Question:

Tell us about your training week and goals.

Response:

Tell us about your training week and goals.

15 weeks until my first marathon. Monday          6.2 miles     9:33 pace Tuesday          8.2 miles     9:29 pace Wednesday     DNR  Thunderstorms Thursday         6.2 miles     9:30 pace Friday             Off Saturday         13.6 miles     9:57 pace Sunday           DNR Week total      34.2  miles — Skip Chervak Farmington, Connecticut Osan    TDY      1968 NKP     456 MMS  1969 Danang  366 MMS  1970 Charter member of TLC Brotherhood http://www.tlc-brotherhood.org/ VFW Post 10249, Udorn http://www.khonkaen.com/vfw/ American Legion China Post 1, In Exile http://www.chinapost1.org/

Response:

Mon – 17km Tues -DNR Wed – DNR Thurs – 6.2km Fri – 6.2km Sat – 3km Sun – 12km Total – 44.4 km @ 5′05 min/km + some gym workouts Skept a LSD to heal some blisters and right foot probs. Aiming for Quebec marathon on August 25th

Response:

Since my May 12 marathon, I’ve ballooned up to 195 lbs. My goal is to gradually come down to 183 lbs  for my September marathon. Here’s my week. Monday: 10k/ 46:16 Tuesday: 17.5k 1:19:24 Wednesday: 17.5k 1:19:23 Thursday: 17.5k 1:18:37 Friday: 17.5k 1:18:04 Saturday: 13k 1:00:05 Sunday: 22k 1:40:25  warm Total: 115km – 71.4 miles —  Bernard     O    ///   / …./ GOTTA RUN! To reply by e-mail remove SPAM

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Tell us about your training week and goals.

Response:

Goals for the past week: rest a little bit; easy miles leading up to 5K this weekend.  Keep babying the neuroma in hopes that it will continue to get better. Future goals: miles, miles, miles.  10K on July 4. M: 3.5 "hills" (there are no hills in Florida, but we found a quarter-mile-long bump in the road) T: dnr W: 5 easy R: 3 easy F: dnr Sa: 3 easy Su: 3.1 (5K, described in excruciating detail in another thread) Total: 17.6 miles Karen

Response:

Since my May 12 marathon, I’ve ballooned up to 195 lbs.

You must be eating like a horse, to gain weight with the amount of kms you’re doing (quite quick kms too, if you’re aiming at 4′10 race pace?)

Response:

Tell us about your training week and goals.

Goals:  To improve on 5K time and prepare for longer races (10and up).  Next race I will be running will be July 26th…Tim Horton’s Downtown Dash in Burlington. I’ve been suffering from a shin splint on the left side.  So, I’ve been doing more rest as a result. Sunday– Rest Monday–Rest Tuesday—400m splits; 1:31.74; 1:47.25; 1:58.40; 1:50.66; 1:45.79  Preceded by a 1.5km there, 400m slow pace in between, then 1.5km back Wednesday–easy 5km; 30 min Thursday–easy 5km, 30 min Friday–200m splits; 42.91; 39.90; 41.38; 42.15; 45.58; 38.82  preceded by 1.5km to track; 200m slow pace between splits, then  1.5km back Saturday–rest, and ice Sunday– rest I am not getting as much mileage under my feet as I’d like, but I need the body to heal… Brian in Hamilton

Response:

Goals: – some summer "corridas", just for fun – maybe a mountain race (13km, +1000m) in July – maybe do first 100km race, at Millau in September: target, sub 10h NB Distances now rounded to nearest half km/mile, so as to at least half follow Doug’s method :- <pre Mon  0h52   9.5k   6.0mi   Recovery at 5′28/km (8′47/mi) Tue  OFF Wed  0h45  10.5k   6.5mi   20′ Up, drills, lines                             7 * 500/125 in 1′47/1′00                             6′ Down Thu  0h42   8.0k   5.0mi   Recovery at 5′23/km (8′39/mi) Fri  OFF Sat  0h38   7.0k   4.5mi   28′ Up at 5′30/km (8′51/mi)                             5 * 200/100 in 45"/40"                             4′ Down Sun  1h45  24.0k  15.0mi   22′ Up, drills, lines, stretching                            Half marathon in 1h22m43s (new PB by 2m22s)      4h40  59k    37mi </pre

Response:

My goal for the year is a sub-20 5K, but I don’t seem to be progressing at the moment. I think I am going to focus my training towards a 10K in late September, then make my 5K attempt in early November. Tue – 45 min. cycling Wed – 5K cross-country race in 23:08, 1 up, 1 down Sat – off Total: 29 miles (46 km)

Response:

You must be eating like a horse, to gain weight with the amount of kms you’re doing (quite quick kms too, if you’re aiming at 4′10 race pace?)

