SWBKRUN fast, furious, and closed (Page 154)

Oh yes, please!  Anything and everything will be helpful.

Maybe a better question for people would be; what do you wish you did differently at your first HIM?

I sent it to your hotmail account.  Not sure I would do anything differently.  It's hard the first time you go that distance b/c you don;t know how your body will react.  Timberman can be very hot so you may have to adjust your plan in the fly w/ the heat. 

My first was Mooseman a very similiar course, lots of hills on the run and bike.  Stay within yourself on the bike so the run is good.  Also practice, practice, practice your nutrition.  However, my stomach is not as sensitive as some and I am more moody eater so I pack lots of different stuff for the transition area and grab what I feel like eating.  On the bike, I did all liquids and that worked for me.  The run I eat more solids but that works for me. 

Also my coach warned me about eating 15min before or after a transition in order to give my body a chance to readjust from swimming to biking to running.  I think that helped me keep my tummy in check b/c I used to eat in transition now I grab stuff and take it w/ me then eat 15min after I've started. 

All that said there is a tremendous amount of experience in this group and I'm sure you will get more tips and tricks.  Go with w/ your instincts about what will work best for your and then see how it goes.  Good luck!

Plan ahead....use the lists and anything else the helps you do as much as possible in advance.  Do mental and physcial walk-throughs of race day.....transitions, set-ups, etc.

Most of all, though, PLAN to have fun.  PLAN to smile.  We're doing this because we enjoy it.....don't make into something it's not (voice of experience, here!).   Turn any nerves you have into race day adrenaline, and have a blast!

A friend of mine, who's been racing longer distances for years, says that whenever the race gets tough, he thinks about sex.  That makes him smile, and things start to improve from there.  He also gets some great race pictures.

So.......SMILE!!!!

edit to add:  Oh, what I wish I did differently!  I raced wildflower long course as my first - brutal.  Glad I did, it was a huge confidence boost.  Wish I had taken an ice bath and worn compression socks after.  Recovery was tough.  Also wish I had a hotel, not a tent!

Question for you folks -

I know it is all dependent on my own recovery time, but wanted to know if it's "smart" or "stupid".

I'm doing Rock 'n Roll Half Mary in December. I was invited to do Tinkerbell Half Mary in California a little over a month later (Dec 4 to Jan 27th weekend).   I'm not committed to that yet, but I thought it'll be cool to do a Half-Mary out of state at Disneyland. 

From what I remember, and looking at my logs, that it took roughly two days to recover.    I think that's plenty of time.  I will also do a 5K run while I'm in NJ.    I know it's WAY too early, but I'm not sure how to train/run between the two half mary?  

What do you guys think?  Thanks!!

i love the idea.  1/2's are a blast!  maybe just take a few days off then count the weeks backwards on the plan you used for the first one and go from there. 

Hurrah for our HIM virgin.  I would say, I wish I had done more OWS prior to my first HIM...and wish I had practiced my nutrition better prior to that race.  I assume you have one more long ride/brick type workout, so it would be great to test it all out. 

I did kind of random sipping here and there for my first one, and I actually think it did affect me on the run.  I also go by the 15 min before/15 min after thing that Sam mentioned...hence also taking it out of T1 easy to get heartrate down so I can start my sport drink and body can digest it properly...but I do adjust if I am bloaty or burpy from the swim, I hold off a bit.  And take it easy coming out of T2, it took me 3 times to figure it out that you won't lose much by going slow at the start but you can lose a ton coming out too fast.  At this distance your body needs some nutrition and if your HR is too high for whatever reason, you can't absorb and things can go south in a hurry.

I think a lot of this is a learning experience and while you can read about it and do your best to follow a certain plan, heat can wreak havoc on the best laid plans and it is a real challenge to adjust accordingly especially if you've never experienced the distance before.

And yes!  Smile lots and have fun out there! 

 Good luck!  So excited for you!!!! 

See my race report from last weekend for a probable example of what Kim is talking about.  I definately took fluids (water) in less than 15 min after T2 and quite possibly came out too fast on the run - certainly didn't come out at a glacial pace as has been recommended - but I ended up that way!!!

Lots of learning opportunities to be had from the first HIM - I am still trying to find them all!

