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2013-04-11 6:51 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
yazmaster - 2013-04-10 7:01 PM
brigby1 - 2013-04-10 10:43 AM
dmiller5 - 2013-04-10 9:44 AM
yazmaster - 2013-04-10 9:30 AM

Honestly, I don't think there's a 'wrong' way other than being generally undertrained.

 

Bricks - not necessary but not a problem.

 

Training on tired legs? No problem as well. Heck, I did ALL my training for my HIM last year on back-to-back long and hard bike Sat then long and hard uber hilly trail run (2.5hrs) on thrashed legs, and it only helped ( alot) to get used to adapting to that sort of beatdown. I absolutely don't think it's a good idea to avoid leg beatdown, in training - in fact, for most of us AGers who aren't doing like 20 hrs per week, the more often you put yourself into that beatdown mode, the stronger you'll emerge from it. This includes hard bricks.

 

I can't disagree more. Training "beat down" all the time makes it hard to get in quality workouts and is a good way to get hurt. You need to manage your fatigue and you training load not just beat the heck out of your body all the time.

Agree. You're trying to get the most out of the work you put in, not put in the hardest work.

 

I say this because odds are very, very high that a BT athlete is undertraining rather than overtraining. I'd say differently for FOP athletes and high-volume athletes, but that's not the typical crowd being addressed on a beginnertriathlete forum. Most BTers barely crack 10 hrs per week of training I'll bet - the problem here is almost always undertraining, not overtraining.

Notice that neither of the responses to yours used the term "overtraining". It's not necessary to get to the point of overtraining to get hurt. And just because one is not getting hurt does not mean the training done is terribly effective. Neither response is saying to avoid going hard, and in fact have said to push hard in the past. However, learn to do so in a manner that will best promote a stronger training response. There is more to it than just going through a "beatdown" on a regular basis. It's also necessary to learn how to apply the stress to maximize the response to it. Many here will show improvement just doing anything, but it's quite possible to improve faster and improve more by learning to organize training more effectively.



2013-04-11 7:06 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
bcagle25 - 2013-04-10 10:58 PM

I remember when Jordan said that, in fact I believe he was going off my comment originally when I posted on ST, when I was comment off Gerlach's post. "I would agree, although I think there is a big misconception in the age-group field that bike/run workouts are for fitness, when rather, they are for skill. In other words, biking 6 hours will get you the same measure (roughly) of fitness as a 5 hour bike/1 hour run per say. However, if you are going to run off the bike it is more about learning to pace yourself, keeping a good form, nutrition, how to was into the run, etc. a skill. 

I just looked.  It was in response to something you wrote.  Good memory.

I just always liked how Jordan articulated it and quote that often.

2013-04-11 7:12 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
bcagle25 - 2013-04-10 10:58 PM

I remember when Jordan said that, in fact I believe he was going off my comment originally when I posted on ST, when I was comment off Gerlach's post. "I would agree, although I think there is a big misconception in the age-group field that bike/run workouts are for fitness, when rather, they are for skill. In other words, biking 6 hours will get you the same measure (roughly) of fitness as a 5 hour bike/1 hour run per say. However, if you are going to run off the bike it is more about learning to pace yourself, keeping a good form, nutrition, how to was into the run, etc. a skill. 

Really? I'm not sure I'd equate the two.

2013-04-11 8:11 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
KateTri1 - 2013-04-11 7:12 AM
bcagle25 - 2013-04-10 10:58 PM

I remember when Jordan said that, in fact I believe he was going off my comment originally when I posted on ST, when I was comment off Gerlach's post. "I would agree, although I think there is a big misconception in the age-group field that bike/run workouts are for fitness, when rather, they are for skill. In other words, biking 6 hours will get you the same measure (roughly) of fitness as a 5 hour bike/1 hour run per say. However, if you are going to run off the bike it is more about learning to pace yourself, keeping a good form, nutrition, how to was into the run, etc. a skill. 

Really? I'm not sure I'd equate the two.

 

How so?