Yes, I did eat like a horse, a big horse. I am now trying hard to control the amount of food I eat. Also, I’m trying to slow down training pace to run even more. Bernard     O    ///   / …./ GOTTA RUN! To reply by e-mail remove SPAM

Response:

Great race, Steve. Congrats on the PB. —  Bernard     O    ///   / …./ GOTTA RUN! To reply by e-mail remove SPAM

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Goals: – some summer "corridas", just for fun – maybe a mountain race (13km, +1000m) in July – maybe do first 100km race, at Millau in September: target, sub 10h NB Distances now rounded to nearest half km/mile, so as to at least half follow Doug’s method :- <pre Mon  0h52   9.5k   6.0mi   Recovery at 5′28/km (8′47/mi) Tue  OFF Wed  0h45  10.5k   6.5mi   20′ Up, drills, lines                             7 * 500/125 in 1′47/1′00                             6′ Down Thu  0h42   8.0k   5.0mi   Recovery at 5′23/km (8′39/mi) Fri  OFF Sat  0h38   7.0k   4.5mi   28′ Up at 5′30/km (8′51/mi)                             5 * 200/100 in 45"/40"                             4′ Down Sun  1h45  24.0k  15.0mi   22′ Up, drills, lines, stretching                            Half marathon in 1h22m43s (new PB by 2m22s)      4h40  59k    37mi </pre

Response:

M    DNR T    6 miles with hills. W    4.5×1 mile repeats 400m recovery (did OK)  Got there late because of work so it should have been 5. last part poured it on.  After that did the Sprint up Brady (1/4 mile) in 1:37. F    DNR S    1 mile fun run in 6:28 good enough for 2nd place.  Ran with the lead female for almost 4 minutes before speeding up. S    13 miles in 1:54  Showed signed of dehydration again.  HR went way up, arms were dry and shortly after the run, I noticed my pants were even dry. Note to self, stay away from margaritas the night before. Total: 31 miles, but if counting light poles and dividing by 4 (won’t mention any names) then I ran about 78 miles.  ;-) Goal:  Beat 38:58 in a 5 mile race next Saturday.  I’ve got to be doing better this year.

Response:

Tell us about your training week and goals.

Main Goal: Scotiabank Marathon, Sept 15 Races along the way: 10k on June 25                                            5k on August 10 ——- Mon  

Question:

You may want to know the the M4 Specialized bikes ridden by Peter Reid and Lori Bowden are NOT stock frames.  I designed the frames after doing extensive aerodynamic and biomechanical testing with Peter and Lori, and Specialized built them custom bikes to match my specifications.  My company does this for many athletes, as we find very few people fit well on production tri-bikes.

Any insight into their specific geometries (specifically seat tube angle)? Thanks, Doug "volunteering to be Lori’s seat post" Fuller

Response:

You may want to know the the M4 Specialized bikes ridden by Peter Reid and Lori Bowden are NOT stock frames.  I designed the frames after doing extensive aerodynamic and biomechanical testing with Peter and Lori, and Specialized built them custom bikes to match my specifications.  My company does this for many athletes, as we find very few people fit well on production tri-bikes. Christopher Kautz PK Racing Technologies Cycling Specific Science www.pkracing.net – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m a former road rider but have been off-road for the last 8 or so years. Anxious to get back on the pavement and will be entering a few tri’s this summer (sprint/olympic distance; but goal is a Half-Ironman by 2002).  Any bike suggestions for a novice triathlete? I also come from a road racing background and my recommendation is to stick with yuor road bike for the first year and invest in some good, comfortable aero bars. I have found most people who come from rad racing have more difficulty adjusting to forward angles and 650 wheels. I have a long torso and short legs (5′9, 30.5′ inseam). Road style frames tend to have longer top tubes and tri-specific bikes are generally built with shorter top tubes. If you are still considering a new bike, you might want to look at a Specialized M4 road bike.  It is one of the more aero style frames, in road geometry and have a nice compliment of parts/gruppos.  Hell, it seems to work fine for Peter Reid and Lori Bowben (two fellow contrymen) Good Luck with your season

Before you buy.

Response:

Thanks for the tip.  I thought it looked like they were riding a seat angle a lot steeper than 73 degrees. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You may want to know the the M4 Specialized bikes ridden by Peter Reid and Lori Bowden are NOT stock frames.  I designed the frames after doing extensive aerodynamic and biomechanical testing with Peter and Lori, and Specialized built them custom bikes to match my specifications.  My company does this for many athletes, as we find very few people fit well on production tri-bikes. Christopher Kautz PK Racing Technologies Cycling Specific Science www.pkracing.net I’m a former road rider but have been off-road for the last 8 or so years. Anxious to get back on the pavement and will be entering a few tri’s this summer (sprint/olympic distance; but goal is a Half-Ironman by 2002).  Any bike suggestions for a novice triathlete? I also come from a road racing background and my recommendation is to stick with yuor road bike for the first year and invest in some good, comfortable aero bars. I have found most people who come from rad racing have more difficulty adjusting to forward angles and 650 wheels. I have a long torso and short legs (5′9, 30.5′ inseam). Road style frames tend to have longer top tubes and tri-specific bikes are generally built with shorter top tubes. If you are still considering a new bike, you might want to look at a Specialized M4 road bike.  It is one of the more aero style frames, in road geometry and have a nice compliment of parts/gruppos.  Hell, it seems to work fine for Peter Reid and Lori Bowben (two fellow contrymen) Good Luck with your season Before you buy.

