Manatees - 2019 Edition - Practice Maximum Enthusiasm - CLOSED (Page 64)

Got my race report up from Washington's Crossing. Pics on Instagram and Facebook. So much fun to swim as a pod with my fellow Manatees.

Laura, Melanie, and Jen, I read in Laura's report that it was non-wetsuit event (due to higher temperature). How did you like it, and how do you think it affected your swim? I am asking, as I have no experience with wetsuit, and am not planning to buy one (not yet), and want to hear stories of those who completed larger distances without it.

I do a lot of events in the Mid-Atlantic in July/August, so the water temps are usually 80+
I have only done wetsuit swims three times...twice for 750m, and once for 1500m. All the times I have swum longer have been without a wetsuit. That's about five swims in the half-iron distance ballpark (1.2-1.5 miles) so for me it is normal. I am by no means a fast swimmer (far from it!) but I am a confident swimmer. I'm not afraid of any kind of open water, currents and waves and contact don't bother me, and I'm not one of those people who feels more secure in a wetsuit.
At this point in my endeavors, swimming with a wetsuit is about learning how to put it on, take it off quickly in transition, etc. I have not noticed my times being that much different in wetsuit vs non-wetsuit, but I have never swum in the same body of water in both to properly compare. Lake swims have been wetsuit, river swims not, and so on.

My first two HIMs were with no wetsuit. My most recent two were with a wetsuit. Shorter races I've done have been mixed as well.

The wetsuit I had sucked and I preferred to swim without it. It did have a good buoyancy so I felt like my body position was slightly better, but on the whole, I preferred to swim without it due to better flexibility and arm extension as well as not having a constricted feeling in my chest that I got from the wetsuit. (though I did enjoy the feeling with it of being somewhat protected from whatever lurks in the lakes around here).

I just got a new XTERA one (whole other story - different links kept landing me on different parts of their website with drastically different prices for the same wetsuit). I likely won't use it until fall or maybe next year so I can't speak to the difference there.


BTW - No race for me this past weekend. Turns out I had not registered and once I realized that, I couldn't muster up the enthusiasm to sign up last minute.

Thank you both for your feedback! It made me feel better

Sorry, Adam, for the registration fiasco. Hopefully, the next one is coming soon and you are signed up

Some of Laura's comments mirror my own.  I'm a confident swimmer and have experience both with and without wetsuits so it doesn't bother me one way or the other and I definitely didn't mind not having one on for this event.  I tend to heat up quickly so I wouldn't want to wear one in the 'borderline' temps.  I've done 5K swim events without a wetsuit.  I hate putting the thing on because it's such a lengthy struggle but once I'm in it I'm fine.

I would, however, highly recommend swimming with 'manatees'; it makes for a very fun event and day!

Edited by melbo55 2019-06-03 2:04 PM

I am visiting California in December ))))
And once we move to Colorado (next year), I will be a regular visitor of CA. Hoping to see you and race with you some day!

Randee,

With regards to things I've done for heat adaptation, every year I've trained for Augusta has been a summer of heat adapatation! My biking ability doesn't seem impacted by the heat so much as the run. Doesn't matter if it's a brick or a stand alone run. Once I get out in the heat + humidity and start to run, it's only a short period of time before my body starts to say no.

However, I'm now peri-menopausal which has made this even harder. Other than that, the last 2 years I've tried the following with relatively minimal success or impact:

*Prehydration (specifically with Osmo)
*Staying on top of hydration during the effort outdoors with iced fluids
*Cooling towels/cooling shirts with ice
*Ice in bra/down shorts/in hands
*Daily exposure to heat in small doses and building from there
*Layers indoors during bike trainer workouts (i.e. long sleeves, hat, no fan & no fiddling with the thermostat to bump it cooler)--I call this my "hot box" ride
*Icy drinks pre-workout

What I haven't tried is
*daily sauna sits post workout in a somewhat dehydrated state (as suggested in Stacy Sims' "Roar") so I already have low blood volume and my core temp is already a bit elevated. Apparently, doing this and then rehydrating slowly over the next 3 or 4 hours helps your body adapt.

