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Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT!
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I put together one of my best performances to win my Ironman debut in Mont Tremblant. Highlights from the day included a personal best swim (2nd out of the water in 52:35), a course record bike split riding solo all day (4:24:28), a sub-2:50 run, and being the first Canadian to win this race. I was very nervous, but well prepared and confident in my fitness going into this race coming off three Ironman 70.3 wins in 2018 and a 9 week block focused entirely on IMMT. In fact, my coach/mentor David Tilbury-Davis and I predicted my splits with eerie accuracy!

I'm still working on my video recap, but I wanted to do an AMA here in the meantime. Slowtwitch will always hold a special place in my heart since you guys were collectively like my first coach in the sport! No subject is off limits since I strive to be as transparent as possible about every aspect of my process. Please bear with me if I'm slow to respond since this week has been overwhelming to say the least!

Ask away!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I'll answer one common question in advance: No, I won't be racing Kona this year. First, I haven't qualified. I'd need a few hundred more points to qualify, despite this win and my other 70.3 wins. To me, this illustrates why the new slot-based system being implemented next year is superior. Ultimately, Kona is about who can bring a huge performance on the day, not who can string together a season of consistent but unspectacular results. I think the new qualification system better reflects this. Secondly, I don't intend to target Kona for 2-3 years. I bided my time to get my Ironman debut right and I intend to do the same with Kona. I have too much respect for the unique demands of that race to jump the gun. I feel it would be an utter waste of my time to race Kona before I feel more confident in my ability to race for the top ten.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Powerfile?
Also you think your seats too high?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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No questions here. Just wanted to offer a huge congratulations! Great work! You are an inspiration, especially for someone like myself who is just getting into the sport and has big goals. Best of luck!
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I was checking in on the tracker all day - really amazing race!

Even for experienced 70.3 athletes, the first full can often be a challenge, but you nailed it on the first try. To what do you attribute both your confidence and ability to ride hard (seems like it must have been a pretty hard ride?) and still run really strong all the way through?

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Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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First, congrats, that was a huge result. I always appreciate your openness, both here and on social media.

What was your nutrition plan, and how did it differ from 70.3? Any issues with race day nutrition execution?

And I understand not racing Kona this year, even if you qualified. But are you already saying you definitely will not race it in 2019, if you qualify?
Last edited by: mbwallis: Aug 22, 18 7:53
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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First off: Congrats!

My question: In previous races, you have seemed to thrive in raw TT style courses, where the speeds are steady and high, and you can crank away in a fast aero position. Did you do any different, specific training for the very undulating course of MT? Where you had to constantly change from TTing, to climbing, to fast descending.

Alex Arman

Strava
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Firstly congratulations. Been a fan since your IMtalk interview.

You won by a sweet margin.

Were you going flat out running scared all day or just stuck to your pre race plan?

What model sketchers did you run in?

Rhymenocerus wrote:
I think everyone should consult ST before they do anything.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Can you tell us what you nutrition is like for the day? In full disclosure, are you sponsored by the nutritional (food) you eat and/or drink?
Congrats! Good to see you move up in distance and be successful!

Team Zoot So Cal
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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How long will you wait until you do another 140.6?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [thatzone] [ In reply to ]
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thatzone wrote:
Powerfile?


Here's the power file on Cyclo-Sphere and Strava:
https://cyclo-sphere.com/...6729860c6cac94296ab1
https://www.strava.com/activities/1789412556

Average power was 262W and normalized power was 273W. I don't consider the ride to be particularly well executed. I was on target power (~270W AP, ~280W NP) for the first lap and then gradually faded. Then again, everyone else did too!

thatzone wrote:
Also you think your seats too high?



Smh

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats on an awesome race!

Do you plan on doing a write up showing your standard week for the last 4-8 weeks like you have for a few of the 70.3s? I've gained a significant amount of knowledge from your blog over the last several years, especially since your polar vortex cycling post. Best of luck going forward!
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats on the big win!

A couple questions pop to mind
-At what point/if any did you realize that you had really dropped Lionel and what went through your head to keep you going?

-You said Kona in 2-3 years, so can you give an idea as to how you plot out that progression at a high level? Are you planning out longer term goals to get there or are you more of a short term focus right now?

-Where does your focus go for the rest of the year, racing or off season?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Just wanted to say congrats and well earned! And I also would like to know how you tackled the nutrition angle on your first IM attempt. Specifically what did you do in training to test the plan. Thanks.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [RowToTri] [ In reply to ]
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RowToTri wrote:
I was checking in on the tracker all day - really amazing race!

Even for experienced 70.3 athletes, the first full can often be a challenge, but you nailed it on the first try. To what do you attribute both your confidence and ability to ride hard (seems like it must have been a pretty hard ride?) and still run really strong all the way through?

I really took my time with this debut. I was getting questions and subtle pressure to take a crack at IM since my first 70.3 win in 2015. Instead of following other's agenda, I stuck to my plan and timeline. I set aside two months without racing in the middle of the season to focus entirely on this Ironman build. All that time allowed to do multiple significant training sessions and recover well without feeling rushed. That gave me a lot of confidence. I've also been relatively stronger every time I've stepped up in distance and I was pretty sure the trend would extrapolate to Ironman.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Hey Cody, your blog was one of the first I started following as an example of how to enter and what to expect in the pro triathlon world. I'm hoping to get my pro card by the end of this year. Thank you for being so transparent!

In your power file you linked here it says your average cadence was 80rpm. Is that what you normally ride/what you shoot for? Or do you not think about it. I've noticed that my 'comfortable' cadence is climbing higher and higher but I'm not convinced that I should be okay with 93-95 during a race. Am I overthinking it or does cadence go into your race planning?

Benjamin Deal - Professional - Instagram - TriRig - Lodi Cyclery
Deals on Wheels - Results, schedule, videos, sponsors
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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First off, congrats! I saw you racing at an MSC event years ago and was blown away by how fast you were laying it down. We spoke briefly after the race and I was again surprised by how humble and engaging you were. It's so awesome to see someone succeed when you know they truly deserve it.

My question might have been asked already but....what's next? You targeted this race pretty specifically, and nailed it quite spectacularly. What's next on the agenda?

Good luck with it, whatever it is!
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Most people will ask about technical aspects of racing. I'd like to get a little more personal.