Before you buy.

Response:

Sharkie – Go to www.slowtwitch.com  Dan has some thoughts on your questions. Cheers, gordo

Response:

Yes, one of my road bikes is a speialized frame.  there low end A1 and its great.  They make good frames.

Response:

I’m a former road rider but have been off-road for the last 8 or so years. Anxious to get back on the pavement and will be entering a few tri’s this summer (sprint/olympic distance; but goal is a Half-Ironman by 2002).  Any

bike suggestions for a novice triathlete? I also come from a road racing background and my recommendation is to stick with yuor road bike for the first year and invest in some good, comfortable aero bars. I have found most people who come from rad racing have more difficulty adjusting to forward angles and 650 wheels.   I have a long torso and short legs (5′9, 30.5′ inseam).

Road style frames tend to have longer top tubes and tri-specific bikes are generally built with shorter top tubes. If you are still considering a new bike, you might want to look at a Specialized M4 road bike.  It is one of the more aero style frames, in road geometry and have a nice compliment of parts/gruppos.  Hell, it seems to work fine for Peter Reid and Lori Bowben (two fellow contrymen) Good Luck with your season

Response:

I’m a former road rider but have been off-road for the last 8 or so years. Anxious to get back on the pavement and will be entering a few tri’s this summer (sprint/olympic distance; but goal is a Half-Ironman by 2002).  Any bike suggestions for a novice triathlete?  Wanting to spend around $2500 Canuck bucks ($1600 US).  Read/heard so many conflicting arguements for road versus tri bikes for novice triathletes.  I have a long torso and short legs (5′9, 30.5′ inseam). Thanks for any advice. Sharkie

Response:

Question:

Anyone doing the Crooked Creek Triathlon this Saturday in Ford Ciy, PA? Dave Graham

Response:

Goin’ to Skylands in New Jersey.  It used to be a local race when I started in tri’s. Gives me a chance to visit my Mom, too. Mick O. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anyone doing the Crooked Creek Triathlon this Saturday in Ford Ciy, PA? Dave Graham

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Response:

Question:

I just moved to Meridian, MS and I am looking for training partners and group bike rides on the weekend.  I would be willing to travel 2-3 hours for some good quality bike rides and training on the weekends.  Nearby cities are Jackson, MS and Birmingham, AL.  The gulf coast would also be a possibility. Also since I moved to the south I havn’t found much info on duathlons and triathlons.  I plan on doing powerman Alabama in March.  Besides that I don’t know. Any help or information would be appreciated. Thanks, Eric

Response:

Art, I live in Birmingham and Team Magic is the main contact in this area. They will be putting on the Powerman Alabama so you can get with them there. As far as this area goes, they have the Powerman in march, two sprint distance races one in july and one in august and that’s about it. Of course your still have the Gulf Coast and the Memphis in May races. Mike

Response:

Eric,    Welcome to the region.  Below are a few URL’s that have (or, as the tri season gets closer, will have) useful info on races and/or activities in the general area.  Specific to the Birmingham area, Team Magic has a great reputation for putting on quality races (Powerman AL, Buster Britton, Mountain Lakes).  For training rides, you can check-out the Birmingham Bike Club page.  This is the B’ham touring club but there are a number of triathletes who ride with the club.  Rides tend to split-up into fast and not-so-fast groups although the January ride schedule seems to emphasize moderately-paced everyone-stay-together rides.     — Chuck Amsler B’ham Bike Club:   http://members.aol.com/bikefalcon/bbc.htm WebRunner Page:    http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/running/running.html USAT Southeast:    http://www.usat-se.w1.com/index.htm Auburn Tri Club:   http://www.auburn.edu/~crawfcj/tri.html Tri-Atlanta Club:  http://www.msm.edu/groups/tri-atlanta/ Fla Panhandle  Run & Tri Club:   http://204.49.131.2/prtc.htm CFT/Sommer Sports: http://www.gate.net/~cftri/ e.c. Multisport:   http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/3317/ Rocketman Tri:     http://ro.com/~rimre/rocketman.html Gulf Coast Tri:    http://204.49.131.2/triath.htm Fla Running   & Triathlon:     http://www.runningnetwork.com/FloridaRunning/ Lousiana Wired  (maybe expired):  http://www.premier.net/~jsanford/lawired.htm     Dept. of Biology    University of Alabama at Birmingham               http://www.uab.edu/uabbio/amsler.htm

Response:

says… I just moved to Meridian, MS and I am looking for training partners and group bike rides on the weekend.  I would be willing to travel 2-3 hours for some good quality bike rides and training on the weekends.  Nearby cities are Jackson, MS and Birmingham, AL.  The gulf coast would also be a possibility. Also since I moved to the south I havn’t found much info on duathlons and triathlons.  I plan on doing powerman Alabama in March.  Besides that I don’t know.

