High points:

1. The finish! I knew it would be awesome, but wow!
2. Seeing my lead at the final turnaround and knowing I had the win locked up if I kept my act together.
3. Second out of the water! I was so surprised I briefly wondered if we'd cut the course. I've lost so many races in the swim, it's been such a relief to put together some consistently good swimming this season. I always breathe a sigh of relief when the swim is over and I find myself in a half decent position.

Low points:

1. The midpoint of the run. I had a rough patch for several km then. Lionel still seemed to be putting time into me, I was starting to hurt, and negativity was really creeping into my mind. I banished this negativity by reminding myself that Lionel was probably in worse shape. He hadn't caught me on the bike as expected. He was probably suffering physically and psychologically more than me. I hate to say I found comfort in this!
2. The end of the ride. Despite being first off the bike, I was in rough shape. I felt exhausted, tight, dehydrated and scared. An annoyingly loud voice in my head was telling me to drop out. It's absurd that I even entertained this idea as the leader of the race! I overcame this negativity by repeating to myself that the run was a "fresh start" to look forward to. I told it to myself so many times that I almost believed it!
3. Only two major low points come to mind!

---

CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications

Cody and I have something in common!

Congrats, Cody! It was really fun to follow along and see such a strong performance. What were you most pleased with on the day? I thought your swim was so solid.

Also, what changes have you made to swim training in the last year or so? You seem to be really chipping away at it now.

---

https://twitter.com/mungub

I know everyone is wondering if you are an Ash-lete?

---

===============
Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)

Can you give some insight into your taper process for IMMT and any differences from what you did prior on the 70.3 circuit? Curious as to the timeline of reducing training volume on a week by week basis the closer you get to race date.

Thanks! The specific element of the race that pleased me the most was nailing my nutrition and discovering that I could push even more calories than planned. You can only test nutrition in training to an extent. What would happen after 6, 7, 8 hours was a mystery to me. I was stoked to confirm that I'm a freak when it comes to carb absorption, which is a crucial element to success in long course racing.

My big change with swimming has been moving to Guelph and doing most of my swimming with Guelph Triathlon Project, a local ITU-focused squad kind enough to tolerate my swim mediocrity! I swim harder, longer and more often than ever. And with the group, it's way more fun! I was previously doing most of my swimming alone, with only occasional group sessions and training camps. I'm content to do most of my running and cycling alone, but swimming is a fundamentally different beast for me. I've experimented with various swim methodologies over the years. For me, the type of swimming is of secondary importance. It's all about swimming hard with a group and coach on deck, never mind the workout details.

---

CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications

I haven't been following that dumpster fire of a thread :/

---

CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications

Just don't forget to unclip, stack it and break an arm ;)

Could you be a bit more specific on the swim workouts. How many sets, type of sets, time, how much time do you spend on proper form? Any dryland workouts?

How do your coe workouts look like? Do you do any specific strength workouts, of so what specific?

I did my last big/hard workout two Saturdays before the race (8 days out). I didn't push through anything unpleasant after that. I followed the usual doctrine of reducing volume while maintaining (or even increasing) intensity and frequency. The taper was very similar to 70.3, just a few days longer. Here's a look at the last two weeks, which were relatively quite light compared to the month prior.

8/5 - 4 hour ride with 4 x 30 mins @ 280W
- 5k easy run

8/6 - 3500m easy/technical swim

8/7 - 3700m moderate swim (tempo/short rest)
- 10k easy run
- 14k track workout (5x500 best average with the ITU guys - brutal!)

