Scott F's group - FULL! (Page 4)

Matt, the strategy looks good. Do you need any nutrition for the race? Think about having a gel or two on the bike and possibly one for the run?

Mauricio, Laurie, I love running on the treadmill Like you had mentioned Laurie it's putting less stress on your legs, and you can control your tempo a little better. I think it's easier to go farther on the treadmill, especially if you're watching a movie, baseball game, etc while doing it. You want to stay on to watch the rest. But it's also really easy to lose motivation and stop. I did that last night.

In the winter when it wasn't too warm around here I would do 3 treadmill runs a week, and only 1 run outside on the weekend. Kept my legs used to the pounding the pavement put on it, but it wasn't overkill when I was getting back into the milage.

 I don't think so.  Do people usually need it for a sprint?  I go on MTB rides of a couple hours and just take a camelbak of water.  I realize that doesn't make it right.  I just don't know any better.  Is there a time or energy burn point at which you should take something in besides water or sportsdrink?

 I've never tried a gel, beans, blocks, etc.   I'm a granola bar and banana kind of guy.  I know a crunchy granola bar isn't going to be good for in race fueling, but a banana is okay, right?  I supposed gatorade would count though, right?

 Aaron, good question, as you can see, I hadn't thought about it.

Hi all - busy weekend, and a busy day at work today, so I'll try to catch up with all these great questions later today, but since I have a free couple of minutes now:

Matt - your strategy sounds like a good one. Any way you can avoid having to put that shirt on (ie: wear it under your wetsuit?) Putting on a shirt when your wet can be a lot tougher than you imagine...  time that you save in transition is basically "free", and especially in a sprint can often make a big difference if you're trying to get the best time you can (which it sounds like you are).

Wetsuit removal tip: when you get out of the water, leave your goggles and swim cap on at first so your hands are free, and then unzip your wetsuit half way as soon as you can (while you're running to your rack). Then you can take your goggles and cap off. It should then be really quick to yank it the rest of the way off when you get to your rack.

In a sprint, pacing isn't as important - it's obviously not really an all-out sprint, but if you've been training well (which I think you have) you can go pretty hard on the bike and still have enough left in your legs for a solid run (and you'll be nice and warmed up). I think this tends to be even MORE true if your cycling is stronger than your running. Also - make sure you're pushing on the downhill when possible - lots of people will be coasting on the downhill, and if it's not TOO steep, you might be able to pedal a bit and pass them. Any time you're coasting at less than 30 mph or so, you can probably pedal and go faster... above that speed, it might not be worth the effort (esp. if you don't have a high enough gear)

Ok, gotta get back to work. I posted my race recap on my log... the quick synopsis is that the race went well and I accomplished all my goals, so I'm a happy (and very, very sore) camper.

Thanks for all the encouragement, I'll check  back later and respond to some of the other posts from the weekend.

Scott 

Scott, awesome race! Your RR is great!

Vineman will be a cinch by the time you're done with it!!

Aaron - thanks for the kudos - hope you're right about vineman!

Matt- fueling for a sprint race - you can most likely get by without it. If anything, a gel will be fine (or banana). You've got plenty of stored glycogen to last you for an hour or two. That said, there may be some psychological benefit to eating something right before you start or during the bike, plus it's good practice for longer races, which is where it become critical. For Olympic distances it will definitely pay off but you can probably get away with some mistakes, and for half-IM and longer, it's one of the most important parts of your race strategy. So it's good to start experimenting with what you like to eat and how/when to eat it...

Okay, I'll start thinking about it.  In the last week, I've decided to step up to all olympic distance for the rest or the year (after this first sprint).  I think the xterra is pretty close to olympic anyways.  I'll have to change my registration for August. 

Since I haven't done any research on the topic yet, what are the basic things to consider regarding fueling for races?  Macro nutritional elements must be one, total calories another, what else?  Timing?