Try the Running Network (http://www.runningnetwork.com/index.html).  With my Mom living in Georgia, I did some research this fall on racing in Georgia and found this page pretty useful.  Also I liked the Inside Tri and the Triathlete web pages.

Response:

Question:

See antibiotic warning in rec.sport.triathlon regarding tendon rupture warning

Response:

See antibiotic warning in rec.sport.triathlon regarding tendon rupture warning

My news server doesn’t carry this particular newsgroup, and I’m afraid that by the time I can have it added, the post will have disappeared — could you give us a quick rundown on this? Thanks in advance! Torsten Hoff (The views and opinions expressed are my own, and should not be construed as representing those of Symantec Corporation)

Response:

Question:

When I rounded the first "double buoy", I think it decided to move itself.  As I went around, a woman in a boat was holding a very long rope and there seemed to be a bit of a panic on the

boats.  The boat had just fired its engine as if to move the buoy back.  

–  Some call me Rolf.                      Some know me as Ironman.                                                 Looking to 1997…..  IMC ‘94 – 14:06:47    IMC ‘95 – 11:58:35        IMC ‘97 – 10:45:00

Response:

For those of you who missed it, Troy Jacobson, overall winner, really showed some class. He, too, commented on the difficulty of the course and even compared it to Kona.  Instead of a "look what I did" speech, Troy made everyone feel like they had truely accomplished something.  Good job Troy!

Does Troy ever lose these days? just awesome!( yeah, i know he was only forth at vineman).

Response:

STUFF DELETED Speaking of fish, did anyone see any during the swim?  Damn that water was clean.  Beautiful. Mark Johnson

Mark,   I wouldn’t get too ecstatic about the clear water. Chances are that in that part of the continent, the water is so clear because of acid rain pollution. It kills the plant life etc which in turn means fish have nothing to eat or lay eggs in. The clarity of the water in lakes is something to be sorry about, not something to wax poetic about. In many areas of the north east, the lakes are alot clearer than they have ever been before. I take my fishing rod along on canoe trips alot less frequently than even just 10 years ago.   I will agree however that it does look nice. The beauty fades rapidly when you know the whole story.   Sorry if I rained on your parade (no pun intended) TriDork

Response:

  Congratulations.   They should call you a fish.  According to the race results (see http://www.coolrunning.com), you had the sixth fastest swim time.  I’m impressed. Well, after reading this I thought something was "fishy".  My swimming has improved, but not that much.

For the 35-39 wave, I was with a small lead group of 3 swimmers. I looked up, and saw the first turn buoy on a boat heading further from shore, with the people on the boat waving and yelling to follow the boat.  The two swimmers ahead of me headed for the next buoy.  I followed the boat to the "correct" first turn. The remainder of my wave was 10 yards back by this time, and apparently followed the boat too. I have no idea when or why they decided to move the marker, so if it was too far into shore for earlier waves, that would account for faster swim times.  My swim split was 24 minutes for the "correct" course, about what I would have expected. BTW, I yelled the wrong number coming out of the water, so if number 253 (or was it 235) has a strange swim split, that could be why! kbb Kim B. Blair, Ph.D.                     Senior Staff Scientist 955 Massachusetts Ave., 5th Floor       (617) 354-3124 ext. 18 Cambridge, MA  02139-3180               (617) 491-4522 (fax)

Response:

For the 35-39 wave, I was with a small lead group of 3 swimmers. I looked up, and saw the first turn buoy on a boat heading further from shore, with the people on the boat waving and yelling to follow the boat.  The two swimmers ahead of me headed for the next buoy.  I followed the boat to the "correct" first turn. The remainder of my wave was 10 yards back by this time, and apparently followed the boat too. I have no idea when or why they decided to move the marker, so if it was too far into shore for earlier waves, that would account for faster swim times.  My swim split was 24 minutes for the "correct" course, about what I would have expected.

When I rounded the first "double buoy", I think it decided to move itself.  As I went around, a woman in a boat was holding a very long rope and there seemed to be a bit of a panic on the boats.  One boat had just fired its engine as if to move the buoy.   -Rolf —  Some call me Rolf.                      Some know me as Ironman.                                                 Looking to 1997…..  IMC ‘94 – 14:06:47    IMC ‘95 – 11:58:35        IMC ‘97 – 10:45:00

Response:

1 mi swim – 44.3 mi bike – 8.8 mi run Pre-race: Wind.  Lots of it.   Morning of race: Wind.  Lots of it, but no rain.   Swim: Choppy, very rough wind chop.  Nice course layout. I did my usual 27 minute swim, which I was thrilled with considering the conditions of waves in the face whilst breathing.  Some might even say that even the swim was hilly with the sizes of some of the waves.   Bike: This course is cruel.  The wind was in your face seemingly the whole way.  My guess is 10-20 mph sustained with gusts much higher. This course is cruel.  My time was about 2:10, or 20.4 mph.   Not particularly fast, but considering the course and my level of bike training, I cannot complain one iota.   Oh, the severe hill at 14 and 36 is severe.  They don’t mention the numerous little choppers that grind your quads to nothing.   I was strong from 0-30 miles, and then something slowly let go.  I was fairly flat and sluggish for the remaining miles.  Most likely 80% dehydration brought on by eating those Gu’s with not enough water.  The other 20% was lack of glucose, which sat in my stomach for most of the race.   Run: The flyer says flat. Yeah, right.  Long grinding climbs, long quad-destruction downhills. I eked out 8:04/mile overall, altough I did about 7:45 for the first 6 miles or so.   Final time (a la my IMC 1995 time): 3:58:25 (Yes, I knew I could go under 4 hrs with a considerable effort – ouch – over the last mile.) Pluses: Super challenging course!  Athlete support first class.   You get alot for your entry fee.   Minuses: The long race was delayed by about 30-35 minutes, as was the short race.  I cannot figure out why they start the long course 1.5 HOURS after the short race, when there were still people coming in when I left to go home at 4 PM!!!  It puts the long course people out on the course when both traffic and heat are highest.   I started at 10:05 AM, a personal latest in terms of starting a tri.   Also, it was quite annoying to be told "Be here to check in by 6-7 AM, and then have to sit around for 2-3 hours waiting for the race to start.  They need to clean up these logistics, like just run the two races concurrently.  There is plenty of room on the course for lots of athletes.  Hell, I was alone for most of the second lap of the bike ride! Also, the Saturday race date is very awkward for people coming from far away.   Miscellaneous: I stayed a mere 5 minute walk from the race start and slept a blissful 10 hours the night before.  While I was well rested, my mental energies were not positive.  Both showed during the race.  New England people are among the friendliest and warmest people I know.  Must be the clean air up there.   This race is a great alternative to the chewed up and dangerous bike course at Tupper Lake.   I met some of the nicest triathletes there, including Mark Johnson of r.s.t., Tony – a medical student on Long Island, and Janell and Kathy – two very *nice* women from Florida!   A humorous side note, I thought I was in age group "C" marked on our legs.  I raced as hard as I could against the "C" runners only to find out after the race I was a "D".  Oops.   -Rolf —  Some call me Rolf.                      Some know me as Ironman.                                                 Looking to 1997…..  IMC ‘94 – 14:06:47    IMC ‘95 – 11:58:35        IMC ‘97 – 10:45:00

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –   Congratulations.   They should call you a fish.  According to the race results (see http://www.coolrunning.com), you had the sixth fastest swim time.  I’m impressed. Well, after reading this I thought something was "fishy".  My swimming has improved, but not that much. The split for my swim is WAY off.  I wish I were sixth out of the water.  My actual time was 27 minutes and change, placing me about 160th or so out of the water.  The extra eight minutes were added to my bike time, which was 8 minutes longer than my watch.  Next year I will be sixth out I cannot figure out how they goofed this one up.  I suppose racer number 24, or 224, or etc., is trying to figure out where those extra minutes on his/her swim came from.

Just for the record, I glanced at the Int’l distance results for the race and saw that the first place swimmer did his .75 mile swim in 4 minutes.  Second place was 15:13.  Something was definitely fishy. Speaking of fish, did anyone see any during the swim?  Damn that water was clean.  Beautiful. By the way, my times seemed to be right on the money — fairly consistent with what their splits said.   If I get off my butt, I might write up my own little race report, but briefly, I had my best race of the season so far (thanks to some great nutritional advice from friends) and it was great meeting Rolf Arands — my first real-life contact with an RSTer! I also believe that every triathlete (at least those of us out east) should have to do that course at least once.  It truly was both beautiful and brutal. More later, Mark Johnson http://www.math.princeton.edu/~maejohns

Response:

  I also agree with you about both the bike and the run courses.   Challenging is an understatement.  The bike course was a double loop which made it even more difficult.  I finished the first 22 miles only to have to repeat it a second time.  Once up Grace hill (mile 15) is bad enough.  Twice is cruel and unusual punishment.

I’ve never done this triathlon but have bike raced around Sunapee a number of times, following (I believe) the same 22 or 23 mile loop. What’s interesting is that it’s not all _that_ hilly, rather its the various windy sections that sap the strength and make the hills seem really bad.  If you were to ride around the course really easy, staying fresh for the hills, they don’t seem to be a big deal.  But in a race, agghhh! JT

Response:

For those of you who missed it, Troy Jacobson, overall winner, really showed some class. He, too, commented on the difficulty of the course and even compared it to Kona.  Instead of a "look what I did" speech, Troy made everyone feel like they had truely accomplished something.  Good job Troy!

