TRI4ALL - Is Now FULL (Page 9)

Hi everybody. Sorry for going MIA for a while. I had to travel for work and it was brutal. I was in Austin TX last week. I got off the plane and tried to get in a one hour run before dinner. I didn't check the temp in my car before I started but it felt rather warm. I struggled through about 40 minutes and gave up. I check the temp when I got back and it was 96. Talk about a smack down .
I hope Spring is coming where you are. How is the weight loss going?

Work and sickness in the family have gotten things off track but hopefully things are turning around. Good luck in your race next week.

Hi Dale,

Glad to see you back. Hope all the chaos subsides soon!

I'll be missing in action this week. Traveling for work overseas all this week and internet connections may not be too accessable.

Good luck in the race next week Terry!

Keep up the good work everyone and happy easter!

Tim

Edited by Timmeh! 2008-03-23 8:00 PM

Good workout last night:

22.5 miles biked in 1:08:30

3.33 mils run in 26:45

2.5 miles on UBE in 15 minutes.

5.5 lbs lost (water/sweat) in 2 hours even though I sipped a whole 16oz Powerade and consumed a Hammer Gel.

That is a fast run!  Wow!

My best 3 mile time is around 23:30 but I've only broken 24 minutes 3 or 4 times. Considering I USUALLY run 3 miles in 24:15 - - 26:15, and that I was running AFTER a long bike ride - I was SUPER excited and actually did a douible take. I'm planning another bike/run tomorrow.

3 miles run in 24:45 last night. And 6.8 miles biked in 22 minutes. Short workout but better than the couch.

Hi all. The season here is starting up next month, so I am going to go through the entire race process from the night before to post race and give you some of my lessons that I have learned the hard way. This is going to be more like a brain dump rather than a typical post so please bear with me. I am going to bust this up into several different posts. So let’s get started.

Come race day, I want to concentrate only on racing. I don’t want any distractions. So for me race prep especially the days leading up to the race are very important. I am a strong a believer in visualization. I visualize everything from driving to the race through each leg. Again, come race day I want no worries. By now you should have your USAT card. You will need that along with your id to pick up your packet. If at all possible, try to get your packet the day before the race particularly if this is a large race or it is going to be your first. Sprints seem to be the most unorganized compared to the longer distance events. Once you get your stuff, get your swim time if it is going to be a pool swim.

If you are not familiar to the area, drive out to the race start. Keep in mind that it will be dark when you arrive the next day and more than likely you will be running later than you would like. I like to look for stores or other business that will be well lit at night to use as landmarks. Also, scope out some potential bathroom stops along the way. The port a john lines will get pretty long at the race.

Once you get there, try to scope out several possible places to park. I have had to park over 3 miles away from a race and I was early. If you are going to have to walk a long ways away, you will need to plan on getting there earlier and probably riding your bike to the start. This is the number one reason why I strongly disagree with using buckets to carry your stuff. I see more and more of these at races. I see people using these as seats to sit on during transitions. IMHO they take up a bunch of room in the transition area and should not be used. There are several people making tri bags. I have a Speedo swim bag that I picked up at a flea market. You can also use a backpack without the frame. Check out some of the swim sites like swimoutlet.com or campmore to see what’s out there. Remember, anything that is tri specific is going to be more expensive.

Glad to here you checked out OK. Yep, sometimes it's better to just stay on the porch.

Here some more info on getting ready for your race.

Once you are at the venue, check out the transition area. If it is in the grass, then the grass is going to be wet with due in the morning. Don’t wear your running shoes in the transition area unless you want to race in wet shoes and socks. Also check out what is in the grass. I have one race that the transition area is in a hay field with briers. You will need to decide if you clip your shoes into your bike, if you want to chance running through the grass or keep your shoes on. I have another rather with a nice patch of grass for an transition area but the bike start is about 300 yds from the transition area. The path to the start is undulating with gopher holes scattered in the grass. I use my bare feet here so I can use my toes to feel out the holes.

Check out where you are going to be exiting the water. Is it a beach or a slime covered boat ramp. Also check out the swim start. Do you have a long hike in the woods in the dark to the swim start? If so, better bring a trashy pair of shoes and a flashlight. If it is a sandy beach you need to figure out what are you going to do with your sandy feet before you start the bike. Some people use pans with water to wash their feet. Again, these take up space and will tick off your neighbors. I bring an extra water bottle and a hand towel and squirt my feet with water and quickly dry them off.

Once you finish checking out the area, drive back to where you are staying and time how long it will take you. You need to plan on getting to the race at least 1 hour before the start. Go ahead and add a few minutes for biology breaks and getting lost.

