Now that I am firmly entrenched in the taper, there are plenty of details to attend to!
The following things must be considered:
What food and drinks to put on the bike for race day.
What to wear on race day...for all 3 events.
What to put in my transition bags (swim-to-bike and bike-to-run).
What to put in my special needs bags (bags available half way through bike and run).
What to eat race day morning and how early to eat it.
What am I forgetting??? (That is a category unto itself, and the most stressful and time-consuming by far)
The "simple" question of what to wear just below the knees, is mind-boggling!
I have 2 pairs of running shoes that I alternate, so I have to decide which shoes to wear on race day. Naturally, this involves wearing each pair on long runs and trying to tell a difference.
Then there is the sock issue! Do I just wear regular running socks? Or compression socks? Or compression sleeves (covers just the calf) with regular socks? Of course, all of these options must also be thoroughly investigated during long workouts. Because the fact is, things that are not an issue for 10 miles become an issue after 14 miles.
Moving above the knee, my choice of shorts and top will be based on sock choice, because, of course, they must coordinate. Thus I have 2 complete outfits between which to decide, which, as you know, must both be worn on long runs. (So obviously, the options must be chosen early, so that I can try them out on long runs. It is, sadly, a multi-week process.) Since I will be one of over 2000 athletes, and the majority of my run will likely take place after sundown, visibility is key. But comfort is the single most important factor!
After testing all of my choices, I finally settled on the running-socks-with-calf-sleeves combo, because I feel like the sleeves "hug" my legs, and after 10 hours of racing, I think I will really need a hug. Once the socks were chosen the outfit chose itself.
But that is just for the run!
There is so much else to consider! It didn't dawn on me until about a month ago that it would not behoove me to wear my regular one-piece training swimsuit under my wetsuit, because that would require completely stripping down and starting from scratch for the bike. Modesty is not an issue (There is a women's change tent, and I am not shy), but it is not the most convenient choice. So I finally settled on a bikini bottom with a quick-dry running bra. I will leave the bra on all day, through the bike and the run, thus eliminating any extra changes.
So here is the way it will work:
For swim: Bikini bottoms and running bra under wetsuit.
For bike: Remove wetsuit. Change swim bottoms for bike shorts. Put bike jersey over running bra. Put on socks and shoes.
For run: Change bike shorts for running shorts. Change bike jersey for running top (keep running bra on), change bike socks and shoes for running shoes, socks, and compression sleeves.
Then there is the matter of what goes in my transition bags. Everything I could possible need during the race must be in those bags! Imagine finishing the swim and getting ready for the bike and realizing you have no socks? Or getting ready for the run and realizing you forgot to pack Body Glide! (Body Glide goes on any areas susceptible to chafing, which, for me, means inner thighs when wearing running shorts. If I forgot it, things would get really unpleasant around mile 11.) So for now I am like Santa Claus; making a list and checking it twice.
Swim-to-bike-transition:
Helmet
Shoes
Socks
Jersey
Shorts
Chamois Butt'r (For chafing in the saddle areas!)
Sunglasses
Extra contacts (you never know what can happen in the swim!)
Contact solution (my eyes get so dry after swimming)
Sunblock
Arm warmers (90+ minutes in 63 degree water...I will be soooo cold)
Deodorant (self-explanatory, right?)
Extra rubber bands for hair
Gloves
Bike-to-run-transition:
Hat
Shirt
Shorts
Socks
Compression sleeves
Shoes
Vaseline (for toes, to prevent blisters)
Body Glide
Orange Mud (hydration backpack)
Garmin GPS watch
More deodorant (Trust me!)
More contact solution
Then, of course, there is my "nutrition strategy", which is impossible to overemphasize in a race of this length. I have been perfecting this strategy for months, over the course of my long runs and rides, but there is still the matter of figuring out exactly what, and how much, to stock on my bike.
So there is a lot to think about.
But in terms of the actual physical part of my taper, things are going great! In my extensive research about the best way to taper (How early? How much reduction in volume? How much reduction in intensity? How much focus on rest?) I came across a description I particularly liked. It said a lot of athletes tend to think of the taper as a time of rest and recovery, and it is, but training is a series of cycles of build and recovery, and the taper is just another cycle. So during the ideal taper, you should feel refreshed, and like your fitness is on an upswing.
That is exactly how I feel. Every workout I have done during my taper has been great! My 70 mile ride last week felt like nothing! 10 mile runs fly by! Even my swims feel great (not to be confused with faster). How good I feel seems to confirm that I am tapering correctly.