8/8 - 3800m hard swim (tempo/short rest)

8/9 - 4 hour endurance ride
- 7k easy jog

8/10 - 4000m hard swim (tempo/short rest)
-11k endurance run

8/11 - 2.5 hour ride with 45 mins @ 300W straight into...
- 12.5k run with 5 x [2k @ ~3:30/km, 400 m jog]

8/12 - 3400m easy/technical swim

8/13 - 2600m moderate swim
- 1.5 hour endurance ride

8/14 - 3000m hard swim (broken 200s)
- 12.5k run with 5 x [1 km @ 3:20/km, 1 km @ 4:30/km]
- 8.5 k easy run

8/15 - 3000m hard swim (40 x 25 fast)
- 1 hour ride with 5/4/3/2/1 mins descending 320 to 465W

8/16 - 7k easy run (travel day)

8/17 - 1 hour easy ride with a few surges
- 1500m open water swim

8/18 - 6k easy run (I'd usually swim the day before too, but lake access was tricky)

8/19 - RACE

---

CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications

Cody,

Congratulations! I watched you and Lionel all day while doing a 3 hr indoor bike session. Announcers kept saying Lionel was saving himself for the run, he looked gassed to me? , anyway 2 questions:

1) What gear ratios (ie: 11/28 52/36) did you use and do you change them much depending on the course you are racing/

2) On the bike, what data feeds are you looking at?

Swim workouts are the one thing I can't share a ton about since they belong to Guelph Triathlon Project Coach Craig Taylor. I just show up and do whatever the ITU squad is doing that day. Sometimes I modify the sets a little if I'm tired or they're going easy. It's a fantastic program, but the sets aren't anything radical. They swim hard 3-4 times per week, anything from 15m sprints to 1500m intervals, and incorporate a little technical work like specific drills, sculling, parachutes, band and snorkel every single session. There are also a lot of time trial opportunities (usually 50/100/200m, occasionally longer). I found this stressful at first, but I've learned that you just show up and do your best on the day without any drama.

I did virtually zero strength training in this block. That was a point of contention with my coach, who is always trying to get me to do more conditioning. Most of the time, I do a minimal core routine a couple times per week (when I feel like it) and a little yoga here and there. I've gone through periods were I've done heavy weights (squats, deadlifts, other compound lifts) in the gym, plyometrics, kettlebell work and other exercises. I sometimes enjoy it, but I'm quick to skip conditioning when I'm fatigued.

To my knowledge, the literature supporting most forms of conditioning making you a faster biker and runner is limited and equivocal. There may be a more conclusive benefit for swimming. Many coaches give a hand-wavy explanation about doing conditioning to avoid injury. But again, my injury history is nil so far.

For me, conditioning has had no demonstrable upside and it's only had an adverse impact on other training by making me sore and tired. In my experimentation with various conditioning routines (or lack thereof) over the years, I've noticed zero association with my performance or health. I'll probably continue to do a little conditioning, especially in the off-season. If nothing else, the core routine gives you solid abs! ;)

---

CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications

Thank you!

1) I've run a 53/39t Pioneer Dura Ace power meter and 11-25 cassette for all my races over the past two years. I could have used an 11-28 for some of the hills, but it wasn't a big deal. I would only consider going to larger chainrings (55/42t) for a course like Kona where you can have long, fast sections (descent/tailwind) with tactical significance. I rarely find myself over or under geared with my current setup.

2) My Pioneer screen has five metrics: Power (3 sec avg), Lap Time, Lap Avg Power, Total Time, Total Avg Power. I've been using the same screen for training and racing. I don't care about cadence, heart rate or speed. I don't pay too much attention to power numbers during the race, especially 70.3, just occasional double checking that I'm pacing well by feel and not exceeding predetermined limits. I'm more interested in collecting power data for post-race analysis. Same goes on the run. I wore the new Suunto 9, but never even glanced at it, pacing entirely by feel.

---

CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications

Huge congratulations from a Brazilian fan! I've been visiting your blog since the first pro budget post and I have to admit that I have used some of your not so pretty advices to motivate myself!

Couple questions:

1 - Why did you switch back to the LG P-09 for this race? Can you talk more about your bike equipment besides Ventum and Alto?

2 - How up is inteligence in your list of qualities that a athlete may have?

3 - Did you like racing in Brazil last year? Do you plan to comeback? We have a very nice race in Rio at the end of September!

Hi Cody,

Congrats on an epic race. I want to thank you for being so open about racing, training, and life.

