Oriolepwr and QuincyF's Magical Mys-tri Tour "The Sequel" -On Tour!! (Page 45)

Hi everyone!  Happy Sunday!  So glad to be back on the Tour!  I've been catching up on posts and reading race reports over the last week.  Inspired to say the least!

Dave...thanks again for hitting me up and wrangling me back.  Glad to be here!  You did Chicago, right?  This dang website keeps freezing on me and I can't get to your race reports!

Q...I am not worthy.  CONGRATS on the Ironman and on Chicago.  Wow.  Just wow!

Pink Socks...glad you're here and glad to know you.  Love your story!  I especially love your attitude about the bike and the swim.  As one who struggles with those events, ESPECIALLY the swim, I hope to pick up the positive vibes you radiate!

Shelly, Sarah, Tom, TJ, Yvonne, Mike, Todd...glad you're all keeping up and working hard in the ways that you do.  I'm really happy to share these experiences with you guys!

Indianapolis Marathon is on Saturday.  I. Am. Ready.     Marathon time for St. Louis last year was 4:18:17.  Goal for this race is 4:10.  I've had a great training experience and I'm excited!  Then, I'm ready for a break.  To run, or bike, or swim just for the sake of it!  I'll think about my next year's schedule soon.  I haven't been in the water since June.  Ugh...dang swimming.  You all inspire me to conquer my demons, though!!

Everyone have a good week!

Jax

Hi everyone!  Happy Sunday!  So glad to be back on the Tour!  I've been catching up on posts and reading race reports over the last week.  Inspired to say the least!

Dave...thanks again for hitting me up and wrangling me back.  Glad to be here!  You did Chicago, right?  This dang website keeps freezing on me and I can't get to your race reports!

Q...I am not worthy.  CONGRATS on the Ironman and on Chicago.  Wow.  Just wow!

Pink Socks...glad you're here and glad to know you.  Love your story!  I especially love your attitude about the bike and the swim.  As one who struggles with those events, ESPECIALLY the swim, I hope to pick up the positive vibes you radiate!

Shelly, Sarah, Tom, TJ, Yvonne, Mike, Todd...glad you're all keeping up and working hard in the ways that you do.  I'm really happy to share these experiences with you guys!

Indianapolis Marathon is on Saturday.  I. Am. Ready.     Marathon time for St. Louis last year was 4:18:17.  Goal for this race is 4:10.  I've had a great training experience and I'm excited!  Then, I'm ready for a break.  To run, or bike, or swim just for the sake of it!  I'll think about my next year's schedule soon.  I haven't been in the water since June.  Ugh...dang swimming.  You all inspire me to conquer my demons, though!!

Everyone have a good week!

Jax

I just saw this!   SO true.    Thought y'all might like it too.

OK...I have so many questions going into my first HIM in less than two weeks!! I'm getting really nervous and starting to doubt some of my plans for race day. I hope y'all don't mind, but I'll probably be asking a lot of questions over the next couple weeks!!

Awesome!  we love questions!  fire at will.    The nervousness/'excitement is the fun part!  Hee hee

First, I have no idea what to do with my bike pace. With my swim, I am not shooting for any pace at all. My main goal there is to not panic, and to be able to actually swim freestyle without doing the back stroke and whacking anybody in the face. I will be happy with any time between 40 and 50 minutes. Even if it takes longer...whatever, I really don't care.

For this race and where your training is at with the swim.  I think this is an excellent strategy.  Its just warm up!!!  40-50 min is fine and basically where I always finish.  (id like to get faster too)      Don't want to whack anyone in the face??  wait a sec.  I thought we Vikings LIKE to do that.   Oh right  we are living in a society and must be civilized.  Ok ya do not try to.  But please do not be overly concerned about it.     Just get into a nice groove and keep thinking, "its just a warm up."    Try and take in sights and experience the scenery while you are swimming. 

My run I am pretty confident in. I am shooting for a 2-2:15 hr half, which I believe is reasonable, as long as the heat index remains below 85 degrees. My fastest free half was a tad over 1:45, and I have been comfortable running a 9 min/mile pace off the bike for pretty extended time periods. Again, if I have to slow down, no biggie, I'm really not all that worried about it.

Heat management is a big deal to me.    Hopefully you get great weather.  I know not why,  but nearly every TRI I do its just REALLY hot/humid.     One thing I have always noticed about the bike is that while you are riding, you feel cooler than you actually are due to the wind.  Not really news there.  But 70.3 is a long day.   So what I try and think is "stay cool, take  pre-emptive  measures to keep temp down."   So I'll take a water at each station just for spraying salt out of my eyes,  thru helmet,  and core.   more often I'll do this with whatever water is still left in a bottle as I approach station.       I guess I'm saying that I think people tend to underestimate how hot they are getting on the bike, and it costs them on the run sometimes.  

