KVesey's Group - WORKING HARD (Page 7)

Nutrition observations

You often hear folks say that “nutrition” is the fourth discipline of triathlon and, certainly, appropriate fueling is very important to longer distance training and racing. And, everyone’s system works differently, tolerates different food and drinks differently, etc. So, I thought I would share what I’ve learned works for me, personally, and maybe help you figure out some strategies for yourself.

When I trained for and ran my first marathon way back in 1985, nutrition, other than carb loading, was not part of the equation. No one ever talked about in-race nutrition. I only drank water. I ran a 4:12 and never “hit the wall.” A few years later, I ran a 3:50, still only drinking water. I did hit a wall that year and really struggled through the last 10k.

Over the years, I found out that, usually, I am fine with just water for up to 2 hours of working out or racing. Beyond that, my performance improves if I can take in some calories, whether it’s from gels or sports drinks.

I have also found that I have an aversion to chewing, especially when running. It’s not as bad on the bike, as long as whatever I am chewing is very soft (like Shot Blocks). So, I said, “hallelujah,” when they invented gels because Power Bars, pretzels, or Gummy Bears did not do it for me.

Of course, I don’t wait until I’m 2 hours into a race or workout to start taking in the calories. I seem to do better if I can start sucking down half a gel within the first 30 minutes and then every 20 – 30 minutes thereafter. On the bike, I will alternate gels with a sports drink and Shot Blocks. If my ride is very long (longer than 3 hours, say), I will use a sports drink that also has some added protein. Sometimes, just to make sure my stomach doesn’t have to work too hard to process the protein, I’ll water the drink down a bit. However, I’m pretty lucky in that my stomach tolerates most anything, and I have never had any major GI problems (*knock wood*).

I am also a firm believer in “less is more.” It stands to reason that you simply cannot replace the calories that you lose while working out or racing. You have a choice: direct your blood flow to the muscles and cardio system to support cycling and running, or direct it to your stomach to support digestion. So, I don’t buy into the 2,000 calorie breakfast before a race and the 3,000 caloric intake during. Instead, if I can get up early enough, I will eat something wholesome and that I know will sit well in my stomach (like yogurt or oatmeal) at least an hour before and, preferably, two hours before an event. I rarely exceed 300 calories.

For example, the morning of IMFL, I had a 200 calorie yogurt smoothie and some coffee. That was it.

If I don’t get up early enough, I will just take a gel about 5 – 15 minutes before the start.

I also don’t make my bike a “meal on wheels” or load up a fuel belt for the run. When I was training for IMFL, I knew that I would have to have some sort of “meal” at some point. On my long rides, I would take a break in the middle, and I tried a couple of different things to see what would keep my energy going without grossing me out. I settled on a PB&J Uncrustable and a Coke.

I think how my day at IMFL went was a testament to my fueling strategy since I never once felt too hungry (a little bit toward the end of the bike and in the middle of the run, but I think feeling a little hungry is okay), weak, nauseous, or bad in any way (except for my quads killing me on the run). After my yogurt smoothie breakfast that morning, this is how it played out for me:

Swim – I only grabbed some water after the first loop, and mostly to rinse the saltwater out of my mouth.

Bike – I had approximately one and three-quarter flasks of Hammer Gel (not sure how many packages that would equal); one and a half bottles of Endurox; and almost 2 packages of Shot Blocks (I think a couple of blocks were left in the second package). At special needs, I had my Uncrustable and a small bottle of Coke. And lots of water, of course.

Run – I took water and Gatorade at each aid station. I had 2 or 3 Power Gels, a small handful of pretzels (too much chewing), and a couple of orange slices.

That’s what worked for me. I even had enough energy to run “fast” at the end (by then, it was all relative).

There’s a lot of advice on BT about nutrition strategies. If you’re planning on longer events at some point, you probably want to read them. Also, read some folks’ race reports to see what worked or didn’t work for them.

Karen thanks for the nutrition advice.

I will definately take it into consideration during my longer training sessions.

Any advice on feeling like you have to pee for the entire run?
I only did a sprint and it was all I could do not to think about how badly I needed to use the bathroom.  (I think part of that is having had 3 children....)

There's never a silly question right?  )

Hi Karen,

I'm wondering if I would be able to join your group please?  It looks like you may have more than 5 members but it doesn't state that the group is full....

Anyway, a little bit about me....

