For average Joes like us, we often make the mistake of trying to race too hard.

Racing well takes the right amount of the proper training. And training isn't just about improving, it's about getting to know how your body reacts to speed and distance.

In short races you can go faster (ie 100m sprinters go way faster than marathoners). Both race at their limit, but the marathoner knows they can't race at 100m race pace for 42km. While top marathoners run wicked fast, they learn through training that they can't go as fast as sprinters. You need to learn the same.

Your training seems pretty light to me. But, that depends on your goals. If you're just interested in finishing and pushing whatever your limits might be, then you just need to re-evaluate your goals. To go from a few sprints or Oly's to HIM you need to actively cruise. Whatever your individual PB's in the pool or the bike may be, you need to kick back and cruise both of them. Hit the run fresh. Ease into the run, build to a comfy pace and then smash the last few km if you can. In my experience, with limited training and experience, any time you feel good, slow down! :-)

And if you intentionally slow down, so you can finish, chances are you will finish much closer to your potential than you think AND you can keep doing PB's for many years to come. Of course, you have to remember also, that when you start walking, a good race goes out the window. Even jogging slowly for the entire run is faster than hammering the first half and walking the second half, barely able to remember your name.

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TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"

A lot of people new to triathlon and 70.3 make the same mistake, too hard on the bike and fade badly in the run. Get extra slow on the bike, you averaged 30km/hr in your OD, aim for 27/28km/hr in your 70.3 or even slower. You'll lose a bit of time, but nothing compared to if the wheels fall off halfway through the run.

I had a nearly identical story as yours except my half was the first race of my season and I had put in a little more weekly time. I didn't do a lot of the longer stuff in my plan due to other circumstances and came on ST to ask about not tapering. The replies I got were to absolutely taper and I'm glad I did. I was still worried I'd be walking most of the half marathon and it turns out I did.

Here were my issues, maybe it'll help you. I did taper and that set me up well, my swim was dead on what I'd planned and I felt great, the first loop of the bike went well but the second was very uncomfortable due to not being used to that long in aero. I'm also sure I didn't hydrate well enough and didn't take in enough calories. I also probably went a little hard at first. Despite that, I ended feeling good (in my legs, not my shoulders and neck!), if not a little tired due to not enough water and calories and the increasing heat, and actually finished dead on my plan for the bike too. The run started well but my back started locking up a few miles in and I just couldn't run. I think this was from the neck/shoulder tension from the bike and maybe dehydration. Walked/ran for miles until it loosened up and I ran the last 5. Finished slow as hell.

I'd say definitely taper, drink more on the bike than you think you need to, pace the bike slower than nearly everyone on here will tell you to (I shot for 65-70% FTP and was nearly spot on), and walk if you need to on the run.

All in all, even though my fear of walking a lot of the run came true, I had a blast! Even while walking. Just enjoy the day and think about how far you've come and what you've learned. Maybe your training got a little derailed but you'll learn even more by the end of the HIM. Have fun!

 
After several crappy IM run/walks, I intentionally rode 15 minutes slower on the bike at IMNZ one year. I cruised the whole time. It was frustrating as hell, the whole time, but the 45 minutes I saved in the marathon, by walking a whole lot less meant I was 30 minutes faster overall. That's a good deal any day of the week.

Based on the number of people that pass me on the bike (I swim OK), and the number of people I see walking on the marathon, I think a lot of people could learn that lesson, not just newbies.

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TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"

Approach the HIM with the simple intent to finish. The longer the distance, the slower you need to go. This is my 4th year and I did my first HIM last year. Undertrained, as usual for me, and dealing with ITB after 6 miles of running. I managed to finish, but it was ugly. My goal this year was to simply finish an HIM in better form. I really don't care about the time, I just want to be able to do it and feel reasonably good about it. Of course I started the year off with a MUCH tougher HIM MUCH earlier in the year (Syracuse) and got trashed on it again. I did great through the bike, but the entirety of the run was a survival march. I have another HIM coming up in about a month. It will be an easier course and I will have had quite a bit more training for that race under my belt for the season so I am hoping it will be better. Four years of Olys and this being my second year of HIMs, I can say this; GO OUT SLOW!! If you simply haven't built up enough for it, then you REALLY need to take it easy on the bike. It is so easy to feel good on the bike only to realize too late that by the time the run comes along, you have nothing left in your legs. You really need to bike slow and easy.

I did manage to get through Syracuse without flaring up my ITB so I was happy about that at least. Hoping I can do my late season HIM and at least keep up a jog for the entire run without having to walk. We shall see.

Agree, I did my first HIM before doing any sprint's or olympic's and while it wasn't easy I finished with a fairly respectable time. I did come from a biking background though so that makes it a little easier.

Actually I find sprints far more uncomfortable than a HIM. Due to the lower intensity of the HIM it's more of a slow burn and accumulation of fatigue. I find sprints really painful the whole way, right from 200m into the swim to the excruciating last 2k of the run. I'm pretty certain I've almost puked each sprint just after I cross the finish line.

I say go ahead, you'll be fine. Just ride the bike leg within your ability and perhaps even consider walking each aid station of the run and you should finish no problem.

You need to approach the 70.3 different than an Oly.