Response:

  Congratulations.   They should call you a fish.  According to the race results (see http://www.coolrunning.com), you had the sixth fastest swim time.  I’m impressed.  

Well, after reading this I thought something was "fishy".  My swimming has improved, but not that much.   The split for my swim is WAY off.  I wish I were sixth out of the water.  My actual time was 27 minutes and change, placing me about 160th or so out of the water.  The extra eight minutes were added to my bike time, which was 8 minutes longer than my watch.  Next year I will be sixth out   I cannot figure out how they goofed this one up.  I suppose racer number 24, or 224, or etc., is trying to figure out where those extra minutes on his/her swim came from.   I also thought it was a bit short.  

Hard to say.  My mile times have been very consistent, having done a half mile in just under 14 minutes (without wetsuit) in a pool, a mile swim in the ocean in 26 minutes, and this one is 27+ minutes.   To me it seemed pretty much in line.   By far the worst part of the run was the continuous incline between the mile 5 marker and the mile 6 marker.

Oh, is that what that was?  I thought I was in hell!  PS. How did you post this report so quickly?  You beat me and I live just outside Boston.

What else would you expect from the "#6" swimmer?!  I had a small Internet satellite uplink in my car and typed it in during a traffic jam in Hartford, CT. Just kidding.  I posted it late when I got home to NJ that night.   -Rolf —  Some call me Rolf.                      Some know me as Ironman.                                                 Looking to 1997…..  IMC ‘94 – 14:06:47    IMC ‘95 – 11:58:35        IMC ‘97 – 10:45:00

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1 mi swim – 44.3 mi bike – 8.8 mi run Pre-race: Wind.  Lots of it.

  << All the interesting stuff has been snipped -Rolf —  Some call me Rolf.                      Some know me as Ironman.

                                                 Looking to 1997…..    Congratulations.    They should call you a fish.  According to the race results (see http://www.coolrunning.com), you had the sixth fastest swim time.  I’m impressed.  Your swim position was 285 positions higher than mine.  I must agree, the swim was extremely dificult, especially for a non-swimmer such as myself.  I also thought it was a bit short.  My swin split was 34 minutes – better than I have ever done even in a pool.   There were several times when I wish I had gills because I was sucking in water when I really wanted some air.    I also agree with you about both the bike and the run courses.   Challenging is an understatement.  The bike course was a double loop which made it even more difficult.  I finished the first 22 miles only to have to repeat it a second time.  Once up Grace hill (mile 15) is bad enough.  Twice is cruel and unusual punishment.  The run, even though only 8.8 miles, was the second most challenging run that I have even done and my strength is running.  The only course that I have found more difficult is the Boylston 30K in Central Mass. – it has 18 hills.  By far the worst part of the run was the continuous incline between the mile 5 marker and the mile 6 marker.   According to my watch, my overall time 4:01:18, about 5 minutes faster than I had estimated.   As were all of his races, Rich Havens put on a very well run event.  I did all six of his races this year and plan to repeat next year.   Martin   PS. How did you post this report so quickly?  You beat me and I live just outside Boston. — Martin Feeney Swim…Bike…Run…Collapse.  Triathletes have three times the fun.

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Question:

