Reliving the race...also, good German practice!

Here is the video that SkinFit put together about Lydia Waldmueller, who finished 2nd in Norseman this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFdOBPBKHQE&feature=youtu.be

Even if you don't speak German, I think this is the best coverage of the "experience" of the racers and support teams. The guy who is her support crew did the race last year, so I bet that was a factor in planning the video coverage.

Now, keep in mind that she was at the front end of the race -- it is much more crowded when you are in the middle of the pack!

Notes from watching the Kona coverage

A few quick things I found enlightening:

1. I was expecting the pros to do super high-speed bike mounts. Instead, I noticed that the leaders (the ones they showed anyways) were very deliberate when getting on their bike. Yes, shoes were in the pedals and most of them used the rubber bands, but there was no "flying" involved. So I guess I can stop thinking that my mount is soooooo slooooooow. One thing I did learn is that I should probably make getting up to full speed the first priority, then slipping on my shoes. In past races, I'll only get up to half speed before putting them on. And then I get discouraged that a bunch of people pass me.

2. My race photos (especially on the run) are always terrible. Since there are always great photos of the pros running, I assume that somehow bad photos mean that I'm a bad runner. (When I actually write that down, it seems ridiculous!) Since the FinisherPix are linked to the results, now I can see the race photos of people that I know are fast -- and they are pretty bad pictures, too!

On a related note -- my singlehanded worst race photo ever was taken at Las Vegas. If you want some comic relief, check out the photos here, especially the second one at the swim exit. I thought that was a picture of a man but realized that the stripes on the swim skin were pink. Blech.

I am currently getting back into training and working on finalizing my goals and races for next year.

German Cycling Capstone Exercise

Now that race season is over, I'm happy to be riding my trusty Merida road bike out on the open roads again. It is so nice to have my hands on the brakes at all times, plus I feel very well balanced. So I'm been out exploring some of the bike routes along the river.

Yesterday, as I'm 30 minutes into my ride, I shift to my small chainring to anticipate the approaching intersection. I immediately hear the terrible sound of something hitting my spokes, so I quickly stop. It turns out that my chain had dropped in between the cassette and the spokes. To make matters worse, the wheel was now out of alignment and therefore could not spin. The good news was that I wasn't on the side of a road somewhere, I was close enough to civilization that I could get a cab if I needed, and the weather was fine. I eventually loosed up the brake cable to make the caliper wide enough for the wobbly wheel to spin and I slowly rode home, being extremely careful with the rear brake. I got home with no problems and finished my required time on my trainer and tri bike.

Ironically, as I am riding down the street to get home, I was passed by a German Red Cross vehicle. The road isn't very wide due to parked cars, so I was kind of miffed that they were really close and going a bit fast. But then, the car slams on the brakes and as I am going on the right to avoid it, the passenger opens the door only a few feet in front of me. I bailed onto the sidewalk, said the only German swear word I know, and made it the last 400m home.

I decided I would quickly clean off the bike before I was going to determine if I could fix the problem at home. It became evident that there is the possibility the derailleur hanger might be bent. Checking that requires a tool that I don't have, so I'd need to go to a bike shop.

Normally, I take my bike to Rad Sport Smit in Gustavsberg, but that is a long drive. I chose to go to the 4 Riders shop in the neighboring town. I had already checked them out, and they seemed like a quality shop. I loaded my bike in the car, expecting that I would have to leave it there.

I was able to explain to the mechanic my problem in German. He immediately took a look, adjusted the limit screws and then tightened the spokes until the wheel was back in alignment. (The hanger wasn't bent after all.) The whole process took about 5 minutes. And it only cost 10 EUR! This was a win-win-win situation!!

So proud of myself for being prepared, keeping my wits about me, and dealing with the entire situation quickly and without getting discouraged.

And for future reference, the phrase "my wheel is untrue" is "das rad hat einen Achter." Why isn't that in my phrasebook?

Don't Be That Triathlete

I found this video from Competitor Magazine hilarious. Lesley Patterson did a great job of spoofing some of the more bizarre practices people engage in.

The pie on the bike reminded me of a gal a few spots away from me at the Redman Half a few years ago. As we are racking our bikes the night before, I glanced at her bento box -- it was chock full of various baked goods in ziploc baggies. It looked like a very small version of the offerings at a bake sale set up outside a Walmart. I think I said something about her selection and she replied, "yeah, I like variety."

At races, I'll always take note of the people who put their wetsuit on really, really early. (I understand it takes a while -- I allow at least 15 minutes!) I'm talking about an hour before the race starts. But at Norseman, I saw a guy with his wetsuit on (fully pulled up, too) around 3 am. The race started at 5 am.

I think a great idea for triathlon spectators would be to have a photo scavenger hunt. Everyone gets the same list for things like "craziest hat," "most epic beard, "brightest jersey," or "most kiniseotape." Compare and discuss later.

There was one thing that would have really put this video over the top: When she was at the office, she should have been wearing calf compression sleeves, shorts, and sandals/Crocs. However, that probably would have hit too close to home for many people.