2013-04-11 8:22 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
GMAN 19030 - 2013-04-11 7:06 AM
bcagle25 - 2013-04-10 10:58 PM

I remember when Jordan said that, in fact I believe he was going off my comment originally when I posted on ST, when I was comment off Gerlach's post. "I would agree, although I think there is a big misconception in the age-group field that bike/run workouts are for fitness, when rather, they are for skill. In other words, biking 6 hours will get you the same measure (roughly) of fitness as a 5 hour bike/1 hour run per say. However, if you are going to run off the bike it is more about learning to pace yourself, keeping a good form, nutrition, how to was into the run, etc. a skill. 

I just looked.  It was in response to something you wrote.  Good memory.

I just always liked how Jordan articulated it and quote that often.

Jordan is very articulate, he also has given some great speeches, mostly after his Ironman victories. I especially enjoyed the speech after Leadman last year. Meeting him and talking after the race, made me understand just how great not only of an athlete he is, but an ambassador of the sport as well. 

Leadman Speech with a great Zima reference

Ironman New York

Ironman Texas

Ironman Canada 2011

2013-04-11 8:48 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
KateTri1 - 2013-04-11 7:12 AM
bcagle25 - 2013-04-10 10:58 PM

I remember when Jordan said that, in fact I believe he was going off my comment originally when I posted on ST, when I was comment off Gerlach's post. "I would agree, although I think there is a big misconception in the age-group field that bike/run workouts are for fitness, when rather, they are for skill. In other words, biking 6 hours will get you the same measure (roughly) of fitness as a 5 hour bike/1 hour run per say. However, if you are going to run off the bike it is more about learning to pace yourself, keeping a good form, nutrition, how to was into the run, etc. a skill. 

Really? I'm not sure I'd equate the two.

from an aerobic fitness perspective they are (very) roughly equivalent. His point was only that a brick is NOT to create fitness it is for skill. If you rode for 5 hours in the morning, and then later ran for 1 hour in the evening, it would likely be a better fitness benefit than a brick. It would not however help you hone the skill of running off the bike.



2013-04-11 9:24 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM

Great thread for those of us looking at our first HIM in the near future.  Thanks for the great OP and for all the informative follow-up posts!

Quite a few posts refer to using the bricks to see if you have your nutrion dialed in, with run lengths of 2-10 miles.  What aspect of nutrition are you really looking at here if you are doing just a 2 mile run?  Does it show you that you've missed it completely on the bike and thus you are dead on the run from the beginning, or is it something else?



Edited by TTom 2013-04-11 9:25 AM
2013-04-11 10:26 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
TTom - 2013-04-11 9:24 AM

Great thread for those of us looking at our first HIM in the near future.  Thanks for the great OP and for all the informative follow-up posts!

Quite a few posts refer to using the bricks to see if you have your nutrion dialed in, with run lengths of 2-10 miles.  What aspect of nutrition are you really looking at here if you are doing just a 2 mile run?  Does it show you that you've missed it completely on the bike and thus you are dead on the run from the beginning, or is it something else?

With a run off the bike that short, you're just getting a little more used to running off the bike. It won't tell you much of anything about nutrition unless you did horribly with it.

2013-04-11 11:00 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM

Question:

If the run of a HIM is during the heat of the day, should we be doing our run training during the heat of the day (heat acclimatization)?

2013-04-11 11:02 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
timf79 - 2013-04-11 12:00 PM

Question:

If the run of a HIM is during the heat of the day, should we be doing our run training during the heat of the day (heat acclimatization)?

I think it's a good idea to simulate race conditions as best you can, so yes.  

2013-04-11 11:46 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
timf79 - 2013-04-11 11:00 AM

Question:

If the run of a HIM is during the heat of the day, should we be doing our run training during the heat of the day (heat acclimatization)?

Yes. How much of your running is a good question though. Heat tolerance seems to be highly individual.



2013-04-11 12:02 PM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
LarchmontTri - 2013-04-11 11:02 AM
timf79 - 2013-04-11 12:00 PM

Question:

If the run of a HIM is during the heat of the day, should we be doing our run training during the heat of the day (heat acclimatization)?