However...I am dreading pacing myself on the bike. With the run you can give everything you have because when you're done, well, you're done, and you can rest. I just don't know how to strategically pace myself on the bike so I don't bonk on the run. My long training rides (between 50 and 60 miles) have been in the range of 16.5-17.5 mph. This does not kill me, and I have been able to get off the bike and run. My Oly race bike pace was about 19.2 mph and I was able to come off the bike and keep a 9min/mile pace for the 10K with a heat index in the low 90s. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas about what pace I should try to shoot for on the bike? This is where a coach would really come in handy. I need someone to just tell me "ride this pace". Don't go over it, and push to keep it up!

  Me an Q like to say "it's all about the bike"    Meaning pacing and nutrition on the bike and nailing this portion is REALLY important.  And you seem to know this very well yourself.     It's not all that easy to nail the "right" bike pace.   I rarely am able to.   Typically I will go too hard.  Especially at 70.3   I just get mesmerized by a time goal or MPH goal.   And during this point, you still feel strong.   Maybe at times I will say to myself  No Dave this time it's different,  you are really strong today.  Like a PRO or something.   heh  (I also do that on most training rides.)

Why is it the wind is always apparently with me on the way out but not on the way back?  I dunno.    But that point right there can make it tough to use MPH avg as a guide on race day.   

Many coaches will want you to maintain a particular  HR zone depending on race distance and your fitness level.    Don't know if you have trained with Heart rates or not.   70.3 is typically Zone 3 for people that can run off the bike pretty well, like you.    So see  your heart does not know or care how windy it is, or the elevation.  Just how hard its working which makes it a great great indicator.    But if you have not trained with it to this point, I would not bother to do so now.   If you want to deep dive HR  see BT thread  http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp... />

   Use a perceived exertion.    Or using water temp as an analogy   cold, cool, luke warn, warm, hot, very hot.      Would ride at perceived "warm"        If you get competitive on race day and see people pass you just remember its very common for people to overcook the bike, and say "I just cannot run in Triathlon"   probably the most common mistake.  (And I am very guilty)    Really the only time I did NOT over cook the bike was  IM-WI    and probably I would have  except I road that dang course like 5 times previous and overcooked each time so I knew better.

  Using your MPH with the disclaimer that its not the best indicator.  and I would say 18-18.2 MPH

Hope that helps.

I just love this, Dave. I've had this in my mind over the last week, since I've had some hard workouts. It has really helped!! 

Yesterday I was planning on a 90 minute run on the treadmill. About 20 minutes in I was so tired and I was coming up with every excuse to stop. I kept thinking "I'm sooo tired...maybe I'm overtraining." Then I thought of this quote and picture, and I actually convinced myself that I didn't hurt and I was going too slow. I increased the pace and made through!! Thanks Dave!!

OK...I have so many questions going into my first HIM in less than two weeks!! I'm getting really nervous and starting to doubt some of my plans for race day. I hope y'all don't mind, but I'll probably be asking a lot of questions over the next couple weeks!!

First, I have no idea what to do with my bike pace. With my swim, I am not shooting for any pace at all. My main goal there is to not panic, and to be able to actually swim freestyle without doing the back stroke and whacking anybody in the face. I will be happy with any time between 40 and 50 minutes. Even if it takes longer...whatever, I really don't care.

My run I am pretty confident in. I am shooting for a 2-2:15 hr half, which I believe is reasonable, as long as the heat index remains below 85 degrees. My fastest free half was a tad over 1:45, and I have been comfortable running a 9 min/mile pace off the bike for pretty extended time periods. Again, if I have to slow down, no biggie, I'm really not all that worried about it.

However...I am dreading pacing myself on the bike. With the run you can give everything you have because when you're done, well, you're done, and you can rest. I just don't know how to strategically pace myself on the bike so I don't bonk on the run. My long training rides (between 50 and 60 miles) have been in the range of 16.5-17.5 mph. This does not kill me, and I have been able to get off the bike and run. My Oly race bike pace was about 19.2 mph and I was able to come off the bike and keep a 9min/mile pace for the 10K with a heat index in the low 90s. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas about what pace I should try to shoot for on the bike? This is where a coach would really come in handy. I need someone to just tell me "ride this pace". Don't go over it, and push to keep it up!

@Sarah, Jax said it beautifully.  You will rock the HIM. I'm completely in awe of how you recently began tris, moved up to OLY, then HIM, and have bounced back from a freaking bike wreck.  You are mentally tough, very smart, and a very well trained athlete.  You are a stud and will do beautifully.

