For my second Ironman race, I chose the Great Floridian Triathlon, primarily because of it’s close location to Gainesville and secondarily because of the challenge it offered.  Though the GFT’s course changes every year, it always offers lots of hills on the bike and run, warm temperatures and overall challenging race conditions.

The two lap swim was in Lake Minneola.  The water temperature was 73, so wetsuits were legal.  The swim went well for me; I actually went through the first lap a bit ahead of schedule and settled back into an easy rhythm for the second lap.  With less than 300 racers, there was almost no contact on the swim.

Considering I swam the same time as I did last year at Ironman Wisconsin on almost no swim training, I am satisfied with how the swim went.  T1 was a bit slow, but uneventful.

My plan on the three loop hilly bike course was to be super ultra conservative.  I knew the heat and hills would be problematic if I was at all aggressive, so my plan was to be a slave to my power meter the whole way.

First, here are the numbers:
Distance: 114.8 miles (more on this oopsie in a bit)
Pedaling time: 6:50:40
Actual time: 7:01:32
Pedaling speed: 16.8mph
Actual speed: 15.9mph
Average power: 131 watts
Normalized power: 147 watts
VI: 1.13
Decoupling: 3.15%
Cadence: 87rpm
HR: 147bpm
Work: 3197kJ
TSS: 314.6
IF: 0.686

To summarize, I rode easy the whole way.  My average power for each of the three loops was 130-131 watts.  I kept my power low on the hills and pushed down the hills (my max speed was almost 50mph).  I stayed aero on the flats and downhills and used the uphills as an opportunity to change positions, eat/drink and stretch my legs.  I used very low gearing (50/34 chainrings, 11-28 cassette) to allow for easy ascent of the rollers and fast speeds on the downhills.

On the first loop, I was getting passed left and right by testosterone filled guys pushing 500 watts up the rollers.  I was not too concerned.  I had a feeling I’d catch them at mile 100.  Sure enough, I was the one doing the passing on loop 3!

I made several short stops at aid stations to collect my nutrition, pour water on myself (the air temperature on the bike reached 85 degrees) and keep my HR under control.  I’m glad I did this, as it gave me a chance to catch my breath and stretch my neck out a bit.

MAJOR EXECUTION ERROR: on the first loop, I made a wrong turn that cost me almost 3 miles and 15 minutes of clock time.  It was 100% my fault!  The turn was clearly marked and there was a cop pointing the way.  I simply went right when I should have gone left.  I finally realized my error when I came to a T junction without any marked turn arrows or police cars!  I fortunately made the correct decision to turn around and go back the way I came.  Damnit!

Aside from the wrong turn, I’m happy with my bike execution.  My TSS numbers were right where I wanted them to be.  I got off the bike still mentally alert, confident and as ready to run as one can be after 8.5 hours of racing.

The three lap run course was a 4.4ish mile out and back on a paved trail.  About half the trail was covered in tree canopy, and half was exposed to the sun.  My plan was to execute a run/walk strategy the entire way, to prevent a major meltdown.  I knew I wouldn’t have the run chops to go the whole distance without a walk break.  I would also keep my cadence very high, and run on grass and dirt when possible.

I knew after the first few miles that I wasn’t going to be setting any speed records, and that even my reasonable run/walk strategy was in jeopardy.  I was jogging at 10-11′ mile pace and my walk recoveries were nice, but I wasn’t getting any faster and my legs were already starting to burn.  The heat was a major slowing factor early in the run, and I was also having GI issues that were slowing me down considerably.

The mile leading up to the turnaround was quite hilly (both up and down), so I quickly modified my strategy to lengthen my walk breaks from 1′ to 2′, and then to 3′, and then finally to 3′ + uphills + aid stations (lol).

However, I was still able to run consistently and steadily during the run intervals, and easily resume running when I chose to begin again.  So I was still in control.

At mile 11, I took a Mucinex-D tablet, which contains pseudoephedrine.  I’ve found I respond very well to Mucinex-D, and this was to be my “secret weapon.”  Sure enough, I found my rhythm and maintained my speed as I ran the second lap.  Aside: pseudoephedrine is a legal performance-enhancing supplement, much like caffeine, in reasonably limited quantities.