No success is solitary.
You mention your coach of course.
Any others who helped you along the way? Who's your support crew?
Did you have someone at the race on the sidelines?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I'm sure others will cover any questions I had. Just wanted to chime in and send a huge congratulations, and thank you for doing the AMA!
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [mbwallis] [ In reply to ]
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mbwallis wrote:
First, congrats, that was a huge result. I always appreciate your openness, both here and on social media.

What was your nutrition plan, and how did it differ from 70.3? Any issues with race day nutrition execution?


Thank you! My nutrition plan was one of the biggest positives from the day. I've long suspected that I'm an outlier when it comes to absorbing high rates of carbs without GI issues. That's a factor that can really start to separate the best IM athletes. I put a lot of thought, planning, research and testing into my nutrition plan. I also consulted my coach, David Tilbury-Davis, nutritionist Pamela Nisevich Bede, my friend and sports science wiz Matt Hanson, and many others.

For 70.3, I mix my own blend of all liquid nutrition. It's been a 2:1 ratio of maltodextrin to fructose flavoured with anything from Coke to Redbull to lemon juice. I'll add caffeine and light electrolytes depending on the course and conditions. I aim for about 2.5-3 bottles worth (including the 1.4 L Ventum integrated reservoir) containing a total of 800-900 calories. On the run, I use several gels and sips of whatever is on course. This works out to about 100 grams of carbs per hour. I've only once had minor GI issues and never once thrown up in my adult life.

For Ironman, I also added amylopectin to my blend. It's a starch, unlike the other two carbs. I used a 2:1:1 ratio of maltodextrin to amytopectin to fructose with a little F2C Electro-Durance for electrolytes. Here's what I carried on the bike:

-BTA bottle: 2:1:1 bottle flavored with Redbull and lemon juice (~700 cal)
-rear bottle: 2:1:1 bottle flavored with Redbull (~700 cal)
-Ventum integrated bottle: 2 scoops F2C Glyco-Durance + maltodextrin + Redbull (~400 cal)

I then picked up a bottle of Gatorade (~150 cal), a gel (100 cal) and took quick gulps of water at a few aid stations. The total for the bike was well over 2,000 calories or 100+ grams of carbs per hour, which is nearing the max anyone can absorb.

On the run, I started with a ~300 cal flask with the same 2:1:1 blend and then took in Redbull, Coke, a few gels, Gatorade and water at every single aid station.

I deliberately train with a wide variety of fuel to acclimate my GI system to all sorts of abuse. I'll often buy whatever sugary junk drink is on sale that week.

mbwallis wrote:
And I understand not racing Kona this year, even if you qualified. But are you already saying you definitely will not race it in 2019, if you qualify?


It's hard to say that for sure after such a successful debut, but Kona doesn't currently appeal to me for 2019. It's possible that sponsors or other incentives could still make it worth my while in 2019, but it wouldn't really be intrinsic motivation driving me there so soon. I'm sure my first Kona will be humbling and a learning experience, so maybe there's something to be said for a lower pressure and earlier debut there.

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Last edited by: Cody Beals: Aug 23, 18 4:14
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [doublea334] [ In reply to ]
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doublea334 wrote:
First off: Congrats!

My question: In previous races, you have seemed to thrive in raw TT style courses, where the speeds are steady and high, and you can crank away in a fast aero position. Did you do any different, specific training for the very undulating course of MT? Where you had to constantly change from TTing, to climbing, to fast descending.

It's true. In the past, I've excelled on flatter course that are all about watts/CdA, not watts/kg, variability and/or bike handling. Tremblant is a course that doesn't necessarily suit my strengths, but my win at 70.3 Victoria on similar terrain gave me confidence.

I do most of my bike training indoors on my STAC Zero Halcyon trainer. The trainer is an outstanding tool (never mind the safety), but it's easy to ride steady and get locked into a narrow cadence range. I deliberately avoided always riding in erg mode for this reason. It's a crutch I only use for some rides and never for shorter interval workouts. For most of my longer steady rides, my coach suggested doing a high cadence or threshold piece at the end to introduce variability on tired legs. This could look like 5 hours steady with 4 x 5 mins threshold or 30 mins high cadence in the last hour. Even modest interval sets feel brutal after 4 hours at 220-230W, but yield high bang for your buck!

I also forced myself to ride outside for one long ride per week. I generally dislike riding outside due to the risks, interruptions and mental challenge. I chose some routes that were rolling like IMMT, including some rides around the Niagara Escarpment. I also needed to acclimate to long periods in aero position, since I spend less than 10% of my trainer time in aero.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Did you ever feel any pressure from Lionel on the bike. I'm sure you assumed he would probably be charging to the front in typical Lionel fashion. Were you aware of the gap back to Lionel? Did that change your race plan at all?
Did you have a plan in place in the event Lionel would catch you at say 40km vs. 160km in regards to let him go or try to stick with him?

Ask me how much I love my Kiwami LD Aero Trisuit
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [PJC] [ In reply to ]
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PJC wrote:
Firstly congratulations. Been a fan since your IMtalk interview.

You won by a sweet margin.

Were you going flat out running scared all day or just stuck to your pre race plan?

What model sketchers did you run in?

Thank you!

I fully expected Lionel to catch me at any point of the ride or run. I was prepared to not let it phase me and stick to my plan. I wasn't going to go to war and throw the plan out the window unless we found ourselves running together in the back half of the marathon. That said, I won't pretend that it isn't terrifying to have Lionel Sanders chasing you all day!!

I ran in the Skechers GOrun 6, my favourite shoe in the line. I love the new seamless knit upper. I can comfortably wear those shoes sockless right out of the box. I chose to wear socks for this race, but that was just a precaution. They're also easy to slip on and don't require special laces for transition. I race 70.3s in the GOmeb Speed, which is also a neutral lightweight trainer, but slightly stiffer and more minimally cushioned.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Karl] [ In reply to ]
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Karl wrote:
Can you tell us what you nutrition is like for the day? In full disclosure, are you sponsored by the nutritional (food) you eat and/or drink?
Congrats! Good to see you move up in distance and be successful!

I just wrote a detailed description of my nutrition in reply to another post.

I don't currently have any relationship with a sports nutrition company. I've talked to many companies over the years, but I feel that only a small minority of companies have formulas based on the best and latest science. I really like what the Canadian company F2C is doing. They gave me a little product to test out and I liked it enough to include it in my plan for IMMT.

