Longest First Time Post

What your thoughts on my general training cadence?

I am right there with you.  I am 41 years old and prior to my first 70.3 the mountain bike that I got in 94' was my "A Bike".  Your swimming is your strength.  You are going to nail the swim.  At 100 miles a week on the bike and 26 miles a week running you have the fitness to get through the 70.3 race.  Especially if you are not racing. 

What is a good time for your first event? Am I realistic? 

My first triathlon was in 2015.  It was a 70.3 distance Triathlon.  My goal was to finish in under 5:15 with a 40 min swim, 2:55 bike, and 1:35 run.  The only discipline that I had ever races or even trained for prior to my triathlon training was the run and I had run a dozen half marathons in the 1hr 22min to 1hr 26min range.  

I did a 35min swim, 4:20 hr bike (two flat tires) and 2:00 run to finish right at 7 hours. It was the most thrilling accomplishment for me.  I couldn't have been happier if I had gone under 5 hours and been first place overall. 

I trained for another year and did a repeat the following year and the results were a 44 min swim (leg cramps), 3hr 3min bike, 2:00 run. for a  5hr 44 min finish. 

I didn't think my goals of going under 5:15 were unrealistic and everything I read said that my run time should be about 10% over my open half marathon time so I was a little discouraged with running a 2:00:05 in my first 70.3 after 8 months of training and then a 2:00:06 the following year 21 months into my transition to Triathlon.  My college running coach told me that it in his experience it takes athletes about three years to Peak in Endurance Sports.  So after the disappointing run at my second triathlon, I lightened told myself that I had to wait until I was 36 months into the sport before I start to work about race time.  The following year I choose to do an Olympic Race that I had friends doing. The run was still disappointed and I had the worst swim of my life (again due to leg cramps), but I had a great bike leg. The plan was to just do one race a year because at that point I wasn't fast and the more races I did the less improvement I could see at each event, but I lost all my motivation after my Olympic race having nothing to look forward to so I went ahead and signed up for a late-season 70.3 race 7 weeks before it was held.  I didn't think I would have enough time to get in shape for that race so the plan was to just run it for fun and not try to PR.  Well...I got a flat tire on the bike that lost me 11 minutes of time but I finished that race with a 5:10 finish time and a 1:50 run time.  So...37 months into triathlon I finally got under the 5:15 mark.  I was so encouraged that I could have gone under 5:00 hours if I hadn't got the flat tire that I made a goal to break 5 hours the following year.   I got a 5:07 at my 70.3 race but took another 9 minutes off my run time for a 1:41 run.  So I did the late season 70.3 again and got a 4:57 finish time with a 1:32 run time.  So don't change your goals.  They are really where they are, but if you don't hit them don't be discouraged.  The long triathlon does has a learning curve to it.  For my first race, I was doing 3000-4000 yards swimming, 90 miles a week cycling, and 25 miles a week running.  My volumes have not changed much in 4-1/2 years.  I am doing a lot more intensity now.  That comes with time though and you improve through consistency.   

Sweat...I have a high sweat rate...

If I am swimming shirtless then yes I shave the chest. You are a swimmer so you know what that means for drag (Yes us 40+ Masters Athletes have the Magnum PI hear going on).  If I am wearing a wet suit I just shave the legs and arms to decrease drag on the bike (my arms are hairier than my Magnum PI chest).  Shaving isn't going to keep you cooler.  I am a heavy sweater and so it took my a few races to figure out the nutrition (i.e. how much fluids to take in, how much electrolytes, etc.).  Nutrition was one of the big downfalls in my first few races.  I was getting cramps in the water, cramps on the bike, and cramps on the run.  It was a big part of the learning curve that lots of athletes don't consider in there race time goals for their first race.  

Water: How much water would one drink during the race? I had to learn this by trial.  In training, I was totally fine up to 60 miles on the bike with taking 20 oz every hour in the saddle. Races were different.  My first Race it was hotter than heck and the second race it was 50-55 deg F and raining. That makes a big difference in what you need and what you want.  What you want on the bike is not always enough though so you have to learn when to drink when to take electrolytes, and how much.  In training runs I was fine with nothing (not food not water) for up to 12 miles runs.  In the race...I was dehydrated and cramping before I even got off the bike so I started the run about in the condition I would be 20 miles into a training run.  I could get enough fluid, electrolytes, calories on the run. Again this is a learning thing, but I do about 32 oz of fluids with lots of electrolytes before the swim, can down another 32oz of fluids my first 10 minutes on the bike if it is a hot day.  Cool days I might be okay on 40oz of fluids on the bike and hot days I might be closer to 100oz of fluids on the bike.   On the run I just stop at every aid station on the course and get what I need.  If I am feeling good  I will take one paper cup of water or sports drink and drink in down in one gulp and be on my way.  If it is hot I may take as many as 5-6 cups as a single aid station before hurrying on.  Again this is a learning curve.  One thing I have learned is when I am going to cramp and when I am going to bonk.  I feel weak about 10 minutes before a bonk and if I am paying attention can get calories in (coka-a-cola works great) before I bonk.  The camps I can start to feel early craps.  If I ease up on the pace a little bit, relax and get some electrolytes I sometimes can prevent the full-on muscle spasms.   Cramps are a bigger challenge though.  One they start to come on I am going to have to slow down.  Pushing through will lead to spasms.  I looks more time with muscle spasms than I do from slowing down so slowing down saves my a lot of time (and pain) if I can paying attention and quickly adjust.  

