Cyclists with a "Running" Problem

[dave303e]

2 hours ago, ScottCM said:

The human body is something amazing. For someone growing up in Durban, I can clearly remember a day that it was "ABSOLUTELY FREEZING" outside and topped out at 10ºC on the day. Everyone including myself had thick jackets on. In my defence, my employment at the time was outdoor based so I was wet to the bone but I digress.

I then lived in Jhb for 15 years and my body had adjusted accordingly and at 10ºC I would run with a Gillet / windbreaker, gloves & Long sleeve running top. Now that we live here in The North, my body has acclimatised once again. 2ºC or warmer is short sleeve Running shirt, shorts and very thin gloves (my hands are always cold when running). -2º up to 2ºC is cotton T shirt, Shorts, ear warmers and thicker gloves. <-3ºC is long sleeve cotton top, Long sleeve running top, gloves, beanie and shorts (sometimes colder than -6ºC would bring out the long tights, all wind dependent).

This topic has played on my mind since the event I did in the beginning of the moth where I suffered from the humidity. All I can think of is, "How will I manage at comrades either 2025 or 2026 if I am battling in this" 

I know exactly how you feel.

Also spent a lot of childhood in Durban and my first winter at Tuks was a rude awakening. I got used to that quickly, then this year due to the odd commute and a young child in the house I was running at 3am some days. In March there were a few really really cold mornings and after a few weeks it was just short sleeve and gloves.

If you watch paddlers, they are the best at managing cold and wet. It is always an interesting one for me watching the die hard Dabs paddlers go through winter time trials.

From Adventure racing we have built big experience in managing the cold and what layers work where. The biggest thing I have found is calorie intake and glycogen stores dictates a lot of what you can manage. If you have a good supply of energy you can burn it to keep warm. When you are exhaustion point you will really need more and more layers and will battle a lot more. Watch events like Race to Rhodes  and other multi day events. The kit that the guys would cycle in a 0 deg training ride is not always enough for when they hit 0 deg on the third day of riding non stop.

Last year at ARWC, the paddle was "chilly" some would call it "fresh"... Our team mistimed it. This meant we had to start the paddle at 8am on the 3rd morning of the race. We did not sleep on the 1st and 3rd nights, we slept 2 hours on the 2nd night. So we started the paddle having last slept 28 hours before that and the night before the paddle was miserable, there was a ridiculous storm which hit as we were on an exposed ridgeline. The next morning we all paddled with all our cold gear, gloves, rain jackets and pants on. When we finished the paddle we were all borderline hypothermic, like battling to open backpacks and shivering uncontrollably cold. Teams that had a good sleep and a warm meal before starting the paddle were fine and had minimal issues with the cold.

So you get used to it to a point, but your physical state also has a massive impact on the cold.

51 minutes ago, b-rad said:

Cotton T-shirt or do you mean a slightly thicker moisture wicking type shirt? Personally I’d stay away from cotton in colder weather. A sweat soaked shirt in cold winds is not ideal😅

 

Cotton Kills(or so they say)

[Shebeen]

17 hours ago, ChrisF said:

Please dont tell @Shebeen, but a teespoon of cement was a better idea.

 

glad you were paying attention!

If it's borderline jacket/no jacket territory, a buff can be a handy compromise.

beanie mode/headband mode covering ears/sweatband mode/neck gaitor mode/wristband mode gives you a range of heating options and something else to think about.

 

[ScottCM]

3 hours ago, b-rad said:

Cotton T-shirt or do you mean a slightly thicker moisture wicking type shirt? Personally I’d stay away from cotton in colder weather. A sweat soaked shirt in cold winds is not ideal😅

 

Cotton for me! For a back of the pack runner like me, by the time I've built up enough of a sweat the training run is over, so I like thick cotton on my chest. 

 

If I was a speedy like you, then things would be totally different as you create as much wind with your pace as what nature does. 