When I hit the last loop, I actually began to feel a bit better.  Maybe it was because I knew the end was in sight, or maybe it was the Mucinex-D kicking in, but I didn’t slow down (and I didn’t have to take any more bathroom breaks).

Finally, I arrived at the last mile.  It felt so great to finally be done that I actually kicked it up like six gears and cruised at 8:30 mile pace to the finish!  Maybe I was a bit *too* conservative on the run?

Anyway, though I walked a sizable portion of the marathon (probably about 1 hour in total of walking), I feel like I executed the marathon well, because (a) I was in control of my body the whole time, (b) when I did choose to run, it was at a relatively constant pace the whole time, and (c) my third loop was approximately the same pace as my second loop, which is a sign of good pacing during an Ironman.  Of course, I wasn’t fast at all, but given the fitness I brought to the race course, I went as fast as I could.

I have a lot of work to do before I can compete (rather than just participate) at Ironman.  I know too many people that I can compete with at short course, but school me at the 140.6 distance.  I need to significantly improve my ability to run long after accumulating 300+ bike TSS and I need to improve my nutritional strategy.

I am going to take this coming year off from Ironman, work on my run, and we’ll see where things go from there.  I know I said the exact same thing after my Ironman last year, but I really mean it this time!

LOGISTICS: the GFT is logistically quite simple.  It’s less than 2h from Gainesville, which means I only need a one night hotel stay.  That, in addition to the race being a non-Ironman ™ branded race, means I’m saving a lot of money over the cost of an Ironman ™ ™ branded race.  I’ll drive down the afternoon before the race, check in, drop off my bike and gear, go eat and go to sleep.  Nice!

Weather is looking okay.  Forecast is predicting low temps around 62 and highs around 84.  The bike should be mostly pleasant and the run will probably be hot enough to present a challenge.  I’m reasonably heat acclimated and I have the necessary heat gear, so I’m not going to lose any sleep over the weather.

SWIM: the swim is a beach start, two lap (exiting the water in between laps) affair in Lake Minneola.  No alligators, hopefully.  Water temp will be around 73-75 degrees, which is perfect for a wetsuit swim.  At a cruising effort, the swim should take me about 1:20.  Even though I haven’t been swimming a lot, I’m not too concerned about the swim.  It’s just the relaxing start to a long day!

Aside: USA Triathlon recently lowered the wetsuit temperature threshold from 78 degrees F to 24 degrees C (76.1 F).  In my opinion, this is an excellent decision.  The vast majority of triathletes can keep warm in 76-78 degree water temperatures; this decision eliminates the “crutch” that the wetsuit is at those temperatures.  By doing this, USAT is making a statement toward the integrity of the sport which I wholeheartedly support.

BIKE: I’m going to be a slave to my PowerTap the whole way on the moderately hilly course.  Shooting for 135 watts of average power, 1.1 VI and about 310 TSS.  Cruising at 140 watts on the flats and capping climbing watts at 225 (just above threshold).  Cadence will be between 82-87 most of the way and HR should be in the Z1/Z2 zones most of the day.

Gear includes 50/34 cranks and a 11-28 cassette–plenty of low options for the short, steep rollers.  I’m also running an aero helmet, a 58mm front wheel and a disc cover on my PT rear for maximum speed.  Race tires and latex tubes, with plenty of flat repair options.

I’m looking at around 6.5 hours for the 112 mile course, depending on the weather, the stops I make and the extent of the hills (there are portions of the course I have not ridden before).

RUN: out of the gate, I’m going to use a run/walk strategy.  I’m going to walk the first minute of each mile, as well as every aid station.  No exceptions until I get through 20 miles.  My long runs have been inconsistent, so I am not confident I’d be able to run 26 miles continuously off the bike.

The run/walk serves two purposes: (1) to keep my core temperature under control, and (2) to keep my legs fresh for when I hit the wall in the second half of the marathon.

Running will be at my E(asy) pace.  In normal temperature conditions, that’s around 8:50, but when it gets warm, I slow down.  I plan on observing HR, RPE and pace and making a judgment call as to exactly what pace I choose.

I’ll switch into a DeSoto SkinCooler long-sleeve top for the run.  This is a garment I’ve used successfully in training–when dry, it encourages quick evaporation of sweat (which keeps you cool), and when wet, it feels awesome on the skin.  I really like this top in hot conditions.