Take the time to get all of your race numbers ready. That means putting it on your race belt, helmet and bike. One trick for the bike number is to wrap the number across the top tube and use staples to hold it on. Personally, I don’t like adhesive on my paint job. I have done this in the transition area and gotten some looks then people want to borrow my stapler. I cover the back of the staples with tape so I won’t get cut.

Great info, Dale!  I like the idea of an extra bottle of water to wash your feet.  Lots of geese and duck droppings in the transition area at my Xterra last year.

Hey everyone, life took me off my training plan for a couple of weeks, but I'm back now and ready to get back into training! I had an extended business trip to europe followed by a few days of spring break vacation with the family.

Dale, thanks for all of the great info, please keep it coming! You have mentioned things that I never would have planned for.

Terry, sorry to hear about the crash, but I'm glad your ok!

Hi all. Yep we all have to take time off our best laid training plans. Just get out when you can and don't obsess over missing a few workouts. Here is some more info.

The night before, lay all of your stuff out and double check that you have everything. I will give you another post that has my list. Use a list and check them off as you pack your bag. Put your fluids in your car the night before (Yes I have forgotten these in the fridge). Pack your bag starting with your run stuff on the bottom, then bike, then swim. If you are going to have to ride in, leave your helmet and shoes out. I use a sprat bag for my wet suit and a carabener to fasten it to my swim bag. On the top of your bag should be your transition towel. Find a towel that is very distinctive that you can find easily. Mine is lime green with hot pink and purple strips.

Stick with you pre race nutrition. No cheating. Find a boring documentary to watch and get to bed early.

Race Day

Hopefully, you will have gotten at least a half a nights sleep. Eat your race day breakfast, no exceptions. Be sure to check the weather and change your wardrobe if necessary. If the start is going to be hot and humid or a big change from what you have trained under, be prepared to increase your fluids on the way to the race.

Once you arrive, if you haven’t picked up your packet you are going to have to find out where the packet pick up is, find a place to stash your stuff and get in line.

Most transition areas are laid out by race number. For example numbers 80-85 share one rack. Some races have specific places marked on the rack by number. For others it’s anywhere you can find a spot on the rack. Some small local races do not have any numbers so it’s find a spot where you can. No matter how it is laid out, the last person getting to the rack will have to squeeze in the best that they can. So this is another reason to get there early. If I have a choice, I prefer the outside position far away from the center or main traffic flow. Being on the edge gives me a bit more space (I’m slightly claustrophobic) and out of the traffic flow. Every race I hear a bike crashing off the rack where somebody steering a bike with one hand and dangling a bucket in another wacks into a bike. Did I mention I hate buckets . Your transition area is your little piece of sacred ground. Spread your towel out to where you have roughly a 1 foot by three foot space. Position your gear in the order that you will use it, swim, bike, run neat and organized. We will talk later about practicing transitions but hopefully you have practiced and visualized this and this becomes natural.

Once you get yourself organized the way you like it, check out the flow in and out of the transition. Some are very straight forward others are a rat maze. Walk through and and get familiar with landmarks and the layout. When you come back to your space, look for other landmarks like trees, light poles etc. Count the number of racks from the water to your bike. If you are still young you can remember this number. Me I look for my funky towel, and my purple swim bag and some sort of a land mark.

Once you feel comfortable with the transition area, you can go through your warm-up ritual. Some people go for a run or a quick spin. Me, I don’t feel like twisting and ankle or chance a tire puncture so I stroll around and watch the late comers freak out .

I've got a question regarding race day and the bike. What do you carry on the bike as far as emergency repair equipment? For normal training days I carry a medium sized bag under the seat with a spare tube, tire levers, multitool, co2 inflator with spare cartridges, wallet, cell phone, etc. For a race I'm thinking of just tire levers, patches, and inflator to cut down on weight. What do you think?


I'm also thinking of getting a wetsuit after talking to several local people who have raced around the area in june. I was going to try and get by without one, but everyone has said the water here is still pretty cool then. I looked into renting one for the event, but those are already sold out. Any particular brands and styles that you would recommend or stay away from?

Thanks guys!

For bike repairs you need your normal tire repair kit including levers, tubes, and cartridges. You will get a penalty or DQ I can't recall which if you accept help from others including taking an extra cartridge. I always slow and offer help if someone needs anything. I admit to handing out a few cartridges to help out but haven't gotten busted yet.

If you can find a shop, it's best to go and try on a few brands and sizes to see what fits best. This is where I got mine and was very pleased with their service http://www.gotrisports.com/gotri/
A good shop and match the right suit for the temp of the water you will be in and how durable the suit is.

