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.

Here’s a general guide as to which sources you can probably trust, and which sources you should take with a grain of salt.  The least trustworthy sources are at the top (with higher numbers), and the most trustworthy are at the bottom.

10.  Product reviews from a website that is also selling the product. Obviously they want to frame the product in a positive light so more people will buy it.  Get your information elsewhere.

9.  A triathlon magazine. Even if the advice is from a columnist, magazines are in the business of making money as well.  It’s rare that you see a negative product review in a triathlon magazine.

8.  A source that claims it’s a scientific “study,” without providing a link to the study, a description of the study protocols or any other documentation about the study. It’s easy to manipulate data to “prove” something about a product, especially if they don’t provide any information about how the study was created.  Look for documentation before buying into any claims of “scientific improvement,” and beware of the placebo effect!

7.  Internet forums. Many knowledgeable people frequent the popular triathlon internet forums.  Many MORE idiots post on the same forums, offering misinformation, personal anecdotes and trolling that is not at all helpful.  If you’re looking for information on internet forums, be ready to identify and wade through huge steaming piles of bullshit to get accurate information.

6.  Testimony from a famous superstar athlete. This athlete may be getting paid to say what s/he’s saying.  Besides, how relevant are the training habits of a pro triathlete (who can run 6 minute miles in his sleep) to you (who ran a 6 minute mile once, like 17 years ago in college)?

5.  Traditional wisdom in the sport. Though certain fundamentals have withstood the test of time, as our knowledge of sports science improves, others are not.  Take anything to which the “traditional” or “fundamental” label is applied with a grain of salt.

4.  Your training partners. The plural of anecdote is not data.  Though they may have some relevant information on local training, race strategy and where best to pick up the hot runner babes, their knowledge of triathlon is necessarily incomplete.  Take heed of their advice, but don’t act on their advice alone.

3 (T).  Your personal experience. In the end, you do know your body best.  You’re learning more every day about the types of stress you can apply in training, what equipment choices work best for you, what foods you respond to, and more.  However, still keep an open mind–you may find out you’ve been doing something wrong all along, or a new scientific development may come along and suggest a change of habit.

3 (T).  Your coach. Depending on your coach’s knowledge and the intimacy of the relationship you have with him or her, you may consider this a better or worse source than your personal experience.  So I’ll call it a tie.  A knowledgeable coach not only knows what you best respond to, but is also on top of the latest scientific developments in the sport.  S/he is a great source of information, second only to (and you may have guessed this)…

1.  A double blind, controlled, peer-reviewed, published, well-documented scientific study conducted over a large sample size and funded by independent sources who do not have a conflict of interest. These are the primary sources upon which all accurate sports knowledge is based.  The only flaw–there are so few studies that fit this bill that we’re left making up stuff as we go along and calling it “sports science!”

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!

So, what to do?

Your options depend on how far you have to go to your event. If you can drive to the event (easier for some folks than others), you have several car-related options:

1. Put your bike inside your car. This is the ideal option, as it offers your bike maximum protection from the elements.  SUV and van drivers can often roll the bike straight into the car, while for most sedans and coupes, this will mean you have to remove one or both wheels.  Be sure you know how to remove your wheels, and have practiced it before your travel day!  Also, remember to cover the floor of your car with towels or a tarp–bikes are dirty and get dirt and grease everywhere.
2. Purchase a trunk rack. This gives you more space inside your car (and is sometimes the only option for tiny cars or multiple-bicycle travel adventures), but leaves your bikes a bit vulnerable to rain, snow and rear-end collisions.
3. Purchase a roof rack. Similar in advantages and disadvantages to the trunk rack, but instead of being vulnerable to rear-end collisions, you’re now vulnerable to “momentary acts of forgetfulness” as you pull into your garage!

Things get tricky when you have to fly to your event.  Airlines are notoriously unaccommodating to triathletes and their bicycles. Fees are outrageous, baggage handlers are tired and underpaid, and bike boxes and cases are ridiculously expensive.

Here are some basic things to keep in mind when you travel with your bike on a plane:

1. Choose an airline that has low (or no) bike fees. Check out the thread over at the Slowtwitch forum for information on how much flying with your bike will cost.
2. Pack your bike carefully, particularly if your bike has any carbon fiber components.  Wrap every tube in bubble wrap, remove the pedals, protect the wheels and make sure nothing is jostling around.  Document your packing job so you can re-create it on the return trip.
3. Most airlines have a strict 50 pound weight limit per bag. With many bike cases weighing around 30 pounds *alone*, that doesn’t give you a lot of wiggle room for putting more stuff (besides your bike) in there!
4. Most airlines have even stricter dimensional requirements for bags! Your bike will almost certainly have to travel as oversized luggage, which means more dollars in the pocket of the airlines.

