First HIM, mixed emotions. (Page 2)

^^^This^^^

It looks like your longest run prior to your race was about 5 weeks before and was a standalone 10 miler.  Then it was a mixed bag of 5 or 6 miles averaging around 15 miles per week.  Not sure how you could have gauged your expectations if you have not even run the distance.

I don't doubt run fitness was lacking, but not sure what you are looking at. I did 10 mile runs 3 times in June. One of them was a race in hills which is known to be a tough race... I got a 1:28 in that race. I did 8.74, 9, 10 in July and then taper.

I train by HR, but I have no official numbers. Just from help here and doing some training I have come to a ballpark figure, but I have not done any testing. What I mean is I thought my LT for running was 183... after some discussion here I adjusted that to 176. Didn't try to focus on the number just the range. From training and races I knew what was comfortable and what was pushing. 

My HR was an average of 165 on the bike.... yes that still might be too high for a HIM pace... but I felt I was in a moderate comfortable pace and I did not want it higher than that. I thought I was doing a good job of keeping it down.... or not working too hard.

The first 4 miles of the run my HR was 185-180... and I was walking by that point trying to get it down. When I was running I was doing 11-11:30-12 mm which is darn slow. So when I did get running again I was not trying to be a jack rabbit. I tried to just keep the legs moving and find a groove just could not keep it.

I had done some runs in heat and yes I have been stopped before.

You are experience all to common conflict within triathletes.

Finishing something that is a huge accomplishment conflicting with your desire to do better/certain time.

Best time to look at yourself and know deep in your heart how you did is the first 10-20 seconds after you cross the finish line. There you are at your basic self and your true feelings come out.

After a short time, we filter our race performance on many factors and often come up short in a list of areas.

How did you feel when you cross the line?

It's okay to look back and say what can I improve upon. But don't take the joy and satisfaction out of what you accomplished since it was 11' off what you hoped for.

They put a freakin medal around your neck for a reason.

Be proud of your finish.

First comment is funny....  I usually think I'm so unique... then I find out I'm pretty text book.

.. 20 secs after I crossed the line??? I was happy as hell it was over and completely suprised I managed to pull a 6:11 out of that.

KSH - 2011-08-09 10:48 AM

powerman - 2011-08-09 10:51 AM

KSH - 2011-08-09 9:05 AM  Yes, the heat is a pace killer! Let me ask... do you train by HR? Have you done a test to determine your proper HR zones? I ask this, because maybe you were running too fast, for the heat you were in. Obviously, yes... but had you been using your HR as monitor, maybe you would have had a better race?

I train by HR, but I have no official numbers. Just from help here and doing some training I have come to a ballpark figure, but I have not done any testing. What I mean is I thought my LT for running was 183... after some discussion here I adjusted that to 176. Didn't try to focus on the number just the range. From training and races I knew what was comfortable and what was pushing. 

My HR was an average of 165 on the bike.... yes that still might be too high for a HIM pace... but I felt I was in a moderate comfortable pace and I did not want it higher than that. I thought I was doing a good job of keeping it down.... or not working too hard.

The first 4 miles of the run my HR was 185-180... and I was walking by that point trying to get it down. When I was running I was doing 11-11:30-12 mm which is darn slow. So when I did get running again I was not trying to be a jack rabbit. I tried to just keep the legs moving and find a groove just could not keep it.

I had done some runs in heat and yes I have been stopped before.

Well in a HIM... and your first one, your HR should have been in zone 2... aka: endurance. I'm not sure what your HR zones are. Maybe 165 is in that zone for you? For me it is. Everyone is different. If your HR was high coming off the bike... yes you probably pushed too hard on the bike... for your fitness level and maybe you were pushing too hard on the run? Having read you only trained up to 10 miles in training on the run... and your reduced miles on the bike in training... you can chalk it all up to lack of fitness for a faster HIM. With that said... you finished!!!! And 6:11 is a respectable time! Nothing to be ashamed of! I train a lot more than you did... just to get a time that good! Ha! Numbers are numbers. We do this as a hobby. We aren't getting paid for it. Be proud of your accomplisment and getting in shape!

