Bad ideas

Decided to experiment with nutrition on a sprint earlier this season. I took a gel and a lot of Gatorade on the bike leg. Found out on the run that it was a bad mix and an unnecessary amount. I think I got the award for most projectile vomit on the run. I've read a lot about race nutrition since and will no longer experiment on race day.

Edited by CzechYourHead 2013-08-19 7:52 AM

Usually just the race in and of itself.

- rode my bike off the tarmac onto a low shoulder and thought "I'll just pop back up on the road" = bad idea. Ended upside down with a dislocated shoulder and broken collar bone

worn new tri shorts. I wasn't new to racing but they seemed SO great ... I ended up chafing so badly on my inner thigh (they were a lot shorter than my other shorts) that I thought I could see my bone.

Ran a half marathon in 2011 in excruciating IT Band pain, every step felt like a knife stabbing the side of my knee. I finished the race but couldn't run for 10 weeks

I started a race thinking I just had allergies - maybe a cold. Turned out it was the flu. Total nightmare of a race. Learned the hard way just skip it if I don't feel well.

Ditto on the new tri shorts. The bike is torture for me anyway, and that just brought it to a whole new level. Plus (in the same race) taping my nutrition to the bike with Vietnamese duct tape. All ended up on the ground so all I got to eat was part of a fruit roll-up I "borrowed" from a buddy and stuffed in my trisuit in T2. Ever done an entire Oly on three bites of fruit roll-up? Don't. Plus (still the same race), doing an Oly in 98 degree weather with only 32 oz of water on the bike. I don't know about anyone else, but after gagging down that fruit roll-up, my mouth was complete cotton for the remainder of the ride.

It's the race shown in my avatar (second Oly). I'm grinning because I'm still alive despite being a total idiot.

Several years ago I ran a marathon by feel rather than by plan. At the start I felt great and decided to go for a PR, I ran the first half 30 seconds per mile faster than what I had trained for and set a HM PR. I wound up Slamming into the Wall at mile 22 and struggled over the last 4.2 miles just to finish.

One of my first races, I stuck a toe in and the water and determined it was "Too Cold" to warm up in prior to the race, about 62 degrees. So I just stayed nice and dry and went flying into the water at the gun. For some reason, I hyperventilated for a bit and didn't have a very good time.

Edited by Swimbikeron 2013-08-19 9:36 AM

deciding that racing an Xterra in my husband's place was a good idea- with 2 weeks warning. Okay- I guess it was a good idea since I signed up for another I had so much fun. But the bloody nose and lip from lack of mountain biking practice was a little rough.

Thought I would still handle my first Marathon even though I was finishing up a 15 day regiment of antibiotics, and still had the sinus infection. DNF at mile 15.5. 180+ hr for three hrs. Kept slowing down trying to get theHR down, to no effect. I learned if you are not healthy, there is no point is even starting.


Edited by ksee 2013-08-19 10:16 AM

Running in bike shoes in T1 for the very first time at Nationals. Got a nice little sprained arch/ankle outta that one!

Patti

I raced with a slight cold/flu 7/15 and had pretty poor results.. As a result, I ended up w/ a full-blown infection that lasted three weeks and I ended up on two types of antibiotics for. No training or nothing for a long time, and I had to miss the next race in the series (yesterday). Grrrr.

...thankfully, the series is best 3 of 4, the one I missed was no. 3.

x2

And yet you do it anyway ;-)

Running my first-ever marathon, on a whim, after having my longest run ever being 13.1 miles. It was this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/us/08chicago.html?pagewanted=all

You picked a great debut marathon!

Funny how high 80s / low 90s causes all kinds of problems for marathons but no one seems concerned about full IMs in the same conditions. I did IM Zurich this year with temps in the low 90s and a couple people were joking that if it were a marathon it would be cancelled. I guess if you're crazy enough to do an IM you deserve whatever you get weather-wise!

Funny you mention that. I would contend it's because BOPers doing ironmans are in better shape, or at least more hardy (or crazy, if you prefer), than BOPers in marathons. Just my own personal observation.

Anyway during Chicago 2007 I honestly though I was going to die a couple times. Once I finished I went home to wait for my friends who never showed. Well, not until much much later than expected. They said `The marathon was CANCELED!' and my response was `No it wasn't. I just finished it and I think it may have killed me.' Then we went for burgers.

That's funny

Apple Fritter on the way to the race.

Not mine but two of my buddies--it was their first Oly (I think) so probably forgivable--nasi lemak (rice with veggie curry and anchovies) at lunch before an early afternoon start. Plus Infinite on the bike when they'd never tried it before and they mixed it too strong. Equals projectile vomiting during and after. As the "experienced" athlete, I advised them against it but they did it anyway. Can't say my own decision-making was much better, but at least I didn't puke.