In terms of the packaging you choose for your bike’s plane ride, you have the following options:

1. No packaging at all. You can actually roll your bike up to the counter and they’ll give you a flimsy box to put it in for the journey.  Some people have noted that choosing this option sometimes elicits better care from the baggage handlers (as they see a relatively vulnerable bike coming down the baggage ramp, and they handle it with a bit more care than they otherwise would), but I would not recommend this to anyone with a bike of any significant value.
2. A bike box, packaged by your local bike shop (or someone knowledgeable on how to pack a bike).  Bikes get shipped from the manufacturers in boxes all the time.  Properly packaged and protected, a bike can withstand travel in a bike box.  The drawbacks to this option are convenience (having to take the bike to the shop twice–before and after your event–as well as the inconvenience of having to lug a cardboard box around the airport) and price (bike shops charge $ for this service).
3. Soft bicycle case. These types of cases range from minimally padded “sling” type cases (meant for protecting your bike inside your car), to maximally padded rugged travel cases. These cases are an excellent balance of price (cheaper than hard cases), convenience (lightweight) and protection (packed correctly, a maximally padded rugged soft case protects just as well as a hard case).  Additionally, some bags don’t contain any visible markings that indicate a bicycle is inside, so a soft case owner can routinely get out of paying the bike fee on some airlines!  This is my personal choice for airline travel, I highly recommend this option.
4. Hard bicycle case. These hardshell cases can withstand almost anything the airlines throw at them.  They’re relatively straightforward to pack, and there are a lot of different options on the market.  However, they tend to be expensive, heavy and unwieldy–be prepared to incur lots of fees (oversize, overweight AND bike fees) when traveling with a hard case!

In addition to the above options concerning packaging, you have a few other options when you have to fly to a race:

1. Travel with a bike that has couplers. These couplers allow you to disassemble the frame of your bike before travel and reassemble at your destination, without any loss of frame integrity.  The disassembled bike fits neatly into a suitcase the size of normal checked luggage!  The obvious drawback is the price of the couplers (and they can’t be retrofitted onto most modern bikes).
2. Rent a bike at your destination. For casual racers and tourists, this is a tempting option, both in terms of price and convenience.  Simply pack your saddle, pedals and bike measurements in your luggage and make a stop at a LBS at your destination!  However, this is more difficult for triathletes, who require a precise fit on their bikes, particularly for an important race.
3. Use a triathlon bike transportation service. There are a few of these companies that do business in the USA.  They’ll pick up your bike at a LBS in your area, transport your bike to the race, and return it to your LBS after the race.  These services are often very convenient, and reasonably priced.  The drawbacks for this service are that, occasionally, the LBS at which the service picks up bikes is an hour or more away from where you live, and that you’ll be without your bike for up to a week before your race.

If you have any other bike travel tips, let us know in the comments!

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.

Unfortunately, bikes are expensive.  And, with the plethora of bikes to choose from, it’s easy to buy a bike that’s not quite right for you.

In general, I recommend that you do your first triathlon on the bike you already have–whether it’s a mountain bike, hybrid, whatever–just to see if you really like doing triathlons.  If it turns out you don’t enjoy triathlons, then you haven’t wasted your money!

However, if you do decide that you want to participate in triathlons long-term, it’s definitely worthwhile to purchase a triathlon bike.  They’re faster and more comfortable than a mountain or hybrid bike, and even an entry-level bike will last you a lifetime if you maintain it properly.

Here are my Top 10 recommendations for triathlon bikes in the 2010 season.

10. Specialized Transition Comp. Price: $2800.  This carbon-framed bike makes the list because of it’s adjustability (the seatpost allows for a wide range of riders to fit on it), the aerodynamics of the frame (which are generally thought to be good) and the reasonable price for an all-carbon 105 bike.  Many shops stock Specialized bikes so this should be relatively easy to order.

9. Felt B2. Price: $3799.  This is the second most expensive bike on this list, but it’s worth it if you have money to spend.  The “bayonet” fork system is supposedly more aerodynamic than just a head tube, the aerobars are the best on the market and the wheels are aerodynamic enough for racing while being strong enough for training.  The geometry is suitable to most riders, and the smallest two sizes (48 and 50cm) come with 650 wheels, which makes it much easier for women to fit on this bike.