I would be very happy to end up with 10 minute mile average pace (4:25 time).  However, predicting one’s Ironman run time is often an exercise in futility, especially when it’s hot, so we shall see.

NUTRITION: nice big dinner the night before, with extra salt.  Normal pre-race meal, with some extra salt.  I’m going to skip the caffeine at the start to ensure a calm demeanor during the swim.  Once I get settled on the bike, I’ll get started with my race nutrition–350-400 cals/hour of Infinit custom mix, with 500-1,200mg of salt per hour as needed and as the temperature rises.  No-doz pills every 3-4 hours once I get 3-4 hours into the race.

On the run, it’s lots of salt (probably 1,200-1,500mg/hour, depending on heat), plus the on-course nutrition (gels, Gatorade and salty snacks).

I’m also putting TBD delicious treats in all of my special needs bags.

The 1.2 mile swim was in the 87 degree Lake Minneola.  Blech.  Reports indicate that the swim was slightly long, but I actually had a pretty good swim, at 41 minutes and change.  Turns out I was fastest in my age group??  LOL!!?  Not bad for literally *no* swim training leading up to the race!

The 56 (turns out it was closer to 60) mile bike was on country roads around Clermont, with lots of rolling hills and an ascent of Sugarloaf Mountain, which isn’t really a mountain, just a 2 minute hill at around 12% grade.  I ran a 34/26 lowest gear, which was fine, but for the GFT I’ll run a 34/28 for a bit extra spinnage.  My goal was to average around 155 watts, to have a normalized power of 165-170 watts (giving me an intensity factor of 0.8-0.82), and cap my wattage at 250 on the rollers.

I started off smooth–letting the dickswingers push their 500 watts over the rollers while I capped my efforts.  I caught many of them on the downhills and flats anyway.  Miles 15-30 were filled with cramping (probably due to slamming too much nutrition after the swim), but a brief stop at an aid station stocked with ice cold water helped ease the pain.

Sadly, my race came to an abrupt end at mile 45 with a flat tire.  I tried to use Vittoria Pit Stop to plug the leak, but the hole was too big to seal.  The Pit Stop was all I was carrying, so my day was done.  I didn’t even make it to T2 before calling Lana to pick me up!

I was pissed at myself for not carrying more flat repair stuff, and also pissed because I was feeling quite fit heading into the race.  I really wanted to demonstrate I could race long course well in the heat!

So, I did what any ridiculous triathlete looking to use up some fitness would do–I took the following Tuesday off work to try the race again.  I would do my own Half Ironman, self-supported, at race pace, on the roads around Gainesville!

The plan was this: swim 2150 yards in my 25 yard apartment complex pool, and bike/run 56/13.1 on some of my bread-and-butter routes around town.  Self-supported, including all stops and doing the transitions as quickly as I could.

I started at around 6am on Tuesday.  I did the 2150 yard swim in 40’16″ with no problems.

T1 was awkward.  I got my bike stuff ready, and then realized that there wasn’t enough light for me to start riding!  So I checked my email for 15 minutes until it was safe to ride.  Oops.

My plan for the bike was to just nail it at 160 watts (just under 80% of FTP) the whole way.  The route I selected was flat.  I chose a regular cycling jersey, regular helmet and training wheels.  I carried four bottles, which is enough for me for a 3 hour ride in slightly warm temps.

I felt *very* good on the bike.  I felt strong and powerful in my newly-modified aero position.  The first two hours were quite comfortable, and the last hour was manageable.  I took periodic standing breaks and was able to hold my desired watts and cadence (87-88rpm) the whole way.  The only mistake I made was using the same 11-26 cassette I used on Sunday (normally I choose a 12-23 for the Gainseville flats)!

Ended up averaging 162 watts (166 NP) with a VI of 1.02 (can you say FLAT roads), IF of 0.79, TSS of 198 and no decoupling.  Spot on for a half Ironman bike effort.  2:55 + 1′ worth of traffic stops.  I got off the bike ready to run.