Since I'm training for Louisville which will, most likely, NOT be hot, I just need to survive the next 3.5 months of training. I can get my long runs in early through the summer, and once school starts back the end of July, my coach is changing my schedule so that my long runs AND long bikes will be on the weekends (though they will alternate). It'll be interesting to see how that pans out, but he's smarter than I am with regards to these progressions, so I'm just going to trust the process.

Edited by glfprncs 2019-06-04 2:21 PM

What is your pre-swim warm-up routine on a race day? Just before the race.
I do not warm up before the swim, and during the first 200-300 meters my arms feel as if they were made of wood. After that it's completely fine and swimming is great, but passing these first minutes is like swimming in peanut butter (for my arms, thankfully, not legs). Is it normal, or should I do a bit of warm up before I enter the swim? And if so, what are your favorite exercises that you found helpful?

Edited by marysia83 2019-06-05 4:09 PM

Depends on water and air temps and how much standing around is involved between warm-up and start. (That tends to be longer at bigger events, but can also depend on logistics like when/where one is allowed to warm up and wave timing). If possible I try to get in 5-10 minutes of easy swimming with a few short pick-ups to race pace or faster. I try to do a longer warmup for a shorter event like a sprint, since the swim and start pace will be much faster.

If water is cold, air cool, and there will be more than 5 minutes of standing around before the start, then I usually skip the warmup, especially for a longer event like HIM. I know from experience that the shivering and resulting muscle tightness will, for me at least, cancel out the benefits of the warmup. In that case I usually just go a little ways in (not submerging my core), kneel down, and splash water on my face, then stick my head in and exhale a few times (yes, this takes some contortions). That helps prevent the gasping, breathless feeling when your face suddenly goes in cold water at the start. Then I try to get my heart rate up with some jogging, calisthenics, or dancing before the start. No specific exercises--just try to get heart rate up and get your arms as well as legs moving. Arm circles, jumping jacks, etc. are my usuals but people do different things. Some people use swim cords for a dry-land warmup. I haven't done that as it's just one more thing to keep track of at the start, and you have to find a place to anchor them.

If I haven't done a proper swim warmup, I try to start more slowly (and position myself accordingly) and then gradually build up speed.

Thank you!

The race is much smaller than the IM-branded. I read some reviews and race reports from previous years, and it seems like some folks were able to swim a bit in the lake before the race. Also, the wait time was not that long (there was less than 300 participants last year). So I may be able to do that.

All sounds reasonable for the acclimation process - except maybe the sauna thing - go in when you're already a bit dehydrated and temp elevated sounds like trouble. I think Mary is probably right (think that's who said it) that it really takes much longer to acclimate than we have in North America so just keep doing what you can and hopefully find something that works enough to get you through the summer!

When you have a moment, I would like to hear your reflections on my prep for the upcoming race. It is half iron distance, it would be my first attempt, and its' scheduled for June 23rd (two weeks). I have decided to join pretty late, and my actual training for it started about a month ago. I've been active for all the months before, in this way or another, not triathlon-specific, but at least my body is not starting from the couch. I have a trail marathon three weeks after this race, just to complicate everything. Some details of each training leg below.

For the half iron: this is not IM branded race. It's local, and has been going on for 15 years, with good reputation on how it's organized. I read plenty of very positive reviews and race reports. My goal is really to experience it.I will not push beyond my limits, knowing I haven't trained enough. I would love to get out of the water and at least complete a majority of the bike, would be fantastic if I get some portion of the run. Obviously, I would like to finish. Even though the website says there is 8 hours cut off, there is really no limit. I talked to the organizer and she confirmed they will wait for the last finisher. I reviewed last years' results and there were few folks completing in over 8 hours, and some with 9. I prepared my conservative numbers to make it around 8+.