Fueling for races/training - I think the single most important element is calories, followed closely by composition - ie: getting all those calories from fat sources, probably not so good

There are TONS of products on the market to choose from, or you can go "home brew" your own. Personally, I LOVE LOVE LOVE clif bloks. They save my butt in long races where I don't want to eat anything else (I can handle just about anything for 2-3 hours, longer than that, my stomach and mouth get finicky).

I also make my own "GU" out of brown rice syrup and maltodextrin. You can find pure maltodextrin at a food supply wholesaler for really cheap and use it to mix drinks and or Gu, I can give you more details if you're interested.

Otherwise, it's really personal preference as to what you like and can tolerate flavor wise.

There's a nice summary article by Rich Strauss here (and check out his other articles for lots of good advice on various topics). Basic idea is to get about 200-400 calories per hour depending on body weight and exertion level. I usually aim for the high end of that range, half of those calories coming from drink mix, the other half from gu or clif bloks.

For longer races, drinking water is wasting a chance to get "free" energy without taking the time/effort to eat something, so I always race (and train) with drink mix instead of water, but some people prefer at least one bottle of water.

Electrolytes are a little trickier, but except for very long and/or hot races/training outings you'll probably get plenty from your drink mix and/or gus - if you're drinking plain water, you might want to take some electrolyte caplets. 

 Well, this is just one man's opinion, but here it goes anyways...

 I think you should take a couple days off to get your body feeling better.  What kind of quality training are you going to get when you are feeling so cruddy?  Besides, your major base is built for this race.  If it were me, I'd take it easy for two days and see where I was.  If I still needed another day or two, I'd take those off too.  Beyond that,  I'd guess it would start to impact your training.

Are you feeling well enough to get out and walk for a half hour each day?  Could you do a little stretching after your walks?

Once you are feeling well enough, hit it hard for week, then take it easier coming into the race.  Listen to your body.

This is a sprint, right?

Hope you feel better soon. 

Gotta agree with Matt and Aaron - if you're feeling that poorly, your training will be poor. Much better to get yourself well and recovered and ready to get back to it. Taking a couple of days off three weeks out will not hurt you much, but being sick/tired/lethargic for another week will! Take some time off, and then get back to it when you're feeling ready. You can have a pretty short taper for a sprint race (just a few days is probably fine).

For what it's worth, pretty much the only time I take multiple days in a row off from training is when I'm sick. When I'm sick, I usually just stop training completely for 3-5 days and let myself get well - I figure it gives my joints/muscles, etc. time to recover as well. Lots of people like to train through a cold/flu, but I feel crappy if I try to do that and find that I just stay sick longer. Usually I can kick most colds in a couple of days if I just rest... 

How's everyone doing today? It's beautiful here in the Midwest! mid/high 80's with no clouds... and to think I did my workout this morning in case it was going to be ugly.

Scott and everyone else. First Tri in 11 days and I haven't purchased any tri shorts or top. I'm going to get the shorts this weekend, however the tri top... is it necessary? Any advice on what type or if I can just wear a DRIFIT sleeveless shirt, much appreciated! HOpe all is well out there!

Hmmm... typed out another reply to this but it never posted. 2nd attempt: since you're in this for the long haul, I recommend getting a tri top. It's nice to have something that fits snugly (more aero), dries quickly and fits well under your wetsuit. If your sleeveless shirt meets those requirements, no reason not to wear it (or you can always use it for now and get something else later.) Personally, I like to race in a one-piece skinsuit, which fits nicely under my wetsuit and can also be used for pool races w/o a wetsuit. And it hides my love handles

Glad you're feeling better! Rest is GOOD  

Thanks for the feedback ya'll. I'm not sure of any Tri Stores in my area, but I know my LBS has tons of tri shorts, and I'm assuming tri tops.

Yes, my wife did the same thing when I bought some bicycle shorts and tights for colder rides. She kinda looked at me and just said "So you're THAT committed to this, huh?"

I wonder what she'll say when you start shaving your legs