Thanks!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Great racing Cody. I’ll say here like I did on twitter, you were the lead guy of a podium first for Skechers. All three wearing the brand. This leads me to comment on something else. For quite awhile I worked with a team at a brand who was looking for athletes to represent us. Your attitude about Kona is counterintuitive to what athletes think sponsors want. Kona is brought up more often then not in those types of conversations. Reading your plan is refreshing.

Dave Jewell
Free Run Speed

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [teichs42] [ In reply to ]
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teichs42 wrote:
How long will you wait until you do another 140.6?

Oh man, I don't know! I swore that it would be a long while during and right after the race. I'm sure that type of negotiating and inner dialogue isn't uncommon. 70.3 racing is certainly challenging, but I found Ironman dark, scary and physically and mentally abusive. That's without even going to the well at the end of the run! That said, it's amazing how quickly the memory of the pain fades. I'm already warming to the idea of another one as early as this fall. I don't think I'll be racing several a year. I see Ironman as a twice a year thing, partly because it's brutal and partly because I love 70.3 so much!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
The total for the bike was well over 2,000 calories or 100+ grams of carbs per hour, which is nearing the max anyone can absorb.
Holy crap. To have that gut...

As always, thanks for the detailed response.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [pvolb] [ In reply to ]
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pvolb wrote:
Congrats on an awesome race!

Do you plan on doing a write up showing your standard week for the last 4-8 weeks like you have for a few of the 70.3s? I've gained a significant amount of knowledge from your blog over the last several years, especially since your polar vortex cycling post. Best of luck going forward!

Thanks! I'm already planning a detailed post on my two month build. It may be unprecedented for a pro to share all their training after a performance like this. I've built a good deal of my reputation as a pro on transparency. I'm also in the position to be able to discuss training since I mostly write my own training plan. My coach/mentor David Tilbury-Davis oversees everything, suggests improvements, and helps me out a great deal with season/race planning, psychology, nutrition, recovery and more, but I'm still the one writing most of the sessions. The day-to-day stuff is the easy part. It's the overarching planning and periodization where I most appreciate his help.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:

I do most of my bike training indoors on my STAC Zero Halcyon trainer. The trainer is an outstanding tool (never mind the safety), but it's easy to ride steady and get locked into a narrow cadence range. I deliberately avoided always riding in erg mode for this reason. It's a crutch I only use for some rides and never for shorter interval workouts. For most of my longer steady rides, my coach suggested doing a high cadence or threshold piece at the end to introduce variability on tired legs. This could look like 5 hours steady with 4 x 5 mins threshold or 30 mins high cadence in the last hour. Even modest interval sets feel brutal after 4 hours at 220-230W, but yield high bang for your buck!

I also forced myself to ride outside for one long ride per week. I generally dislike riding outside due to the risks, interruptions and mental challenge. I chose some routes that were rolling like IMMT, including some rides around the Niagara Escarpment. I also needed to acclimate to long periods in aero position, since I spend less than 10% of my trainer time in aero.

Congrats on a great race! I'm an Ontario athlete as well and it's very inspirational to follow your career.

I've found myself doing more and more indoor cycling for similar reasons to yours. Do you do anything special to relieve the monotony or is it all staring at the wall? Music, TV, Zwift, etc?

How consistent are your indoor numbers vs. outdoor riding numbers? For example do you think there is a significant difference in the power you can sustain in one environment over another?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Can I borrow some speed? Promise I'll give it back.

Strava
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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no questions here, just wanted to congratulate you on an amazing race! way to go brother

the world's still turning? >>>>>>> the world's still turning
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Bosox99104] [ In reply to ]
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Bosox99104 wrote:
Congrats on the big win!

A couple questions pop to mind
-At what point/if any did you realize that you had really dropped Lionel and what went through your head to keep you going?

Thanks! I didn't allow myself to really entertain the idea of winning until the final turnaround with 11 km to go. I noticed a 5+ minute gap and Lionel had defeat in his eyes. He's a class act and offered me a high five! The rest of the day, I did my best to stay in the moment and execute my plan.

Bosox99104 wrote:
-You said Kona in 2-3 years, so can you give an idea as to how you plot out that progression at a high level? Are you planning out longer term goals to get there or are you more of a short term focus right now?

I haven't set any other goals yet. I've always been very incremental with my objectives in the sport. I'm never really looking more than six months ahead. This is one reason I work with a coach/mentor. He worries about that long-term stuff so that I can focus on the present. In the midst of such a demanding training block, my focus is literally one day at a time. I find it unpleasant, stressful and counterproductive to get hung up on outcomes in the distant future. I'm at my best when I'm immersed in the process.

Bosox99104 wrote:
-Where does your focus go for the rest of the year, racing or off season?

I'll be racing more this fall. I'm on the 70.3 Santa Cruz start list in 2.5 weeks, but I'll have to reevaluate that. I'd consider another IM this fall or my usual 70.3 grind. I've been too overwhelmed to consider anything this week. I need to recover, debrief with my coach and plan with a level head.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats, you totally nailed it!
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Mate, if you qualify for Kona next year...you better go!

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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No real questions; I just wanted to say congratulations and once again express my thanks for your openness about your testosterone levels, which helped me diagnose and resolve a similar issue with diet and lifestyle changes. Almost no one would have posted that publicly.

The point is, ladies and gentleman, that speed, for lack of a better word, is good. Speed is right, Speed works. Speed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I don't really have any questions but I definitely have congrats to say man, watched you go all day and have been following your journey for these last few years or so (from Ontario myself as well). Truly inspirational! I'm doing the opposite, have only raced 140.6 and will try the 70.3 next year for the first time.

Keep up the great work, I will keep following along :).

Phil
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Sean H] [ In reply to ]
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Sean H wrote:
Just wanted to say congrats and well earned! And I also would like to know how you tackled the nutrition angle on your first IM attempt. Specifically what did you do in training to test the plan. Thanks.

Please see my other detailed post on nutrition.