 

Plus, I'm a pansy and run on the treadmill in the pain cave when the weather is Dreich outside. 🥸

[ChrisF]

2 hours ago, Shebeen said:

glad you were paying attention!

If it's borderline jacket/no jacket territory, a buff can be a handy compromise.

beanie mode/headband mode covering ears/sweatband mode/neck gaitor mode/wristband mode gives you a range of heating options and something else to think about.

 

 

Thanks.

 

Saw a lot of buffs ... was wondering about this

[ScottCM]

Race week for many. How is everyone feeling regarding nerves, training etc?

[Shebeen]

6 minutes ago, ScottCM said:

Race week for many. How is everyone feeling regarding nerves, training etc?

I think the nerves will arrive when the plane lands in kzn.

no more time for training, had a fun final jol with the club yesterday.

 

 

[Andrew Steer]

On 5/23/2024 at 12:38 PM, PhilipV said:

Anyone else at George MUT this weekend? 
I’ll be throwing my hat in the ring for the marathon. Quite amped for an Outeniqua adventure. 

The reports on this are that it's a tough bastid! Beautiful, well organized, epic terrain etc, but it put pretty much everyone I know that ran, into a dark place at some point... and they're all pretty darn good runners. Be prepped if you're going to tackle it, the gradients in particular sounds ugly, the ups and downs

[Andrew Steer]

36 minutes ago, ScottCM said:

Race week for many. How is everyone feeling regarding nerves, training etc?

Looking forward to getting to Durbs... hopefully can dodge the bugs lurking around every corner at the moment, influenza, covid, swine flu etc... everyone seems to be sick. Even my daughter who is basically never sick... 

Feeling pretty good, played some Padel this week, and did two last little trots over the weekend just to check all is in place. Didn't get near the 600 I was kinda aiming for, sitting in the low 400's, so hopefully that will be enough. Just need to get to 55/60km in one piece and I should be able to put the rest together in some shape or form.

Hope everyone is well rested and can keep the bugs at bay - I won't see you race snakes out there, but enjoy it - always such a special day

[PhilipV]

4 hours ago, Andrew Steer said:

The reports on this are that it's a tough bastid! Beautiful, well organized, epic terrain etc, but it put pretty much everyone I know that ran, into a dark place at some point... and they're all pretty darn good runners. Be prepped if you're going to tackle it, the gradients in particular sounds ugly, the ups and downs

It was all of that and more. I spent about 50mins in the pain cave on the last climb. The rest was manageable and I managed to have enough left in the tank to go hunting on the last descent into town. 7h20 total time. 
I have a few epic core memories from this one, hiking up Cradock pass while joking with a bunch of guys from my town, running along a ridge line between Skurwekop and Kransberg, with the Klein Karoo to the left and the Garden route to the right, descending down from Tonnelbos to town, having just been deep in the pain cave and deciding F-it, it’s time to catch people.
And then finishing with my two kids running next to me. 
 

I hope to be back for the Outeniqua trail Pilgrimage next year. 
 

 

[ScottCM]

Best of luck to everyone racing this weekend and safe travels to your destination. Look forward to all the race reports next week!

[Shebeen]

NAKANJANI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Andrew Steer]

And stay healthy guys... three friends already out with flu this week. War zone out there

[ChrisF]

29 minutes ago, Andrew Steer said:

And stay healthy guys... three friends already out with flu this week. War zone out there

 

Also down and out for this weekend's events ....

 

With half the office having been sick in the last few weeks it was just a matter of time 😬

 

Nasty little one this .... had proper cold sweats in the early morning hours.  Resting heart rate up by 15 bpm.

Edited June 6 by ChrisF

[PhilipV]

Good luck (at) Comrades!!

[reteid]

Good luck to all running this weekend.Travel safe and remember this is your hobby. Do it in such a way that you can do it again.

[dave303e]

Good Luck with Comrades all. Give it a full send