IM70.3 SA

[The Saint]

Last year I did 2h out and 1h20 back - don't go after the sub 3 on the ride its not worth it, you will crash and burn on the run. The run is hard in this race, ride within yourself. Get acquainted with the run course on the first lap and give it horns on the second lap if you have anything left.

[Zula]

Last year I did 2h out and 1h20 back - don't go after the sub 3 on the ride its not worth it, you will crash and burn on the run. The run is hard in this race, ride within yourself. Get acquainted with the run course on the first lap and give it horns on the second lap if you have anything left.

 

Well said!

[ADe]

Last year I did 2h out and 1h20 back - don't go after the sub 3 on the ride its not worth it, you will crash and burn on the run. The run is hard in this race, ride within yourself. Get acquainted with the run course on the first lap and give it horns on the second lap if you have anything left.

That sounds like a good strategy!

[8848]

in 2011 I did a 1.50 out and a 1.14 back, for a 3.04 total bike split, but paid for it on the run and ran 7 mins slower than I should of. this year I will target a 3hr bike as I am stronger, then hope for a 1.47 run.

 

the wind will determine the degree of variance in the out and back splits.

[ADe]

Definitely if u feel pain stop immediately stretch daily u r moving into taper period so u will be fine for the big day relax and dont stress :-)

 

MDW

So I have rested the past week and a half due to the ITB problem, except for 2 swims and a 20min cycle/5 min jog. I have stretched and iced my knee everyday and had a cortisone injection, but it is still there, but at least better.

 

I am very positive that come race day it will be fine. But just in case the thing flares up again, how do I treat it during the race? Those that have had it, would know that it could be a race breaker. I just want to be prepared, in case...

[MDW]

Hi ADe,

 

I can only imagine your pain. I usually find under race conditions, and some sports scientists I have spoken to have mentioned that its been shown that due to certain nerves and stresses associated with race day the body releases some hormones which can cause pain to subside. Actually a training partner of ours was diagnosed with a stress fracture before Ironman Western Australia and the doctor said no ways, she did some pool running and the pain never really disappeared but came race day she placed 9th overall with zero pain :-).

There are no guarantees, so first off preventative measures, I mentioned coxflam before, it can help numb any pain during the actual event, without putting stress on the stomach, its a tablet u take every 24 hours, might be worth popping some this week.

The bonus of triathlon is that its ride to run, so if the muscles are sufficiently warm coming off the bike and nicely stretched the risk is lower of them getting cramped and painful on the run. If during the run the ITB does set in, its going to be tough to get rid of it, I would just run through it as you know once you stop its only going to get worse if you continue again. Sometimes a stretch or 2 does help, but if not then keep going and ice at the finish line. I truly hope you have a pain free day, there is nothing worse than ITB I have experienced it for years before I learned to get rid of it, chat to me after the event and I can give you some details as to how I got rid of it forever :-). Wishing you a painless and safe race all the best M

[ADe]

Hi ADe,

 

I can only imagine your pain. I usually find under race conditions, and some sports scientists I have spoken to have mentioned that its been shown that due to certain nerves and stresses associated with race day the body releases some hormones which can cause pain to subside. Actually a training partner of ours was diagnosed with a stress fracture before Ironman Western Australia and the doctor said no ways, she did some pool running and the pain never really disappeared but came race day she placed 9th overall with zero pain :-).

There are no guarantees, so first off preventative measures, I mentioned coxflam before, it can help numb any pain during the actual event, without putting stress on the stomach, its a tablet u take every 24 hours, might be worth popping some this week.

The bonus of triathlon is that its ride to run, so if the muscles are sufficiently warm coming off the bike and nicely stretched the risk is lower of them getting cramped and painful on the run. If during the run the ITB does set in, its going to be tough to get rid of it, I would just run through it as you know once you stop its only going to get worse if you continue again. Sometimes a stretch or 2 does help, but if not then keep going and ice at the finish line. I truly hope you have a pain free day, there is nothing worse than ITB I have experienced it for years before I learned to get rid of it, chat to me after the event and I can give you some details as to how I got rid of it forever :-). Wishing you a painless and safe race all the best M

 

Thanks, I will definitely speak to you after the event. I need to get rid of the thing for good.