The thing(s) that stuck with me the most for IM (that also apply to HIM) is that going 1:00/mile slower coming out of T2 can mean that you get to keep RUNNING later on.... so maybe over 5 miles you'll lose 5 minutes by running slower in the beginning. But if you start walking entirely, you may go from 10:00/mile for running to 15-16:00/mile for walking. Over 5 miles that could be 30 minutes you lose (over 10 miles it's an hour!). So running is better than walking, and running slowly is better than walking. I came out of T2 in my IM at a 9:30 for my first mile (fortunately I didn't know this at the time -- I was fixated on getting my HR down), which felt super-duper slow. I kept telling myself "pull back. go slower. easy does it. slower. slow-er..." And yeah, ultimately I would have liked to have had a faster run overall, but I KNOW if I didn't pull back and pull back some more I would have done a lot MORE walking a lot sooner. 

parents with campers or former campers (and i guess all of us because i'm sure there are times when we should be wearing both)... jack has to wear bug spray and sunscreen everyday.   which do you put on first, bug spray or sun screen?  and how do you apply it.  put one on, wait for it to dry, then the other.  i've just just putting them on together with no rhyme or reason. 

Get the sunscreen with the bug spray in it.  ( I don't know much about triathlon, so I figured I could chime in for a sunscreen question though.)

AGREED

ALERT:  Serious Question!!!!

How long is (should be) the recovery period after an HIM?  Looking for a guideline, I guess.  It's obviously been an easy week, but yesterday's bike was painful, and so was today's run.

When should I be a full strength?   My IM training plan starts Monday!!

I'd rub on a sunscreen first, covering all the skin that may show (we used to do it in the swimsuit or undies, before clothes went on) - let it sit for 20-30 minutes - and then add bug spray.  If bugs are really a problem, spray the skin, and then do a quick pass over the clothes once dressed.

Being skin-cancer-a-phobic, I'd send spray with them for re-application throughout the day.

this is a great question. i don't think there is a global answer so here's my take.  for you specifically i'd suggest a week. this weekend i'd throw down an easy spin and easy swim this weekend and that's it.  i know its "just" the beginning of the program but you want to start out as fresh as possible. 

also curious as to what you mean by painful?  is there serious pain or are you more or less just b+tching because of aches from the race?  i hope its the latter! 

my general reply... the farther along we get in the development of our base through consistent / smart training and getting through everyday life the quicker and more efficient our recovery from hard efforts and intermediate races should be.  a few years ago i needed 5 days to recover from a half marathon.  a few months ago i was racing a 5k the day after riding 105+ miles.  couple this with the ability to understand how our own bodies adapt over time to the stresses (workouts) or lack there of that we put on it and you should be able to drill down and find your answer.  of course bouncing ideas off with some that have experience like here in the MG is usually pretty helpful.  so, its really up to the individual to use all the tools available to make this assessment.  but for a HIM i'd say a week to 10 days for the average a/g'er before we're back in the full swing of things physically.  mentally... depends how you handle a bad race. 

YES!  they reapply through the day.  I should have mentioned that. 

F+ck cancer.   

Great answer, John!!!!  And I would add, a little bit dependent upon how good you have been about recovery in terms of hydration, nutrition and rest.  I like to gauge some of this by rHR and how fast I get back to pre-race weight.

Linda-don't forget, you didn't have your inhaler, so running 13 miles with breathing issues probably taxed your body quite a bit.  Take it easy on yourself.  First few weeks of IM training are probably about getting a base, which you already have in excess since you had been training for the HIM since spring time...I think running is the hardest on the body, so take John's advice and just do a swim and easy bike (no crazy hills!) this weekend.  

For any of you that have used Tri-Bike Transport, did you use the gear bag they offer?  And if so, what kind of bag did you give them and what did you stuff in there??? 

Happy with the service?  Pretty sure I'm going to go this route even if the price to transport is the same price as my plane ticket!!!!  geesh, can't start getting cheap now, but waaaahhhhh!!!! 

Thanks!

ooooops.  yes nutrition and hydration.  great catch, kim.   not my strong suit...  staying hydrated has been an issue all summer. 

used em' for texas.  absolutely perfect.  i will use them again anytime i'm traveling and they are available. they make life so easy, kim.  you just show up and grab your bike.  jarrett got my bike and dropped it off when i was out the marathon course.  they'll throw your pedals on and take them off... there is a tip jar.  ha. 

i opted not to go with the gear bag though.  i'm very uncomfortable being away from my gear that i would have put in the bag.  they do have a point about not carrying CO2 on the plane but you can leave your flat kit and bento box on the bike and put your CO2 in there. that's what i did anyways and it worked out.