I'm female, 28 years old, not married (non-live in boyfriend), with a live-in cat!, full time shift worker (2 days, 2 evenings, 2 nights, 4 off, although the first day is a joking day off as i finish the last night shift at 7am).  Have a horse,sometimes ride up to 3 times a week, sometimes not at all.  I horseride just for pleasure and have never done anything competitively in my life!  5 feet 8 tall (1m70), 10st 5lbs (65kg).  Not impressed that I have put on 4 pounds and my % fat has gone up from 25% to 38% over last 2 months due to injury (and eating too much!).  I don't look particularly overweight, (bit of a big bum, but I've always had that!), just think the muscle previously there has been replaced with fat.

I'm doing my first sprint tri on 1/8/09, the Mazda London Triathlon (starting small eh!).  Training was going really well until something happened at the beginning of april, that left me with no motivation to train whatsoever, i then got injured at the end of April (got tackled by two blokes in work - don't ask, flew 15 feet backwards, resulting in whiplash to my neck and shoulders and a coccyx injury).  Just bought myself a little aluminium racing bike, just a cheapie, which goes fairly well.  Riding maybe two 11milers a week over the last two weeks, a couple of six milers, which is the time I have been back in training.  Running is absolute hell to me, and before my injury it had started going so well(well for me anyway!) that I had ACTUALLY gotten the bug and started to enjoy it.  So much so, that I felt guilty when I didn't go!  My training has been non existent for the last two months, and now I am scared to death as my tri is only a month away! 

Physically I think I am probably able to get thru it, but mentally i admit i am very weak and have no faith in myself, i give up very easily.  I know this is something I need to work on, and it may just be that i need someone to kick me up the butt!  At the mo I am struggling with my motivation,as I have gone from thinking I would get a sub 1.30 before my injury tojust wondering if i will finish....  I don't suppose having an ultra fit half marathon running friend doing my triathlon wiith me helps my lack of faith in myself, lol! 

Anyway, if you have some room spare,I would love to be a member of your forum.  If not,no worries.  I shall persevere! 

Thanks v much. 

Daniele

Hi, Danielle!

You are more than welcome to join our group!

Welcome!

Hmm...

Just let 'er rip.

Really. 

Everyone else does.

Take an extra cup of water at the water stop and dump it down your legs to rinse off.

Other than hitting the porta' potties, that's the easiest advice I can give.

You can also ask your doctor about the medications that help with that as well. (My friend who is an NP is always suggesting it for me since I have to pee frequently at races.)

1. Definitely NOT cheating. Some people can go and go and go; the rest of us mere mortals need a break now and again.
2. Don't worry about speed. Stick to your RPE as provided in your training plan. The speed will come with fitness.
3. I have a similar issue on the bike. It's just a matter of learning how to manage your pace and effort. Keep in mind that at the higher effort levels, it will take time to get there. Also, your body will adapt to effort level so that it actually "feels" easier. That's why I like HR training a little bit more than RPE (although I trained by RPE for 30 years before using a HR monitor).
4. Meet someone. It's the best motivator for getting out of bed. Or, get a grind and brew coffee maker that you can set to start automatically in the morning. When the grinder goes off, it will wake you up. Might give you a slight heart attack, too.
5. Absolutely. I do the same thing. Mississippi has turned into the seventh circle of hell. Friday afternoon, I rode inside for 1:30, and last Sunday, I rode inside for 2:10.

I'm not sure there's any such thing as a "typical" HIM or IM; however, you can get a great sense of how they go by reading race reports and some of the articles on this site. I devoured IM race reports before IMFL last year. I felt like I actually learned a lot about what I could expect from the day.

So...are you doing Augusta?

aphrodite_225 - 2009-06-22 3:39 PM Hi Karen, 

Thanks very much for accepting me onto your group, much appreciated :D .  Expect lots of questions, first tri is in a month!  Aaargh!

We're glad to have you! Ask away. Any and all questions. Folks in this mentor group have great advice and experiences of their own to share.

Hey Shirley!

Yay for the first triathlon. Woo hoo! You're going to do great, and remember, just have fun.

As for your concerns, there's nothing very unusual about any of them.

I've done several triathlons where parking was up to a mile away from the transition area. If you can get dropped off with your bike, that's great. Sounds like that probably won't work, though. If you have a backup that can hold all your transition stuff, then the next easiest thing is to ride your bike over to transition (make sure to wear your helmet). Another option is to use a crate or bucket to pack your transition stuff in and then balance that on the handlebars while you walk your bike over.

In general, your transition area is confined to the area around your bike. Check out the recent video on the site (http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1757) as well as the related articles for how to set up.

For T1, I usually put my helmet upside down on my handlebars with my sunglasses open inside. My bike shoes and socks are first on the ground with the velcro straps on the shoes undone and the socks unrolled and sticking up out of the shoes. If I am bringing a gel with me on the ride, I will drop it in the shoe too so I don't forget it. I put a small towel on my bike seat.

