2:25 at CapTex equals 5:?? at Buffalo Springs?

Go check out the elevation change for BS not only for the bike but also the run. Cap Tex bike and run are pancake flat compared to BS - There is no real way way to translate the two. I will ask you though if you plan on just doubling your nutrition plan, b/c I actually took less nutrition in for BS (run) then I did for 100 degree heat at Cap Tex last year.

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You also forgot to mention the winds from Hades that tend to plague BSLT.  I don't recall any wind at CapTex.

Funny thing about the "hills" at BSLT.  When you drive in to Lubbock from the south and look out in the direction of the course, you think, "Wow, that's flat."  And then when you get to the course you realize all of the hills are valleys dipping below the horizon!

To the OP's pacing question: you'll just need to go by feel when you get to Lubbock.  Only you will be able to tell if you're pushing the right pace.

This year's CapTex was relatively cool (I was in the last Oly wave).  CapTex seemed to be equal to a cool day at BSLT.  You can probably plan on it being in the 90s.

Edited by Bumble Bee 2009-06-01 4:03 PM

Another aspect that make the BSLT hills bizarrely unique is that once you climb to the top of the hill it's flat...no downhill.  You climb out of the canyon then have 10 or so miles of hot, dry, windy flat road.  Then a downhill.  The BSLT hills are not like 'normal' hills where you climb to the top then get a rest going down the other side.

Sounds fun, right? 

Plan on your heart rate going from 0 to 300 right after T1 as the first hill is about 5 pedal strokes outside it so make sure your bike is in the right gear.

Don't forget that there's a little bit of an altitude effect.  The altitude is about 3000 feet for much of the ride.  This will slow you down just a little if you're not ready for it.

I did the play tri camp last month and the hills are a true eye opener. I think there are 8 total on the bike and 3 on the run. I would start off low because the middle of the bike has 3 climbs close and it can take a lot out of you.

5:31:54

Got it. 

To sum up, you can't compare BSLT with anything because it is uniquely hilly but with seemingly few downhills, devilishly hot and windy (except for when it isn't), HR goes from 0-300 right after T1, and the altitude will get you if the earlier stuff doesn't.  Remind me why am I doing this????

I think I'll take Smilford's suggestion (he's the only one that actually answered the question, after all!) and finish in 5:31:54

Brian

Edited by famelec 2009-06-05 11:50 AM

definately 5:32:14

The altitude of Lubbock with have no demonstrable effect. You're simply not high enough for it to matter. The heat and wind vary. I had good weather there in 2006 and 2007. Have fun. It's a terrific course.

Time will be what it will be, but take your celebratory beer with you - it's hard to find in those parts

i did CapTex in 2:25 also. I plan to finish BSLT in whatever time you do.
current forecast is for a high of 90. That should help with the speed on the run.

since it's never windy or hilly in Austin - we should be horribly under trained.

LOL - love it...

My plan is a 5:30! Walking through my hydration / nutrition plan for bike and run right now. The winning time for my age group (M25-29) last year was a 4:25 with a 24mph average on the bike! WOW!

Bike:
2 waters / 1 gaterade every 1.5 hours (total of 6 water bottles)
GU every hour (3)
2 salt tabs every hour (6)

Run:
walk water stations
Gu every hour (2)
2 salt tabs every hour (4)

2:25 at CapTex equals 5:20 at BSLT...there's the answer.


how did you do, brian?

Congrats on 2:25 CapTex turning into 5:20 at BSLT!  For me a 2:25 at CapTex equaled 5:51 at BSLT.  

I had a bad swim (normally my strength), OK bike, and not much left for the run.  While I think I'm more naturally suited for Olys (I can get a longer lead on the swim before the crowd starts catching up!) and sprints, I fully expected to be closer to 5:30 and even had a stretch goal of 5:15 (probably not reasonable for me in retrospect) at BSLT.

I need to figure out what went wrong since I thought my training was good.    I had a bad mental effort and majorly modified (and maybe deficient) nutrition effort but I don't think those added on the extra 20 minutes.  I don't train by HRM but  do use it as a "curiosimeter" during training and races, and my HR seemed awfully low at BSLT on the bike and run.  I'm thinking my cadence may have been too low during the race (I haven't looked at cadence all year) so I may have been stressing my legs too much and my heart not enough, leading to a sluggish run.  In fact I've been disappointed with all my runs this year but just assumed it was the heat....obviously not the case as BSLT.  I'll reinstall my cadence sensor this weekend to see if I've become more of a masher.  If so, I may have to pay more attention to this.

Brian

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Jeep,

When I hear about racing with poor nutrition the result is usually some disaster (cramps, vomit, dehydration, etc.).  In my case I just couldn't get a strong effort going on the run and seemed to lack the will/desire to get my HR up and get my legs moving.

I figure I got in liquid calories at the rate of 175-200 cal/hr in the first 90 min of the ride and gel/liquid calories at about the rate of 160-170 cal/hr in the last 90 minutes (gels at miles 30 and 40 or so, plus some gatorade).   I took in another gel late in the bike also, but so late that I'd consider it as part of the run.  I'm assuming those packages of Hammer gels they were handing out were 100 calories each (they were larger than the GUs I'd normally use so maybe they're more?).

While not ideal calorie intake (a bit low on calories in the first half, even a bit lower on calories in the second half) I haven't convinced myself that was the cause for a sluggish run.   I was shooting for 225-250 cal/hr, so overall I was only 125-200 calories short of where I wanted to be.  Based on this, do you still think that being a bit low on nutrition was a major contributor to a unusually slow run?

Brian
 

Edited by famelec 2009-07-06 2:57 PM

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Everyone's nutrition plan is different but there's no way I'd survive on 200 calories per hour on the bike during a HIM. I'm 6'0" tall and race weight around 167 and try to take in around 300 calories per hour on the bike. These calories are a set up for the run where I'll decrease my calorie intake just because it's harder to digest.

I'd say continue to test your nutrition during training to see if you can handle more calories. Nutrition is a very indidividual thing and I bet if you get that dialied in you'll see quite a bit of improvement.

I'm about your same size.  I'll try training with more calories to see how that goes.  You guys may very well be right that being light on nutrition may have affected my run more than I was thinking. 

Brian

While everyone is different, I had the same problems motivating myself to run faster. I think those three big hills take you out of a rhythm and then zap your legs/mind of believing you can run faster.

Having said that, I took in 4 gels and 4 Salt Tabs on the bike. total calories 480.

On the run I drank gatorade at almost every station and coke twice for sugar and to keep the cramps at bay. I did cramp going up the first big hill but that was it. I have no idea the calorie content of those drinks, but it was more than zero.

pre race, I consumed about 620 total calories of Perpetuem and a gel. I figured that I took in somewhere close to 1300 calories total on the day. I think you're probably good for 2000 calories of just stored energy in the morning. If you figure approx. 700 calories burned per hour, you need about 3500.

I am 5'10", 163lbs so similar in size. This has been my same nutrition plan for the other 70.3s I have done and it seems to work well.