In training, I deliberately use a wide variety of fuel to acclimate my gut to all sorts of abuse! For long rides and bricks, I tried to use at least 50% race nutrition, especially towards the end. I adjusted the blend I was using based on experimentation. One long ride per week would typically include a lot of "real food", anything from Martin's Apple chips to potato chips, candy, pastries, PB&J, cookies, seaweed... all sorts of weird stuff. During one six hour trainer ride, I had a little mental breakdown and slammed a huge piece of lasagna before getting back on the bike to finish the ride! Haha

I also did a couple glycogen depleted sessions per week. This was not carefully planned or intentional, necessarily. For a pro training 20+ hours a week, doing some sessions glycogen depleted is practically inevitable, even doing your best to stay on top of fueling. My longest runs (30-42 km) would typically feature little to no calories (0-300 cal). I'd also allow myself to get quite dehydrated. There are beneficial adaptions to training both glycogen depleted and dehydrated, though I have to carefully weigh those with the added recovery toll and potential impact on other sessions. In my experience, depleted training is really playing with fire and should probably be avoided for all but the most experience and meticulous athletes.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Why didn't you stop and tackle Lionel so Matt Russell could win?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [realbdeal] [ In reply to ]
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realbdeal wrote:
Hey Cody, your blog was one of the first I started following as an example of how to enter and what to expect in the pro triathlon world. I'm hoping to get my pro card by the end of this year. Thank you for being so transparent!

In your power file you linked here it says your average cadence was 80rpm. Is that what you normally ride/what you shoot for? Or do you not think about it. I've noticed that my 'comfortable' cadence is climbing higher and higher but I'm not convinced that I should be okay with 93-95 during a race. Am I overthinking it or does cadence go into your race planning?


Thank you, I'm honored!

80 rpm is a pretty typical cadence for me. I wouldn't have been surprised by a lower number. I do steady endurance rides (220-230W) in the 65-80rpm range depending on the route and fatigue levels. My 70.3 races are usually 78-85 rpm. Going back several years to when I was much weaker on the bike, my average cadence was always 90-100 rpm.

My view is that average cadence is a red herring in triathlon. I would never try to hold a specific cadence during a race. In fact, it's not even displayed on my computer. I wouldn't be concerned by any athlete with a cadence falling somewhere in the 70-100 rpm range.

As I wrote earlier, I did prepare for the inevitable cadence fluctuations that occur during a race. I think there's some value in occasional high and low cadence work, particularly for athletes who mostly ride indoors. It's easy to lock into a narrow cadence range on the trainer.

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Last edited by: Cody Beals: Aug 23, 18 4:19
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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What was your longest training ride on the indoor trainer? How did you break up the workout?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations on a great race.

Just one question. Can you dunk?

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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During the live stream on Facebook, Greg Welch made reference to your overpronation and how with the proper shoes you could improve your run form. Have you ever been told that you overpronate before? Is it something you would try to alter if you found that to be true?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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No question here. Just wanted to say my first triathlon had you and Lionel going head to head in Welland, and you won on that occasion as well. Much love and can’t wait to see you in Kona next year! Yep I said it, the lure of Kona will pull you early ;)
Last edited by: EnderWiggan: Aug 22, 18 9:35
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [NordicSkier] [ In reply to ]
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NordicSkier wrote:
Most people will ask about technical aspects of racing. I'd like to get a little more personal.



No success is solitary.
You mention your coach of course.
Any others who helped you along the way? Who's your support crew?
Did you have someone at the race on the sidelines?


Great question! Triathlon is an individual sport, but a performance like this takes a team! That was a hard learned lesson during my lone wolf phase in the past. Besides David Tilbury-Davis, here are some of the outstanding people and groups in my corner (I'm sure I'm forgetting others... sorry!):
  • My parents and family - My mom and dad are lifelong endurance athletes and introduced me to skiing, running, cycling and swimming at a young age. They're also very supportive of my unconventional career. My extended family is also super supportive.
  • My boyfriend, James - We've been together 3.5 years and he's only seen me race once in person. He's highly interested in my career, but has his own interests and isn't just a tri fanboy. He keeps fit, but he's not an elite athlete. James really keeps me grounded and helps keep my life in balance. Since pro triathlon is a career that influences every aspect of your life, it's easy for it to become a 24/7 obsession. For me, that's not ideal or conducive to longevity in the sport. James is my lifeline to the outside world!
  • My sponsors (listed in my signature line) - Well over half my revenue will come from sponsorship this year. This career wouldn't be feasible without my sponsors. Beyond the financial, I've grown close with the people behind these companies and we're highly invested in each other's success!
  • Giles Atkinson (Keystone Communications) - Giles is a presentation skills and image coach who works with many high level executives. The same skill sets he helps high powered business people master are applicable in triathlon. His advice and assistance with travel have been invaluable. Randy Stanfield has also helped me out a lot with travel.
  • Guelph Triathlon Project - A new ITU-focused squad that rose from the ashes of the former national triathlon training center in Guelph, Ontario. Headed by Craig Taylor, this young group of up-and-coming athletes is so hard-working and positive. Moving to Guelph this year and doing most of my swimming with them has been one of my best decisions. My friend and fellow 70.3 pro Taylor Reid is a newer addition to GTP and I always enjoy training with him.
  • Jack Laundry - Jack is a good friend and was my #1 training partner in this block. I joined him for a long brick and track session most weeks. His ascension to 70.3 champ this year came as no surprise to me. He's been kicking my ass and holding me accountable for the past couple years.
  • Loaring Personal Coaching (LPC)/Hurdle Project - Another Guelph-based triathlon team with a great development program that produced Jack Laundry and other notable athletes. I hop in some of their workouts and time trials and love the vibe.

ETA: How could I forget the MultiSport Canada Triathlon Series! I got my start racing there along with Lionel, Jack and many other rising long course talents. We're fortunate to have such a great elite development engine here in Ontario. The owner & founder, John Salt, has been a great friend, adviser and supporter over the years.

I traveled alone to this race. My parents and bf wanted to come, but they're busy and I don't mind the intensity and focus of solo race trips. Only the 7 hour drive home sucked!

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Last edited by: Cody Beals: Aug 22, 18 11:27
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Leavitt] [ In reply to ]
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Leavitt wrote:
Did you ever feel any pressure from Lionel on the bike. I'm sure you assumed he would probably be charging to the front in typical Lionel fashion. Were you aware of the gap back to Lionel? Did that change your race plan at all?
Did you have a plan in place in the event Lionel would catch you at say 40km vs. 160km in regards to let him go or try to stick with him?

