rudi-h Posted January 8, 2011 Posted January 8, 2011 So after this morning's training session, I don't think there's much that I can do from now on to improve my physical condition for IM 70.3, so I've gotta live with however fit I am. There are a few other things that might make my race a bit better / faster, so if you've done any IM event before and won't mind answering: 1) Altitude: I've heard that if you're conditioned to higher altiutde (JHB) it's harder to get your HR up at sea level than what we're used to. If IM 70.3 was in Jozi, I would have aimed for about 145 - 150 average HR on the bike leg. Should I adjust this target at the coast. If yes, how much? I normally get into a pretty easy pace on the run without worrying about HR too much, so this is only for the cycling leg. 2) Sea sickness: I've been told that some people get sea-sick from sea swimming, and have been advised to take "sea sick" pills. Is this necessary for IM 70.3, or only applicable to the longer swim in full IM? If you take pills, what kind, when and do they affect you negatively otherwise? That's all that I can think of now that's an obvious difference between IM and an "inland" tri, but if there are other things to consider or you've got some NICE tips, please share too.
moby3 Posted January 9, 2011 Posted January 9, 2011 hi, two weeks to go. wow. good luck buddy. Im hoping to get to 1/2IM in 2012.So far i have only done sprints and olys. Im just curious if you have done a few sea swims yet? Takes a bit of getting used to.Have you ever checked out www.beginnertriathlete.comI have posted a few questions and usualy get a big responce. Hope you kick ass.Cheers
gummibear Posted January 9, 2011 Posted January 9, 2011 How long before the race will you be in East London? Singletrack Sarah 1
rudi-h Posted January 9, 2011 Author Posted January 9, 2011 I'll drive down on Friday, so will only ben in EL for one day and a bit before the race! No, haven't done any sea swims, that's why I'm asking about sea sickness...
Disylizzy Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Good luck! Let us know how it goes! I'll be attempting my first 70.3 in mid July
gummibear Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 You will feel that you will run easier at the coast than you did at altitude so start the run off slowly and build up the pace.I don't think you need to worry about the sea sickness as the swim isn't that long.Don't take any pills on race day that you haven't tried before.
Zula Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Hey Im also doing my first 70.3 next Sunday (shew thats soon!) I did a sea swim when I was down in CPT over the holidays and I did'nt experience any sea sickness. BUT, make a conscious effort of not swallowing water when you breath. Every little drop tastes like a teaspoon of salt and its pretty darn miff! I trained alot when I was down there and noticed that I could sustain a higher HR for longer periods of time, which kinda makes sense seeing as though there is more oxygen. I wouldnt however get too caught up in all the tech. Rather just listen to your body. They key thought for me is going to be start sensibly, its a long day so you wanna ease into it and find a good tempo.
MariusL Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Hi Rudi - firstly you gona love the vibe of an IronMan event, the whole experience is just amazing - that's why I'll be back for 70.3 no three in 2 weeks... The swim course is marked out on the Friday already - I always swim the loop on the Friday to get my "sights" in, maybe try swimming on the Saturday morning, just to get used to the sea conditions - it can be quite choppy on EL. A lot of guys get seasick (try not to swim through it )... Just swim to the first or second boi, don't do the whole loop if you don't feel like it (but you'll find loads of guys out there on the Sat morning) Swimming part of the course will give you a bit of extra confidence for Sunday... The bike course in EL is the hard part!!!
gummibear Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 make a conscious effort of not swallowing water when you breath. Every little drop tastes like a teaspoon of salt and its pretty darn miff! The sea water can also cause diarrhea so maybe keep some imodiam close by
shawn Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Honestly dont worry about getting sea sick. As a surf swimmer myself and dealing with a lot of upcountry swimmers coming down to the coast i have never yet experienced one of them getting sea sick. Please dont take sea sick tablets they will only make you feel worse as the day progresses.Good luck and enjoy
MariusL Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Honestly dont worry about getting sea sick. As a surf swimmer myself and dealing with a lot of upcountry swimmers coming down to the coast i have never yet experienced one of them getting sea sick. Please dont take sea sick tablets they will only make you feel worse as the day progresses.Good luck and enjoy Not wanting to argue this point, but at IM in PE this year there were a lot of guys getting sea sick on the first loop of the swim, loads of guys were chumming out there... and EL can be very rough...