Thanks for your help... 165 is not zone 2.. more like 3 pushing 4. Ya, what can I say... truley a lot to learn to do a HIM. Bike is my strength so I sort of focused on run my weakness. Perhaps I should have done more miles on the bike, but thought they were needed more on the run. Even then I was probably only managing moderate amounts for a HIM. No matter what I could not seem to get 3x a week in all 3 sports. Hard enough to learn how to race long distance, even harder trying to figure out how to balance racing 3 of them.

Sounds like you had a very similar experience to my first HIM.  I missed my goal time by 30 min (and I blame most of it on the heat as I don't handle the heat well)!  BUT I did finish, which is more than many athletes that day can say.  I looked at my place relative to my AG.  I know that it depends on who shows up, but I placed about 10 places higher in my AG than I thought I would (given my goal time)!  Made me feel VERY proud of my performance, because everyone had to deal with the same heat/humidity/sun.

The biggest mistake you could possibly make now though is not learning from your race.  I had a coach that used to preach:

"If you can't learn anything from falling short of your goal, you aren't going to accomplish much"

Learn, get out and swim/bike/run, and do not forget... HAVE FUN!

Congrats on the GREAT finish!

First, I want to say congrats on the acomplishment - a half IM is really something to be proud of.  Also, your swim time is really good, and is something I'd love to have.

With respect to your actual question about having a tough run, my honest feedback is that you just need to run more (and probably bike more, too).  You said your logs are incomplete so it's hard to gauge how much you have done this year, but looking at July I would have probably run roughly 2-3x your miles to really expect a good run.  Having a good run in any long distance tri comes from a lot of base building and miles and takes time to develop.  Pacing on the bike is also key, and going out "too fast" on the bike is something I think we've all done at least once.  Obviously, things like heat, hills and humidity can affect the final outcome as well.

Congrats again on the finish!

Sorry, I missed the 10 miles you ran a week or so before the race.  Wait, what are we talking about?  I thought you wanted to know why your expectations did not match up with the reality of the event?  Did I miss something? 

My point was I ran 10 mile runs 5 times... which is the most most say I need to go for a HM. If I thought it was beneficial to do the full 13 I would have. I'm not sure if I missed something? Like I said I got 1:28 in the 10 mile race in hills, ( faster pace than my 10K time on flats 3 months earlier) but I didn't even expect to do that in the HIM.... all I was expecting in the HIM was 10 minute miles.

Coming out of T2 I looked at the clock and knew I only had to do 12 minute miles to still meet my goal, but that was pretty much out after the first mile. By the second mile I was wondering if I was going to DNF. After I got that out of my head I just did the best I could do with what I had. That's why I was so suprised at the finish line... I was thinking much worse.

Batlou - 2011-08-09 1:58 PM OK, I have never seen a plan for any race, other than full marathons or ultras that do not call for doing the distance at least 1 time prior to your race.  Not sure how you could properly prepare without, however, I am new at this as well so I really don't know squat.

No sweat. Thanks for your help. I'm new too....  I have a whole year to get better. I'm doing a HM in Dec. with some co-workers. I'll prabably go do 13 next week just to proove a point.

I pretty much could have written your original post.  I went in, was feeling great after the bike, and just fell apart on the run.  14th on the swim, 40th-ish on the bike, and 178th on the run when my run and bike positions are usually about the same.  The run course was an unshaded run at noon along ashphalt roads.  One difference is that I'm pretty sure I didn't overcook on the bike (it was well under my previous oly and sprint paces).

I also don't think I bonked or was dehydrated (drank 4-5L on the bike, + 2 cups at each aid station on the run), but I just didn't have any strength after 8km.  I ended up walking for most of the last 13km, and missed my goal time by 18 minutes.

My conclusion: I'm not built for HIMs (I sweat at a rate that precludes proper fluid replenishment), so I'm just going to compete at sprints and oly's from now on.  Maybe even some try-a-tris.  No big loss.