I fully expected Lionel to catch me at any point. Every turnaround that allowed me to assess the gap was a pleasant surprise. I was keeping tabs on Lionel, but he never really played into my race plan. I intended to do my own thing. I've watched Lionel bury himself to beat other athletes who try to hang with him. I don't think that dogging Lionel is the way to beat him. I didn't intend to try to hang with him on the bike or early in the run if that required a significant increase in power/pace. I would only go to war in the back half of the run if he happened to be nearby, an outcome I considered a dream day!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [SDJ] [ In reply to ]
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SDJ wrote:
Great racing Cody. I’ll say here like I did on twitter, you were the lead guy of a podium first for Skechers. All three wearing the brand. This leads me to comment on something else. For quite awhile I worked with a team at a brand who was looking for athletes to represent us. Your attitude about Kona is counterintuitive to what athletes think sponsors want. Kona is brought up more often then not in those types of conversations. Reading your plan is refreshing.

Thank you! I'm fortunate to have sponsors that don't pressure me about Kona. That's no accident. I'm usually up front with prospective sponsors about my race plans early in the discussion. I let them know in no uncertain terms that my race schedule is at my sole discretion. I would need a lot of compensation from sponsors before allowing them to influence something as fundamental to my bottom line and trajectory as my race schedule.

The approach I prefer is when sponsors create incentives instead of applying pressure. For example, some contracts I've discussed may include a modest bonus just for showing up in Kona. That helps defray the travel and opportunity costs of Kona and make it a less risky proposition.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [IanH] [ In reply to ]
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IanH wrote:
Congrats on a great race! I'm an Ontario athlete as well and it's very inspirational to follow your career.

I've found myself doing more and more indoor cycling for similar reasons to yours. Do you do anything special to relieve the monotony or is it all staring at the wall? Music, TV, Zwift, etc?

How consistent are your indoor numbers vs. outdoor riding numbers? For example do you think there is a significant difference in the power you can sustain in one environment over another?

Thanks! I don't use Zwift, TrainerRoad, etc. I also rarely watch TV or movies. I mostly just listen to music indoors (but never outside). For easy rides, I'll sometimes write emails, do work/research, goof around on my phone and make calls. I'm kind of a weirdo when it comes to indoor workout entertainment. I'll often loop the same song for hours on end and just get lost in my thoughts. I also try to do some race visualization, especially during hard workouts.

I do almost all my indoor cycling out of aero position. I find that power on the trainer out of aero is roughly equivalent to power outside in aero. I lose a little power indoors due to heat, boredom and perhaps different inertial loading. Outside, I gain that power back, but lose a little in aero position. It's roughly a wash. Of course, it's still critical to acclimate to long periods in aero.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody congrats on your win,

1)what was your cycling volume on your block leading up to the race? Has it negatively affected your swim training if it was high volume?
2) and are you still seeing improvements from a year to year basis from like threshold intervals/VO2max intervals during training, if so in what terms? ability to maintain the same power longer, or higher power or both?
3) were you doing more VO2 efforts, threshold efforts, or race pace efforts on the bike leading up to this race?

Thanks!
Last edited by: Rest: Aug 22, 18 9:55
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [gmh39] [ In reply to ]
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gmh39 wrote:
Can I borrow some speed? Promise I'll give it back.

If only I could rent it out! Now that would be a killer side business!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Great performance! I watched on Ironman Now for the entire swim, most of the bike and the last portion of the run. I have been around the sport for decades and tend to migrate toward the unusual bikes (Softride, Zipp etc.) so tell us about your Ventum. What size is it and what do you like and dislike about it.
Last edited by: arby: Aug 22, 18 10:12
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [trimac2] [ In reply to ]
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trimac2 wrote:
What was your longest training ride on the indoor trainer? How did you break up the workout?

I did three six hour trainer rides in this block. They were steady at ~230W. Not the most exciting sessions, that's for sure!! The key is to never look at the time until past the 4 hour mark. I mostly just listened to music and sometimes watched videos.

I'd be lying to say I enjoyed these longer rides. I like that I can be a strong 70.3 cyclist rarely riding longer than 3 hours. These long rides and bricks took all my mental energy for the day and left me deeply fatigued in a way I didn't like at all.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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JasoninHalifax wrote:
Congratulations on a great race.

Just one question. Can you dunk?

Lol, not even close! Let's just say that I ended up in triathlon and not team sports for a reason. I wasn't quite the last kid picked at recess, but pretty close. I was one of two boys in my primary school class that didn't play hockey, lacrosse and other team sports.

Thanks Jason!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody, congrats on your win! and thank you for doing this...
my question is what is your strategy when it comes to getting ready to go from the bike to the run? how do you save your legs and gets your hips primed for the run? once you're on the run, are you easing into the run and picking up the pace as you stretch back out or are you mashing the gas pedal as soon as your done with T2?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals]

Hells yea.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [AquaBikePatti65] [ In reply to ]
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AquaBikePatti65 wrote:
During the live stream on Facebook, Greg Welch made reference to your overpronation and how with the proper shoes you could improve your run form. Have you ever been told that you overpronate before? Is it something you would try to alter if you found that to be true?

Haha, every one who sees me run tells me all about my overpronation.

I've not been convinced that this is worth trying to alter through orthotics or delibarate technique changes. First, I have essentially zero injury history. I can literally count on one hand the number of runs I've missed due to injury (just a bout of Morton's neuroma due to tight shoes in 2010 and a mild calf strain this year). My durability seems to be one of my greatest assets as an athlete and the overpronation obviously isn't causing any injuries. Second, I'm running pretty well as is! I've posted a top run split several times over the past couple years. That's not to say there isn't room for improvement, but I'm more inclined to think that if it ain't broke...

My view is that most runners naturally gravitate towards form that is biomechanically efficient for their unique physiology given the careful and gradual application of mileage and intensity. Barring injury or certain glaringly obvious technical flaws, I don't think there's much reason to mess with run form. I think most gait analysis leading to form change prescriptions is a pseudoscience. I don't do any drills or specific run technique work unless you count some hill sprints and barefoot strides.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Could you recommend something to watch, hopefully on Netflix? Also, which decade, in your opinion, do you feel put out the best music?






Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [EnderWiggan] [ In reply to ]
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EnderWiggan wrote:
No question here. Just wanted to say my first triathlon had you and Lionel going head to head in Welland, and you won on that occasion as well. Much love and can’t wait to see you in Kona next year! Yep I said it, the lure of Kona will pull you early ;)

I've actually never raced Lionel in Welland. That was my half distance debut back in 2013. I did take the win and set a course record, but didn't have to face Lionel! In any case, thank you! We'll see about your prediction. Dave Scott just tweeted at me to go next year and start the Kona apprenticeship as soon as possible.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations! You said you sometimes do 30 minutes of high cadence work at the end of a long bike. What cadence? 85-90?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I'm not sure if I'm more impressed with your win or three rides of 6hrs on the trainer! Congrats....big fan!
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Rest] [ In reply to ]
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Rest wrote:
Cody congrats on your win,

1)what was your cycling volume on your block leading up to the race? Has it negatively affected your swim training if it was high volume?
2) and are you still seeing improvements from a year to year basis from like threshold intervals/VO2max intervals during training, if so in what terms? ability to maintain the same power longer, or higher power or both?
3) were you doing more VO2 efforts, threshold efforts, or race pace efforts on the bike leading up to this race?

Thanks!

1) I averaged about 12 hours per week of cycling in the meat of the block (weeks 2-7) with a less at the start and during the taper. That's about as high as I ever get with cycling volume which is still low compared to some other pros. I spend very little time in Zone 1 and all my rides averaged at least 200W, so I make those hours count!

My swim training was negatively impacted by the higher bike volume. I did 5-6 swim per week in this block while I was swimming 6-7 times per week earlier this season. My swimming really suffers when I'm under high training load. I can easily lose 5 seconds per hundred. I'll be the slowest swimmer in the training group on some occasions. Swimming is the first thing to suffer as load ramps up for me. My coach and I think of it as "the canary in the coal mine". It's a good indicator or fatigue and when I'm pushing too far. It's taken me years to have confidence that my swim form will return as I taper, sometimes not feeling good again until race morning!

2) My peak threshold and VO2 numbers each season have plateaued or maybe even gone slightly backwards over the past few years. However, my longer duration power has improved a little and my running and swimming have come a long way. I can hold 250-320W for longer than ever before now. I don't race more strongly on the bike than I did towards the start of my pro career 4-5 years ago, when I was already setting some 70.3 bike course records. Instead, I've used my higher fitness to race more tactically in some cases, come off the bike fresher and run faster.

3) Over the winter, I focused on very high end work (sprints, VO2) with aerobic mileage in a typical polarized approach. Most of my fitness is built in the VO2 and endurance zones every year. I spend very little time doing race-specific intensity (tempo-threshold for 70.3 and high end endurance/tempo for Ironman). I typically just do a handful of sessions with tempo and threshold work leading into 70.3 races. I revisit blocks of sprints and VO2 work throughout the season. This Ironman block was a little different. I did relatively little intensity. Almost all my riding was 220-230W with one session featuring some 70.3-like work (300-360W) and another featuring Ironman-like work (270-290W).

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats! Way to rock that course!
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [arby] [ In reply to ]
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arby wrote:
Great performance! I watched on Ironman Now for the entire swim, most of the bike and the last portion of the run. I have been around the sport for decades and tend to migrate toward the unusual bikes (Softride, Zipp etc.) so tell us about your Ventum. What size is it and what do you like and dislike about it.


I ride a 54 cm Ventum One. Here's a forum post I wrote about what I like about the Ventum and areas for improvement:

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...16_P6602875#p6606469

I've been overwhelmingly pleased with the bike over the past three seasons I've been riding it. The power-speed relationship I see alone is enough to make me love the bike. Add the seamless integration of 1.4 L of fluid and it's been a dream machine.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [KENNBR] [ In reply to ]
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KENNBR wrote:
Cody, congrats on your win! and thank you for doing this...
my question is what is your strategy when it comes to getting ready to go from the bike to the run? how do you save your legs and gets your hips primed for the run? once you're on the run, are you easing into the run and picking up the pace as you stretch back out or are you mashing the gas pedal as soon as your done with T2?

I didn't do anything special towards the end of the ride. In fact, I rode the last brief section into transition fairly hard as I realized the bike course record may be just within reach!

I felt pretty rough coming off the bike and that was the mental low point of the entire race for me. Thankfully, I was able to relax and refocus after a couple km and started to feel good.

I think that I set up a good T2 in training. I don't usually do brick workouts, but I included several long 3.5-5 hour bricks in this block. A couple of those runs featured 10+ km of work well above Ironman pace right after some work at 280W on the bike. The video below (from my watch sponsor, Suunto) shows one of these workouts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24f2MqWxg5Q

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Tri-Banter] [ In reply to ]
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Tri-Banter wrote:
Could you recommend something to watch, hopefully on Netflix? Also, which decade, in your opinion, do you feel put out the best music?

Sorry, I don't really watch many shows or movies! I did binge watch Breaking Bad during a training camp a few years and enjoyed that!

I think the best music across all genres is being put out right now. We see a survivorship bias with any music from past decades that is still being played. My musical tastes range pretty far and wide. I studied classical piano and used to play keyboard in a ska-jazz sextet, so I can be pretentious with my listening. Or I can just as easily slum it with the last pop remix shit. For training, I most often find myself listening to genre-bending music that draws on a lot of influences. Lately, a lot of my favourite tracks seems to fall under the electro-funk/nu-disco label.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [mdtrihard] [ In reply to ]
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mdtrihard wrote:
Congratulations! You said you sometimes do 30 minutes of high cadence work at the end of a long bike. What cadence? 85-90?

Higher! 100-115 rpm. It should feel uncomfortable! In fact, heart rate can approach what it would be for threshold work.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Nice job there Cody, had you not been there and "ON", we would have had no context on Lionel's race. He would have won and all the pundits would be thinking he just backed off and went hard enough to win the race. Your performance put everyones race into perspective, and of course you now know it is a new good distance for you to compete at.

You seem to have executed your plan very well, my only question is that you seem to be all over the bike, moving around a lot when you ride. I understand how in running an unorthodox style may suit a particular person and not be a hinderance, but in cycling where you are bolted in it seems like all the best riders are quite motionless up top when they are riding hard. Is this something you plan to work on? What length cranks are you riding? Perhaps a relationship to these two things in your fit??