I think it's a good idea to simulate race conditions as best you can, so yes.  

Depends on how much it takes out of you. If doing it in the heat of the day has you "in the well" for the next 3 days what benefit is it if you can't train for the next 3 days? I always suggest a few days of race specific conditions training though out your build, and prepare the training leading up and following those days properly. But if running a long run 0f 18 miles in the middle of your IM build has you in the well for the next week then it maybe isn't the best idea. 

However, you really never can know race conditions until 1-2 days out, you can only have a general idea. I think IMWI and IMSTG are great examples of expect the unexpected. 

2013-04-11 4:06 PM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
LarchmontTri - 2013-04-11 12:02 PM
timf79 - 2013-04-11 12:00 PM

Question:

If the run of a HIM is during the heat of the day, should we be doing our run training during the heat of the day (heat acclimatization)?

I think it's a good idea to simulate race conditions as best you can, so yes.  

x2.

2013-04-12 12:22 PM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
TTom - 2013-04-11 8:24 AM

Great thread for those of us looking at our first HIM in the near future.  Thanks for the great OP and for all the informative follow-up posts!

Quite a few posts refer to using the bricks to see if you have your nutrion dialed in, with run lengths of 2-10 miles.  What aspect of nutrition are you really looking at here if you are doing just a 2 mile run?  Does it show you that you've missed it completely on the bike and thus you are dead on the run from the beginning, or is it something else?

The purposes of a short run off a long bike is first to see if you can get into good running form in the first mile. If that's not possible it may indicate improper pacing on the bike, or lack of fitness. Next is measuring energy level, which relates to nutrition. If you're feeling depleted at the start, nutrition on the bike was poor. If you're already feeling deployed at the end of a couple miles, nutrition on the bike needs improvement. No real need to go much past that as by that point you would begin nutrition on the run. Many people need to start nutrition on the run much sooner in a HIM than a stand alone HM. Finally, it gives you a chance to practice transitions when you're somewhat tired. You may need to change socks if you're a heavy sweater for example.
2013-04-12 12:33 PM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
bcagle25 - 2013-04-11 12:02 PM
LarchmontTri - 2013-04-11 11:02 AM
timf79 - 2013-04-11 12:00 PM

Question:

If the run of a HIM is during the heat of the day, should we be doing our run training during the heat of the day (heat acclimatization)?

I think it's a good idea to simulate race conditions as best you can, so yes.  

Depends on how much it takes out of you. If doing it in the heat of the day has you "in the well" for the next 3 days what benefit is it if you can't train for the next 3 days? I always suggest a few days of race specific conditions training though out your build, and prepare the training leading up and following those days properly. But if running a long run 0f 18 miles in the middle of your IM build has you in the well for the next week then it maybe isn't the best idea. 

However, you really never can know race conditions until 1-2 days out, you can only have a general idea. I think IMWI and IMSTG are great examples of expect the unexpected. 

 

I normally just run slower in the heat (up to a 2min/mile slower). I always thought that traning in race conditions is a good diea, my coach just noted once that I may need to run earlier in the day before the Texas heat sets in (though I figured during my HIM I will be running exactly at that time of the day)...

2013-04-13 8:30 PM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
I didn't read all of the responses but my take on bricks is I don't really care to do them.  Sometimes my friend and I when we're training will do a practice tri or two during a season of shortish distances just to switch things up a little bit.  As a regular training practice I wouldn't dream of doing them.  I've found that what makes me run the most effectively off the bike in a race is to simply have my bike conditioning be up to snuff, that and not completely trashing myself with my pace on the bike.  I think if I regularly did bricks I would learn to hate running and I don't want to hate running, it's my strongest area of the 3.