Link to the race: https://www.dutrirun.com/hctri

SWIM:
Swim is in the Lake Winnebago, which is pretty shallow and warm during the month of June. People say the first and last 100 is waist height and you can walk it, if need to. I do not count on it, in case the water increased this year, but it would be nice. I've been checking the temperatures as well, to get a sense of what to expect. Last years' June water temp were in lower 70. No-one can predict the weather, though, and I am aware of that.
I have open water experience, including unpredictable Lake Michigan. I do not consider myself strong swimmer, but I do feel comfortable after passing the very first meters with anxiety and other people around.
So far I've done up to 2,000 in the pool. When I looked at my previous triathlon years, it looks like I was only doing up to 1,000 and managed Oly distance. So am hoping the current training will be enough. I guess it will be a lot of mental game. I will be swimming without wetsuit. Planning to complete the swim within an hour.

BIKE:
Bike starts with almost a mile of extremely steep hill. After that it is supposedly smooth and nice. My biking so far included some Wisconsin hills, with the longest of 2.5 hour. I was on the roads on mountain bike, as my new bike required some maintenance that has finally completed this week. In the upcoming two weeks I want to ride for 3-4 hours, to get a sense of how I feel on the bike for such a long time.
My plan is to complete the bike in 4 hours.

RUN:
Run is on the trail, which makes it a bit more difficult, but also more fun, as I like running on trail as if it was not running. So far I've run for 2.5 hour, and will increase to 3 this and next weekend. To get it stronger, and to prep for the marathon. I am planning to have it done at HIM in 3 hours, if I get there.

Nutrition and hydration:
started taking electrolytes supplements daily, not only before the workout. Eating pasta, beans, and all other crap to load all the necessary stuff into myself. I am eating the things I am planning to eat during the race while I'm training.

As far as the marathon, I train in easy pace, slow and nice, and I am also having a goal to finish relaxed and not to beat the time. That was my strategy for previous marathon and 50K, and it worked. This one is on a trail. I run that course HM distance, so am familiar with its difficulty. I will probably finish closer to 6-7 hours (my regular marathon was almost 5, and 50K was almost 6).

I am not sure how my taper should look like, I am planning to still do long run and ride the weekend before the HIM, and then just easy run and bike Mon-Thursday, maybe an easy run on Friday, and some easy swims on two days. What happens the week after HIM is a mystery for me... All depends how I feel after it, which is hard to predict.

Let me know any do's and dont's, and anything that I can still add or modify. I realize there is barely any time, and I will keep that in mind during the race.

Edited by marysia83 2019-06-07 11:44 AM

Well, I don't have the experience of some of the others on here, so please defer to them if they chime in as well, but here are my thoughts.

Swim: HIM is not much further than Oly - if you have done that distance before, you'll be mentally prepared which is the hard part, IMO. Your cardio system will be fine to handle that much swimming, it's more of a mental thing so I think you'll be OK there.

Bike: Given the time you have left and all of your run experience, I'd encourage you to get at least one good 4 hour bike (or 60 mile, whichever is longer) ride in with maybe a 15 minute brick run tacked on this weekend if at all possible. This is to get you used to being in the saddle that long, and more importantly, to practice your nutrition. One of the things I find most important in the HIM is nutrition and even if I'm able to do long runs and bikes on their own leading up, it takes at least one good long session beforehand to know how my body will handle nutrition. In other words, I can get by fine with gels on long rides and runs, but come race day, after about 4 hours of eating sweet gels and liquids, my body says no more. By doing at least one really long day, you'll know what your body can handle and can adjust if need be. The plan I use calls for a long day of a 4 hour ride and a 45 minute run brick to practice that.

Taper: If it were me, I would not do anything longer than a 2 hour bike and/or 1:15 minute run the weekend before the race. You aren't going to build a lot of meaningful fitness that close to race day and anything longer than that will have you still tired and recovering on race day. I'd rather go in relatively fresh and take my chances than still be building but tired on race day.

Again, others on here are FAR more knowledgeable so please defer to them. Main TL;DR: See if you can get one truly long day this weekend in, have a plan for nutrition, and don't push too hard the weekend before race day.

