Redman Full Distance Triathlon : Official Thread (Page 3)

Looked on Redman Facebook and they stated Hefner lake is in great shape right now. Which is awesome news! I really like the swim course better when lake level is normal vs the swim course when the lake is down.

After reading about the lake level I went out for my first ows today. I picked a great day for my first one of the year the wind was whipping into the point and I had to swim through white caps the entire time.

Todd I was running yesterday and decided to count my cadence a couple of times. My cadence was falling between 180-192. That's if I was counting it correctly. I would count my right leg for 10 sec then multiply it by 2 for both legs and then multiply it by 6.

Thanks for your sentiments regarding my father. Regardless of our distant relationship, those events add stress.

The run cadence is a tricky endeavor if your watch doesn't do it for you. I truly gage all my runs based on cadence and HR. I don't really look at pace until the run is over. I had a sweet brick (bike then run) on Saturday, but never could get my HR down during my run. After half of it, I just gave up and ran faster than I should. If your cadence that you counted is close to accurate, that is awesome. I can reach 170 when I am doing intervals or during a race, but I never attain that running a tempo run...I wish I could!

OWS - wow that takes practice. I do ok with OWS, but I do much better when I practice. I think I will start to hit the lake every 10 days or so. We have about 65 days left. I was doing well during April and May when I was doing the off road triathlons, but that was a while ago. As for swimming through white caps - so glad it was you and not me. I may have taken my pink bathing suit and gone home - haha. Actually it is good that you persevered through them. Pays to be a bilateral breather on those kind of days. I am rusty, but will hit the lake this week myself.

Anyone else on here got a tip or reminder for us this week? I am still learning this sport, so don't make me come up all the golden nuggets of knowledge please....

By the way, it's good to be back -






Edited by Todd13 2014-07-13 11:20 PM

it's been a week...good week or not? Is everyone taking steps forward or not?

I am feeling very good about my progress and truly hope everyone is as well.

I had a good week because I had my first run of any distance in which I sustained a higher cadence than normal ( I avg 167/min, but avg'd 169 for 9 miles once this week). Also I had two runs over 9 miles which is good for me.

My tip of the week: I am prob going to choose to walk at each mile for 30-60 seconds to let my HR drop to aid digestion of the gu. I was talking with a guy who did this for 20 miles during his marathon (of his IM ) and he ran a 4:20 using this method. This was his first IM so I call that a huge success. Also a friend of mine who dreams of Kona and trains more that any of us is adopting a similar approach. he told me he heard of a guy who did this and ran a 1:18 for a half marathon. Note to self: leave my ego in the bag and just walk a little in a methodical manner.

I missed my OWS this week, but have 4 swims planned this week, so I will make up for it.

Chime in - how is everyone doing?

I'm currently deployed so all of my bike training has been on a trainer which...sucks!! But I will be home pretty soon and will be able to hit the roads and Lake Hefner. I'm just following the plan that was on this site for the half triathlon. Yesterday I did an hour and a half on the trainer and then a 30 minute run. Which wasn't bad at all. Which is weird because last week I did a regular hour ride on the trainer and then could barely jog, it like hurt to walk. My wife sent me a pair of Tri shorts so I've been swimming and getting on the trainer with those on. I have a question below.

Question: Will yall be wearing wetsuits?

If not then what will yall be wearing. I'm not sure if I should just Tri shorts and a tri top for all three or get a Tri Suit for all three.

I had a pretty good week of training. I'm starting to bump up my run training and had a tough Interval bike workout Friday on the trainer. I did 90min at the 15min mark I did 8x4min in Zone 4.

Re: walking through the aid stations. I did that on my first 70.3 a couple of years ago because I was basically in survival mode and had totally bonked. I just kept telling myself run 1 mile until the next aid station and then you can walk a little bit I did this the entire race. Although I do know several people who walk through aid stations as part of their plan and run good times. If I was doing the full I would probably go into the race with the plan of walking through all aid stations even when I was feeling good and wanting to run.

I missed my ow swim this week too. It was pretty cool (70 degrees) on the day I was planning on swimming in the lake and wussed out and opted for the pool. Who would have though 70 degrees and overcast in late July!

My tip of the week: Start working on your bike nutrient plan now if you haven't already. Schedule 2-3 rides in the next 9 weeks leading up to the race where you are going close to race distance and race pace. See how your nutrient holds up.

Justin - First thanks for your service!

Re: your question on wearing a wetsuit. I'm pretty sure Redman has always been wetsuit legal. So if it is legal I will wear a wetsuit. The last two years I would say just by looking at everybody walking down to the starting line about 90% of the field was wearing a wetsuit. If you have a wetsuit I would wear it. If you don't have a wetsuit you might look at renting one I would call Schlegals(sp?) bike store. I'm pretty sure they rent them.