2013-04-14 6:26 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
My 2 cents after my first HIM. Electrolytes management is far more important than I realized. Had plenty of energy after a 2:32 bike but could not get cramps out of hamstring and calves + stitch. Lost 30-40 minutes walking/bending over in pain.On the brick topic, once you have run 3 miles it's no longer a brick workout but a run workout. Stop unless your intention is to have a run workout.
2013-04-14 10:08 PM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
GMAN 19030 - 2013-04-10 5:47 AM
Shaggy101 - 2013-04-10 6:11 AM

Will definitely spend alot more time on the bike as well as leg weights to develop those muscles better

Will def do alot more brick workouts, coming off the bike and hitting the run.

Welcome to long course racing and all that comes with it.

I'm going to be very blunt so that you don't continue to make similar mistakes.

Don't make another two beginner mistakes and think strength training your legs makes you a stronger cyclist and that bricks are some kind of magical triathlon run cure.  You're way off base.

Cycling makes you a better cyclist.  What happened to you had nothing to do with leg strength.  It had everything to do with endurance, fitness, bike execution and very unrealistic goals.  Assuming you raced Galveston on Sunday, a 2:30 bike was a top-10% bike split.  What lead you to believe you could hang at the FOP on the bike?

Remember that everything compounded for you in a bad way.  The swim took more out of you than you thought, which meant the bike took more out of you, so the run was bound to be a death march.  I'm impressed with the 2:18 all things considered.

Bricks for long course racing are almost a complete waste of time.  They serve a more debatable purpose for short course racing when you have less time to get your run legs going.  Like I said... that's even very debatable.

I often quote Jordan Rapp when it comes to bricks as I thought he articulated it well...

Running off the bike is a neuromuscular skill. Basically, you train your body to quickly make the switch from the neuromuscular firing pattern for cycling to that of running. This is why bricks are more important for shorter events and why, over time, the more experienced you are as a triathlete, the less you actually need them. 

Nobody needs to practice running sh*tty (running on "tired legs"); the point of a brick is the exact opposite, to practice running WELL (with good form) after cycling. 

If you understand this, it will help to explain when to run off the bike, and also what you are (or should be) trying to achieve with that workout. 

The point is to learn to run correctly. And then to train and race/pace appropriately such that you can maintain good form. 

There is some skill involved in running correctly. And there is some skill involved in running
 off the bike effectively. But running off the bike effectively necessarily requires all the skills that are required for good running. Practicing running off the bike a lot without the required skills is like trying to learn calculus without knowing algebra. 

Learn to run well. THEN learn to run well off the bike. But no matter how you look at it, running off the bike is ONLY a skill. Running - in any context - is certainly a skill, but it's also overwhelmingly fitness-reliant (like swimming). So the best training is to do whatever will allow your run training to be most effective. And that's NOT going to be running when you are tired from cycling. 

Same reason that a pull buoy, paddles, etc are so useful in the pool. They help you take good strokes even when you are tired. Likewise with running, do what you can to help your running - if you're shelled, run when it's cool, or run where it's flat, or use a treadmill to help with turnover, etc. 

You don't need to practice your Ironman shuffle. Your body is very capable of figuring out how to simply get from A-to-B.

pretty much hit everything to the T here.  Long course is way different than oly and sprints. I've not done an oly but have done a couple of sprints and a couple of HIMs so even I am not very experienced. Sprints I do all out. HIMs I've trained for and trained with HR staying within zones/% I am supposed to be in. I did my HIMs in those zones as well. It paid off. when my plan told me to ride 4 hours on my bike and then run for an hour after that I thought it was crazy to do so since I figured at worst I'd be 3:15 on the bike. But what it taught me was to run on legs that could barely move.

If you don't have a plan you should really get one. if you had one, you should follow your plan. Even the generic plans aren't too bad IMO if you actually follow them.

to me it does sound like you were/are undertrained.  

Anyways you did finish and that is the main thing. Chalk this up to a learning experience.

2013-04-15 7:49 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM

FranzZemen - 2013-04-14 7:26 AM My 2 cents after my first HIM. Electrolytes management is far more important than I realized. Had plenty of energy after a 2:32 bike but could not get cramps out of hamstring and calves + stitch. Lost 30-40 minutes walking/bending over in pain.On the brick topic, once you have run 3 miles it's no longer a brick workout but a run workout. Stop unless your intention is to have a run workout.

