Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Coach — As you put it, this HAS been an “unusual” season… I’m headed into some brief doldrums, as I should be packing my bags for IM Switzerland right now — looks like that will have to wait until next year 🙁
That said, I’ve been contemplating an impromptu and informal training camp — pandemic/travel conditions pending — up to Lake Placid at the end of August/start of September. I was thinking about taking about a week, doing some biking/running/swimming (the lake is always open and great; and I’d love to do the ride/climb up to the peak of Whiteface), and perhaps a 70.3 on the IMLP course. I’d contemplate doing the full 140.6, but that just seems a bit crazy without a real reason for it… but maybe someone here can talk me into it. Hiking one or more of the 46 peaks in the area is also a fun challenge.
Anyway, if others would be interested in happening to be up there around the same time, let me know.
Ryan
Congrats Julia and Romain! Not only for buckling down and tackling a practice race, but for starting a great discussion. This is one of the better threads we’ve had in a while, and I hope everyone will read and contribute.
I’ve always had a hard time with nutrition on the bike in the heat – I tend not to “feel” hungry when it’s 90+ degrees out, so it’s a bit of a chore to remember to eat along the way. I was thrilled to find that my new-ish Garmin bicycle computer has a handy auto-reminder to eat (and to hydrate) that beeps at set periods (mine is set for 30 min). I can’t say I’m perfect at complying with the reminder, but it has kept me from plugging along for 90 min before thinking about eating something!
As for dealing with heat and humidity, I was reminded this past weekend just how much heat + dew point = high heart rate, especially on the run. I’ve had two less-than-stellar long distance races in the heat where my pace/will completely fell to pieces in the run. In part, both were tied to less-than-ideal nutrition and hydration on the bike, but a huge part of it was understanding the impact of heat on heart rate and running pace.
So, this weekend, I started my long Saturday run reasonably early, but you’ll all remember that temps were up in the 80s quite quickly with high humidity. For some reason, I decided to actually comply with my heart rate limits this time (one benefit of not racing is the chance to experiment with doing smart things!). I quickly discovered that hills that I usually trot up in the spring and winter at 135-140 bpm by the top were now hills that I’d hit 135 in just a few meters from the bottom. In fact, I found myself walking or jogging really slowly up the hills as the temps also climbed in order to keep my HR at a reasonable level. By the end of the day, I was not finishing my fastest run ever, but I felt strong and steady paced throughout, probably finished faster than if I’d ignored my HR, and (amazingly) wasn’t feeling crushed on Sunday. I know my heat/humidity run pace will go up a bit as I continue to acclimate in the coming weeks, but until then, I’m going to remember that it takes time to adapt, and heat/humidity (actually, dew point!) WILL make a huge difference that we need to account for in long races. (in other words, adjust pace accordingly!)
FWIW, I’ve also given in to carrying all my H2O for my runs these days instead of braving the water fountains, so I purchased a Nathan VaporKrar running vest. For Saturday, I filled both of the 20 oz bottles + half a hydration bladder, and consumed it all by the end of 15 miles. For those of you taking on longer distances in the heat (and who are unwilling to do little loops by your car or house to pick up a bottle of hydration), a hydration vest takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s proven worth it already for me. I can’t offer comparisons between vests, but if I get around to it over the weekend, I’ll post a “review” of my VaporKrar for those interested.
Ryan
I’m also interested in hearing options — the Arlington, VA high school pools are closed for the next month, which are my go-tos. I guess Sandy Point, Annapolis will eventually be an option, but temps there are in the 40s still, which might be a bit chilly for my blood.
Great suggestions so far. I’m also a fan of adjusting the training schedule so I’ve had big training weeks leading up to a rest week that matches my vacation. Then vacation can be vacation, and I don’t feel like I have to train much or at all. If I am on a family vacation, another trick is to take advantage of time zone changes — an early wake up local time is easy if you’re still feeling like you’re 3 hours ahead, and that can really help prevent “stealing” vacation time for working out.
For last minute work trips, I’m generally trapped on the treadmill. Pack a bunch of shorts/socks/and shirts, and do what I can. Every hotel I’ve stayed in in recent years has had a treadmill, so it’s easy and I can almost always work it around dinner/work requirements.
Ryan
One last reminder on trainer tires — they are generally NOT intended to be ridden on outside (and most have a warning that they aren’t safe to use outdoors). If y0u go the trainer tire route, please pay heed and keep them on the trainer!!!
