Eli's Tri-ing to get ready for an IM (and a sprint, and an olympic, and some running) (Page 6)

Why not...its fun.

NJ today, PA tomorrow. Got in a bike this morning and a swim this evening.

hoping for a run in the morning and then maybe a spin or swim in the evening tomorrow.

where in PA??

I am in beautiful North Wales tonight. Teaching at Merck in Upper Gwynedd tomorrow from 9-1.

Whew,

Hey all, how goes it?

So, after flying home from Philly Friday night, I was home long enough to unpack and then repack to support my wife for her first 50 mile run.

She did the 50 mile individual run at the Keys 100. It was GREAT. I have run that race as a relay member, and we had run much of the course as part of a Ragnar relay this year.

It was her second Ultra (she did a 50 K in Feb.) and she finished in 11:23. She was 9 minutes from being first place in her age group (which sucked, since she spent 25 minutes changing clothes at mile 26).

Then, we spent a great weekend in Key West!

So, although I missed 2 days of training, and haven't ridden a bike in a while, I had a great weekend, and managed to run Sunday and Monday.

How about your weekends?

Congrats to your wife!!! Running 50 miles is a huge mental challenge and it sounds like she killed it! I wish my foot could handle Ultra training, I love the long distances.

Wknd #3 was good! Much better ride for me this past wknd than the wknd before which included a fall and some tears. Rode 73 miles and felt strong and confident (after I got through the first 12 miles...will I ever get over the fear of the bike?). Recovery swim after the bike ride then 14 mile run on Sunday. This wknd is a cut back week. I'm not sure what I'll do with all my free time with only a 2 hr ride!

Wow!  I once had aspirations to be an ultra runner...then I found tris.

Weekend was good! Saturday was my 2 hour run I asked for advice on (whether I should run it at  race pace a week before a half marathon?).  My goal was to run at an 11:15 - 11:45 pace, which was about 0:30 slower than race pace (shooting for about an 11:00 pace for my half mary).  Started out at about 10:45 for the first couple of miles - felt super strong and good, but knew I should slow down.  Then, somewhere around mile 6, someone turned on the furnace.  Shot up to about 83 degrees really quick, and my pace slowed WAYYY down.  Ended up with an overall pace of 11:32, which is smack in the middle of what I was aiming for!

Had a 2 1/2 hour bike on Sunday...racked up 40 miles at an overall 16 mph pace. Felt great.

Great ride!! That type of ride will become "easy" pretty soon!

I love the easy weeks, but it does make you feel like you want to train more. Enjoy it!

Sounds like a great run. Heat can really do a number on you, so running smart is always the way to go. You can always push it on race day.

And you managed a long ride!!!! Awesome.

You can always do longer easy stuff if you "Need" to get out there.

Hey All,

How was your holiday weekend? 

I had a great weekend for training, friends and family!

On Friday night, a friend and I went to Clermont, FL, which is about 3 hours north of here. We rode hills for 3 hours on Sat and did a short run.

We came back and then my daughter and I went to visit and play with some friends a few blocks over.

On Sunday, We had a relaxing morning, and in the afternoon, my daughter had a playdate and my wife was out, so I rode 40 miles. 

It was the first time I had really been out in the heat, and boy, did I suffer! There was a strong wind, and between the heat, and fighting the headwind on the way home, I had to pull over 3 miles from home to rest and eat a fruit pop.

Sunday night we went to see Men in Black 3 with a group of friends.

Monday I rode AGAIN!! about 43 mile, hot, but early, so not as bad as Sunday. I felt much stronger, but still stopped for the fruit pop.

And then, I cooked and ate the rest of the day. Waffles, bacon, grilled meat, salad, bean dip, cupcakes, apple pie, whipped cream, sugar cookies, beer......

I may have a food hangover.

Sounds like a great weekend!

Well, this weekend was the Bayshore Half Marathon, in Traverse City, MI.  The weather forecast was looking kind of scary leading up to the race, but on the day of the race, we couldn't have picked better weather!

Ran a PR, coming in at 2:26:58.  Previous PR was 2:30:15. A good day!  Started having stomach issues about halfway through, which made it hard to ingest foods/liquids. With about an hour left in the race, I knew my blood sugar was heading for the basement (I start to get really mental and emotional), but with an upset stomach, I figured I would take my chances and try to get to the end of the race without eating anything. Bad idea!  With about 2 miles to go, I wanted to punch my husband (who was pacing me, and doing a great job), and I got really intense (but short, like 5 seconds) cramps on the upper part of my achilles about 1/2 mile from the finish line.