Swimming

If it’s a wet suit legal race, it’s time to get small. All of the pizza I ate in the past month goes flashing through my eyes as I struggle to get this on. A couple of tips for getting it on. Put plastic bas over your feet. This makes it easier to get those tough last couple of inches on. I use Pam on my legs. This supposed to break down the rubber over time. If you use your wetsuit many times during the year you might want to keep this in mind. In the South I use it 2-3 times a year. Like everything else, practice getting in and out of your suit before race day. Also, before you put your feet in, make sure you haven’t put it on backwards. If you do, try to look cool when you take it back off, yep I’ve done that too. Put body glide around your neck, arm pits and any other contact places that will chafe. Put it on thick.

Swimming is my strength, so I do a warm-up 15-25 minutes before the start. If the race has age waves and it’s going to be a while before you start, take an old sweat shirt and towel to the start to dry off to keep from catching a chill just don’t forget to go back and get it . During warm up is the time to get the swim cap to fit and check out your goggles including the straps. Get everything situated the way you like.

Swim starts can be scary if you aren’t mentally prepared for it. By now everyone has heard about starting out to the side if you aren’t a fast swimmer. What I am seeing more often is that there are two groups on either side and the middle is left pretty clear. I like to hang back a bit while people get ready and pick my spot. I generally get 2-3 back depending upon the field. At the start I count to 3-5 before I start so I don’t get kicked in the face. All of the literature recommends drafting behind someone. This has turned into an obsession for some people. I like to have open water in front of me. I prefer to swim my own race and depend upon myself for sighting I have seen many people waste a bunch of energy trying to jump from feet to feet. I don’t mind if someone drafts off of me just like following me in a car. If you are going to pass, make it a good pass and get some distance from the person in front of you. Like in a car, passing and slowing down will get you run over.

No matter what you do, you are going to come in contact with people, or more likely, they are going top come in contact with you. Pardon my preaching, but for 99% of the age groupers out there, swimming over top of someone will not effect your place on the podium. We could all do a lot for the sport by being more civil in the water. That being said, most bumps are accidental. Swimming over top of someone is not. This usually happens to me when someone jumps form the fast group on the side and decides to draft off of me or they see me going faster and decide to try to take me out. I am generally a piece loving person until someone trys to hurt me. If someone swims over me, they are likely to get a fist in the middle of ther back and a pound on the leg as they go by. If you too decide to do this, like any other confrontation, don’t start something you aren’t willing to finish.

Ok enough preaching. Hopefully, you have had a chance to practice open water swimming before the race. If not, take the warm-up to calm your nerves. If the water is muddy, you may not be able to see your hands. I like to wear a Lance bracelet so I can see something yellow in the water. It also helps me gauge how close I am to another person.

Sighting takes practice. In the pool, get used to lifting your head up slightly to catch a mark on the side of the pool. Also, try taking a few strokes with your eyes closed to get used to not seeing the bottom of the pool.

Unless you have a balanced stroke, you are not going to be able to swim a straight line. For me, some races are worse than others. I can only guess that it is something to do with the layout of the course or most likely I am trying to compensate for my right shoulder injury. I breath on every third stroke. So I like to sight on ever 9 – 12 strokes. If the waves aren’t bad I can do an easy turn of my head and pick up a bouy or a land mark. If the waves or traffic is bad, you may have to lift your head up. Don’t worry if you have to make course corrections, just try not to burn too much energy getting yourself going the right way. It’s going to be a long race and you don’t want to get frustrated and wear yourself out before you start on the bike.

When you exit the water, be careful. I have gotten out of many swims with nicked up toes from rocks or concreate boat ramps. Also, you are gong to be light headed so don’t freak. If you have to get out of your wet suit do it quickly but again don’t get mad and waste energy. Also, don’t leave it laying in the middle of the transition area. This I haven’t done, but I have seen it done. That’s a good way to get some tire treads on your suit.

If you got stuff on your feet, take a couple of seconds to get the sand, gravel, etc. off before the bike. Your feet will be much more happy on the bike.

Well, my boss dropped a big one on me today. It seems that the weekend that my very first tri is scheduled, he wants me to work! I was so po'd I could hardly speak. The thing is, I have coworkers sitting around with absolutely nothing scheduled that could do it, and I have vacation scheduled for that weekend and he still wants me to work. I guess its nice to be needed, and since I'll never make a dime in endurance sports, I have to keep my job. The wife, coworkers, and non tri friends just don't feel my pain and I needed to vent. Thanks for listening!

I hope all is going well, and the weather is letting you all back outside!

Tim

Don't start about bike problems. LOL. I went to the beach last week. I ran 7 miles in about 58 minutes. I then mapped out a 10.2 mile bike loop and 1 mile into it my tube blew for no GD reason at all. Guess what? No spare tubes. I had a tire/multi tool/air,etc. but had somehow left out a tube - the easiest and most obvious thing to carry. Very pissed off. Hauled the bike 5 hours for a 2 minute ride.