I can't wait for November 17th!
The following things must be considered:
What food and drinks to put on the bike for race day.
What to wear on race day...for all 3 events.
What to put in my transition bags (swim-to-bike and bike-to-run).
What to put in my special needs bags (bags available half way through bike and run).
What to eat race day morning and how early to eat it.
What am I forgetting??? (That is a category unto itself, and the most stressful and time-consuming by far)
The "simple" question of what to wear just below the knees, is mind-boggling!
I have 2 pairs of running shoes that I alternate, so I have to decide which shoes to wear on race day. Naturally, this involves wearing each pair on long runs and trying to tell a difference.
Then there is the sock issue! Do I just wear regular running socks? Or compression socks? Or compression sleeves (covers just the calf) with regular socks? Of course, all of these options must also be thoroughly investigated during long workouts. Because the fact is, things that are not an issue for 10 miles become an issue after 14 miles.
Moving above the knee, my choice of shorts and top will be based on sock choice, because, of course, they must coordinate. Thus I have 2 complete outfits between which to decide, which, as you know, must both be worn on long runs. (So obviously, the options must be chosen early, so that I can try them out on long runs. It is, sadly, a multi-week process.) Since I will be one of over 2000 athletes, and the majority of my run will likely take place after sundown, visibility is key. But comfort is the single most important factor!
After testing all of my choices, I finally settled on the running-socks-with-calf-sleeves combo, because I feel like the sleeves "hug" my legs, and after 10 hours of racing, I think I will really need a hug. Once the socks were chosen the outfit chose itself.
But that is just for the run!
There is so much else to consider! It didn't dawn on me until about a month ago that it would not behoove me to wear my regular one-piece training swimsuit under my wetsuit, because that would require completely stripping down and starting from scratch for the bike. Modesty is not an issue (There is a women's change tent, and I am not shy), but it is not the most convenient choice. So I finally settled on a bikini bottom with a quick-dry running bra. I will leave the bra on all day, through the bike and the run, thus eliminating any extra changes.
So here is the way it will work:
For swim: Bikini bottoms and running bra under wetsuit.
For bike: Remove wetsuit. Change swim bottoms for bike shorts. Put bike jersey over running bra. Put on socks and shoes.
For run: Change bike shorts for running shorts. Change bike jersey for running top (keep running bra on), change bike socks and shoes for running shoes, socks, and compression sleeves.
Then there is the matter of what goes in my transition bags. Everything I could possible need during the race must be in those bags! Imagine finishing the swim and getting ready for the bike and realizing you have no socks? Or getting ready for the run and realizing you forgot to pack Body Glide! (Body Glide goes on any areas susceptible to chafing, which, for me, means inner thighs when wearing running shorts. If I forgot it, things would get really unpleasant around mile 11.) So for now I am like Santa Claus; making a list and checking it twice.
Swim-to-bike-transition:
Helmet
Shoes
Socks
Jersey
Shorts
Chamois Butt'r (For chafing in the saddle areas!)
Sunglasses
Extra contacts (you never know what can happen in the swim!)
Contact solution (my eyes get so dry after swimming)
Sunblock
Arm warmers (90+ minutes in 63 degree water...I will be soooo cold)
Deodorant (self-explanatory, right?)
Extra rubber bands for hair
Gloves
Bike-to-run-transition:
Hat
Shirt
Shorts
Socks
Compression sleeves
Shoes
Vaseline (for toes, to prevent blisters)
Body Glide
Orange Mud (hydration backpack)
Garmin GPS watch
More deodorant (Trust me!)
More contact solution
Then, of course, there is my "nutrition strategy", which is impossible to overemphasize in a race of this length. I have been perfecting this strategy for months, over the course of my long runs and rides, but there is still the matter of figuring out exactly what, and how much, to stock on my bike.
So there is a lot to think about.
But in terms of the actual physical part of my taper, things are going great! In my extensive research about the best way to taper (How early? How much reduction in volume? How much reduction in intensity? How much focus on rest?) I came across a description I particularly liked. It said a lot of athletes tend to think of the taper as a time of rest and recovery, and it is, but training is a series of cycles of build and recovery, and the taper is just another cycle. So during the ideal taper, you should feel refreshed, and like your fitness is on an upswing.
That is exactly how I feel. Every workout I have done during my taper has been great! My 70 mile ride last week felt like nothing! 10 mile runs fly by! Even my swims feel great (not to be confused with faster). How good I feel seems to confirm that I am tapering correctly.
I can't wait for November 17th!
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