Vegas Notes

Since the World Championship is moving to Mt. Tremblant, I probably won't be doing this course again. But there were important things that I did and learned, so I'll write them for my own historical record:

1. Drafting on the swim. I was concerned about still being tired during the swim, so I actively worked to always find someone's feet. I normally just swim my own race and probably waste a lot of energy. The lake is really muddy, so I did have to do a lot of heads-up sighting to make sure I was still behind someone. This might have slowed me down a bit, but I didn't feel drained after getting out of the water, so that is a plus.

2. The foot rinse. In the run to T1, part of the lane was through a grassy area that the rain and 1700 previous competitors had turned into a mud pit. After that, we were routed through a sand volleyball court. As a result, my feet were covered in wet sand. There were volunteers handing out water right at the beginning of the carpet and I grabbed one with each hand and poured them on my feet. That was an outstanding decision.

3. Change to water plan. Since the temps were not hot on the first 2/3ds of the bike, I only grabbed water at half of them. I was still getting fluids from my gel bottle (8 gels + water in a 12oz bottle). Once the sun came out at the end and I had finished my gels, I made sure to drink a bit more after the last aid station.

4. Run fueling plan. They added an extra aid station this year, but my basic plan was to take water and coke at every aid station except the one halfway up the hill -- I carried two PowerGels to eat on the first two laps. I also would dump ice down my shorts or top. My run was 10 minutes faster this year, so I was pretty pleased with that.

5. Post-race air travel. I flew through Atlanta on the Tuesday after the race on Sunday. Despite wearing compression nylons, I had a terrible cramp in my quad that popped up about 2 hours into the flight. For future post-race travel, I need to get an aisle seat so I can get up and move around more easily.

6. Heat prep. I had been going to the sauna at least once a week, taking colostrum, and doing workouts in extra clothing and I think that all of these things helped. I don't really remember feeling like I was overheating like the previous year.

I was still feeling a bit fatigued on the climbs, but I was happy with the level of effort I put in on race day. It was so great to see my Timex teammates before the race and then out on the course!

So now that my race season is done, it is time to step back, reflect, and plan out next season...

Ironman: the aftermath

So it has now been a little over three weeks since I finished Norseman. I have just under two weeks until my last race of the season, Las Vegas.

I have now come up with a "should-have" for my full distance training: I should have done more research about the post-race. I am normally a super planner and researcher, but maybe it was because I didn't want to jinx myself or take my eye off the ball so I didn't really know much about how I was going to feel after the race was over. This was (and still is!) uncharted territory for me.

I understood the importance of feeding myself nutritious food and getting plenty of sleep. With the exception of a bit of stiffness the following day, I was never in any pain. I wasn't physically exhausted. I don't think I was mentally exhausted. I felt like I was back to normal within a few days.

After about 5 days of rest, I was back to following my training, which was now mostly swims and easy recovery bike rides. Sounds pretty non-threatening...

Here is what blew my mind: despite feeling fine and my heart rate variability and resting pulse rate suggesting I was fine, within minutes of starting my workout I found I had no juice. The best analogy is to compare myself to an old cell phone. You charge it up, the display says full bars, and after pressing a few buttons, you have no battery power left. For me, this was very frustrating. I would look at my run pace or my bike speed and think, "well, this is pretty humbling." Even worse was going to our club swims -- the people I usually swim faster than were dropping me.

I guess this is going to take a while. I'm already seeing improvement in my "rebound," so that gives me hope that I will only get better and I shouldn't get discouraged. For my next Ironman, I need to be smart about scheduling races afterwards as well as planning better for the recovery stage.

Time will tell....

Triathlon 101: The final class -- transitions, nutrition, and everything else that didn't fit

--- Before the race ---

Your race might require registration/packet pick up before the race day. Be sure to look at the schedule, especially if you need to travel to a race.

Bring your photo ID and license to registration. You can buy a day license at the event, or a USAT license is also valid. (The German Tri Union rules specifically state that foreign racers can use their home country licenses, but I've had no issue at my races in Spain and Norway.)

If you are doing a half or full Ironman, you may want to use the on-course nutrition. Check what they are offering and then test it out in training.

Tapering your training: If you are using a training plan, this will be included in the final few days (for a sprint) or weeks (for an Ironman). The goal of a taper is to let your body absorb your fitness, but this doesn't mean you'll be nothing. Your workouts will generally be race intensity, but shorter. This will keep you sharp for the race, but not wear you out. Use this extra non-training time to get more sleep, since you will probably not sleep much the night before the race. You'll want to minimize how much time you spend on your feet, especially if you are doing a long race.

--- Transitions ---

We have talked a little about these in the individual event sections, but there are important things to consider before the race.

You want to make sure you have practiced a few times at home. Set up your stuff and then run through your actions very deliberately. This will help you identify potential problems. You can do this separately from swim/bike/run training, but getting your heart rate up will better simulate race day.

Types of transition area (weschelzone) -- Generally, there are two different types: I call them the "flow thru" and the "bay." Many races utilize the "flow thru" to be more equitable -- you'll have to move the entire length of the transition zone, so no one is running any less than anyone else. The "bay" types have a single entrance/exit; if you are really close, it is fast, but if you are in the farthest corner, you'll have to run more. Some races might provide the layout of the transition area.