[mrmed]

Last year I did 2h out and 1h20 back - don't go after the sub 3 on the ride its not worth it, you will crash and burn on the run. The run is hard in this race, ride within yourself. Get acquainted with the run course on the first lap and give it horns on the second lap if you have anything left.

 

That is exactly my plan. Go too hard on the bike and find out when I crash and burn on the run. So if you see someone crying on the side of the road on the 2nd run lap, it's probably me.

[The Saint]

That is exactly my plan. Go too hard on the bike and find out when I crash and burn on the run. So if you see someone crying on the side of the road on the 2nd run lap, it's probably me.

Lmao I'll probably be the guy sitting next to you, we can swap war stories during the break

[MDW]

THE LAST 72 TO HOURS TO IM - WHAT SHOULD I BE DOING?

 

At this stage, if you are all not ready down in East London for the big day, then you should be packed, no stresses on your shoulders and purely focusing on your physical strength and mental focus. There is no need to feel stressed or anxious, you have worked hard to get here and whether this is your first 70.3 event or your 20th there will be many more of these days down the road.

 

With 72 hours to go before the big day, there are slight additions to me usual routine that I put into place. Below is a checklist of items which will assist you in the lead up to and on the big day.

 

1. Bike is prepped and ready for transition, if its up against the wall in the hotel and I can see it totally ready to check in, its a load off my shoulders. I will still want to ride it one more time, just to loosen the legs before the big day, but as long as I know I have no slow leaks in the tires, and all the mechanics are in working order I am relaxed.

 

2. I like to prepare my transition bag a few days before. I just like to make sure that tomorrow and Saturday there is no last minute running around and I can just relax, soak up the atmosphere and even enjoy a light swim or run without having to worry that I still have something I need to do.

 

3. Today for me begins the carbohydrate change in my diet. I up my carb intake by 15%. This is just to make sure I have topped up glycogen stores on the day. I generally also take my low GI carbohydrate drink of choice and have at least 2 x 750ml bottles of it over the next two days. I find that not only does it assist with upping the carbohydrate intake but it keeps me hydrated as well by forcing me to drink at least 1.5 liters of water with it. Don't over do the carbohydrate intake as you want to go into race day at a decent weight.

 

4. Remain hydrated, you want to go into the event with your muscles properly hydrated. Space out your fluid intake and make sure its consistent and at least 2 liters a day.

 

5. Get your race numbers ready on your race belt, ensure there is nothing you have left off before the event.

 

6. Sort your race nutrition out before the event. Carefully plan the number of bottles, sachets, chews, energy bars that you are going to need on the day and put them on a table ready to prep the day before. Once its there and its done its less stress. Anything you can tick off the check list is one less thing to worry about the day before race day.

 

7. Nutrition is of course key and as mentioned in previous nutrition tips, don't be skipping meals, eat consistently and eat proper healthy meals, complex carbohydrates, easy digestible proteins and healthy fats with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

 

8. NO ALCOHOL -Nothing more to say except its a huge detriment to consume before an endurance event, I wont go into technical details as to what it does to your system. Just avoid it.

 

9. Reduce sugar and coffee/tea consumption - It WILL benefit you

 

 

10. If you are planning a pasta meal - Friday night is the time to have it not any closer to the event as its an overkill on the digestive system. Don't over do it, BECAUSE Friday night is the one night before the event you have a chance to get an excellent nights sleep. Going to bed on an overloaded stomach is not going to allow you to sleep well. Friday night is a critical solid sleep night, get to bed early and wake up later :-). Saturday night its going to be a lot harder to fall asleep with a racing mind before the big day and this is normal for a lot of people.

 

11. Friday and Saturday I would probably do a course walk just to remind myself on the transition entry and exit areas and different leg directions, it just helps you stay in control of knowing what to do.

 

12. Keep your legs up on Saturday. Standing on your feet the whole day will only tire your muscles out, rest up as much as possible. It will definitely help. Don't go and sun tan the day before either, too much sun exposure can reduce your hydration factor significantly before the event and this can lead to issues on the day. Rather relax indoors.

 

13. Eat consistently the day before. Avoid red meat, spicy foods, foods that are high in fibre and foods that could cause lactose intolerance. Your stomach pre-race can be overly sensitive due to nerves, so avoid anything that could possibly aggravate it.

