Surely I am not Supposed to Feel this bad, right? - Triathlon Week

RedT · 08-07-2007, 12:48 PM

I am fairly new to triathlons and did a sprint Tri (Jack's Generic Triathlon, New Braunfels, Texas) on Sunday 8/5/07.

I enjoyed the swim and it felt great. My swim time for 500m was 11:22 which is right about where I thought it would be. I really felt great on the bike as well. My bike time was 48:15 for 14.8 miles and my average mph were 18.4, which, again is a good time for me.

The one humongously huge mistake I made was not drinking enough on the bike. I tried, but only managed 1/2 bottle of Gatorade and a gel shot at mile 13. But the bike ride felt great.

Then there was the run. It didn't take long to appreciate my lack of hydration. The temp was about 83-85 degrees, but it felt like it was 98 to me. I was completely over heated and felt like poo after the first 1/2 mile and although the course was a straight out and back, as far as I could see there were no water stops (there was one at the turn around). None of the miles were marked. My mouth felt like I had been eating paste. I was determined to run the whole course, and I did but I felt awful.

My run time was 26:45 for a 5k which surprised me because that's a pretty decent time for me considering I had swam and cycled (my 5K time is about 25:10), but I think it could have been much better or at least it could have felt much better.

This was my third tri and although I run 3-4 miles a day, 6-7 on the weekend, and do 5k's regularly, I always feel awful on the run although I make decent time. This tri run was the worst.

After sitting in the lake, drinking a bottle of water and eating a Clif bar I felt much better. But what can I do to not feel so dang bad during the run? I have a Oly coming up in early October (average daily high temps 85 degrees should be in the mid to high 70's during the race), after this last sprint I am really leary about the 10k.

Any help would be, well, helpful and appreciated.
TIA

Red

sfricks · 08-07-2007, 01:38 PM

Red,

Your lack of nutrition and race day hydration is not likely the cause of your distress. I usually recommend against all but liquid nutrition in a Sprint. If properly fueled and hydrated well in advance, you should be mostly fine through 1-1:15 without anything. If your expected finish time is beyond that, GA or some liquid hydration/nutrition product will help.

My bet is overheating at the core. If you check your HR, you'll find it well over 90%. At that rate, you're generating way more heat than your body can disipate. I have this issue as well, and do as well or better dumping aid station water on my head as in my mouth. If it's cold water I will drink a little.

I have no easy solution but find the more I train in the heat and really stress my body (high HR tempo runs & repeats), the better I fair in these events.

As far as your Oly, well... I have said may times on this forum that Olys are the toughest race distance for me (seriuosly, I'd rather do an Ironman!) because of that fact. You will want nutrition and hydration at that time/distance. Again because you'll be operating at higher HRs, I'd recommend liquid nutrition. Reason being at high Heart Rates you body diverts blood away from you digestive system to your working muscles. Use GU if you must but I like Carbo-Pro or Carbo-Pro 1200.
Good Luck!

RedT · 08-08-2007, 06:49 AM

Thanks Scott. I did dump the ice water on my head and felt much better, but since there was only one water stop, the relief did not last long.

I really need to get cracking on my bike to run. I plan on doing several bricks before my next Tri.

triNick · 08-08-2007, 09:11 AM

You need to know the course, how many aid stations will there be for the bike and run. Sometimes the website or race packet will have the info, if you don't see it then ask. This is key, especially on longer distance races and/or races where it will be hot out. If the race course has limited aid stations, then you might need to bring a water bottle with you.

You already know the answer, you need to stay hydrated on the bike, especially if it's hot out. Use something like Gatorade Endurance, it has extra sodium, on the extra hot days.

On the bike, if you have a water station, get some water and pour it over yourself to cool yourself down. Do this on the run also.

Train in the heat to get accustomed to the weather conditions, but don't over do it. Don't do this the week before the race, you want to stay fresh.

For your Oly race, start doing some longer distance runs 5-7 miles. Incorporate some brick workouts.

If there weren't enough aid stations on the course, make sure to inform the RD, so the are aware of this issue.

pyschosyd · 08-12-2007, 06:15 PM

Bricks, Bricks, Bricks. and practice nutrition and hydration before race day.

If you struggle off of the bike. Practice it. Throw atleast one run in per week immediately after a ride. It doesn't have to be a hard run just 15 or 20min. should do. This gets your body trained to the transition.

syd