Transitioning between S – B – R..... The longer I have races the more I hustle through a transition. I used to take them at a light jog, but now I take them at a quick run.  You are better off walking through every aid station (which I do) so you can spread out your mini-breaks than to take them all at once at the transitions.  You "rest"  over about 20 seconds have diminishing returns so do hang around in transitions.  Burn through there are fast as you can.  If you need to take a few extra seconds do it at the aid stations on the run. 

If you have to go #1, do you pull over to a tree and go? What’s the real etiquette?  There are outhouses every 15 miles or so on the bike and every 3 miels or so on the run.  Don't use a tree.  Don't wet yourself.  It is against the triathlon race rules and you will get time penalties or DQ'd if caught.  I have use the port-a-pot in the bike in about 1/3 of my races and on the run in about half of my races.  

During the race, do you need to worry about cars or do they shut down the roads? Yes...worry about cars.  Most races don't shut down the roads.  I don't mind riding with traffic since I am used to it but lots of the drivers are not used to driving with cyclists so even if you exhausted pay attention out there. 

Should I get larger single rides in, say 50, 60, 70 milers? For my first race I started at 25-mile rides on Saturday mornings and added 10% every week (with rest weeks every 3-4 weeks where I just did 25 miles).  I built up to 55-60 miles.  I was focused on just building the base.  I had zero cycling background.  My current cycling plan is a lot different.  It used to take me 3 hours to go 50 miles.  Now I can do 20-40 minute intervals at race pace take a 5-10 minute rest interval and do 2-3 intervals and get my 50 miles in 2-1/2 hours and then do a 30-minute brick run after my long ride.  I do higher intensity on the bike now for my long rides and a 3-6 miles running off the bike.  So I still have 3-1/2 hour workouts but am doing less time on the bike.  Tough call really.  Without analyzing data it would just be a coin toss to guess if more endurance or more intensity will yield better results.  I personally feel that you should focus on long slow miles for the first three years and after you have built the base to go to the higher intensity.  So...my vote would be yes for the longer rides.  Remember the race is going to be 5-6 hours long.  One of the things that first-timer struggle with is their attention span.  If their longest workouts are 3 hours or 4 hours long they get 3 hours or 4 hours into the race and even if their fitness is there they mentally feel like they are to the end with another two hours to go.  Your body may be holding up fine but your get bored with what you are doing and want to stop.  So in that light, you may even want to do a century (100 mile) ride to trainer your brain to a 6-hour window.  This again is one of those learning curve things with endurance sports.   

Flat tire. I can’t change one. What happens on race day if it goes flat?  My first race I had two flats.  My third race I had another flat.  It happens and it something that you need to be prepared for.  Carry a CO2 kit to inflate your tube and care a spare tube.  Oh and make sure you have changes an inner tube a few times before the race so you learn the feel for prying off the tire, fitting the tire back on the rim, inflating the tube etc.  In my first race there was no bike support at the aid station on the bike course.  I was shocked.  I stopped after my first flat hoping a pit crew you run out at the drop of a hat and check my air pressure and make sure I was where I needed to be.  What I found was a laddy who had a bike pump in her truck that had a Shrader Valve that she swore she used for Preston valves at home.  She held the valve and I pumped as fast as I could while hearing air escaping the whole time.   I got pumping fast enough for a while that the Pressure gage got close to 90 PSI so I signaled for the lady to pull the valve.  The tire felt okay so I went on my way but it was a waste of another 10-15 minutes and I got my second flat a little over a mile from the aid station which I feel was due to messing with the pump/air pressure.  I didn't have bike shoes and cycling in my running shoes and toe clips so I tried to run the bike 15 miles to the end of the bike course to start my 13 mile run.  The SAG (Support and Gear) wagon found me after about 30 minutes and was able to hook me up with another tube (I only had one) and they even had a pump with a Preston valve.  They however were NOT familiar with my wheels.  They offered to change the tire for me, but my tires were a tighter fit that they were used to and they struggled and struggle and struggled then told me they couldn't change the flat.  So I took over got it changed and was back on my way.  I road the last leg of the race very conservatively because I couldn't afford another flat.  Also due to being out on the blacktop for an extra hour with the second flat caused me to run out of water.  I was about 3 miles past the last aid station when the SAG Wagon found be.  I wasn't going back so I went forward with no water for the last 10 miles on a hot day.  I was getting cramps from dehydration before I got off the bike.  All part of the full race day experience.  I finished though.  Finishing was my real goal for my first race.  Once you have finished you know that you can do it and after that it is about how fast you can do it.  For your first, no other goal should take precedence over finishing.   

Any correlation to 1/2 marathon time to a 70.3 run split. Many factors I know, week 10 I have a 13.1 event.

I read 8-12% slower run times were good for a 70.3 race, but in open half marathons, I considered it a bad race if I didn't go under 1hr 25 minutes and I was over 2 hours on my first two 70.3 races. My last 70.3 race I was a 1hr 32min but it really comes down to how the swim and the bike ride go.  If you go too hard on the swim or the bike and are not going to be able to run well.  I can muscle out a +33% when I am hammered and I was a competitive runner for 30 years.  Since running is not your strength you need to make sure you don't over do it on the bike. Get to the run fresh and the day will be much more enjoyable that if you pace people on the bike on to be reduced to having to walk on the run. 

To help with knee and hip pain I've started to speed up my cadence, with the help of new UA shoes and MapMyRun. I'm currently around 172-174 which I think is another reason knee and hip pain is down. Other ideas?  I Blew out my knees pretty bad in a wrestling injury during my sophomore year of college.  I there reinjured my right knee wresting my Junior year and that time I ended up getting reconstructive knee surgery. My younger brother did his first Ironman in 2002 and I thought to myself.  I will never be able to do a Triathlon.  My knee would never hold up to the cycling required to do that and my shoulders (also bad from wresting) would never hold up to the swimming.  Well....my knees didn't like the water or the bike.  I took it easy on the bike and there was no pain being caused by what I was doing but I could feel the weakness in the right knee and after cycling, it would continue to feel weak for a long time.  In the water, if I kick straight up and down my knee was okay but any side motion for a scissor kicked side stroke or a breaststroke I could feel the knee wobble and move.  It was not a good feeling and again felt week.  A funning thing happened through between 6-10 weeks of consistent swimming and cycling my knee strengthened to where it didn't slide around in the water, didn't feel weak on the bike and didn't feel a week after a swim or a bike ride.  So... for me, triathlon has cured my bad knees.  I used to have the knee drive me crazy if I was in a car for more than 90 minutes or anywhere else that I could stretch it out or move it.  Now I am fine on car rides, fine of bike rides, fine anywhere.  I hope that as you strengthen your knee that you can cure yours too.  I don't have a clue what my run cadence is.  I do know what movements in the water my knee didn't like what movements on the bike my knee didn't like and I had to move the seat higher on the bike and make other small adjustments to keep the knee happy and that was what did the trick for me.   

Well, I hope I didn't waste your time : ) Yep...wasted a lot of time on this, but if it can speed up your learning curve I am happy to do it.   

1) What your thoughts on my general training cadence? Strengths, weaknesses. Things I may be missing or should think about. Do I need to train harder to hit those goals? What is a good time for your first event? AM I realistic? I think my biggest struggle is I have no reference to what a 6 mile run tomorrow at 8 min pace should equal in a triathalon. Same goes for the bike which I guess I need to get on. Maybe I need to do some performance testing?

2) Sweat...I have a high sweat rate. I’m soaked after 1 hr of steady exercise, seriously soaked. I’m also blessed with Magnum PI chest hair. Do people shave chests/anything besides legs to help stay cooler, to help fabrics breath and dry better?

3) Water: How much water would one drink during the race? 2 bottles on the bike? 1 during the run? What’s normal? I want to start ingesting during my bike and runs.

4) I was told a one piece tri suit is easiest. I was told to try Desoto or Kiwamitri then use a belt for the numbers.

5) Transitioning between S – B – R. I can see myself wanting to take it slow/rest BUT is it better for your mind/muscle to keep moving with authority and pace. I know its “easy” time to lose and gain but would like opinions. Just relax? Don't worry about it?

6) If you have to go #1, do you pull over to a tree and go? What’s the real etiquette?

7) Any taller guy ah-ha advice? I'm not a clydesdale due to weight, more of an older giraffe that gets sore.

8) During the race, do you need to worry about cars or do they shut down the roads? I’m guessing it depends on the race.

1) Should I get larger single rides in, say 50, 60, 70 milers? Remember, I have no bike experience. Feels like a possible weakness in my training. My single day ride max is currently 40 miles.

2) Do first timers normally pace too fast on the bike? I want to focus on negative splitting the bike and run first time out.

3) How close are stationary bike metrics to a road bike? I did buy a Wahoo unit for the SC but haven't tried it yet. I'm only going to get 8 weeks or so on the bike before raceday.

4) Flat tire. I can’t change one. What happens on race day if it goes flat? Should I have the bike store change out new tube’s and tires for the race?

5) I was told 90rpm is a good goal RPM but given my current stationary riding I’m comfortable a little slower, 83-86, but again its on a Peleton/Gym bike. Any tall guy opinions would be great or what people see.

1) Any correlation to 1/2 marathon time to a 70.3 run split. Many factors I know, week 10 I have a 13.1 event.

2) To help with knee and hip pain I've started to speed up my cadence, with the help of new UA shoes and MapMyRun. I'm currently around 172-174 which I think is another reason knee and hip pain is down. Other ideas?

Well, I hope I didn't waste your time : ) I did search some of this but some of the material is a decade old and some redundant questions might give some background to my thoughts. I want the race to be fun. I'd love feedback even if its simple. I'd do X to help, here's something that helped me..., can I have X info to give better advice. Thanks for reading, BC