But, I made it, and I'm proud.  Now I just have to get the nutrition figured out. Welland HIM is 3 1/2 weeks away...

Dropping by to say that:

AnneC ROCKED the Bayshore 1/2 Marathon!!!  

AnneC is an inspiration with her determination.   She was AMAZING!!! 

Congrats on a great race!!! I have had that wonderful "I am going to punch the next person who tells me I am almost there" feeling before. Not fun.

I have even used the "Save yourself, leave me behind" with my wife, but she wouldn't.

What did you eat before/during the race?

WOW, that is an AWESOME season!! Good to hear you will be getting the bike upgrade, and that the LBS is trying to "fix" their oversight.

Keep us in the loop with your race reports.

I brought a PB and J sandwich to the race, and ate it about 1 1/2 hours before the race started.  During the race, I had 2 Gu's, and 2 small cups of very watered down gatorade-type stuff. Prob not enough, huh?  I was carrying a water bottle, and had it refilled once. 

I usually have a water belt with about 28 ounces of Gu Brew, but was trying to run light this time around. Maybe not a good idea...

What do you think?

Did you eat breakfast before the race, or just the PB&J? If all you had was the PB&J, it may not have been enough.

Was it hot? Higher heat really puts the hurt on your body and digestion. 

How did that amount compare to what you ate on your longest training runs? Also, how was your speed compared to training speed?

The PB + J was my breakfast.  We left the house at 5:00 for the race, and in previous races, I felt like I had to gag breakfast down that early.  I am a breakfast person, for sure, but not that early.

It was okay, heat wise.  In the 60's.  There was a little stretch where the sun seemed strong, and we didn't have a lot of shade protection - it seemed hot, but I am not sure it ever got past 70 degrees during the race.

Speed was okay compared to training speed - pretty much right where I was aiming.

I get weird on race day.  I can eat just about anything before my training runs without an issue, but my nerves on race day really wreak havock on my tummy.  I need to figure out how the settle the mental down on race day.

I had a phenomenal run last night - 15 minute warm-up and cool down at about an 11:20 pace, and an hour in the middle at about a 10:15 - 10:20 pace. REALLY fast for me! I only had Gu Brew with me during the run, and only drank about 20 ounces of it or so...felt fine.

I am worried about nutrition during the Welland HIM...planning on a 32 ounce camelbak with Perpetuem, plus one bike bottle with additional perpetuem and one bike bottle with just water. Not sure if I should take in a sandwich before starting my bike leg...

Although it will mess with your sleep, get up 3-4 hours before the race and have a good snack then. Nutrition Shake, yogurt, bagel with peanut butter, something with 300 or so calories. 

Eat something with about 100 calories about an hour before the race.

This should help put something in the tank for you.

Also, can you eat solid food on the bike? I like snickers bars, although they are REALLY hard to chew while riding, at least for me. Maybe a PB&J cut up in a ziploc in a bento box?

For liquid on the bike, a camelbak is OK, but may be overkill. I usually go with some kind of food that I munch in transition (snickers) a water bottle that has 3 hours worth of perpetuem that I sip from (it is thick) on the down tube, and an aero bottle between the handle bars. I have also done a second frame bottle with no aero bottle. Most HIMs will have water stops along the route, although it can take some practice grabbing water while you ride.

I usually find that I drink too much water on the bike, but often don't eat enough.

Wow...that would have had me getting up at 1 AM to eat before Bayshore?

I am pretty shaky on the bike - I am borrowing a road bike for this race, and it is not fit for me, so I am very uncoordinated.  The camelbak is because I don't have aero bars/bottles.  You think it would be too much? I have been training using the camelbak and Perpetuem.  I was thinking to mix 7 scoops with the 32 oz of water, with 1 or 2 Nuun tablets inside. I was also thinking about maybe throwing some shot roks in the bento box?

I am a little concerned about the bottle exchange on the course (due to my lack of coordination), and would love to not have to use it, if I can avoid it...

I would say that the camelbak is the way to go for that one then.

yes, waking up early can suck a little, but it really does help. And 3-4 hours before race start, not when you would get up to go.