Under my wetsuit I will be wearing a 2 piece tri suit which I will wear the entire race. I really like a 2 piece over singlet it is much easier to make a quick restroom stop then trying to pull a one piece off.

I didn't realize you were deployed I bet that does make it challenging to get in all your training. Is there a pool where you are at?

Yes Justin, thanks for your service; I too am interested where you are. I served a long time ago, so pls share. I know being deployed can also mean working for FEMA on the border as I have a friend who has been down there serving for 3 weeks. Regardless, we appreciate your willingness to serve. My daughter will be an Army nurse in 3 yrs - I am excited for her.

Wetsuit? I echo Emile's reply. Redman has been wetsuit legal every year from what I read. The video shows over 90% using them (free bouyancy and speed). Try to rent one if possible is my advice. Yes, wear tri shorts and top under. You could wear them on outside.....just kidding.

Keep working those bricks (hitting the run after the trainer). Quick tip: the last 1-2 minutes of the bike - back off the resistance, increase rpm a little and get those legs moving a tad quicker than normal - it helps with the transition and reduces that dead leg feel. With practice, you can jump off bike and not even have any dead leg.

I tried the walking during nutrition today for my long run (15) and it worked well. I take gu and water every 2 miles on my longer runs. My avg was 9:37 and HR was below 150 so I call that successful. I can empathize with your bonking story Emile, we have all lived through that misery.

Did I ask about your water set-up? I am about to buy an X Lab 400 torpedo. I am 90% certain this is what I will go with unless you have had a bad experience.

Todd - I've looked at the x-lab 400 and it looks like a pretty good set up to me. I'm currently using a Profile Design aero drink holder and I've also used a regular bottle cage mounted between the aero bars. I really didn't like the torpedo mount because it was just tougher to pull the bottle and drink then sipping through a straw. Although I've heard the torpedo mount has the best aerodynamics so the x-lab 400 may be the best of both worlds it's torpedo mounted and has a straw.

gonna try it. i remember chatting about your profile bottle. prob same areo data or close

alright here is my thought for the week: I think I am going to buy one of the little cargo bags (benti bag?) that velcros on top tube for Redman. I am usually against that product, but I think for the ride the convenience of having my gu flask right there will be nice and I will be less likely to drop it vs. my back pocket.

tip of the week:
Also if you are a podcast listener, I just listened to "fit, fat and faster" this week. Very good and I downloaded a recommended book: Beyond Training by Ben Greenfield. I am a fan of Greenfield and watched his stuff on youtube and listened to him on net many times. He is a genuine expert and I have learned a lot about training and nutrition from him.

I posted on Facebook a question about road conditions and pot hole repair for all to see. Let's hope someone replies for us.

Everybody have a good week?

I used a bento box the first time I did Redman. I used shot blocks and I took them out of the package and put them in the bento box. It was very convenient and worked well. Just make sure you get one that fits your bike. The first year I did Redman I used a road bike and it fit perfectly but I've since switched to a tri bike and it doesn't fit on it.

I've never read or listened to anything from Greenfield but I've heard a lot about him. I've heard he has some pretty unique ideas.

My training isn't going very well. Somehow I tweaked my hamstring last week. Not sure how or when I did it but it is bothering me. It doesn't hurt bad enough that I can't run or ride but bothers me the entire time. So I'm trying to figure out if I need to shut everything down but swimming for a week or just try and cut intensity down a little and try and train through it. I did cut my long run short Sunday and skipped my run yesterday. Trying to decide what to do the rest of the week. VERY FRUSTRATING!

I am very sorry to hear about your hamy - that sucks. It has been my experience and maybe I read this, but you don't really lose much fitness until after 7 days of no or nearly no activity if you maintain your diet/eating habits. Having raced MTN bikes, sometimes in rainy seasons I would miss time due to muddy trails so this was a big deal or I would get sick, etc. Finally I bought a road bike, but you get my point.

If it were me, I would swim, do core and ice it for 3-5 days then make a decision about how much I would work it. Also on the bike, you can minimize the impact on the hamy by 'mashing' or pushing the pedals more than normal. I would avoid running for a week. Long story, but once I went 20 days without running before a sprint tri and actually did pretty darn good on the run after not running for 20 days prior to the event. If you need to skip running for 7 days, I wouldn't lose any sleep. Plenty of time til you have to taper.

