cramping, bloating, or anything.  I drank too quickly when I got on the bike because I was so thirsty, and I think that caused the side stitch.  It's just sooooo gross though.  Like Scott, I feel like I might like to try a solid bar or something during the bike, particularly for an IM.      

Scott - what did your friend say about the course ... the bike course specifically. Was he ready for it?  Was it what he expected, or worse?

We saw alot of people on the first loop of the lollipop on the bike that already looked shattered and they had another 60 miles to go with lots and lots of hills .....

Add Crystal light instead of water to the mix.  It makes the taste tolerable, and actually enjoyable if you can actually find the unflavored gels.

He's a beast so he loved it.  That was his 3rd IM this year (IMTX, IMNYC, and IMWI).  He is a big stickler for sticking to the power meter so he won't just blow it out.  He thought it was tough in spots, but not as consistently brutal as NY.  Then the run course is fair, very much unlike NY.  All in all he was very happy with 11:26

I love the shot bloks on the run.  Small quanties frequently and it tastes much better than gels.

On the bike I do 1/2 a bar at 30 minutes and 1/2 a bar at 60 minutes, then gels. 

The problem with Infinit, is that your never going to get your blend on a course.  I've lost so many bottles on bike courses (mostly ejected out of the cages on the back).  I think its way too risky to be heavily relying on something you may not be able to have on race day.  While you can use a super ocndensed bottled, you're essentially back to gels and needing to take enough supplemental fluids in order to digest the contents of the super condensed bottle. 

Be careful with Crystal light.  I believe it has sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, which is a diuretic.

Ahhhhhhhh....... darn.

Just registered for Poconos 70.3 on September 30th.

Scared and excited at the same time. 

And Aspartame, if you are avoiding it like I am. 

Whooo Hooo