And Dave Scott is right, you need to get to Kona ASAP. For virtually every pro that has ever raced there is a learning curve in that race, so you may as well get to the early learning portion of doing well at that race. I know it is hard sometimes, but just leave expectations at home and go experience the big show. As you know, it took some of the greats 5 or 6 tries before figuring it out, so the sooner you make the mistakes and can correct them, the sooner you can start to expect good results..
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
My view is that most runners naturally gravitate towards form that is biomechanically efficient for their unique physiology given the careful and gradual application of mileage and intensity. Barring injury or certain glaringly obvious technical flaws, I don't think there's much reason to mess with run form. I think most gait analysis leading to form change prescriptions is a pseudoscience. I don't do any drills or specific run technique work unless you count some hill sprints and barefoot strides.

congratulations on a great race !

and, wanted to quote that, an excellent summary of all that can usefully be said about 'run form'..
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [monty] [ In reply to ]
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monty wrote:
Nice job there Cody, had you not been there and "ON", we would have had no context on Lionel's race. He would have won and all the pundits would be thinking he just backed off and went hard enough to win the race. Your performance put everyones race into perspective, and of course you now know it is a new good distance for you to compete at.

Thanks Monty!

monty wrote:
You seem to have executed your plan very well, my only question is that you seem to be all over the bike, moving around a lot when you ride. I understand how in running an unorthodox style may suit a particular person and not be a hinderance, but in cycling where you are bolted in it seems like all the best riders are quite motionless up top when they are riding hard. Is this something you plan to work on? What length cranks are you riding? Perhaps a relationship to these two things in your fit??

Guilty. I'm all over the place on the road. I think this is due to doing the large majority of my cycling indoors. The trainer is a great tool, but it doesn't teach you to hold a line and it doesn't develop stabilizing and core muscles like riding outdoors. The safety argument alone is enough to make me commit to the trainer, but I know I have room for improvement. I'm not really sure how to go about addressing this. I feel that my fit is already pretty dialed and certainly highly aero optimized. My fit is mostly guided by aero testing with the STAC Virtual Wind Tunnel and a couple physical wind tunnel sessions. It's less based on comfort. My pads are quite narrow which does come at the expense of some stability and can result in rocking from side to side.

I'm riding 170 mm cranks. Moving from 172.5 provided a significant increase in comfort by opening up my hip angle. It may be worth experimenting with even shorter cranks.

I would however argue that all the best cyclists are motionless. Many of the pro cyclists I've seen are squirming around during time trials.

monty wrote:
And Dave Scott is right, you need to get to Kona ASAP. For virtually every pro that has ever raced there is a learning curve in that race, so you may as well get to the early learning portion of doing well at that race. I know it is hard sometimes, but just leave expectations at home and go experience the big show. As you know, it took some of the greats 5 or 6 tries before figuring it out, so the sooner you make the mistakes and can correct them, the sooner you can start to expect good results..

Noted. I haven't discussed Kona much with my team yet and I was shooting from the hip with those comments. I have some pretty strong perfectionist tendencies which can make me too conservative when it comes to tackling new challenges. I also have to question whether a prolonged focus on Kona is worth it. Unlike some pros, I'm not driven by the dream of a Kona podium. I don't hold the race in sacred regard. I've struggled to get excited and motivated about racing for a top ten at championship races. Quite frankly, it's been more fun, rewarding and far more lucrative to chase wins at smaller races. I know that admission won't earn me any new fans, but hey, I promised transparency!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Not sure why I thought Lionel was there. Regardless, you’ve been a huge inspiration to my wife and I, and we’ve followed your career for awhile now. So great to see you having success at the long distance. We were pulling for you right after the swim, such a gutsy performance. Well done and hope to be watching you on the big screen next year in Kona :)

Cody Beals wrote:
EnderWiggan wrote:
No question here. Just wanted to say my first triathlon had you and Lionel going head to head in Welland, and you won on that occasion as well. Much love and can’t wait to see you in Kona next year! Yep I said it, the lure of Kona will pull you early ;)

I've actually never raced Lionel in Welland. That was my half distance debut back in 2013. I did take the win and set a course record, but didn't have to face Lionel! In any case, thank you! We'll see about your prediction. Dave Scott just tweeted at me to go next year and start the Kona apprenticeship as soon as possible.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Quite frankly, it's been more fun, rewarding and far more lucrative to chase wins at smaller races. I know that admission won't earn me any new fans, but hey, I promised transparency! //

Hey, you won't get any argument from me about skipping Kona, or just making it one more race in a long. successful season. In fact, I believe very few pros should be doing that race, it really does nothing for you unless you are a top 5 contender, and sacrificing some good money opportunities to focus on this one event is just bad business. I learned it the hard way, as well as Jordan and most pros who just couldn't, or didn't do well there. Very early on it was just one more trip for me, I would usually race the week before and the week after, so that is how serious I took it..


But you are in a unique position, you actually might be good at it. Being great at other ironman, especially your first one, well it would be silly not to give it a try. As well as being a black hole for most pros, it is also a career maker for a select few. Besides the money and endorsements one gets for a podium there, the prospect of you winning just garners a lot of fame and fortune. But of course you have to break in that select field so that you can be part of the conversation each year leading up to the race..


But if not, go and have a great career outside of Kona, a lot of the really greats did and financially set themselves up quite well..

Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Cody Beals wrote:
Guilty. I'm all over the place on the road. I think this is due to doing the large majority of my cycling indoors. The trainer is a great tool, but it doesn't teach you to hold a line and it doesn't develop stabilizing and core muscles like riding outdoors. The safety argument alone is enough to make me commit to the trainer, but I know I have room for improvement. I'm not really sure how to go about addressing this.

Rollers?
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [monty] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks Monty, I know you get it.

The opportunity cost of Kona is just so high! If it were just another 70.3, I'd think nothing of giving it a go since I can race ten of those a year. But burning one of my precious few Ironman matches for the year can't be taken so lightly... Especially if you have the view that athletes only have a finite number of truly all-out Ironman performances in their body and mind.