Some races have T1 and T2 in a different location. However, this is usually only for the bigger WTC races and you might have to hand in your run equipment the day before. If it is a split transition, it will be obvious from the course map. (Hint: if the bike starts and finishes in a different spot, it is a split transition. Races will almost always have the course maps on their website.)

Many races will do a bike/helmet safety check as you enter transition to set up. Have your bike helmet easily accessible, as well as your race number. US races will check that you have the appropriate safety stickers on the inside. The European stickers aren't valid for US races -- keep that in mind if buying a helmet in Europe.

Picking a spot -- At some (the larger/longer) races, these are assigned with numbers on the racks. If not, it is first come, first served. If you are looking to maximize speed, you want to pick a spot that will minimize the amount you will have to run with your bike. If speed isn't your concern, you might have more room to spread out if you are a little farther away.

Setting up your spot -- Before you rack your bike, make sure that it is in a good starting gear. Rack it using the nose of the saddle to hang it. (If you are checking it the night before, it is more secure to rack it by the brake levers and then turn it around pre-race.) Lay out your stuff in a logical manner.

Helpful tips --
Lay your helmet down with the clasp open and the front closest you you. This is not an inspection, so it is OK to have to open side up.

Roll your socks to make them easier to put on. It is quite difficult to pull a sock over a wet foot.

Baby powder in the insoles of your shoes will make them slide on more easily. Elastic laces are also a great idea!

Before starting the run, all you need to put on are your shoes. You can put on your hat, watch, etc. while on the run.

If you are going to clip your shoes into your pedals pre-race, please practice this.

It is important to figure out some way to mentally note where your spot is in transition. After you have prepped your stuff, go to the "swim in" entrance and walk to your spot. Count how many racks there are or look for other non-temporary landmarks, like trees, lightposts, signs, etc. Do not use movable things like, "I'm in the row with the hot pink bike." Do this for "bike in" as well. Make a quick sketch if you need to. You could use something like a balloon or flag, but some races don't allow those and it looks really silly. Take the 10 minutes to mentally rehearse how you will move through T1 and T2 and you'll be fine.

Look through the course map and become familiar with the gist of it before the race. Ideally, you'll want to do this far enough ahead of time to plan your training accordingly. Is there a giant hill? You'll want to train on the hills to be prepared.

--- Race day nutrition ---

Remember, nothing new on race day! Don't go on a crazy health kick the week before the race. Continue your normal eating habits.

Dinner the night prior -- Avoid eating too late and don't consume too much fiber. Rice, cooked greens, and lean meat is a good choice. Eat foods you normally eat, just add a little more carbohydrate. Make sure you are drinking water throughout the day and all some extra salt to your dinner if it will be a hot race.

Race morning breakfast -- Eat 3 hours prior to start time to give your stomach time to digest. You want about 300-500 calories, mostly carbohydrates that you know you don't have a problem with. I eat a sweet potato, a Larabar, and a pack of Buddy Fruits.

Race morning water -- Beginning 3 hours prior, you want to drink a total of 1.5L over the next two hours. At that point, switch over to a small sipper (about 20 oz) so you won't be having to pee the entire race. You will go to the bathroom many times on race morning due to nerves and being hydrated. Keep in mind that there can be significant lines for the porta-potties.
Pre-race gel -- I'll have a gel plus a bit of water somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes before the start.

Race nutrition - General Guidelines --
For sprint races, you won't need to worry about eating during the race. Hydration is still important, so ensure you are drinking out of your bottle on the bike and then at the aid stations on the run.

Olympic distance racers might need a gel towards the end of the bike if you are going to take a little longer to finish. Or use a sports drink in place of water on the bike.

For half and full Ironman races, you need to be taking in calories, and the bike is the best place to do this. You want to eat when your heart rate is lower so your body has the chance to process the calories. There are a couple calculators on the web to determine how much to eat, but the best idea is to experiment in practice. Start with 60g of carbohydrates/hour, then see how you handle that. If you can eat more, great. Personally, I will guesstimate how long I will be on the bike (making sure to allow extra time for climbing!) and then eat 1 Powerbar gel per 20 minutes. Race morning, I will dump them all into a water bottle and top it off with water. This bottle then goes between my aerobars and I sip when necessary. I'll get water at the course aid stations as well.

When going through a bike aid station, slow down and sit up. The volunteers will be holding bottles out, but remember that those bottles are stationary and you are moving -- be ready to absorb the impact with your arm. If the water bottles are open, they will probably squirt all over. And if the water bottles have been filled by the volunteers (and aren't already packaged bottles) you'll want to verify that the cap is closed completely. I've had this happen with the yellow PowerBar bottles at races, so make sure you check.

Practicing aid station hand ups before your first half/full would be a good idea. On race day, make sure you are also mindful of other racers and are prepared for people making sudden movements. The aid stations are also the only place to discard your trash.

Before an aid station, it will help to yell out what you want. (Sometimes there are signs and the race might have published what is where, but honestly, they all start to blur together.) Sportsdrink is iso in German.