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The entry titled "Ironman answers."

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By Pamela LeBlanc | Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 04:37 AM

A few weeks ago I put out a call for questions for Joe Friel and Gordon Byrn, veteran triathletes and co-authors of “Going Long, Training for Ironman-Distance Triathlons.”

Friel and Byrn answer a selection of questions below.

Representatives of VeloNews have selected Nichole, Devon and Laura to receive free copies of the book. (Ladies, please email me at pleblanc@statesman.com with your snail mail address.)

Thanks for participating!

Q: Is there an Ironman race without the time cutoffs? I’m so old (71) and slow that I would never be able to finish the swim in time to start the bike, or if I did pull it off, I’d never be able to finish the bike in time to start the run. — Jody

Gordo: Jody, I happen to coach an athlete that is your age. I don’t know of any races without time cut offs.
Q: What is the best advice for nutrition the day(s) before the IM and throughout the event itself? — Nichole
Gordo: Hi Nichole. The best advice would be to keep your nutrition before the event as normal as possible. You want to reduce your stress going into the event, so don’t change anything. As you approach race day, you will be training less so you can reduce your overall food intake, specifically carbohydrates, up to the day before the event. For the day before, and during the event itself, you can check out my website for additional information (see Library/Nutrition on www.endurancecorner.com). The second edition of “Going Long” has extensive information on daily training and race nutrition. Joe did a fantastic job of updating the nutrition information to build in the key aspects from his book, “The Paleo Diet for Athletes.”
Joe: The day before, eat pretty much as normal only cut back on fiber. If you eat a Paleo-style diet, then increase starch intake the day before the race. During the event it really comes down to what has worked for you in training. The possibilities are quite varied, depending in part on how long the race is likely to take (a 9-hour finisher eats far differently than a 15-hour finisher), how much carb the athlete burns at race intensity (discovered during early season testing), size (bigger athletes need more than smaller ones), and experience based on training and previous racing. Basically, I separate carbohydrate intake and fluid intake so the athlete is not trying to get all calories from a sports drink. Common race day carb sources are gels, blocks, bars and anything the athlete may have experimented with and found to work (such as peanut butter and jelly).
Q: Since the distance for the swim is 2.4 mi, what distance do you recommend building up to (ie. how much farther than 2.4?) — Nichole
Gordo: With the swim, the short answer is that you want to build your training so you can cover the race distance in a single workout (first benchmark). Next you want to build your endurance so you can swim the distance without stopping (second benchmark). These two goals should dominate your training before you ever worry about getting “fast” over shorter distances. In terms of overdistance, I like 5,000 meters as a benchmark for more experienced swimmers.