I will buy the torpedo bottle and benti box thing soon. Big weekend / test this Saturday. I want to measure my fitness: 1 hr OWS, 4+ hours on bike and a 1 hour run all following my nutrition plan for Sep 20. I figure if I feel like I could run another 60-90 or minutes, I am on target. Slogged through 15 miles this morning - started raining lightly at 6 miles then steadily at 9 miles. Oh joy......but I stuck with it. Good mental work.

Todd let us know how your test run goes this weekend? It ought to give you a good idea on how your nutrient plan is going to work.

It's been a tough week. I've been feeling sorry for myself the entire week because I haven't been able to train like I want. I normally swim 3X a week but this week upped it to 5X due (mostly with pull buoy) to hamstring. I ran yesterday outside and it hurt most of the run. Not bad but I could feel something wasn't right. This morning I jumped on the treadmill and set it at a really slow pace and ran 4miles. It actually felt pretty good during the run but it was a little tight afterwards. If it loosens up and feels good the rest of the weekend I might try and do all my runs next week at a really slow pace on the TM.

I guess we lost the other folks going to OKC....I hoped they havent dropped.
Sorry the hammy isn't progressing faster and i am sure you are scheduling rest. Even without a leg issue, I rarely run on consecutive days. Just one of those things I do to prevent injury.

The test yesterday was a wild success. Swam 2 miles OWS in 67 minutes, rode 100 miles at 18.5 mph pace and rand 5,5 miles after without any issues. Very happy. with a few more weeks and a 2 week taper I plan on doing great things in OKC. Well if the weather is ok. Just good to get that test done. Very tired, but good fun.

Come on guys - where is everyone? How are we doing?

I have been quiet on the page awhile, as I am in the middle of a 3 week business trip to Australia. Perfect timing. I am working 12 hour days in a mine and staying at the mines camp. I am not getting much training in and eating whatever food the mess hall provides.

While I was in the airport on a layover I was watching the Boulder ironman winners finish and started to get really excited.

I am looking forward to get back to the states and put in a good couple weeks of hard training before a 2 week taper.

I hope you get healed up in time for the race.

Matt let us know how your trainings going since you got back.

Todd that sounds like an awesome day of training! That was a pretty good average for your century ride! What avg are you hoping to have at Redman? I know mother nature plays a big role but I still go into most races with an idea in my head about what kind of splits I want to lay down.

Training is going a little better. My hammy is still a little tight but is getting better and my foot is starting to give me a little bit of problems again. I guess that's the joys of getting older!

5 more weeks until Redman! Hope training is going well for everyone!

I am still in Australia for another week, but today I had the day off from work which I gladly accepted. I figured with an off day I do not an excuse not to train so I ran a 15k race in 1:08:40. The cool weather I am sure helped the time. It was nice to get out and push during a race.

My wife just made the hotel reservation for Firday and Saturday night for Redman, so I guess this is real.

Matt good job on the 15k race! Where did you make reservations at?

How's everybody's training going? Only 28 days left until Redman!

Matt - good to read you are still plugging away. Perseverance along with consistency is what we all strive for.

Emile - glad the hammy is recovering. Be careful...Foot doing ok? yes with age, we are more brittle. I am guessing we are both middle age but you look younger. I am 48 and looking forward to year as my last yr until I move up.

As for me, horrible week with sleep or sleep discipline. Some real life was injected into my world. All is good - God is good. Funny, normally I would be proud of the week, but as looked through my journal, I was thinking - what an off week (3 runs, 2 swims, 1 good bike). Now I am like, "can't have two off weeks". Funny how perspective changes.

Asked about splits....true we all want to focus on finishing, but yeah I have some dream numbers: and as you said, Mother Nature will dictate how this unfolds I think. If no wind on the swim, under 1:20 is very attainable. I will shoot for sub 1:15, if I can just focus for that long. I get bored swimming. For the bike, anything under 6 hours puts me in a good spot. I think that is attainable if winds are below 10 mph. If any wind, hoping for a north wind, but I know that is unrealistic. And the marathon is the real riddle. I know I can easily run 4:00 fresh based on miles and results this summer, but coming off the bike is a new wrinkle. I hope I can break 4:30. However, all of those are ideal splits and I am guessing I will finish between 12:45 and 13:00 to be more realistic. I think the real riddle will be the wind and marathon.

How about everyone else? what are we thinking is hopeful vs. realistic.? Matt, you too.

Todd - that is the question that I have been avoiding from all of my friends and family for the last 6 months (how fast will you finish).

Lofty goals - total = sub 14:00, swim = 1:30, T1 = 0:15, bike = 6:30, T2 = 0:15, run = 5:30

Realistic - swim = 1:45, bike = 7:00, run = 6:00

I will be ramping up training for two weeks now that I am back in the states. I got back on Thursday, but flew up north on Friday for a bachelor party and I won't get home until midnight tonight. I did get a 15 mile training run Friday afternoon.