Now that the race is over, can you elaborate on how recovery has been? I have always been more interested in the science of the sport.

Have you dealt with any emotional lows or heavy bodily fatigue? If so, how do you deal with it?

Thanks

Thanks so much for following my career!

1) Good eye! I switched back to the LG P-09 from the Giro Aerohead because it tested a little faster after some other position changes in my latest round with the STAC Virtual Wind Tunnel. I've been revisiting equipment and position changes every few months with the VWT. It's so much easier than the wind tunnel!

Here's my bike setup:

Frameset: Ventum One
Crankset/power meter: Pioneer Dura Ace dual leg power meter and head unit
Wheelset: Alto Cycling CC86, CC311 disc
Extensions: Zipp Vuka Evo 110 extensions
Tires/tubes: Continental TT with Vittoria latex tubes
Pulley wheels: SLF Motion
Chain: Dura Ace optimized by yours trully
Shifters/brake levers/derailleurs: Shimano Dura Ace
Bottle cages: XLab Gorilla (front), Specialized Rib Cage (rear), both zip-tied on


Stay tuned for a bike profile with photos published soon by Triathlon Magazine Canada.


2) I'm not sure I understand this question (maybe just my post-Ironman head fog). The cerebral aspect of triathlon is one of my favourite elements of the sport. I like that the sports rewards meticulous planning, research and execution, whether it's equipment, nutrition, training, recovery and more. There aren't many athletes at the high level of the sport who I think are lacking in the intellect department. Triathletes, as a whole, are a clever bunch!


3) Racing in Palmas, Brazil a couple years ago was certainly an adventure! It was easier to get to Taiwan! I loved the crazy fans, vibrant culture, music, and WOW I've never seen so many gorgeous people everywhere I looked! I'd love to race in Brazil again and my visa is good for another three years! :)

---

CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications

Congratulations on a well executed race Cody!

<< I used a 2:2:1 ratio of maltodextrin to amylopectin to fructose

how do you buy your malto, amytopectin and fructose? A quick search couldn't turn up any sources for amylopectin. Do you have specific brands that you prefer?


Thanks!

---

Mike Plumb, TriPower MultiSports
Professional Running, Cycling and Multisport Coaching, F.I.S.T. Certified
http://www.tripower.org

Why do you prefer a sleeveless suit to a sleeved suit? I only saw some video of the race on the run but presume you were sleeveless on the bike too?

I've been ordering maltodextrin and amylopectin (aka waxy maize) from this online retailer: https://www.canadianprotein.com/. It's quite cheap, but probably not of the highest quality. They say something about purity, but there's no third party certification like NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport, which I usually insist on for any kind of supplements. That sketches me out a little, but at least the company doesn't sell anything remotely resembling a banned substance. It's hard to draw a line between "supplements" that risk contamination and food items. I certainly don't worry about contamination of the items in my grocery cart. I buy the fructose at a local store and the brand is NOW Foods. I've used different brands over the years and don't notice a difference.

Cyclic dextrin may offer a small improvement over maltodextrin in terms of osmolarity for a given caloric concentration, but I haven't found a good, cheap source. I believe F2C uses a version of that in their products.

---

CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications

1) What kind of trainer are you using? Kurt Kinetic? Cyclops?

2) How much did recent nutrition on Lionel's part affect your confidence? (Threads here about him being too skinny--did you think --or HOPE--in the back of your mind this will play into your hands better at the end of the race possibly?)

3) Were you confident, you could take LS and the crown, or did you not have an expectation and just toe the line & give it your all that day?

4) What do you feel is the hardest part of Ironman training? (For me it is always watching what I eat I think, to get enough good food and not gain too much weight--it's a mental struggle there.)

Congratualtions on crushing it, and welcome to full IM family!