I think you will probably be faster than you expect, and able to complete the whole thing. I would definitely make that the goal, unless there are medical reasons that would be unwise (i.e. serious dehydration or heat exhaustion). But those should be preventable with proper hydration and pacing.

Swim: You will probably be fine, but I would try to get in some workouts a bit longer than 2K (maybe up to 2500 total), to build endurance and confidence. I know most swim advice is to do sets of shorter repeats (to maximize swimming with best technique) but prior to the race I would try to get in at least 1-2 continuous swims of race distance to build confidence and get a good feel for what kind of effort feels sustainable. For HIM, if the goal is completion, you do not want to be pushing the swim (just don't cut it too close with the cutoff). Just swim at a comfortable, steady pace.

Bike: Don't overdo the first hill or it could affect the rest of your race. Heart rate will still be high then coming off the swim and T1. Get in a comfortable gear (so you can sustain normal cadence) and pedal on up. Keep effort steady for the rest. Drink regularly (every 5 minutes if hot/humid, every 10 if cool) in small sips. Plan to take in most of your calories on the bike.

Run: Keep an easy, relaxed pace, walk if needed, and (do as I say, not as I do, obviously) BE CAREFUL on the trail, especially on rough and downhill sections. I am out of at least $10,000 and have been in pretty much continuous pain for 3 1/2 months due to one mis-step on a trail. Err on the side of caution! Remember that after a long bike, your legs, feet, and core muscles will be more tired than normal and probably less able to stop your fall in the event you lose your balance--I had never fallen before while trail running that I can recall, and am pretty sure this was what happened in my case. I had some major fit issues with the bike I was using at Wanaka (a rental road bike) and while I was having a good run, my back and glutes were really feeling it for the first 4-5 miles off the bike that day. Also extra-important to keep up on nutrition and hydration if it is a trail run as dehydration or low blood sugar can affect attention and balance. And consider walking through aid stations and stopping when you take in fluids or nutrition. (When I tripped, I was reaching for a gu packet that I was going to finish off just before getting fluids at the final aid station--it clearly took my attention off a dodgy section of trail.)

Nutrition: There are a couple parts to this: Normal diet--obviously, a healthy daily diet with adequate calories, iron, and protein is a good idea. Pre-race diet (last few days before, morning of): Familiar, easily digestible food. Avoid things normally considered "healthy" like too many whole grains, fruits, and veggies (due to fiber), as well as anything of doubtful sanitation, fatty or spicy stuff, too much protein. Basically the goal is to have muscles well-fueled with carbs whole avoiding anything that could get you sick or lead to too many porta-potty visits on race day. Race day: Very individual. Plan to take in most of your calories on the bike. I usually eat "something" every 20 minutes. That might be a part of an energy bar, part of a gu packet, bite of chocolate,etc. Smaller "feedings" more frequently usually work better than larger, less frequent ones, especially if it's hot. Practice with the nutrition you will use in the race.

Taper: I normally do my last really long (race distance/time or longer) ride/run two weeks out. The week before is shorter (maybe 1/2 to 2/3 race distance/time) but with some more intense race-pace pickups. More swimming and less run/bike during the week (as my legs tend to be tired from training). I usually take the day 2 days out completely off (sometimes need it to travel to the race site), and then just a short swim, bike, and run the day before to get loosened up and make sure the bike is all set.

Recovery: I would see how you feel. For the first week, no need to do "workouts". Just try to do 30-60 minutes of something active every day to get the blood moving--walk, easy swim, easy bike ride or spin on the trainer. No running, jumping around, or strength as your muscles need to recover. I usually don't feel like running until 5-7 days after a HIM, sometimes a bit longer, and don't force it. For me, swimming is really useful for recovery from longer races. Take at least 2 weeks to get back into anything approaching normal training; for a first HIM, three might be better.

Hope some of this is useful!










Edited by Hot Runner 2019-06-07 1:47 PM