Dev and Frank, thanks for the info on Powercranks. Checking out the website, there is a shop in San Jose that carries them, so I'll have to check them out. Is this more for training or do people actually race with them. There are kinda pricey $800. Heck, my TCR Aero I bought earlier this year only cost me $1000, new, but 2002 model. I did my first tri on 8/1, Vineman I averaged 21.7 mph on the bike. I was pretty happy with the time considering my training only consisted of 150 a week of riding flat to rolling hill loops at 18mph. No hills, no TT's, no intervals. So, I know there is a lot of room for improvement. As for Steve Larsen, if he did sub 3 during an IM on only 30 miles a week, I would say he would be good for a 2:25 stand alone marathon with proper training. Good, but won't bring home the bacon. Believe me, I know from first hand experience. Kona is to triathletes as Olympic Trails is for us marathoners 2:22. I hope to get some good advice from you guys as I try to learn this new sport. Cheers

Fellas - Thanks for all the feedback. I've got some work to do to build up the run milage. I'm only doing about 25 mi / wk running coming off a tri season with limited training and only Olympic distance racing. (I've got a new son, so life's been a bit chaotic.)

I will probably sub in PC rides when the legs are aching. I also have a very short commute that I do on them. I'll let you know how it goes.

Frank my friend, just came off an "easy" 40K PC ride on the way to work. They were nothing but easy after riding sans PC's for ~ 4 months. It was kind of fun in a weird and twisted way. My legs were pretty cooked from yesterday's 3 hour run (this was my one and only 3 hour run of the year, 3 weeks out from a fall marathon), as I wanted to make sure I could run that duration mainly off tri training from half Ironman (previous long run was 2 hours). Anyway, after the first 10 min of 'weirdness' I seemed to do OK and worked on riding 90-95 RPM most of the time and worked in a number of surges up to 110 RPM. I hope I am not starting them too late for my marathon in 3 weeks, but I think they will help a bit, since I am not starting from scrath like a newbie PC user.

Suffice to say, I have no illusions of a studly fall marathon time given my lack of 60 mile weeks (this past week at 70 miles was my only week this year above 45 mile, but I was still riding to the tune of 180 miles). The main goal is to get a Boston time and then try to run fast again in the spring !

Hello,

I didn't mean to imply that one was harder than the other. I do believe that the optimum traing for a marathon is different than the traing for an IM marathon.



Styrrell

Most athlete who are using them use them in a normal cycling position because most athlete who use them are cyclists and triathletes. Most of the runners who get on them try to ride them upright, although i don't think such is necessary to optimize the benefit. As another poster pointed out the key factor in a marathon is endurance or stamina as he put it. Form is important for speed. Stamina is important to maintain form and speed. Since the runner is not going to stop running, I am not so sure the PC supplementation needs to be done in a pure running position. In fact, bending over stresses the muscles more and might be better.

Are you making this assent hands off the handlebars? If so, WOW!. I agree, once you can do this you should be murder, especially when running hills. Are you doing it at a running cadence?

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks

It takes a real, REAL effort to stay away from this thread, LOL...

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"Yeah, no one likes a smartass, but we all like stars" - Thom Yorke


smartasscoach.tri-oeiras.com

Dev,

With a 3 year (I think) PC base you clearly have developed some muscle memory so your time off seems to have had little ill effect. the key in assessing your PC marathon fitness in my view was how you did endurance wise on that 40 k bike. If you could go the entire ride at a cadence of 90-95 without any need to coast or rest you are ready, I suspect, as there is no coasting during a marathon. Of course, 40 k on the bike is not the same as 42k running so you might fade but I suspect you will surprise yourself. We will see.

Frank

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks

I handled the 40k ride fine, but had to 'work' indeed, although I have been on PC's for only two years, not 3 :-). I'd have to be comfortable riding PCs for 90K (3 hours) to make it an equivalent "marathon' effort. I don't expect a big performance at this fall marathon. Its the last event in a sequence of two half Ironamns, two olympic tris and a marathon in 7 weekends, so the main goal is to get through and try and go sub 3:15 to get to Boston and then aim for sub 3 in the spring.