So, when I run into transition, I have already taken off my cap and goggles, I toss them on the ground, grab the towel, wipe my face and feet, put on my sunglasses, put on my helmet, throw the gel in my pocket, put on my socks, and put on my shoes. I do it all standing up. (If I have a wetsuit on, by the time I get to transition, I have pulled the suit down to my waist. I'll push it the rest of the way down to my ankles and then stand on it to get my feet out. I just leave it on the ground in the vicinty of my bike or toss in on the rack.)

For T2, my running shoes are set up behind the bike shoes on top of my number belt and my hat is on top of my shoes. Again, if I plan to take a gel on the run, I stick it in a shoe so I don't forget it. After I rack my bike, I take off my helmet, put it on the handlebars, slip of my bike shoes, grab my running cap, throw the running gel in my pocket, pull on my running shoes (I use lace locks so no need to tie them), grab my number belt, and run out of transition while putting it around my waist. All standing up.

I'm not super speedy, but I have gotten a lot better over the years.

You may want to run through a couple of practice transitions before the race just so you are more comfortable with it the day of the race.

And, yes, transition is kind of a mess with everyone's stuff everywhere.

For the run from the swim to transition, I go barefoot and just say, "ouch, ouch, ouch" with every step. But, you may be able to put a pair of flip flops (that you are willing to lose) near the swim exit to grab.

However you decide to approach it, just keep it as simple as possible. A few practices and real-life experience, and you will become like my friend who can do a bike to run transition in 42 seconds.

Good luck!

I will be in Augusta. I'm shooting for a sub 6 hour finish. Not sure how that will play out with the potential heat. We'll see.

Unfortunately, I am still learning the lay of the land down here in the deep south and figuring out the various races. Check out Team Magic's web site. They do races in Alabama and Tennessee (that I know about), so may have some not too far from you. Also, check the race database on BT.

The heat.

Tell me about it. We've been having mid 90s with heat indexes in the 100s every day for the last 2 1/2 weeks. Totally sucks.

Truly, the only way to deal with it is to acclimate yourself. Slowly and carefully. Realize that you will run about 1 minute per mile slower, depending on how hot and humid it is. If your race is starting at 10 a.m., make sure to get out a few times around that same time.

Drink lots of water and replace your electrolytes.

During your race (and if you can set it up during your workouts), if they offer ice, take it. Put it on your head under your hat. Put it down the front of your sports bra or tri top. Put it down the back of your tri/bike/compression shorts. This will help keep your core temperature down, and you will feel better.

Bottom line is that it will never feel good, and the more humid it is, the worse it will feel. Everyone is dealing with the same thing, though, and everyone's race will be slower because of it (unless they're from Mississippi, maybe ). It just takes time to get your body able to deal with it.

Karen--thanks for your good advice!  I hope the parking works out; the race director claims people will start to leave after 11 a.m., opening up some spots for the afternoon people, and there will be people to "assist with parking." My husband will be coming, so I hope he will help, too (although he can be "Mr. Grumpy" when driving in unknown, "where-are-we-going-to-park?" situations).

Yep, my poor BARE feet will just have to BEAR it!  (I had a bad experience as a child, though, when wading barefoot in a lake.  I stepped on something sharp--probably glass--and sustained a nasty cut to the bottom of my foot that left a scar!)

I watched that video recently about setting up your transition area.  Unfortunately, from what I hear, even if you set out your stuff just so, it could get knocked around by other people.  (Lovely...) Anyway, I'm practicing putting on and taking off my cycling shoes, as I just got new ones recently, and they are different than my previous ones. I'm not sure what "race locks" are, but today I received a shipment from Amazon.com of bungee laces, that claim to turn any shoe into a slip-on.  I wasn't sure which length would work on my running shoes, so I ordered two different lengths.  Guess I better try them out.  The weather wasn't good today; thought it was going to improve toward evening, but it got worse (rain), so I didn't get out on my bike or anything at all.  Guess I'll just practice with my equipment, so I can put on and take off things as fast as possible.

Thanks again!

Shirley

Patricia! Good to hear from you!

And I'm glad to hear that the training is going pretty well. I suspect your feeling of exhaustion is from a lack of fitness. It will start to go away (or take longer to appear) as you get in better shape. For those days that you feel very tired and don't really want to work out, tell yourself that you are planning on the planned workout, but if you can't seem to find a groove in about 20 minutes, you'll cut it short (to 30 minutes or something). I am willing to bet that once you get warmed up and going, you will feel fine and nine times out of ten, you will do the full workout.

On the other hand, there are those days where you need to pull back a bit. In fact, I am having one of those weeks. I think the heavy load and interminable heat finally got to me. Luckily, this is an easy week for me.