March was okay but April has JUST those 7 miles run in 58 minutes. I'm at 205 lbs too. 7.5 - - 10 lbs too high. I signed up for a local 5K and still have August and June Sprints scheduled but I've hit a wall.

March's totals:
Bike: 4h 29m 55s - 81.95 Mi
Run: 3h 43m 25s - 26.18 Mi
Strength: 2h 30m
Tennis: 7h 15m
Walking: 1h 14m 15s

Well, my day just got better. You'll all be interested to know that Scott Rigsby was the featured speaker at my Rotary club today here in Atlanta. I've been trying toget him and because I missed last week I didn't know he was speaking until I got there today. great guy. i got my picture taken with him and he's doing Kona again too. Very inspirational and faith based fellow. I was like a kid in a candy store.

I got to race with Scott at the SC half a couple of years ago. I was having a rough day but when I saw him, I sucked it up. He is a great inspiration to all of us.

I did our local sprint this past Saturday. When I got off on the bike the front went trough. Thunder, lightning, and sideways rain. It rated a 10 on the nasty scale. I finished my usual middle of the pack. It's nice to be average

One more tip, if it looks like rain, put your running shoes and socks in a plastic bag with a draw string to keep it dry. Remember happy feet = happy race


Tim, Sorry to here about your race. In this economy, you have to grin an take it. Try to find a single sport event like a 5K or charity ride that you can fit in. I like to vent on the hills instead of my boss's face. It makes me feel better.

Remember, the goal is to make training and racing part of your lifestyle. Weather, work, family, and the rest of the world will get in the way. That makes those times you can get out so sweeeeeeeeet.

here are some Bike rants

Now that you are wet and cold, it’s time to get really cold on the bike. A few suggestions to make it a bit more bearable. Most tri shorts do not have a pad. I use a slip on neopreane cover over my saddle. This gives you about 3/16 in of padding over the saddle. Yes, this will change your position. If you are anal about such things, them you will need to lower your saddle the thickness of the compressed pad. For Olympic races and up in distance, I use bike gloves. Not so much for padding, but for protection for my hands if I crash. I also bike with glasses including clear ones if it is raining again for protection. Yes it takes a couple more seconds, but I plan on having a life after the race. I have done a couple of races with arm warmers and toe warmers. On my first half ironman, I saw several competitors curled up along the side of the cold shivering waiting on the SAG wagon. The water temp was in the low sixties and the air temp was in the 40’s. If you aren’t used to the cold, go ahead and put on some covers. If it warms up before you get off of the bike, drink more than you normally do to make up for the extra fluid loss from the extra clothing.

The first few miles of the bike to me is more irritating than the swim especially if you are a strong biker. The start is where you are going to have to maneuver around the most people. You will be surprised at how many people ride in the middle of the road particularly in sprints. You are SUPPOSED to pass on the left, but when people are riding 2 abreast having a chat, you pass when you and where you can. Because of my age, I usually start the swim towards the back of the pack. That means there can be several hundred people in front of me when I get on the bike. I once did a long sprint where I was constantly having to speed up and slow down to get around the swim wave in front of me. I knew the course, and there was a sweeping down hill with a short but steep hill coming up. So I wanted plenty of speed to power up the hill. So I punched it. As I was going around the blind part of the curve, I saw 3 twenty something young ladies riding three abreast having a conversion. I had no where to go other than into the other lane. About that time, a red neon driven by a blond girl came straight for me. I can still see her face. I managed to swerve and missed hear and the 3 ladies all by inches. Point to all of this, expect to have to do a bunch of speeding up and slowing down to get through traffic.

In three years of racing I got one time penalty. Again, I was trying to get around traffic when I came upon a young lady but out of the corner of my eye I saw lights coming up from behind. I slowed up, sat up and hit the brakes so I wouldn’t hit her. I waited for at least 30 seconds for this light to pass me. Tom to find out it was a race official and I got dinged 2 minutes. When I do a half iron, 2 minutes doesn’t mean anything to me but it is the principal.

Be familiar with the rules before you start on maintaining the correct distance between yourself and the person in front of you. This is where I waste the most energy navigating around traffic. This is why I tend to do smaller races just to avoid this.

The bike is where you do most of your nutrition. I take a small drink after I get on the bike. I generally don’t start taking on food for about a half hour out of the water to give my stomach time to settle down. Stick to your nutrition and hydration plan that you practiced.

Pace is the key to the bike. If you are a strong biker, back off a gear or two than what you feel like you can do. You want to finish the bike as fresh as possible.

Dale, thanks for all of the fantastic information. You have mentioned so much that I never would have even thought about! I especially like the venting on hills advise, very good and taken to heart.

I tried swimming with my eyes closed the other day. Now, I look pretty much like a floundering whale as it is, but when I tried this I looked like a drunk floundering whale! Wow, open water simming is going to be an experience!

Stay strong!