Yes I do, for now. I've raced exclusively in a Kiwami ITU suit over the past few years. I tested high end sleeved suits twice in the wind tunnel and they were not significantly faster and sometimes even slower than my ITU kit. It's a myth that sleeved suits are always more aero. Data I've seen from other athletes also supports this. The main issue for me is likely that I always see wrinkling in the shoulder area with sleeves. I would probably have to go with a custom sleeved suit to see significant aero savings. I've been meaning to get on this for a long time, but I've admittedly been a little complacent since I'm already riding well.

I'm generally skeptical of most data showing huge drag savings with sleeved suits. There's a world of difference between a wind tunnel study in which suits are carefully put on wrinkle-free and a race in which they're hurriedly pulled on over a wet body and then abused for several hours. Look at race photos and you can often see all kinds of wrinkles and ill-fitting sleeves.

Two other concerns I have about sleeves are their effect on the swim and cooling. You can either swim in sleeves, potentially impacting shoulder mobility, or pull them on in transition, wasting time at a tactically decisive moment of the race.

---

CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications

1) STAC Halcyon Zero - A recently released smart trainer that uses magnets to create resistance instead of touching your tire or cassette.

2) I skimmed some threads before the race, but it's generally not a good idea to read too much into the armchair QB'ing as much as I love all you STers. ;) Speculation about Lionel's leanness and diet had precisely zero impact on my race plan or feelings going into the race.

On a related note, I've eaten mostly vegetarian for my entire pro career. I describe my diet as flexitarian—mostly vegetarian at home with a little seafood and infrequent meat, especially when I'm traveling, in social settings, or when there's no balanced veg option. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with a vegetarian or even a vegan diet for athletes; they just require a little (veg) to a lot more (vegan) planning and attention to detail.

I don't want to speculate too much about Lionel, but I suspect that a possible calorie deficit would be far, far more detrimental than any ill-effects from a vegan diet. In my opinion, maintaining appropriate energy balance—either a slight deficit to lean down at times, or a slight surplus to top up reserves—is way more critical for athletes than what they're actually eating. Worrying about this and that micronutrient or amino acid profile when you're running even a modest energy deficit at the wrong time is missing the forest for the trees. If you've followed me from the start or read my blog, you'll know that I've learned these lessons having struggled for years with chronic energy deficiency and the resulting endocrine issues (low T) resulting from overly restrictive eating bordering on an eating disorder. My family has been profoundly affected by eating disorders and any discussion of that among athletes shouldn't be taken lightly.

3) I was confident in my ability to hit those splits and finishing time. In a field without Lionel, that would have made me confident in the win. Racing such a consistently dominant athlete, I knew it would take a special day for me and/or a tough day for Lionel. I knew this race wasn't a priority for him while it was my A race of the season, arriving in peak fitness and fully tapered.

4) I didn't enjoy the long 5+ hour workouts. They were not only boring, but left me deeply fatigued and even cognitively impaired in a way that 70.3 training rarely does.

---

CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications

Thank you!

What recovery? I missed my nap to do this AMA today! :P In all honesty, this has been an overwhelming and exhausting week without much sleep, subpar nutrition and way too much screen time. I wasn't able to sleep more than 4 hours for a couple days after the race. I'm still riding the high of the race, but I really need to unplug. I've been dealing with a barrage of messages, requests and opportunities—all exciting stuff, but way overstimulating. It gives me more respect for athletes who can pull off another successful race close to an Ironman. I can't even imagine the fallout from a Kona win (sometimes referred to as "the Kona Curse").

Physically, I'm recovering all right. My legs were acutely sore the day after the race and the rest of my body felt tight and fatigued. I took Monday and Tuesday off and just did a 2k easy swim today, which felt great. I'll keep the training very light until the weekend and ease back into intensity next week. Psychologically, I fully expect to come down off a high and feel a little depressed at some point. That's how it goes.

On that note, I think I'll break for the day and answer any more question later! Thanks for all the support and excellent questions so far!

---

CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications

I think you've answered any questions I had and want to thank you for taking the time to do so. Just wanted to chime in and say congratulations and I really enjoyed watching you race...all 8 hrs. and 10 min. of it ! :)

Could you do 50 IMs in 50 days ?