My plan for the run was to minimize carnage.  I had intentionally chosen a route that was exposed to the sun for most of the way.  Two laps of a 3.3 mile out-and-back.  The temperatures were rising steadily throughout the run, and I knew that fatigue + rising temps could mean trouble if I wasn’t careful.  I started off running 8:45 pace, which, in cooler conditions is actually my “easy” pace.  I wore a long-sleeved skin-cooler top, and carried a water bottle the whole way (refilling every two miles or so), which I used for drinking and dumping on myself.

I held this pace for 10 miles or so, then the fatigue and rising temps started to catch up with me.  My quads started to hurt and my water breaks got longer.  My last 3 miles were slower (9:30 pace), but I was able to keep running.  1:57 without the water breaks, 2:06 with the water breaks.

So, around 5:40 of s/b/r time, not including the two transitions.  Not bad, considering the heat!

Some notes:

• I am happy with where my nutritional strategy is right now. With the exception of the cramping early in the Clermont race (which was a silly mistake on my part), I took in enough calories and salt to support my races.  During the self-supported race, I estimate I consumed over 7,000mg of salt in the form of approximately 32xSaltstick tablets (2 every 20′ on the bike, 1 every mile on the run), plus the salt in my Infinit mix and a bit from some Gatorade on the run.  Calorie-wise, I consumed about 1,300 calories of Infinit and 200 Gatorade calories, almost all on the bike.  These numbers seem to work for me in the heat!
• My clothing choices were satisfactory as well. During Ironman, I’m going to wear a (tight-fitting) bike jersey so I can carry additional nutrition + water.  I may choose to use arm coolers, depending on how hot it gets–they’ve worked for me in the past.  I will almost definitely choose an aero helmet–my LG rocket has vents in which I can pour water.  The long-sleeved skin cooler top on the run is a no-brainer for me.
• My swimming is actually OK, considering I have done almost ZERO swim training this summer.  The ROI for my long-course swimming doesn’t seem to be that great for me, so I’m not going to worry about it too much.  Perhaps a few longer swims before race day, and that’s it.
• I need a better flat tire strategy for GFT. Pit Stop is not enough.  Right now, my race wheels are a tubular front and a clincher rear, which is not ideal.  I need to either (a) carry full flat solutions for both wheels (which is cumbersome), or (b) find a clincher front wheel.  If anyone has a deep-section (preferably 80mm or deeper) clincher front wheel they want to lend me for GFT, I am all ears!
• I am concerned about the leg pain I experienced on the run. This is the same leg pain I experienced at Ironman Wisconsin.  In both cases, I was fit enough to run faster but I could not do so mechanically.  Perhaps I should consider a run-walk strategy at GFT to give my legs a regular break from the pounding.  Or maybe compression tights?  Yikes.

• Equipment: most likely no wetsuit.  Bike is in full race setup, including deep front and disc cover.  Gearing is 50/34 front, 11-26 rear.  No reason to go with big gears and plenty of reason to have lots of low gears!  Pro-tip: If T1 and T2 are in the same place, run the deepest wheelset you can.  Science supports this.  Also, few triathletes are well suited to standard gearing.  Switch to compact and you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
• Clothing: gonna wear my Kiwami Amphibian speedsuit for the whole thing.  It’s great on the swim, comfy on the bike and I can stuff ice in it on the run.  I really enjoy racing in this suit!  Pro-tip: wear tight clothing during a race.  You’ll look silly, but so will everyone else.  And you’ll go much faster if you ditch that flappy jersey!
• Pacing: It’s going to be hot and hilly.  So, I’m going to have to treat this race more like an Ironman.  That means cruising the swim and holding back on the bike.  Looking to do the swim at about an IF of 0.8, 80% of FTP avg power on the bike, and see what conditions are like on the run.  Pro-tip: hot conditions obviously affect the run significantly, but the bike leg is also affected more than one often realizes.  Hold back on the bike in hot weather, and drink a lot more than you would otherwise.
• Nutrition: going to have to take in much more salt and water than a race in more typical conditions.  On the bike, I’m shooting for about 1,500mg of salt (mostly from 6 Saltstick tabs), 40oz of water and 350cals (mostly from Infinit) per hour.  I may not be fast, but I’m fortunately able to stomach lots of nutrition without bloating.  On the run, I’ll keep up the salt intake, drink as much as I can and go for a few gels per hour.  Pro-tip: if you’re not peeing during a race (especially on the bike), you may want to consider drinking more.  And get enough salt!  Gatorade alone does not provide enough salt for activities lasting more than about two hours.