*Salt and the ultraendurance athlete* Recently, Americans have been urged to pay more attention to their sodium intake. Decades ago, all foods seemed heavily salted. Then, a link between sodium intake and high blood pressure was discovered. Suddenly, "sodium – free" or "low sodium" products began flooding  the consumer market. Certainly, to a degree, this is justified. Many diseases are worsened by excess sodium intake, and millions of Americans must closely watch the amount of sodium in their diet. However, sodium is a required element for normal body functions. It is lost in sweat and urine and is replaced in the diet. The body has a remarkable ability to maintain sodium and water balance throughout a variety of conditions, thus ensuring our survival. Ultraendurance events challenge this survival mechanism. In hot, humid conditions a large amount of sweat is lost, which can disturb sodium and water balance. Adequate hydration and sodium intake — either via sports drinks or food — becomes vitally important during long races.  The goal of this article is to help you determine how to maintain sodium balance during training and racing and during recovery. The information for this article came from a variety of published studies done on healthy, young athletes and may not be appropriate for everyone. Athletes who are under a physician’s care or have health problems should check with their doctor about salt and their ability to exercise in the heat. *Hyponatremia — what is it?* Hyponatremia means a low concentration of sodium in the blood. When it occurs in triathletes, it usually happens during long or ultra-distance races in the heat but may occur anytime. It is estimated that approximately 30% of the finishers of the Hawaii Ironman are both hyponatremic and dehydrated. The longer the race, the greater the risk of hyponatremia. *What causes it?* The exact mechanisms are not fully understood and I won’t go into the complex physiologic pathways of sodium and water balance. The simplest answer is that lost sweat (salt and water) is replaced by ingested water (no salt). This dilutes the sodium in the bloodstream, and hyponatremia results. Longer races carry a greater risk of hyponatremia because of the total amount of sweat lost. During exercise in the heat, more salt is lost in sweat per hour than is usually replaced by food and fluids, including sports drinks.  Your body can tolerate a degree of imbalance for a short period of time, but it may decompensate if this continues for too long. Sweat contains between 2.25 – 3.4 grams of salt per liter, and the rate of perspiration in a long, hot race can easily average 1  liter per hour. So, for a 12 hour race, one could lose approximately 27 to 41 grams of salt. If the athlete replaces only the lost water and has minimal salt intake, hyponatremia can result. *Medications and hyponatremia* Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents interfere with kidney function and may contribute to the development of hyponatremia in triathletes. The same applies to acetaminophen (Tylenol). I have seen many athletes taking these drugs during Ironman races, and I strongly recommend against this practice. They won’t make you faster and may hurt you. Under tough conditions, your kidneys need to function at 100%. Other drugs that may contribute to hyponatremia are diuretics, narcotics, and certain psychiatric medications.   *What are the symptoms of hyponatremia?* The spectrum of symptoms can range from mild to severe and can include nausea, muscle cramps, disorientation, slurred speech, confusion, and inappropriate behavior. As it progresses, victims may experience seizures or coma, and death can occur. Severe hyponatremia is a true medical emergency. *Treatment* Minor symptoms, such as nausea and mild muscle cramps, can be treated by eating salty foods and hydrating with a sodium containing sports drink. More severe symptoms require treatment by qualified medical personnel. If you think you are suffering from hyponatremia or are unsure, seek medical attention immediately. *Recommendations* There are no clear cut guidelines, and recommendations need to be individualized for each triathlete. Some authorities recommend drinking less water to rebalance sodium and water intake. However, given the risk of dehydration and heat injury, this is not a practical recommendation. To reiterate, all of the hyponatremic athletes in the Hawaii Ironman were also dehydrated. Others recommend increasing salt intake, and this seems more prudent. By ingesting more sodium, hydration with water is balanced and dilution of blood sodium does not occur. Relative importance for different length races         less than 1 hr  1 – 3 hrs       3  hrs water   -/+     +       + carbohydrate    -       +       + salt    -       -/+     +         It cannot be stressed enough that you have got to know what your needs are prior to race day. Rehearse your hydration, feeding, and salt strategy during your training sessions. There are so many variations between individuals that there is no single right answer. Know what your body’s’ needs are.

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I was standing at the counter multi-tasking. (Don’t all triathletes try to do at least three things at once in the kitchen?) I was saute-ing garlic and onion and chopping broccoli, while toasting an English muffin to pack for the next days breakfast. I got ready to pack up my mueslix cereal for breakfast and I poured the cereal into my (as of yet untouched) glass of chardonnay. Right then, I knew I had made the right decision to take another rest day. Cathy Corning

Tee-hee!  Sounds like me.  I used to judge how hard I was training by how many forks I would get out while my lunch (pasta) was cooking.  I would start with one, put it on the table, immediately forget that I had done it and get out another one……when I had three or more out in the two minutes it took to cook the noodles, I knew I was working a little TOO hard….      TriGal

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Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon Organization: UltraNet Communications, Inc. After a tough race in Muncie on Sunday, I took Monday off. Tuesday   morning I decided to sleep in. I thought, well, I can always go for a short easy bike ride after work. But after work, I decided I still     felt kind of wiped out so I’d take another rest day. I felt guilty about it but I do want to at least be respectable in Chicago this weekend. I was standing at the counter multi-tasking. (Don’t all triathletes try to do at least three things at once in the kitchen?) I was saute-ing garlic and onion and chopping broccoli, while toasting an English muffin to pack for the next days breakfast. I got ready to pack up my mueslix cereal for breakfast and I poured the cereal into my (as of yet untouched) glass of chardonnay. Right then, I knew I had made the right decision to take another rest day. Cathy Corning

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I was standing at the counter multi-tasking. [snip...] poured the cereal into my (as of yet untouched) glass of chardonnay. Right then, I knew I had made the right decision to take another rest day.

funny you should mention this… i’ve always used minor household accidents and brain lapses such as this as one of my primary overtraining indicators.  when i was (over)training hard for Ironman Canada a few years ago I had several incidents of breaking glasses, dropping things, stubbing toes, etc… one actually required stitches and shocked me into taking several days off. btw, good luck in Chicago. Art Hutchinson (using my wife’s account)

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After a tough race in Muncie on Sunday, I took Monday off. Tuesday       morning I decided to sleep in. I thought, well, I can always go for a short easy bike ride after work. But after work, I decided I still     felt kind of wiped out so I’d take another rest day. I felt guilty about it but I do want to at least be respectable in Chicago this weekend. I was standing at the counter multi-tasking. (Don’t all triathletes try to do at least three things at once in the kitchen?) I was saute-ing garlic and onion and chopping broccoli, while toasting an English muffin to pack for the next days breakfast. I got ready to pack up my mueslix cereal for breakfast and I poured the cereal into my (as of yet untouched) glass of chardonnay. Right then, I knew I had made the right decision to take another rest day. Cathy Corning