As for your weekend travels...just switch your schedule around so your bikes or swims that are usually on the weekends are during the week and a couple of runs are on the weekend. If you miss a swim or bike, though, it's no big deal in the grand scheme of things. While swimming and biking may be out during travel, you almost always can run and do core work and stretching.

Todd, who travels quite a bit, takes his bike with him. You may also want to consider that (depending on how and where you are traveling).

Keep it up!

I did it!  I'm a real triathlete now!!!

My time certainly wasn’t stellar: 1:35:23 (1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike with a couple VERY steep hills, 2.6 mile run on a trail that was up and down). My system was kinda yucky all week, and after a long swim on Wednesday, I felt pretty blah Thursday and Friday. Fortunately, today the soreness in my right calf from that doozy of a cramp I had Wednesday was gone.

Solved the barefoot problem.  I remembered I had bought these Lycra socks last year that you supposedly wear with fins, to make them more comfortable.  Well, I had tried them once in the pool with my Zoomers, and they seemed to make my feet feel too heavy.  Today, I took a little practice swim after jogging around enough to work up a sweat, and the Lycra socks seemed to feel OK--they fit my feet securely and everything.  They may have caused a little bit of a drag, though, but I thought it was worth it to give me more confidence when wading on the rough lake bottom, plus walking on pavement and concrete to and from transition, although I still felt the hardness of the surface.

So I was warmed up and everything, and I thought the swim would be great.  However, while I had a great start, I soon started feeling limp and floppy. So not my best swim! I actually flipped over on my back and kicked for a few seconds a few times, later I also backstroked. Never thought I’d have to resort to that trick. Funny, though, toward the last as the shore got closer, I started to feel better and stronger. Didn’t feel dizzy when I stood up. Probably should have hustled faster up the path to the parking lot where the bike transition was. When I saw my swim time later, I realized that with “chip timing,” your time is from one mat to the other. So each swim wave stepped on the mat on the shore, then waded out to nearly waist deep and waited for the "horn" to start swimming. (Each wave was separated by 3 minutes.) The next mat is at the entrance to the transition area. Total time for me: 10:12, but my actual swim time was a little over 9 minutes by my watch. (Not sure exactly, because I didn’t stop the stopwatch until I starting to walk up the grassy hill toward the concrete path.)

I mostly enjoyed the bike leg. I passed several people and got passed by a few. On the first really steep hill, I rode all the way up, passing a couple who were walking their bikes. My gearing didn’t feel right, though. I attempted to shift down from 2 to 1, but it didn’t feel like it. By the time I was approaching the second really steep hill just on the other side of I-5 (in Bellingham), I couldn’t get the front derailleur to do anything; also I was smack behind two guys who were going very slow. One of them pulled over in a park-in-ride lot, and I followed, unclipping and hopping off. My chain seemed to be stuck, so I started walking up the hill where I saw some race volunteers and told them about it. The two of them got the front shifted into 1 for me, but I continued walking up the hill until I got to the level intersection at the top before getting back on and riding up the third hill, which wasn’t quite as steep as the first two, and was very easy in the low gear! Then I just took it easy the rest of the way back. (OK, back to shifting 101!)

On the run portion, I just cruised along, dropping to a walk just briefly a few times. But I mostly kept up a steady pace, despite a crampy pain in my left abdomen (which mysteriously went away once I was finished and my breathing slowed down a little!).

The awards (”trophies&rdquo were only to the top 3 female/male finishers. No age group prizes. The results aren’t even separated into age groups, just male/female. Then the race director started giving away stuff to various people in the "audience," such as to someone who raced with a friend, someone wearing green, someone who forgot their goggles, etc., etc. I didn’t pay much attention to it; I was just eating and resting and hanging out with my hubby. One thing that was humorous, though, was when perhaps the very first freebie was announced–a “transition bag”–the race director said that some people sure had a lot of stuff in transition. “In fact, I could live for a week on what some of you brought for transition,” he finished. Chuckle, chuckle…Well, it wasn’t me who had all that stuff! I had bike shoes, run shoes, flip flops (that I’d used to go the lakeshore for my warm-up in the water), socks, helmet, Lake Padden tri race shirt with my run bib pinned on it, small (hand) towel, water bottles, and a small Camelbak backpack…hey, just the necessities!

Now I’m trying to decide if I want to do another tri this year or try a duathon instead–because then my husband could do it with me, ’cause he doesn’t swim.

Will do race report on my blog soon.

Woo hoo! Congrats!

Sounds like you did great and managed your day perfectly.

Most excellent!

Sure. Sometimes, no matter what the plan says, we need to switch our workouts around to accommodate our own schedules. So, go for it, I say.