I must admit, that I had to laugh when I read about your plans to leave your Garmin.  My hubby kept telling me to do that and I wouldn't listen to him.  Last spring I was doing a HM and my Garmin went dead during my warmup so I left it.   Then I forgot to note the time on my watch when we started.  Ran blind the whole time.  PR'ed.  I must admit that I still don't like to leave my Garmin because I like to be able to analyze my splits later.  But I have gotten to where I don't look at it often and someimes I stick it in my spibelt so I can't view it.

And I will admit, I wore like three watches for most of my 70.3's  ha! And  for the marathons Two watches and a pace tattoo usually.     Not saying its the right or wrong move as its totally preference, but going commando is a brave move!! And I am reasonably certain the Vikings didn't use Garmins on their raids so there's that 

@Sarah, Jax said it beautifully.  You will rock the HIM. I'm completely in awe of how you recently began tris, moved up to OLY, then HIM, and have bounced back from a freaking bike wreck.  You are mentally tough, very smart, and a very well trained athlete.  You are a stud and will do beautifully.

I must admit, that I had to laugh when I read about your plans to leave your Garmin.  My hubby kept telling me to do that and I wouldn't listen to him.  Last spring I was doing a HM and my Garmin went dead during my warmup so I left it.   Then I forgot to note the time on my watch when we started.  Ran blind the whole time.  PR'ed.  I must admit that I still don't like to leave my Garmin because I like to be able to analyze my splits later.  But I have gotten to where I don't look at it often and someimes I stick it in my spibelt so I can't view it.

Thanks, Pink! I think you give me too much credit, but that was really nice of you to say...you made me blush!!

Dave - you sound just like me...I did one of my tris this summer wearing a watch on each arm, and if there is a pace tatoo available it is on my arm!! I don't know, though. I just feel like going blind for this one. I talk a big game, but my race pictures just might show multiple watches and race tatoos covering my appendages.

OK...next question! How on earth am I going to get a water bottle on the bike at the water stations? I had planned on bringing all my gatorade/water on my bike from the start, and then DH said he's gonna use the water stations. I don't know what to do! Can someone who has done this before walk me through this? I mean how do you tell them what you want, what is the etiquette going through the stations, am I supposed to stop or just slow down? Anything you can think of would really help!!

OK...I have so many questions going into my first HIM in less than two weeks!! I'm getting really nervous and starting to doubt some of my plans for race day. I hope y'all don't mind, but I'll probably be asking a lot of questions over the next couple weeks!!

First, I have no idea what to do with my bike pace. With my swim, I am not shooting for any pace at all. My main goal there is to not panic, and to be able to actually swim freestyle without doing the back stroke and whacking anybody in the face. I will be happy with any time between 40 and 50 minutes. Even if it takes longer...whatever, I really don't care.

My run I am pretty confident in. I am shooting for a 2-2:15 hr half, which I believe is reasonable, as long as the heat index remains below 85 degrees. My fastest free half was a tad over 1:45, and I have been comfortable running a 9 min/mile pace off the bike for pretty extended time periods. Again, if I have to slow down, no biggie, I'm really not all that worried about it.

However...I am dreading pacing myself on the bike. With the run you can give everything you have because when you're done, well, you're done, and you can rest. I just don't know how to strategically pace myself on the bike so I don't bonk on the run. My long training rides (between 50 and 60 miles) have been in the range of 16.5-17.5 mph. This does not kill me, and I have been able to get off the bike and run. My Oly race bike pace was about 19.2 mph and I was able to come off the bike and keep a 9min/mile pace for the 10K with a heat index in the low 90s. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas about what pace I should try to shoot for on the bike? This is where a coach would really come in handy. I need someone to just tell me "ride this pace". Don't go over it, and push to keep it up!

Thanks, Pink! I think you give me too much credit, but that was really nice of you to say...you made me blush!!

Dave - you sound just like me...I did one of my tris this summer wearing a watch on each arm, and if there is a pace tatoo available it is on my arm!! I don't know, though. I just feel like going blind for this one. I talk a big game, but my race pictures just might show multiple watches and race tatoos covering my appendages.

OK...next question! How on earth am I going to get a water bottle on the bike at the water stations? I had planned on bringing all my gatorade/water on my bike from the start, and then DH said he's gonna use the water stations. I don't know what to do! Can someone who has done this before walk me through this? I mean how do you tell them what you want, what is the etiquette going through the stations, am I supposed to stop or just slow down? Anything you can think of would really help!!

Thanks for the tips...it sounds scary!!

Mike, I have to admit, when I read your post I thought "no way no how am I going to do that". Then, after having some time to think about it, I decided I should force myself to do it. I mean, if I want to continue doing triathlons I better learn the right way to do it. So, instead of my usual three or four bottles, I will carry only two bottles, which will force me to get a bottle from the aid station, but will grant me some forgiveness if I happen to miss all the bottles in one or two of the stations!!

Stay tuned...more questions to come~~