I’ve never really paid attention to the wear-dots on my tires, truthfully. As much debris and glass we have on our local roads, I’ve generally found good sized nicks and cuts in my tires far before they wear out or start to show other means of wear. The exception here is in the wintertime, when those summer tires see the end of their lives on my trainer and get enough wear to be swapped out for the following season 🙂
I think my favorite part of the cyclingtips.com article is probably the last paragraph that notes that pedal stroke/style is a forever-debated and studied thing, and there isn’t much consensus on what is best/right/most efficient (nor if people can effectively change their pedal stroke or if it’s more of a function of your anatomy and genes to have one style or another). The vast number of inventions sold as equipment that will make pedaling more efficient speaks to this debate — everything from cranks on moving cams to let them move more easily through parts of the pedal stroke to oval chainrings to excessively long or short cranks. We’ve also seen electronic tools to help visualize how circular your pedal force is as well as more current efforts to identify balance between left and right pedal power.
That’s all to say I don’t know that there’s a “right” answer. I tend to believe that riding a good amount indoors and outside, in a properly fit position (especially one that has an appropriately fit saddle height) with a cadence that is in the ballpark of 85-95 rpm, will quickly result in a pedal stroke that is your 90-95 percent solution. As long as you’re not in the camp of stomp/stomp/stomp/stomp, or stomp and lift/stomp and lift/stomp and lift, you’re probably going to settle into a reasonable stroke.
That said, it won’t hurt to do things like one-legged pedal drills (indoor at first please!), which will help you feel how much you push around the stroke (and how much you could reasonable do so), or drills that have you thinking about scraping gum off the bottom of your shoes at the top and bottom of the pedal stroke (which will help you feel how much/little you can actually gain by putting energy into those parts of the stroke).
Just like swimming and running, gaining awareness of your body and what you’re doing while you’re biking/swimming/running can only help you in the end.
Ryan
Collin – This is a tough one to diagnose without seeing you on your bike upright and in aero. If you’re not as trained and comfortable in the aero position as you are upright, I would not be surprised if you were less efficient and powerful in aero, which might then limit your expected HR increase. This may change as you adapt to your aero position – it’s also possible, if you’ve not been fit to your ride, that you’re just entering a very inefficient position that needs some adjustments to let you combine aero + efficiency + power.
I’d also ask if you’re using an optical HR or a chest strap w/ electrodes. If you’re on an optical monitor, it wouldn’t surprise me if changing positions had an effect on the bpm read…
Ryan
Katie — I know some people worry about rapidly wearing out their rear tires on the trainer, but that has never been my experience. I’ve used the same rear wheel for ~5 years that I use for training all winter and summer (but I do have a different set of wheels/tires to race on).
I do keep an eye on my rear tire and change it out when it starts to develop a flat face on it, but that is pretty much a once-per-winter experience for me. I also make sure I keep my rear tire inflated correctly and consistently while it’s on the trainer, though – if you don’t, I could see it wearing more quickly.
Your mileage (literally) may vary, but that’s been my experience…
Ryan
Even as someone who swam through high school, I often find that kick sets/drills give me the chance to isolate what I’m paying attention to (feeling my kick, when it feels good, and what I’m getting out of it).
For new swimmers, especially, it often feels like you’re trying to do 10 different drills and form improvements on every stroke. “High elbow… early vertical forearm… roll… don’t roll too much… reach… not too much… keep arms wide… but not too wide…. kick beats… not too much knee bend… toes pointed… head down… breathing to side without lifting…”
Focusing on one part of your swimming at a time really lets you quiet the voices and pay attention to the thing you’re working on. For me, it’s the same deal with using a pull buoy. I don’t need it to stay streamlined in the water, but using it lets me slow things down and completely focus on my stroke.
Ryan
In addition to cost, waiting = a longer trip from finish line to your bed!!!! (or to your shower and then back to the finish line to see the final finishers from the day…. something you shouldn’t miss)
It was great to meet a bunch of program participants last night – I’m really looking forward to working with everyone through this journey!
Ryan
Let’s hear some more reports/stories! I’m overdue for my Ironman Ireland report (maybe this weekend), but I also want to hear about experiences at IMMD. It was a hot/humid day, so really interested in hearing how folks dealt with the extra challenge. Where did folks stay for this one (and would you stay there again? further away? closer?)? Anyone already signed up for another one?
Great race reports from both Joe and Nicole! I love to hear about overcoming all of the obstacles along the way to an Ironman finish, and am super-impressed by both Nicole beating the “I’m not going to finish” demon and Joe managing a long run despite a season-long nagging injury. Well done to you both!
As for clothes, I’ve changed into running gear in all three of my IMs. I’ve never been especially comfortable running in my tri suit (that pad, no matter how thin, still seems to get annoying after a while), and I’m more than willing to give up a minute in the transition area to put on some dry, looser fitting running gear. And YES to clean, dry socks!!!! I do swim in my trisuit, however — unless its frigid (last year’s Placid 70.3 air temp was 33 degrees), I’m ok with starting my bike in wet gear. If air temp is <50, though, I’m probably changing into dry clothes before my ride…
