Ironman Louisville : Official Thread (Page 45)

Jillian- Aero helmets are no gimmick-studies have shown they do shave seconds over a period of time. The biggest issue or concern should be what Sam said, how well ventilated or how breathable is the helmet. I almost purchase one last year for Louisville and after trying it out at a local bike shop, I was a little concerned about the ventilation. 

If you watched the '08 or '09 Kona you'll see that the winners were wearing regular road helmets well ventilated. In '10 Macca used a TT helmet. I am so glad I used a regular helmet for Louisville as the temp's and humidity wreaked havoc with most athletes. 

I just purchased one from Rudy Project . I will be using this one for shorter races but I don't think I will be using it for Louisville. Rudy's Unreal deals have no discounts but if you do see something else you like, use code ttroncoso  45% OFF

Brett- Studies have shown that recovery drinks do help with the rebuilding of muscle tissue after workouts. I've been taking them since '07 and they do help. If you want faster healing and don't want to much muscle soreness in your legs after a hard workout the day before, I would consider taking one high in protein.

Jillian - Here is an article I recently read on VeloNews in regards to aero helmet vs. aero wheels. Certainly sounds like the aero helmet is worth the investment. I couldn't find the link so I'm pasting the whole article in from another forum - sorry for the long post.

Time trial equipment is certainly expensive, but can afford the rider a quantifiable improvement in race performance. Prioritizing equipment can be a daunting task, especially given the marketing hype surrounding aerodynamics. To help in the decision making, let’s look at the scientific studies that have been performed in wind tunnels and real world settings.

Many studies have illustrated the primary resistance that a cyclist must overcome, especially at high speeds, is wind resistance. (Grappe et al., 1997; Kyle and Burke, 1984) Moreover, these same studies have pointed out that the body accounts for the majority of the aerodynamic drag, usually about 70 percent. If the body is the primary source of aerodynamic drag, then making changes to the body position can cause substantial changes in drag (Broker, 2003; Garcia-Lopez et al. 2008; Juekendrup and Martin, 2001). These same studies have also pointed out that optimizing aerodynamic drag does not necessarily result in optimized metabolic cost and respiratory capacity. So there is a balance between aerodynamics and power generation. All of this leads to the conclusion that the most important use of your money is actually getting positioned properly on your bike!

Since you asked an equipment question, let’s delve into that a little more. Wheels and helmets are two distinct ways to change your aerodynamic picture. The body represents the majority of the drag (70 percent) the bike must then be the rest (30 percent). Aero wheels can reduce the drag of the bike by 49 grams of force (Greenwell et al., 1995). An aero helmet can deliver much more of an aerodynamic advantage. A properly positioned aero helmet affects the drag coming from the body. The 2007 Sidelko study and the 2008 Chabroux study each showed large variations in drag reduction across all tested yaw angles, in three different helmet positions. A recent paper from MIT (Sidelko, 2007) shows even the worst performing helmet reduced drag by 113 gmf! The best performer reduced drag by 175 gmf. 

Interestingly, increasing yaw angles tended to produce even better savings. These kinds of studies are actually making manufacturers look at improving their non-time trial helmets, to see what advantages can be made. Positioning of the helmet is critical. The 2007 Sidelko study and the 2008 Chabroux study, both showed large variations in drag reduction across all tested yaw angles, in 3 different helmet positions. Indeed, when the rider is looking down at the front wheel, and the tail of the helmet is straight up (think shark’s fin) half of the helmets tested were actually worse than a typical road helmet! This stresses the importance of being properly positioned on your bike. 

There are other considerations with helmets, mainly heat transfer (cooling). Many Ironman Kona racers use a standard road helmet due to the hot conditions. As we all know, the metabolic cost of dehydration and over-heating will far outweigh any aerodynamic gain.

Looking at the published literature regarding both helmets and wheels, either can contribute to reducing your aerodynamic drag in a time trial or triathlon. Clearly it seems the best equipment for your dollars comes from an aero helmet, however the best use of your resources is to be properly positioned on your bike. 

I second the chocolate milk as a recovery drink!  I use it for recovery after almost all of my runs & bikes.

Redremy, did you say DARK chocolate?  OMG, is there a DARK chocolate almond milk!?!  How in world have I been unaware of this!  Please confirm that I read this correctly   If so, where can I find it?  Must. Try. This.   *drool*   LOL.

One of my friends told me about this the other day and I did the same double take!
He was making white russians from it, but I assume it would also be a great recovery drink.

Here you go. It's under "products"

The key to the research supporting chocolate milk as a recovery drink is that it has the ideal ratio of carbs to protein.  You need the protein...

The Dark Chocolate Almond Milk does not have nearly the same amount of protein as skim chocolate milk - just 1 gram in the almond vs. 8 g of protein in the same amount of skim milk. 

Almond milk certainly is healthy in other ways, but for recovery I'm sticking with skim chocolate milk.

Lisa ~ fabulous, thanks for the link!  I will definately be trying this soon!

Regan ~ Interesting point, thanks for the info!  I, too, will stick with my lowfat chocolate milk for recovery.