I am hoping to use the holiday weekend for a century ride Saturday, a 15 mile run Sunday, and a good brick on Monday.

I don't know which hotel my wife made reservations at, but when I do I will post it.

I am starting to get excited, but I will be more confident after next weekends workouts.

Matt

I'm just an injury waiting to happen this year. Been dealing with my hamstring and foot and today I did something to my knee. During my training ride I was going over a lower water bridge and my flat tire kit fell off my bike from under my seat. So I stopped and went back down the hill to pick up my blow out bag. Once I picked it up I had to get started on a step hill and I was in the big ring so I quickly switched to my small ring and threw my chain off. I came to a complete stop and couldn't get unclipped and fell over. I really didn't feel that hurt just embarrassed. Although once I got home my knee was a little swollen and hurt to bend. Although I fell over on the first 10 miles of the ride and ended up going 56miles and it never bothered me while I was riding. So I've been taking some anti inflammatory all day and icing. I'm planning on running in the morning so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Todd I am a little bit younger. I'm 42 so I have a couple more years before I move up age groups.

My goal splits:

Swim: 40 min swim. Last year I did it in 45:33 but I have devoted a lot more time to swimming this year so I hope it pays off.

Bike: 2:45

Run: I would like to go sub 1:45.

All these splits are with good weather low winds and not blazing hot.

Went out for a 5mi run this morning and knee felt fine!

Glad the body parts are feeling better. Emile, do you think it is the rest? foam rollers? new shoes? Adapting to the toe? Share some thoughts. As for the 5:10 ( I think that is right ), WOW! I would be stoked to do a 5:10. Good luck with that! I don't think I could drive home that kind of 13.1, but thne again I have been doing different kind of trng. It's all relative I guess.

I have a sore ankle I tweaked on a late night run this week. Still ran 15 Sat, but it is tender. Need to ice it and take it easy for a 24 hr period. Work+rest=training I read by Maffetone.

Matt how was the week?

We have about a week to 10 days before we taper....careful not to over eat as we reduce the volume. My weekend was up and down. On the eating side, it was awful as I allowed myself to eat with less discipline as my daughter came home from college and today was my son's birthday. So way too much carbs and sugar. I can fix that and drop the gained weight. The flipside is I had my best long run of the summer on Saturday and a strong 80 miler in gusty winds (very strong ride). So confidence is high.

How did everyone do this week? No time to let up: running mile repeats and will have a 15 miler this week I think with my last long ride on Saturday.

Get this: our lakes were about 79 degrees Saturday. If they are the same next Sat, I will do a wetsuit swim even though it will be warmer than I wish, but should be good trng because Lake Hefner is about 77 degrees historically. That's my plan and prob good for all of us to do.

By now our long rides are a full mock up of the same bottles and same fuel as race day also. I hope everybody is getting all stuff dialed in.

Somebody share some good ideas or report on your week.

Edited by Todd13 2014-09-01 3:28 PM

My week went pretty well. I got in a couple bike rides, a swim, and a run. Saturday I did not get the century in, but I rode 2.5 hours on the stationary. Sunday I biked 56 miles and then ran 10 miles as a brick. It was my first true brick workout and I went really well. My legs felt strong during and after biking the 56 miles. The first 3 miles of the run were at a 9:00 pace and the legs were slow to react. The next 7 miles I averaged a 9:15 pace and the legs felt normal for finishing a long run. I celebrated Labor Day golfing 18 holes and participating in a fantasy football draft.

The hotel my wife and I will be staying at is the...
Extended Stay America
4811 Northwest Expressway
Oklahoma City

That is some good advice on not gaining weight during the taper. I might struggle with eating less because I like food, but I will try.

My advice (coming from marathon running) is to not become stagnant during the tapper. Last year before the Chicago marathon I ran 2 times during the 3 weeks leading up to the race. By the time the gun went off my legs were heavy from not moving and I never got comfortable with my form.

My goal for the next 2 weeks is to get a few workouts in each week for all 3 deciplines just to keep my body from stiffening up.

You were talking about the water temperature for the race. I see from the videos and talk on Facebook that the race is typically wet suit legal and they expect it to be the same this year. My wet suit is a shorty so I am not to worried about getting overly warm.

Sorry for the multitude of individual comments, but I owed you the hotel information, wanted to provide the advice I have, and keep you updated on my progress. Hopefully the next couple weeks are uneventful for everyone and you get some time to relax and enjoy the taper.

The good news is that we will get race numbers this week! I am excited to finally be in the month if September.