No.

No matter how far you run, if you biked beforehand, its a brick.

2013-04-16 9:00 PM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
japarker24 - 2013-04-15 7:49 AM

FranzZemen - 2013-04-14 7:26 AM My 2 cents after my first HIM. Electrolytes management is far more important than I realized. Had plenty of energy after a 2:32 bike but could not get cramps out of hamstring and calves + stitch. Lost 30-40 minutes walking/bending over in pain.On the brick topic, once you have run 3 miles it's no longer a brick workout but a run workout. Stop unless your intention is to have a run workout.

No.

No matter how far you run, if you biked beforehand, its a brick.

No, that's not true. Back at ya.
2013-04-17 7:08 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
Technically, running longer off the bike is still a brick, but it's not really more of a brick or necessarily a more useful brick as the main purpose of one is to learn to transfer from biking to running. That should happen well within 3 miles, so anything beyond that is additional running to get in more running. How helpful that additional running is has already been touched on in previous posts.


2013-04-17 8:00 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
FranzZemen - 2013-04-16 10:00 PM
japarker24 - 2013-04-15 7:49 AM

FranzZemen - 2013-04-14 7:26 AM My 2 cents after my first HIM. Electrolytes management is far more important than I realized. Had plenty of energy after a 2:32 bike but could not get cramps out of hamstring and calves + stitch. Lost 30-40 minutes walking/bending over in pain.On the brick topic, once you have run 3 miles it's no longer a brick workout but a run workout. Stop unless your intention is to have a run workout.

No.

No matter how far you run, if you biked beforehand, its a brick.

No, that's not true. Back at ya.

From the Glossary of Triathlon Terms on this site:

Brick:

 

Commonly, a combination workout that includes a bike and run back to back. Comedically, "Bike/Run It Can Kill" or "Bike/Run Ick". It can be any combination of triathlon sports with less than 10 minutes between sports.

 

Only mention of time I see is the amount of time between sports.  No mention of distance either....

2013-04-17 8:59 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
japarker24 - 2013-04-17 8:00 AM
FranzZemen - 2013-04-16 10:00 PM
japarker24 - 2013-04-15 7:49 AM

FranzZemen - 2013-04-14 7:26 AM My 2 cents after my first HIM. Electrolytes management is far more important than I realized. Had plenty of energy after a 2:32 bike but could not get cramps out of hamstring and calves + stitch. Lost 30-40 minutes walking/bending over in pain.On the brick topic, once you have run 3 miles it's no longer a brick workout but a run workout. Stop unless your intention is to have a run workout.

No.

No matter how far you run, if you biked beforehand, its a brick.

No, that's not true. Back at ya.

From the Glossary of Triathlon Terms on this site:

Brick:

 

Commonly, a combination workout that includes a bike and run back to back. Comedically, "Bike/Run It Can Kill" or "Bike/Run Ick". It can be any combination of triathlon sports with less than 10 minutes between sports.

 

Only mention of time I see is the amount of time between sports.  No mention of distance either....

Instead of nit-picking every little "tree", you could try work with understanding the "forest" more. There is a good observation in that same section that is much more important than perfecting every definition.

2013-04-17 9:12 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM
I agree with Brigby. I have followed a lot of his advice and haven't been led astray(yet).lol. The forest analogy is spot on.
2013-04-17 9:28 AM
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Subject: RE: What I learned from my first HIM

Yes, you can micromanage both HIm training and nutrition to a ridiculous extent.

 

It's really not that complicated, and there's no magic solution, bricks or no bricks. It doesn't matter how many bricks you do (or don't do) if you're not putting in enough volume on SBR for race day at your target.

 

Similarly with nutrition - people here make it sound like rocket science, but it really isn't. Use what you train with on your long rides and runs, and you're all set for race day. At the worst, you just use your well-practiced bike nutrition, and then live off the course on the run - I've done that every race with no problem - I literally consume what I train with on the bike.

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