Joe: You should be able to swim non-stop for as long as you think the swim will take you on race day.
Q: How do you gauge “race pace” on the bike? Is it better to start steady and build speed toward the end, or just stay at a moderate pace the entire time? — Nichole
Gordo: Race pace, great question! You don’t “race” an Ironman; you survive it. What I mean is that the greatest challenge you face in the first three hours is not going crazy! Our brains are not good at projecting into the future when we are under stress. So you start at what feels like an easy pace and wait, wait, wait … until the duration of the event makes it tougher. Don’t be in a hurry to make the race tough. It will get there on its own.
Joe: The athlete should learn how to use a heart rate monitor or power meter to help gauge intensity. Even experienced athletes will do this. Is it better to build speed or maintain a moderate page? It depends on the race goal. If the goal is to finish, then the athlete needs to be quite conservative with pace/effort all the way through. What that pace/effort is depends, again, on how long he/she will be out there. Most athletes need to start quite slowly and warm up to see how they feel. But never should the novice attempt to see how fast they can go.
Q: What is the best way to prepare for a marathon distance run after a swim and bike of those distances? — Nichole
Gordo: The key to run training is quality long runs, making sure that your long runs are no sooner than 48 hours after your long rides, as well as running frequently. Frequent easy running is much more important than fast running. My good friend (and run coach) Bobby McGee says, “Ironman running is more like a hike than a marathon.” That’s very true advice. If you are able to run “easy pace” for the entire marathon, then you will likely have a great day.
Joe: Complete a few runs of 2-3 hours duration in the last 12 weeks before the race.
Q: As the biking distance rises in training I tend to get saddle sores. I’ve heard many differing theories on how to avert this: get better bike shorts, get a new seat, and/or obtain a good bike fit. What is your advice and/or experience with this pesky occurrence? — Mary Keith Trawick
Gordo: A couple tips that have helped me: Get out of your shorts QUICK after training. Use an antibiotic wash after training. Find a saddle that keeps your sit-bones stable. Rocking on the saddle creates friction that can irritate the skin. To clear up saddle sores, dab them with tea tree oil after washing and before bed.
Q: How do you maintain your focus during an Ironman distance race (e.g. some athletes count to 100 repeatedly, or have certain songs going through their head)? — Mary Keith Trawick
Gordo: Build your capacity to focus just like your fitness. Start with shorter periods and use intervals of focus within your longer sessions. You are right, a capacity to maintain a relaxed focus is a key attribute of successful racing. It takes practise and time to build up.
Q: Gordo - You have an impressive website and note that one of the most popular topics on your discussion board is anything linked to nutrition. Why do you think this is such a popular topic and how much do you think nutrition can affect Ironman training? — Mary Keith Trawick
Gordo: Nutrition is HUGE. In “Going Long,” we call it the Fourth Discipline. For long distance events, you can give yourself a material edge from fueling using the tips that are contained in the book. As an athlete, I recommend that you place the majority of your focus on the quality of what you eat when you are not training. This is the area where I find you can get the most performance boost. The mechanics of training/racing nutrition, covered in the book, are straightforward. Great to hear that you’ve been enjoying the website. I recently updated all my “greatest hits” and pulled them into my new site at www.EnduranceCorner.com. You’ll find my most popular articles there in a new library. I also pulled my blog across, which covers a range of topics.
Q: What kind of advice would you give the athlete who wants to take triathlon to their highest level possible? For the athlete who has great potential, but because of work, scheduling, and finances, can’t afford it all. Can you recommend some simple steps to acquire assistance in these areas. Whether it be writing sponsorship letters, grant assistance, or tips from other accomplished athletes. — Ryan
Gordo: Ryan, you’ll find the long answer to this question here: http://www.endurancecorner.com/gblog/desert_lessons_part_two My key advice if you want to achieve your highest level (in anything) is to understand that you must make choices and you cannot do it all. As a working athlete, focus on simplifying your life as much as possible and a stable routine. Then use “training vacations” to give yourself sport-specific overload. There’s more in the blog article but those are the key take-away points to remember.
Q: I just completed my first half-Ironman, and at times I found myself feeling discouraged or even kind of bored. What kind of mental dialogue do successful triathletes use to keep going strong for all those hours? — Devon
Gordo: You must train the way you want to race, especially in your key training sessions. Enter the event having practiced exactly how you want to move through the day. Manage your mood. When you notice that your mood has fallen, slow down a bit and eat something. Feeling discouraged or apathetic can be a sign of low blood sugar.
Q: For 100-plus mile training rides out to the hinterlands (or Hill Country!) how do you balance carrying the extra weight of enough water and food vs. running out and not having water and snacks for many (LONG) miles? Remember it gets hot in South Texas in the summer … — Chris Summers
Gordo: I used to train in Hong Kong, so I feel your pain about the heat! Food and water are “good weight.” I always bring tons of supplies with me and know my routes for resupply. I will also use loops where I leave an ice chest in my car for a parked aid-station. This is really important during long runs in the summer months. Even in Boulder, it gets very hot!
Q: What would you say is the single most important element to make the transition between the bike and the run smoother? That’s always the hardest part for me — getting into a running groove after getting off the bike. — Laura
Gordo: The single greatest element is practice! For one year I did at least a short, easy run after every single ride. Made a huge difference for me and is time efficient for working athletes (two sports, one shower). Another technique is to work on relaxation, using power-walking to get yourself into running mode. For an Ironman, especially, your first 5K should be the slowest of the entire marathon. Because you are moving so fast on the bike, any running speed is going to feel really slow. So expect that, relax and find your cadence. You’ll have plenty of time to pick it up later. Hope this helps you with your athletic journey - feel free to drop by my website (www.EnduranceCorner.com) or follow-up with an email via the contact page that you’ll find there.