However, I have to take issue with Marilyn McDonald’s recent post on Endurance Corner entitled “Workout of the Month: Ironman-Specific Running.”  In this post, she suggests, for athletes preparing for Ironman, a 60-90 minute workout with 20-60 minutes of work at Ironman pace, broken up into 8 minute sets with very short recoveries.

I believe that, for the majority of athletes, this workout is a waste of time. Here’s why:  For the vast majority of Ironman athletes, the run pace in an Ironman run leg IS easy pace, or even slower!  So, the “main set” would be completed at the same pace as the warm-up.

If an athlete has 60-90 minutes to run, there are better ways to spend the time than just running at E pace. Even for Ironman, some speed work will result in greater fitness in the long run, especially for the time-limited age group athlete.

Here are some 60-90 minute workout ideas that would be more appropriate for an age-group athlete training for an Ironman.  These all aim to improve race-specific Ironman run fitness, but also take into account the need to maximize TSS for a given training time investment:

• 20-30 minutes of intervals at I pace or faster, then immediately transitioning into a 30-60 minute straight Ironman pace run.
• 60-90 minute run, starting at Ironman pace and negative splitting each mile (ending at T pace)
• run 60-90 straight at Ironman pace after a huge bike workout, say, 300 or more TSS
• 6×1 mile at Ironman pace on the track, with no watch, trying to get closer to Ironman pace with each mile rep (this would be a skills workout, and can be done multiple times in the early training periods to gauge fitness by comparing HR to pace)

I should note that there are two situations where the workout Ms. McDonald suggests may be useful:

1. Elite athletes, who legitimately run the Ironman run leg with pace, may find this workout useful as a little bit of speed work. (This is supported by Ms. McDonald’s use of a 2:48 example Ironman run, which is a super-fast pace that’s only attainable by a handful of athletes at each Ironman race.)
2. During the taper, age group athletes may find a benefit using this workout as their long run.  It’s not too taxing and gives practice running at race pace.

Here are some tips to help you get through the swim calmly and quickly:

• Get in the water at least 5-10 minutes before you start and warm up a bit. If the water is cold, warm, choppy, etc, you want to be prepared for it before you start racing.
• Seed yourself according to your swim ability. If you’re a newer or a weak swimmer, seed yourself toward the back and/or outside of your wave.  Stronger swimmers should take the “prime” spots at the front and/or inside.
• If you’re at all nervous, wait 10-20 seconds before you start swimming! Let the rest of the swimmers get a bit of a head start, and then start your race.  The few seconds won’t make a difference in your time, and will give you a lot of peace of mind as you swim.
• If the water is cold, make sure you put your face in the water before the race starts. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to warm up, but sometimes this is not possible.  Flinging yourself headfirst into 65 degree water can take your breath away, so find a way to get your face wet before you start!
• Look for a draft. While swimming in a triathlon, drafting is legal.  It gives you anywhere from a 5-20% increase in speed.  Swim immediately behind another swimmer to maximize your draft–get your hands as close to their toes as you can (but don’t touch)!
• If you get kicked or swatted, do NOT retaliate. They didn’t do it on purpose.  Getting pissed will only screw up *your* race.  Contact during the swim is par for the course.  Keep moving forward!
• Breathe away from any surf or harsh sunlight you encounter. This is where your bilateral breathing in training gets put to good use!  If surf is coming from your left side, breathe on your right (and vice versa).
• Sight every 6-12 strokes. Don’t lift your head out of the water more than is necessary to get a quick glimpse of the next buoy.  Don’t sight too often (sighting slows you down) but don’t delay your sighting more than every 12 strokes or so, as you may end up swimming off course.
• Know how to do a “dolphin dive,” and execute it in shallow water. Dolphin diving, or performing a shallow dive in thigh-deep water, is faster than swimming or walking.  Do several dolphin dives as you start (if it’s a beach start) and exit the water.
• Get out of the water SLOWLY. The transition from swimming (in a horizontal position) to running to your bike (in a vertical position) is very stressful.  Even though you’re racing, it’s worth an extra second to shed the dizziness and disorientation that comes from this switch in body position.