Like others have said, with that training, you're not going to be racing for a top spot, you're looking to have a good time, and enjoy the experience. That's ok, but you need to approach the day consistent with that view, not show up and suddenly decide to race it. You will hate your day, and it will color your whole season. The best way to approach it is more training, but that's moot, so let's work with what you have.

You need to pace, hydrate and fuel well. That means easy effort in every discipline.

Swim: Slow and smooth on the swim, start in the back, no nerves, just go easy. You are strong on the swim, so the temptation is to push a bit to make up time later. DON'T. No one wins it on the swim.

Transitions: Walk through transition. Sure, you can make up a few minutes, but at best thats like 2vminutes difference in a 5-6 HOUR race. who cares? plus, walking in transition will mentally keep you focused on pacing for the bike.

Bike: Bike HR should be no higher than 125, preferably around 120. You'll feel slow, because you will be slower. That's ok.
Remember these sayings while going slow on the bike:
1) Pacing over passing
2) Long course run courses are littered with walkers with awesome bike splits

Run: On the run, keep in zone 2-3. HR less than 145 for the first 7 miles, preferably less than 140. After that, speed up with how you feel. Running the whole 13.1, even slowly for you based on those times, makes up more time on the rest of the field than you will believe.

Nutrition: the fourth disciplibe, and its really important. Hydrate all day, eat more fuel on the bike. Stay ahead of your needs. if you get behind, you will NOT catch up, you will bonk.

Finally, if you cross the line running the whole thing, you'll feel better, and gain the experience to know how to do better. More importantly, you'll have a time that, with more preparation, you'll be able to beat later.

Have fun!

Dave - I was the person you were discussing this with while I was volunteering in the Lagunitas beer tent. I opted out of the Donner Long Course because of Boulder in two weeks. In retrospect, I should have competed in the Oly, however swimming Monday morning at 6am in Donner Lake with steam coming off the water (37 degree air temp), by myself, was pretty epic.

To your point about doing a lot of shorter distance races - I agree, if you are retired, but with two school aged kids it's a tough ask to race every weekend which is why I chose three races this year: World's Toughest, IM Boulder, and the SF Triathlon.

I'll be back at Donner next year. Still the best race venue IMO.

Was great talking to you at Donner, and have a great race at Boulder!

I did not start racing until 39. And did not get serious until maybe 50. Before that, my family, and kids where my focus! This is why you have seen me over the years
make comments to folks saying forget this sport until your kids are older!!

One does have to find where ones genetics are. If I could bike strongly, who knows, maybe I would be racing long stuff. But since my genetics has always been speed,
the shorter stuff just give me the best chance for success.

Yes, I was very lucky to be able to retire at 52. I became Mr. Mom though, so I am on call for family issues all day long. But I can exercise from like 5 to 9 each day and not impact
family.

My wife and I just love to go to races. She loves to help at them, while I am racing. Or we both help at maybe another 20 plus during the year. Triathlons, IMO, have the
best "family" folks, and the values I happen to have.

I know my years are numbered for racing. I already thought I was done with a number of injuries during this last year.

So you are making the right calls. Do some racing, but spend your time with our kids. They grow up SO SO fast, and are gone. Then there is plenty of time for this
ME sport.

Again, have a great race at Boulder

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Just as a follow up and potentially some encouragement to others in a similar boat I survived the HIM and won the beginner category. The distances for the bike and run were shortened a bit due to permitting and logistics (48.6 Bikes and 11.25 run) so I can't call it a full 70.3 but after completing the race I wanted to say thanks to all the guys who helped with ideas on pacing and nutrition. Yes I could have been better prepared physically, but the challenge the race presented is not making me quit tri or be miserable, but instead I am actually just more impressed with the folks who do this at such a high level, and I am also ready to train a whole lot harder this winter to build a much stronger base. So thanks again to everyone with the solid tips on keeping my hr down on the bike, and even though my hr was in the high 160s for most of the run focusing on controlling my hr and running at my pace helped me to have a good race. I would encourage anyone on the fence post who hasn't hit all their training sessions or who gets sidelined by injuries to not sit out or wait another year "until your ready" before attempting your distance goal, but instead train as hard as you can, compete, and even if you don't go as fast as you would like to, the knowledge you gain about the difficulty and strategy involved in a race that long is invaluable. You will have such a greater understanding of the time and training commitments it will take to achieve your goals for the next season.

Thanks for this encouraging update. I trained pretty hard for several events at the beginning of the year, but over the last 3 months, I've lost some of my edge. Several things have lead to me not getting in my normal hours per week lately, and the heat here in Houston is one of the major factors. I've got an oly that I signed up for in a few weeks that I know I will get through okay, but not as well as I would have 3 months ago. My big letdown was that I was hoping to do my first half distance the first week of November. I was all on board at the beginning of the summer, but since my fitness has dwindled some, I've been saying I'll wait until the spring. I think I'm going to take the next two months to build up my base volume again and do it just to get the experience. Just finish and not worry about times. Then I'll have a better idea of what's coming my way when I do the ones I have in my sights next year. I don't care if I walk/run. I just want to get through it slow and steady without hurting myself.

Great job. Have fun in the next one.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep