In a nutshell, we soon targeted that my "flatness" and under-performing was most likely due to a fueling/hydration issue. Since it seemed I was off form, from almost the onset of the bike, it seemed to me this had to be a bigger issue then what I did or did not do during the race... I had only been racing for about 45 minutes (swim included) before I had been riding long enough to know things weren't feeling right! So, it seemed something in the bigger picture of what I was or wasn't doing had to lead to this. The leading candidate soon became hydration and now it seems clearer how I got in that mess. So here is what NOT to do, and then I'll list what I am doing to hopefully make things right!
What NOT to do:
1. Do NOT treat mid-week "short" runs as though they don't require fluid. This may sound crazy, but I rarely used my fuel belt (an accessory for carrying water bottles and gels) for any run unless it was more than 1:15-1:30. In and of itself, its not that big of deal and the body can certainly do it - but when its done regularly (week after week) you are always running a deficit, and it can be hard to catch up. This becomes even more critical with the warmer weather that summer brings, and I certainly did not adjust my habits that worked in the spring, for summer training.
2. Do NOT short change yourself on fluid. Just because you can do a workout on no or little fluid does not mean you should. I was notorious for this. Even when I did take fluid with me on long runs, it often was not enough. Or when I ride, I purposely waited until 30, 45 or sometime 60 minutes, before starting to drink just so I'd "have enough" to complete the ride and wasn't really thirsty yet.
3. Avoid point-to-point long routes in training, unless you are sure you can stop somewhere and get more fluid. Most of the time, you start and end your workout at home and although not as "fun", even for a long ride you are better to do loops back to your home, so you can refuel/fillup bottles if necessary.
What TO DO (this is what I'm shooting for and practicing):
1. Daily hydration - the recommended formula here is to drink half your body weight in ounces every day, and the key is with electrolyte (ie. 190lbs / 2 = 95oz). Yes, this is a lot of drinking and it does NOT include what you drink during workouts or additional fluid that you will drink in the day like a glass of milk or water :) I never gave this any thought previously in my training and can honestly say that so far, it seems like a very good move! In fact since doing this, my body weight has gone up 4-5lbs in a week - this indicates to me, that I was in fact under-hydrated for quite some time.
2. Increase hydration during workouts - In both quantity and frequency.
The fuel belt is not just for long runs! I am now going to take fluid with me for every run (except maybe the short 15-20' transition runs (scratch that - I'll even grab 1 flask and carry it with me for those runs as well - good race practice, and keeps the hydration going - Credit the coach for that one, thanks Sandy!)
On the bike, I am going to drink every 15 minutes minimum. I used to aim for 20, but 15 will help me get more in.
3. I was advised that in a long race you should have to pee about every hour and half (I just read one article that stated if the athlete was not peeing a very hour it was an indication things may be going very wrong - granted this was for an extreme endurance event in extreme temperatures). I can honestly say, I've never been anywhere close to this - in daily practice or racing! I am now much more aware of this, and weird as it may be, am going to be aware of how often I am going and try and at have to "go" during longer workouts.
4. I am going to be using Infinit sports drink as my primary fuel ( I have used this in the past, and I'll save the story for why I wasn't this year so far - its not that exciting). I have been advised to take 1 to 1.5 servings per hr, during training. This will equate to approx. 750ml - 900ml (minimum) an hour, and also approx 350-420kcals per hour. I used this tonight in a ride, and it was excellent.
So, that's the plan right now. I am hopeful that this will keep me topped up, and fresh for the demands of training and racing. I also just came across this post, for some additional information to test out and try if you are trying to educate yourself more about hydration here's the link:
Fuelbelt Hydration Tips
These next two weeks will be a real test for me, as I have some serious training to get done, and if I can execute it well, it will serve as a nice conformation that I am back on the right path.
Drink Up!
Jon
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