Of course, you’re already a badass, so these tips are about highlighting the already-present inner badass inside you.  Be sure to follow all of these tips for maximum bad-assery, especially at your local triathlon where everything is at stake.

10.  Take up a lot of space in the transition area.

Transition area too compact. Not a badass athlete.

Badass athletes need more space to contain their awesomeness.  Most people will require about 2 feet of horizontal space for their area (including their racked bike, helmet, running stuff and accessories), but true badasses need 6 feet or more!

9.  Sprint the finishing chute.

Suck it, 186th place finisher!

Real badasses leave enough in reserve to run the last 50 meters at 5 minute mile pace, obliterating at least 4 racers who were foolish enough to run at a constant pace the whole way.  Plus, you’ll look super great in your finishing photo.

8.  Bring an unnecessarily tricked out bike to races.

Top speed for true triathlon badasses: 15.3mph

The only bikes you should even consider adding to your arsenal are the ones that cost over $8,000.  Even though you can get a bike that is just as fast for $3,000, and a bike that’s 98% as fast for $1,000, there’s something magical about that extra $5-7k you spend.  Not sure what that is though.

7.  Complain about the post-race food.

Where are the bagels, guys!?

You are a serious bad-ass athlete.  You deserve to be completely renourished after a long, tough sprint triathlon.  And pizza, clif bars, gatorade, water, GU gels, cookies and pretzels doesn’t cut it.

6.  Ride the bike as hard as you can (the run doesn’t matter).

Who cares about running when you look this bad-ass anyway

True bragging rights come from having the 16th fastest OVERALL (OMG!) bike split.

5.  Don’t ever acknowledge any volunteers while you’re racing.

Don't even LOOK at the volunteers! Minus 8 badass points for this "triathlete."

You’re too busy kicking ass to bother.  Besides, they get a free t-shirt out of it!

4.  Do a “flying mount” and a “flying dismount” when exiting T1 and entering T2, respectively.

Minus eleven badass points for not using a disc wheel though.

These are easy ways to save a few seconds on race day that carry no risk whatsoever.  No risk of falling on your face, dropping your bike and busting your derailleur.  It’s never happened before.

3.  Talk about your bike non-stop to whoever will listen.

Yeah, pretty awesome amirite

Before the race to the other racers in attendance (“these carbon skewers save me 2 seconds over 40k!”), during the race (“bet you can’t get much of a draft off of me on my Trek Speed Racer 9000!”) and after the race (“my Zipp 150mm wheels were so fast, but I think I would have been faster if I had gotten the ceramic spoke upgrades”).

2.  If you are a man, do not let a woman pass you.  Ever.

Pick it up, son!

On the bike, on the run.  It doesn’t matter.  No man (especially no bad-ass man) has ever been beaten by a woman at anything except billiards and cake decorating, and you’re not about to be the first.  Pass her right back, and if she passes you for good after that, she’s doping.

1.  Make fun of the 1st time athletes at the race.

What a noob.

It’s part of the “initiation” into the sport of triathlon to get “hazed” at your first event.  Just do silly little stuff, like tell them about the 20% hill on the bike (that doesn’t exist), ask them about their training (and then tell them how you doubled their weekly mileage), regale them with stories of how you “won” your first triathlon, and if all else fails, let just a little bit of air out of their tires.  They’ll laugh it off after the race and they’ll be even more exited to try another one!

Here’s what happens if you do your long bike on Saturday and your long run on Sunday:

• Your Sunday run consists of poor quality, slow, painful miles.  You’re too tired to maintain form or run at anything above “easy” pace.
• Your Sunday afternoon is wasted.  You’re too tired to be of any use to your family. You lie on the couch all day making grumpy Twitter posts.
• You can’t do any training on Monday (and your Tuesday, and even Wednesday training, is probably affected). We don’t train in a 7-day “vacuum”–fitness and fatigue carries over from day to day, and week to week.
• You lose fitness and your quality of life decreases. You cannot accumulate as much Training Stress (TSS) due to the slow weekend running and the days off early in the week.

