Here is a bad idea for you: Run 17 miles to work, then work an 8 hour shift unloading airplanes. It seemed like a good idea--combine my commute and my workout. Until I got to work, and all I wanted to do was take a nap.
At the end of my run my pace was 10:58 per mile for 17 miles. That is the slowest I have ever run. Granted, it is also the longest I have ever run. But still, I didn't feel like I could have gone much faster even if I knew I could stop at 8 miles.
It seems I have gotten slower since I started "training". I was faster, stronger and thinner before I signed up for the Ironman. What gives? The only thing I have improved since I started my training is how far I can just...keep...moving. It seems like in Ironman training, instead of getting better at one sport, I get worse at three sports!
My main theory is that I have fallen into the trap of rewarding my hard work with things like pizza and cupcakes, to the exclusion of things like produce and whole grains. I have not been fueling my body optimally lately, so I am going to try to focus on that and hopefully reap the reward of more energy. At a time when I need to pay extra attention to what I put into my body, I have been putting in all the wrong stuff. I have often heard it said that "Nutrition is the 4th discipline of triathlon." ( I have also heard it said that "rest" is the fourth discipline, that "transition" is the fourth discipline, that "mental training" is the fourth discipline, and that "strength and conditioning" is the fourth discipline. So clearly, after the first official three disciplines, it's anyone's game.) It is key not only to put the right stuff in to get the right results, but also to figure out what works for me to properly fuel during racing. I read that Mirinda Carfrae bonked during the Kona Ironman this year because she lost one of her four drink bottles on the bike! She had her nutritional needs, like sodium and electrolytes, dialed in so specifically, that replacing her usual bottle with an untested sports drink actually ruined her race!
That being said, I had a fantastic 19 mile ride yesterday fueled almost entirely by a lot of leftover Golden Grahams s'mores bars.
At the end of my run my pace was 10:58 per mile for 17 miles. That is the slowest I have ever run. Granted, it is also the longest I have ever run. But still, I didn't feel like I could have gone much faster even if I knew I could stop at 8 miles.
It seems I have gotten slower since I started "training". I was faster, stronger and thinner before I signed up for the Ironman. What gives? The only thing I have improved since I started my training is how far I can just...keep...moving. It seems like in Ironman training, instead of getting better at one sport, I get worse at three sports!
My main theory is that I have fallen into the trap of rewarding my hard work with things like pizza and cupcakes, to the exclusion of things like produce and whole grains. I have not been fueling my body optimally lately, so I am going to try to focus on that and hopefully reap the reward of more energy. At a time when I need to pay extra attention to what I put into my body, I have been putting in all the wrong stuff. I have often heard it said that "Nutrition is the 4th discipline of triathlon." ( I have also heard it said that "rest" is the fourth discipline, that "transition" is the fourth discipline, that "mental training" is the fourth discipline, and that "strength and conditioning" is the fourth discipline. So clearly, after the first official three disciplines, it's anyone's game.) It is key not only to put the right stuff in to get the right results, but also to figure out what works for me to properly fuel during racing. I read that Mirinda Carfrae bonked during the Kona Ironman this year because she lost one of her four drink bottles on the bike! She had her nutritional needs, like sodium and electrolytes, dialed in so specifically, that replacing her usual bottle with an untested sports drink actually ruined her race!
That being said, I had a fantastic 19 mile ride yesterday fueled almost entirely by a lot of leftover Golden Grahams s'mores bars.
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