8. Giant Trinity Advanced SL 2. Price: $5050.  This is the most expensive bike on the list.  I wanted to include one of the new “Superbikes” on the list, and I chose this one because one of them (Specialized’s Shiv) has recently been the subject of some bad publicity and the other (the Cervelo P4) has already had a lot written about it.  The attention to detail on this bike is amazing.  Ultegra shifting, aero wheels, carbon fiber everything–the only thing not to like is the fact that you’re spending $5000 on this bike.  (They have a $12,000 option that includes Zipp 1080 wheels and electronic shifting, but that’s just ridiculous.)

7. Leader 735TT. Price (frame only): $399.  If you’re mechanically inclined, you can build a perfectly good triathlon bike, using the Leader frame as a starting point, for a fraction of the cost of an entry level bike.  This aluminum frame comes with a 78 degree seat tube angle, for power and comfort in the aero position.  You’ll need to spend a few hundred additional dollars on the remaining components (fork, drivetrain, wheels, etc), but if this kind of project puts the fire in your step, then seriously consider the Leader frame.

6. Trek Equinox 7.  Price: $1869.  Trek’s entry level bike is not entry level at all.  The aluminum frame is very similar in performance characteristics to their higher-end carbon frame.  Trek is as ubiquitous here in the U.S. as any other brand, so you should have no trouble finding a Trek shop and determining if this bike fits you.

5. Cervelo P2. Price: $2800.  One of the most aero bikes out there, in spite of it’s relatively entry level price.  Cervelos are the most ridden bike at the Ironman world championships for a reason.  The simple design hasn’t changed in several years, because it simply works.  This bike should definitely be on your list regardless of the amount of money you’re willing to spend–it’s that good.

4. Quintana Roo Chiquilo Women’s. Price: $1599.  This women specific bike is very similar to the Tequilo (QR’s other entry level bike), but has some modifications that female riders will prefer.  Tthe smallest size comes with 650 wheels, which is great for lady riders.  The handlebars and saddle are all lady specific, and I guess the paint job is pink so that makes it lady specific as well.  Women can be a challenge to fit on tri bikes, but the Chiquilo makes it a bit easier.

3. Giant Trinity 0. Price: $1750.  I’m showing my bias for Giant bikes here–I ride a Giant triathlon bike and I love it.  However, the Trinity stands on its own.  It’s a full aero, aluminum framed bike with 105 components AND race-ready wheels for a measly $1750.  What’s not to like?  Unfortunately, few Giant shops have caught on to the fact that their tri bikes are awesome, so you’ll probably have to special order this bike sight unseen.  Take a chance–you will probably be pleasantly surprised at the value you get from this bike!

2. Felt B16.  Price: $1999.  Speaking of value, I can say with confidence that this bike, unquestionably, gives you the most value for your money of any bike on the market today.  This is the same full-carbon frame, minus the Bayonet fork system, that’s used on Felt’s higher end bikes (such as the DA and the B2 which I mentioned earlier).

You get the Felt aerobar system, which is the best on the market in terms of adjustability, comfort and price.  You get solid training wheels, which can be swapped for race-ready wheels once you’re ready to make that additional investment.  You get 105 shifting.  You get more bike for $2,000 than most other bikes that cost $2500 give you.  Don’t ignore this bike when shopping around–chances are you’ll seriously consider it.

1.  Entry level road bike, with forward seat post and clip-on aerobars. Price: $1000-$1500.  If you ever ride with other people, do a road race or crit, commute, or basically do anything other than triathlons with your triathlon bike, you’ll find that a triathlon-specific bike is very awkward (and possibly not safe) for these tasks.  A road bike can perform any of these tasks safely and comfortably.

To use a road bike optimally in triathlons, you’ll need a forward (or zero offset) seat post and clip-on aerobars.  The aerobars help you get into the prized “aero position” around which tri bikes are designed.  The forward seatpost helps put you into a more comfortable and powerful aero position by pushing your hips forward and reducing your hip angle at the top of your pedal stroke.

The only disadvantages of this setup is that it’s a bit awkward looking, doesn’t handle quite as well as a dedicated tri bike, and requires time to switch between a regular road setup and a tri setup.  However, the advantages of this setup–price, convenience of only having one bike, and flexibility to purchase a tri bike down the road while still having a perfectly good road bike–far outweigh the disadvantages for many triathletes.

If you’re new to triathlons, you should definitely seriously consider this option for your new bike purchase.  Especially if you’re on a budget and anticipate doing other kinds of riding outside of triathlon.