On the other hand, if you do your long run on Wednesday or Thursday (Tuesday is OK too I guess), and your long bike on Saturday or Sunday:

• You can do your long run with better form at a faster pace. You gain fitness and skill.
• You have *both* weekend days for riding, or the ability to take one weekend day away from training and spend time with your family.
• You can train on Monday and Tuesday with minimal recovery concerns. You can set yourself up for a quality mid-week long run, while elegantly recovering your training load numbers after your well-executed (but relatively low impact) weekend.
• You gain fitness and your quality of life increases. You accumulate more TSS, are not imbalanced heading into the next week, and have the flexibility to take care of your More Important Commitments on the weekend as well.

A lot of athletes are very attached to the idea of smushing their huge workouts all on the same weekend.  They even take issue with the above points I made:

• “Well, doing the long ride on Saturday and the long run on Sunday is useful preparation for ‘running on tired legs.’” They always say that–”running on tired legs.”  First of all, this statement implies that it’s necessary to practice running on tired legs.  I’m not sure if this is true.  Just as practicing poor technique while swimming is a waste of time, practicing crappy running only leads to more crappy running on race day. At any rate, especially for Ironman training, there’s no preparation for the fatigue felt in the legs after 130 miles of racing.  Unless, of course, you do an Ironman in your training.  (Which is Another Bad Idea.)
• “I don’t have time during the week to do a long run.  I can only train for an hour in the mornings!” Putting aside the fact that even a 90 minute long run is more than adequate for most triathletes racing most distances (and many athletes can find an extra 30 minutes on a single weekday morning), the long run is not more important than regular run frequency and accumulating run time at race speed (5-10k pace).  An athlete will gain *more* fitness with four quality 1 hour runs during the week, including perhaps 60 minutes of good speed work, along with a mid-length weekend run, than doing 2 or 3 runs of less than an hour during the week, and then a long, slow, sloppy run on Sunday. If finding 90 consecutive minutes to run during the week is simply not possible, I would still think twice before cramming a 3+ hour bike and a 90+ minute run on two consecutive days.

A smart “key workout” weekly schedule might be as follows:

• Monday: key swim
• Tuesday:
• Wednesday: long run
• Thursday:
• Friday:
• Saturday: long bike, 2-5 mile “brick” or transition run
• Sunday: 2nd longest (or just a tempo) bike, 2nd longest (or just a tempo) run

Of course, there are always exceptions.  Athletes training specifically for a multi-day event, such as Triple T or Ultraman, need to build race simulation weekends into their schedule.  Athletes for whom the long bike and run isn’t actually that long (for example, coming off an injury) can do both the long bike and run on the weekend.  Athletes for whom weekday workouts come at an unjustifiable life cost (for example, working a double shift during the week, or those for whom they simply can’t find more than 45-60 minutes to train on weekdays) can overbook their weekends if they want, because that’s their only option.

A friend of mine replied to my comment. He’s a very talented athlete, consistently placing high in his age group at triathlons, and also recently completed an Ultra run of 50 miles! The gist of his comment was as follows (I’m paraphrasing):

“Having a long run of only 2:30 doesn’t realistically simulate the demands of Ironman race day. Most athletes are on the run for far longer than that. Why not run longer in training to prepare the body for the long Ironman run, for example, by running an open marathon or by running for 3 hours continuously or more?”

My response to this excellent question is generally as follows:

1. For most athletes, running longer than about 2:30 results in increased fatigue and extended recovery time. A 3:30 run loses its value if the athlete has to take two days completely off of training as a result!  Ironman training is all about making efficient use of available training time, and if an athlete is out of commission for a few days (or a week or more, if racing an open marathon) due to an overly stressful workout, fitness levels will be lower than if the athlete had chosen a less stressful workout (such as a swim or bike of equivalent duration and intensity).
2. For the vast majority of athletes, Ironman run performance is dictated by the bike performance, not by run speed.  Most Ironman athletes work too hard on the bike, accumulating too many “Training Stress” points (known as TSS in the language of powermeters), and hit the run too shelled to run consistently at a decent pace.  Even if an athlete puts in 60+ mile run weeks (and 3:00+ long runs), it’s of little value of the athlete overcooks the bike.
3. Most athletes do not run the whole Ironman marathon.  Even many <10 hour finishers walk some aid stations!  Additionally, Ironman run splits tend to be significantly slower than their open marathon splits (0:30/mile for elite athletes, 1:30+ for most age group athletes).  Therefore, rehearsing a long, steady run has minimal value for most Ironman triathletes, as their race day “run” pace is going to be much slower than that anyway.