Somebody please kick me in the azz and get me to the pool!!!!  I am following the Be Iron Fit plan and am doing great with the run and bike, but I can't get myself going.  Here's the deal:

• Still dark and cold in the A.M.'s (best opportunity to get in swims is in the morning.)
• the cold/flu I had a couple of weeks ago took me out of my rhythm of going to the pool, and I just can't get back into it
• I have a swim background, and I am not as intimidated by the 2.4 as I am by the 112 and 26.2. 
• My 3 year old has been waking up every night at about 3:00 and I always find a way to reset the alarm clock to a later hour.

All of these are very lame excuses, I know. What the heck is my deal?  Seriously, if I don't make it to the pool tomorrow, please call me out for being a wimp.

That is all.  Carry on. 

I did quite a bit of "online research" for recovery drinks as I seemed to feel very fatigued the day after my long workouts.  The one that I found that had the most scientific articles backing its effectiveness was Ultragen.  It has the proper protien to carb ratio.  It has only the protiens in it that are essential for recovery and those proteins are easily mixable in water (i.e. they don't clump together like protien mixes from the local supplement stores).  I bought a container of Ultragen and it works great for me.  It is a little on the pricey side, but my body feels much better after the long workouts compared to what I was using before.  And if you like coffee, you will like the taste of the cappicino flavor.

Just my $0.02.  Happy training everyone.

Nathan- You have legit. concerns, but you are also right. You need to rise above them and carry on. Get to the frickin' pool and do what you can for now and later your small deposits will help you make bigger gains. Having said that, look for times to get a little nap. 10 minutes can go a long way.

Now, understand...YOU WILL DO THIS.

Go get what belongs to you Nathan!

Peace.

Maybe I'm simple for my recovery, but I prefer a glass of 2% milk mixed with Chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast along with a banana.

Hi all!!

For recovery drink I have been using Endurox R4 for years and I love it. I usually puts the scoops of it in the blender with lots of ice and one banana..I use the fruit punch flavor. It is really refreshing!!

NATHAN: Get your butt out in the pool NOW!!!.....lol....kidding, your body may need a little break don't be hard on yourself. You have time...and Yeah... you will be an IRONMAN at the end of this journey...;-)

Safe and warm training days for all,

Alicia

Hey, thought I would get in on the recovery drink fun. I went through my entire competitive swimming career completely disregarding post-workout nutrition, I actually had trouble eating after workouts and often ate nothing at all. During that time I was always exhausted and often sluggish. At the time I attributed this to doing two-a-days all season long and doing 6,000-10,000 yards a day. The general consensus among teammates seemed to be "that's just the way it is."

Fast-forward a few years, a short time into my first Ironman training, and I decided to start using a recovery drink because I read somewhere that the first 30 minutes after workouts is crucial (or something like that). I went to a local tri shop and found Endurox. I definitely noticed results, I feel much better in subsequent workouts and can build up distances and intensity more quickly. I'm sure other drink mixes give similar results, the key is to at least do something. I like to get the vanilla flavor and blend it into a fruit smoothie, makes for a delicious and nutritious post workout recovery supplement! It’s not science, just my experience.

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If you have not submitted answers to the interview questions and you have an interest, I would love to hear from you. The interview questions are attached to this post. Simply download the attachment, answer the questions, and e-mail them to me at [email protected].

Peace!

Yeah the regular Silk Chocolate Soymilk has 5g protein per serving (1 cup) - for those of use who don't drink cow's milk it's a great option and yes, has more protein than the dark chocolate stuff. I might use the dark choc stuff for a dessert drink like my friend was doing, YUM!

Hey guys, since we are on the 'recovery drink' topic, I have a question for you:

Do you use a recovery 'drink' (or whatever else you may choose for recovery) after EVERY workout?  Just the long/hard ones?  Does your workout need to be a certain length in time/distance?

I've made some (much needed) changes to my nutrition this year.  I just read "Racing Weight" by Matt Fitzgerald (big Fitzy fan here!) and am applying some of his recommendations, ie. nutrient timing to my daily plan.  I'm really happy with the changes so far; however, I'm just not sure if something is needed after every, single workout.  What are your preferences?

Thanks!

Yikes!!!!

Parr8hed--I understand your concern. If memory serves me correctly, we will be at 4 rides a week on week 11.  I'm committed to this plan with a few very slight modifications.  My thoughts are that this plan has worked well for so many others, so I might as well trust it. 

With that said, right now I am doing a straight hour on the bike instead of the 45 minute bike/15 minute run brick.  The reason for that is that I can't run outside yet and I hate the treadmill I have.  I use the treadmill at the gym for the other runs. Once the snow and ice melt away, I will start doing the weekly bricks.

This is my first Ironman, I'm doing the Be Iron Fit Competitive Plan, and I am not too enamored by a finish time (though I do have a goal in mind).  Therefore, I am going to trust the plan and those that have done it before me.  If you have a goal time in mind that is lofty, then make the changes that you believe are necessary.  afterall, it is your race.

Best of luck

Nathan