Eat a solid lunch, it will be your last real meal before the event.

 

14. The night before is always a debatable issue. In all honesty there is absolutely no need to go carbohydrate or pasta mad. It wont give you an added advantage, your glycogen stores are topped already, and the most important thing you can do the night before is get a great nights sleep, because being tired on the day will not allow you to be at your best. Eat a light meal, some ideas I have always used are simple things like scrambled eggs on toast, vegetable/quinoa omlette, with a side salad, nothing over the top. Easy to prepare, easy on the stomach and no digestive problems as well as being light. Again no spicy foods recommended at all, and no sugar, it prevents you from sleeping properly.

 

15. Ensure all your pre-race nutrition bottles are made up and some are possibly being frozen. Make sure when you wake up in the dark, you know where everything is and you can calmly pick up your stuff and go to transition.

 

16. Lay out all your shoes, your tri suite, glasses, helmet and everything you are going to wear or be needing on race morning. If your transition bag is packed way in advance this should not be an issue at all. I have often seen participants forgetting their timing chips on the day. I generally strap mine to my tri suite so that when I wake up and my mind is not 100% focused, when I am getting dressed there it is staring me in the face :-)

 

17. The pre-race meal of the big day to me is the most critical as it will aid my performance and allow me to feel comfortable. The carbohydrates you ingest the morning of the race will take around 3-4hours to become available as a source of fuel so eating nice and early is key. It also gets the digestive system working and you will want the food to have settled so that you feel comfortable by the time the swim starts. Generally when travelling to another destination there are not always your home cooked options, but you can always take your favorite cereal with you, or bread. I generally have 2 slices of toast with sugar free peanut butter, or jam/honey and a half a banana as a 70.3 pre-race meal. I also take my caffeine in on the day nice and early but I am caffeine intolerant so it definitely assists for the event. Avoid high sugar products pre-race you don't want any blood glucose spiking you want sustainable meals, so stick to low GI it will benefit you greatly.

 

18. The last point is pre-race hydration. A lot of participants actually tend to overdo the liquid consumption on the morning of the race. There is really no need. The purpose of hydration is to replace lost liquid and there is really no lost liquid in transition zone. Over drinking will just make you full and keep you running to the toilet. If your bladder is working it means you are over consuming and its not doing you any benefit at all. I know that in the swim I need a little liquid to get me through maybe only 250ml's at the most, and that's what I stick to on race day. I know when I am back in transition from the swim I have access to all my fluids and that's where I will need to focus on consuming them. One more word of advice and you might think its funny, but take a small toilet roll down to transition with you if your hotel is not close. Pre-race nerves tend to play on the majority :-).

 

19. During the race each and every person has his or her own nutritional requirements, remember its a 3 leg race. The real time to keep your energy levels topped up will be on the bike leg. Its the most convenient and logical place to fuel. Once you are settled into the ride, feed yourself frequently, don't wait until you are very hungry or thirsty before you consume, because by then its a little late. Set yourself your feeding zones on the bike and stick to them, remember there is still a long run to come and that's where the race really begins :-). The trick with triathlon is to ensure that when you come off the bike your energy levels are stable, yes your legs might hurt, but if your core energy system is stable and topped up you can give the run your best effort.

 

20. Cross that finish line with pride, no matter how long or how hard, you have finally reaped the reward of months of preparation. Don't stop and keep going because the next half Ironman event is just around the corner ;-).

 

Best of luck to all the participants, race safe and enjoy the event.

 

All the best

 

The 32Gi Team

[gadget]

So time to put your neck on the block. Post your goal splits. Bragging rights to the Hubber who gets closest.

 

S: 0:35

B: 3:20

R: 1:55

T: 6h00

[The Saint]

S:0:40

B:3:10

R:2:00

T: 5:50

 

Gadget I think your total time is incorrect it should be 5:50 unless my maths is sucking ass again.

[gadget]

 

 

Gadget I think your total time is incorrect it should be 5:50 unless my maths is sucking ass again.

 

Transition time...

[Garfield2010]

Swim 00:40

Bike 03:25

Run 01:50

Transition 00:08

 

Total time:- 06h03

[Garfield2010]

So it seems I will be swimming with the Saint. nice

[Garfield2010]

After Sunday you will not be known as the Saint anymore but rather as "Garf's Bitch "