Batmanza Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 I wouldn't worry about the altitude, you are only going to benefit from being at sea level. With the 70.3 in EL dont let the bike route profile fool you, its 45km rolling hills up to the turn around and a tough rolling hill route all the way back and generally into the wind so save some legs for the return, particularly the last 10km on the bike. Also what I have done going from the swim into the bike is to rinse your mouth out with water as soon as you are on the bike and spit to get as much salt out of your mouth as possible and then take 2 mouthfuls of water after to dilute any that you may have swallowed during the swim. Then only take carb drink or whatever you may eat about 15 mins after that so the salt water doesn't effect it. This seems to work for me. Hope you have an awesome event, so bleak that I am missing it this year. :-(
Garfield2010 Posted January 10, 2011 Posted January 10, 2011 Hi Rudi The golden rule for any half(full) IM is to divide your race into not only the three different disciplines but also to divide these disciplines into stages. On the bike + run it is easy as they are divided into 2. Always start slow in each one and build it up. On the swim devide it by the beacons you have to swim around. also for the swim..... stand a bit wider and also start slowly. If you do get a bit sick, dont make it worse by already being dead tired due to a fast start or because you have been kicked and shoved by other competitors.... If you lose 3-5 minutes on the swim due to a slow start and 10-15 minutes on the bike I can promise you that you will make it up either later on in these disciplines or on the run. In 95% of all IM events the guys first of the bike never wins.... It's all about pacing and if you build your momentum up throughout the day you will enjoy it more in anycase..... As for your Heart Rate, keep it as you would in Jozi. You should go a bit faster on the road though. If you train at 140 beats, keep it there. Your body is used to it. Oh and lastly.... only start eating gels after you have turned at 45km on the bike - I think most people get seasick because they take in too much sugary stuff before the swim. Dont eat the last our before the start.... Good luck mate
Dangerboy Posted January 12, 2011 Posted January 12, 2011 Hey Rudi, I've done one 70.3 and one IM and they're the best things i've ever done. My advice would be don't do anything you haven't done in training, no point throwing months of training away because you reacted badly to a pill, a Gu, a drink, you've never tried before. As for HR, you can obtain the same speed at a lower HR at the coast, so you need to decide if you have the strength to keep it up for 2.5 - 4 hours on the bike, or you should tap off on the bike and save it for the run. Personally, i'd save it for the run, you'll pass 3 times as many people with an extra 5% on the run than you will with an extra 5% on the bike. Last thing, treat the swim as a "warm up", nobody has ever won a IM with a great swim, conserve energy, stay out of trouble and just enjoy it. The swim can be a bit hectic to start, don't let it bother you, keep your composure and carry on. See you on the beach in 11 days time!
Sloet Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 Hi Guys EL 70.3 will be my first 70.3 and I wanna know if I should take my TT bike or road bike. Due to an injury I've only been able to do 3 rides of 50km+ on the new TT bike. I'm still not 100% run fit so I might have to bail after the bike, with IMSA being the main goal and 70.3 being an "organised training session" due to the injury. If I'm able to run I want to have enough reserves to run good. Will I use up alot of energy using the TT bike instead of the road bike? Thanks
Sloet Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 Hi Guys EL 70.3 will be my first 70.3 and I wanna know if I should take my TT bike or road bike. Due to an injury I've only been able to do 3 rides of 50km+ on the new TT bike. I'm still not 100% run fit so I might have to bail after the bike, with IMSA being the main goal and 70.3 being an "organised training session" due to the injury. If I'm able to run I want to have enough reserves to run good. Will I use up alot of energy using the TT bike instead of the road bike? Thanks
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