Scott F's group - FULL! (Page 9)

My simple recipe is just to buy brown rice syrup, which is what Clif Shot is made from. I buy the flavored and unflavored stuff from this website and mix them together according to taste.

I've also experimented with adding in maltodextrin powder mixed with water to a gel consistency. It tastes a bit better than just the brown rice syrup, but it's a lot more work. Usually I just dump some blueberry BRS into a gel flask and I'm good to go. No electrolytes in there (adding salt makes it taste weird) so I take salt tablets for long/hot rides and races. 

Hey Matt- don't get down on yourself- it sounds like you had a pretty decent race overall. You didn't meet some of your expectations/goals, but you can just use that as motivation to improve on those things (which I think you will!) For a first race, you did great! Any time I do a first race at any distance, I try to just concentrate on finishing in decent form - if I can do that, I'm happy.

Anyway, looks like you did some good self-analysis and know what you need to work on in the future - I'm sure you'll look back on this before long as a fond memory of your first race, and all the little things that didn't go according to plan.

Keep up the good work - you've got a great attitude and I think it will take you far!

Scott 

Matt, great job this weekend! Glad to hear you enjoyed the experience and let the "times" take a second-place. The experience is what counts the most.

For what it's worth regarding moving from a Sprint to an OLY later this season, I would possibly stick with another Sprint first. I would be careful with the knee and see how it reacts. it's tough enough to add milage every week/month, let alone without a nagging injury or recovering from one. I guess it depends on if you're looking to just complete it, or to be at the top of your game for it. Plus if it is "too much" for your knee, and you don't realize this until the race you might have to take a full month or more off of training. Obviously it's a little better to take time off them if it's the end of your planned season, but the months after the season is when you can really start getting a good base in for your running if the knee is healthy. Slowly increasing the miles in the offseason will definately help your endurance and running for next season. Either way I don't think any of us will disagree with your decision to do another Sprint or OLY. Just listen to your body/legs and see if it's too much. There's no deadline in trying to get races done, especially for all of us being our first years. Good luck with the decision!

I've had the same thing come up today (see my log today) regarding canceling races and altering goals. Lucky for me it's more of a scheduling conflict than injury. Hope the cold goes away soon!

Hey Matt - I think you should go for it. I really think that in seven weeks you can get to the point where you can do the run, maybe with some walking. If necessary, as you get closer, you can adjust your expectations accordingly - maybe you'll need to take longer walk breaks, or something - no big deal.

On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with doing another couple of sprints - there's no reason to rush into the Olympic distance right away - sprints are fun too

But if you decide to go with the Oly, I think if you make a systematic plan to get your run mileage up, you'll make it - assuming your knee is OK. 

If that knee is all good, go for it man. I think my opinion came off as a negative thing, when first off I think you've rocked by increasing your milage in the past, endurance is up in all levels, etc. I didn't mean to sound like "don't do it", i guess mine was more of a cautious b/c last time I kinda gave words of advice of increasing milage on runs quick if you feel ok. Well i feel kind of responsible for the knee if you took my words of "wisdom" (if you can call it that )

 Anyways man, you know we total support either decision.

 Scott, I was reading your logs... 6 hour bike rides with climbs?!? Now that is awesome!!

Ha- thanks! I've been trying to figure out why that ride kicks my butt so badly... earlier this year, I was regularly doing a different ride, of similar proportions - about 6 hours riding time, 8000 feet or so of climbing, and about 80 miles... but that ride was MUCH easier for me than the ride I did the last two weekends. The main difference is that the "newer" ride has a HUGE climb at the beginning - 5 miles, 2200 feet of elevation gain, whereas the other ride has the climbing more spread out (with one significant climb in the middle, but not as tough). So, either I'm very overtrained (unlikely) or that long hard climb at the beginning just completely drains me for the rest of the ride...

Anyway, I've been pondering this on and off all day...

Sounds like a good race.  Thats actually about the standard distance for a sprint around here.

I am still not sure when to do another tri.  The water hates me, and I am really trying to focus on my run as of late.  It would be nice to do a triathlon again, without having all the "first timer" worries and concerns.  Just that added confidence of having done one before you know.

Blah, I should stop complaining about it and go jump in the pool already. 

Do you work for Intel? Do you know Sinclair Yeh? He's one of my main training partners, and I think he helps organize that triathlon for Intel every year...

Sinclair (a guy, actually) is really fast. I don't think he usually races, but he helps organize it (I think - not sure if he's doing it this year or not). He's a small Asian guy - about 5'8 or so, probably 140 pounds (which is one reason why he always kicks my butt on the long hard hilly rides!) He's a very nice guy, and very knowledgeable about triathlons, especially long distance stuff (he's training for Ironman Korea right now.) Say hi if you see him!