There are always exceptions to this.  For example, ultra-runners, whose bodies are already adapted to running long distances, can probably get away with longer training runs in the build to Ironman.  Also, elite athletes, whose bodies can handle higher doses of training stress, can build higher amounts of run volume than many age group athletes.

However, most athletes, given 4 hours to train, would do better riding for 3-3.5 hours with some intense intervals, followed by a short transition run, than to try and go out and run for 4 straight hours.  Recovery will be less, fitness levels will increase more, and  race day specificity is greater.

Since Florida summers are super hot and humid, and since it’s tough to get a quality workout in as the temperature goes up, I thought it might be a good idea to try out some of Emilio DeSoto’s new “SkinCooler” products. They supposedly wick moisture much faster than normal tech fabric (and still quicker than the wind whipping against you as you ride), allowing your body to keep cooler than it could if the skin was just bare.

I have tried four products: the helmet beanie, the arm coolers, the leg coolers and the l/s top:

HELMET BEANIE

I wear this most often under my cycling helmet, but also works as a running hat. It works well to keep the sweat out of my eyes, and does a decent job of keeping the head cool as well.

Even though I have short hair, I think the skin cooling component of this garment would work better if I had a shaved head. So, folks with longer hair, I’m not so sure if this product will work to its maximum effectiveness for you. Rating: 7/10.

ARM COOLERS

These would be awkward (but usable) for running, so I wear these only for cycling. They are tight-fitting and comfortable. They do a great job of blocking the sun from my arms; DeSoto claims 75% UV protection. Water poured on them feels great (even if it’s not cold).

You’re not going to make it suddenly feel like springtime when wearing the arm coolers, but I’ve found that you can usually get a little bit of temperature benefit from these, from blocking the sun and from the moisture wicking.

Below heat indexes of about 85, these don’t really work for me (I feel warmer instead of cooler) and if the temp is below 65, arm warmers are probably a better choice.

If nothing else, the UV protection you get from wearing these is an excellent reason to wear them. Plus, in the event that you crash, it’s one more layer between your skin and the pavement… 8/10.

LEG COOLERS

A lot of what I wrote about the arm coolers applies to the leg coolers. However, I don’t like these as much because they just feel awkward on my legs. Maybe it was just that my legs want to be FREE because of the warm weather, maybe it’s the seam that runs the length of the garment. But I can’t get motivated to wear these.

Maybe if I do a super hot weather long distance ride, I’d find a use for them. But for day-to-day riding, these stay in the closet. 5/10.

LONG SLEEVE RUNNING TOP

This is a tight-fitting garment designed primarily for running. It is relatively short in length but provides full coverage of the torso and back. I ordered mine with a single small pocket in the back so I could use it for cycling, or for storing gels on a long run. It ran true to size.

The garment wicks moisture very well. I noticed that the wind blowing on the sweaty garment often feels cooler on this garment than it does on other comparable garments. As with the arm coolers, pouring water on it feels great.

It’s a bit hard to put on, especially if you’re sweaty. And it’s not particularly useful as a standalone cycling garment, with its lack of spacious pockets and its see-through nature (ladies take note).

But this garment does generally serve its functional purpose, and at times it definitely feels cooler than running with no top on, due to the sun blockage and good moisture-wicking.

I will be wearing this shirt on the run portion of the Great Floridian Iron-distance tri later this year, where temps often climb into the 90s. 9/10.

OVERALL

The SkinCooler products are reasonably priced and perform as advertised.  They won’t work miracles–it’s still hot outside–but they make those long rides and runs a bit more tolerable.

The fabric is a bit fragile, and tends to pick up colors of whatever you wash it with (my helmet beanie is a bit red, and my arm coolers are a bit blue).  So treat the garment carefully for the first few weeks.

On a customer service note: I accidentally tore a hole in one of the arm coolers (my fault) and DeSoto was kind enough to send me TWO replacement coolers.  So I actually have three coolers now that I rotate on my rides.  Shop with confidence–DeSoto’s customer service is excellent.

All in all, these garments are not worth your time and money if you live in Vermont, but definitely give them a try if you live South. 8/10.