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 Hi there, I am new at this whole thing, so please don’t flame me if this comes out really wierd.  Anyway, I’m a beginning triathlete and started out as a swimmer, so I have almost no experience with running and the related possibility of injury.  So I have trained, but now I have pain in my hip, back and right   leg.  Three doctors have told me three different things, and after following    their directions, I feel almost all better.  So my question is this, I don’t    really know how to train properly for running (I just went and ran!) and I don’t know how to train to rehab my back etc. So, anyone want to give me any         suggestions?  I have a race coming up in 3 weeks, with a 4 mile run leg at the  end – I’ve been waiting for this race for a while – and I want to do it, am I   kidding myself? Everyone has been telling me that I’m 21 and need to learn a    great deal of patience…Thanks, Todd Menzel  

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In my opinion, the vast majority of athletic injuries come from trying to do too much too soon.  Muscles seem to adapt fairly quickly but the joints, ligaments, tendons, etc. do not.   Build your base gradually.  Don’t add increase your milage more than 10% per week.  Follow hard workouts with easy days for recovery.  The key to success is consistant training.  Repeatedly overtraining yourself into injuries will not get you where you want to go. For many of us, injuries come with the territory.  The most we can hope to do is to avoid the truely stupid ones. Dave LaPorte U. of Minn.

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In my opinion, the vast majority of athletic injuries come from trying to do too much too soon.  Muscles seem to adapt fairly quickly but the joints, ligaments, tendons, etc. do not.   Build your base gradually.  Don’t add increase your milage more than 10% per week.  Follow hard workouts with easy days for recovery.  The key to success is consistant training.  Repeatedly overtraining yourself into injuries will not get you where you want to go. For many of us, injuries come with the territory.  The most we can hope to

I’d like to second Dave’s comments.  Consider starting with 1 mile per day runs and go from there.  Mix in walking if you want to get in more time.  While your fitness level would allow you to run much longer than that, you’ve alreasy learned the hard way that your joints need time to adapt to a different sport.

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Has anyone worn a heart rate monitor during a marathon to monitor pace? If so, did it help, or would you recommend relying on "instinct" instead?

I used one during Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth MN on June 19 and found it very helpfull. I usually go out too fast and suffer later. It still is a bit of a problem as it takes awhile for the heart rate to reach the the value that you will want to run at, but I think after a few trials you can determine good values for the first mile or so of the race. Despite the temptation to ignore the monitor because I felt so "good", I was able to run with negative splits – second half about one minute faster than the first half. At age 62 I needed an average heart rate of about 138 to finish in 3:12, but I think everyone would have to use a marathon to calibrate the monitor for his own heart characteristics. I have never felt better after a marathon than I did at this race, so i’ll continue to use the monitor. I use it in shorter races also.    Greg Prom                         Honeywell Systems & Research Center    Tel. (612) 951-7358               MN65-2500    Fax  (612) 951-7438               3660 Technology Drive —    Greg Prom                         Honeywell Systems & Research Center    Tel. (612) 951-7358               MN65-2500    Fax  (612) 951-7438               3660 Technology Drive

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Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon,rec.running

Has anyone worn a heart rate monitor during a marathon to monitor pace? If so, did it help, or would you recommend relying on "instinct" instead?

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Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon,rec.running Has anyone worn a heart rate monitor during a marathon to monitor pace? If so, did it help, or would you recommend relying on "instinct" instead?

Yeah, I friend of mine uses his HR moniter all the time to race 1/2 marathons and above. In his last two marathons he set his moniter to `beap’ if he went above or below 5% of his threshold level. On both occasions he has run well (2.30 and 2.33) and was able to negative split the latter race. He finds the benefit is that it keeps him from going too fast early. Relying on instinct may not be `as good’ as I think most folk tend to go too fast early in a marathon. In Peter Coe and David Martin’s `Training Distance Runners’ (A supurb book for anybody interested in training and physiology for elite performances), they say, any deviation of 2% from `ideal pace (i.e. just under threshold) will result in a slowing down toward the end of the marathon. Just my 0.02 worth. Tim

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A couple questions for the net:  - do many of you triathletes/runners get massages done and if    so why, what the benefits/hazards, etc  - if massages are good, when are they most effective    - during peak training    - at taper    - after a hard race    - etc — Brendan R. Leitch                           Bell Northern Research Ltd. DMS Supernode Distributed Operating Systems       (The Big Nerd Ranch) Voice: (613) 763-9425            FAX: (613) 763-8864         ESN: 393-9425                  ESN: 393-8864 Surface Mail: MS 145, P.O. BOX 3511, Station C, Ottawa, Canada, K1Y 4H7

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