From a financial perspective, I made more money from winning IMMT than I would for anything below 5th at Kona. Anything beyond 10th would make the trip a money loser. The system is deficient in that regard. If WTC, sponsors and fans want to see all the best pros in Kona, then it needs to be more worth our while. I'd love to see a smaller pro field in Kona (30ish) with all expenses covered and/or prize money paying down to the last finisher. Having just bought a house, I don't quite have the financial security to take a gamble as big as Kona quite yet.

I'll give it a go eventually. I'm warming to the idea of viewing it more as a learning experience than a high pressure, expectation-laden outing. I just have a few more stepping stones along the way.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Runorama] [ In reply to ]
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Runorama wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:

Guilty. I'm all over the place on the road. I think this is due to doing the large majority of my cycling indoors. The trainer is a great tool, but it doesn't teach you to hold a line and it doesn't develop stabilizing and core muscles like riding outdoors. The safety argument alone is enough to make me commit to the trainer, but I know I have room for improvement. I'm not really sure how to go about addressing this.


Rollers?

That's a good idea. Coach David has been on me about getting rollers all year. I could see introducing them for easy rides. I'm just lazy and like to switch off on the trainer... :P

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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First, congrats! I hope you feel quite accomplished and hungry for more!

What were three of your high points and three of your low points throughout the race? How did you overcome the lows?
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [EnderWiggan] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Not sure why I thought Lionel was there.
---

I can't remember back to 2013. I'm pretty sure Lionel and Cody were there in 2014. Cody didn't 'race' him because Cody had a mechanical and didn't finish the race. That probably means that I'm 1-0 on racing Cody!

Here's the ramp up thread where soon-to-be-retired John Salt changed the name and hyped up the race.

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...ers%20beals#p5148230










Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [ninagski] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
ninagski wrote:
First, congrats! I hope you feel quite accomplished and hungry for more!


What were three of your high points and three of your low points throughout the race? How did you overcome the lows?


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!


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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
...I always breathe a sigh of relief when the swim is over and I find myself in a half decent position.

Cody and I have something in common!
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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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
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I know everyone is wondering if you are an Ash-lete?

===============
Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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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.
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [mungub50] [ In reply to ]
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mungub50 wrote:
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.

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.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [CaptainCanada] [ In reply to ]
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CaptainCanada wrote:
I know everyone is wondering if you are an Ash-lete?

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

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Cody Beals wrote:
Runorama wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:

Guilty. I'm all over the place on the road. I think this is due to doing the large majority of my cycling indoors. The trainer is a great tool, but it doesn't teach you to hold a line and it doesn't develop stabilizing and core muscles like riding outdoors. The safety argument alone is enough to make me commit to the trainer, but I know I have room for improvement. I'm not really sure how to go about addressing this.


Rollers?


That's a good idea. Coach David has been on me about getting rollers all year. I could see introducing them for easy rides. I'm just lazy and like to switch off on the trainer... :P

Just don't forget to unclip, stack it and break an arm ;)
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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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?
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [70Miles] [ In reply to ]
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70Miles wrote:
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.

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

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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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?
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Livio Livius] [ In reply to ]
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Livio Livius wrote:
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?

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! ;)

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [JTNY] [ In reply to ]
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JTNY wrote:
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?

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.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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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!
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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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
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Jonny89] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Jonny89 wrote:
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!


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! :)

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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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
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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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?
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Mike Plumb] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Mike Plumb wrote:
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!

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.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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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!
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [fulla] [ In reply to ]
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fulla wrote:
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?

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.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Rocky M] [ In reply to ]
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Rocky M wrote:
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!

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.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Riccardio] [ In reply to ]
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Riccardio wrote:
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

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!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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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 ! :)
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Could you do 50 IMs in 50 days ?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats Cody. I've been following your blog since the days of the drilled top tube P2C :)

What's your CdA?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats on the win! It’s been awesome watching your success.
You mentioned only really doing bricks leading up to this race. Given the recent brick thread on here do you think they helped with your performance? Will you keep them in your builds going forward?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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One more question, can you send me a case of those apple chips?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Wow

Huge congrats!

When you do your STAC Virtual Wind Tunnel is that an optional package which can be purchased with the STAC or do you have to go some place for that?

Thank you
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
I put together one of my best performances to win my Ironman debut in Mont Tremblant.

Ask away!


Yes, yes you did. Spectacular performance! And I'm just taken aback by your openness and want to say two things.


1) Thank you very much. Much insight to gain and things to chew on based on your candid responses. And you've left no stone unturned...

2) Congrats and best of luck in the future! Your attitude is top notch and you are a class act.

Dale


PS, a third thing-every consider going 1X?

(60.8 mph-OMG...a bunch of coasting brings that C number down too; 1 hr power of 279 and 3 hr power of 270?? that's just sick! )
Last edited by: dtoce: Aug 22, 18 19:07
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I cant believe i am saying this living in Penticton but man i miss those country roads around Guelph, Flamborough, Dundas! Great video.

It is a real pleasure watching you, Taylor and Lionel develop from your early MSC ambassador team days to winning big races. Congrats Cody. Please send my best vibes to Criag Taylor to in the Guelph circuit.

My Q now that you are past the race a few days, hows your recovery mentally? Still on a high? If youve mentally crashed (us mortals call it post race blues!) do u have a plan in place to regroup mentally?

Congrats again

Rhys

@rhyspencer
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
fulla wrote:
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?


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.

The biggest waste of money currently happening in triathlon? Perhaps.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [jkhayc] [ In reply to ]
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jkhayc wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
fulla wrote:
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?


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.


The biggest waste of money currently happening in triathlon? Perhaps.

X3. If you want sun protection or just want to look "cool", fine. However, if you really want to go faster then prepare do some meticulous testing and then make sure you go back to test after it is broken-in and is stretched. Otherwise wear a new one for every race if you can afford it.


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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
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.

Firstly thanks for doing this, it’s been really interesting & congratulations on the win.

Could I ask, when/why did you start swimming 6+ times a week?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Big congratulations Cody, I've followed you since I first came on here and can also claim one of the most beautifully cabled P3Cs in triathlon thanks, in part, to you :-)

Cody Beals wrote:
From a financial perspective, I made more money from winning IMMT than I would for anything below 5th at Kona. Anything beyond 10th would make the trip a money loser. The system is deficient in that regard. If WTC, sponsors and fans want to see all the best pros in Kona, then it needs to be more worth our while. I'd love to see a smaller pro field in Kona (30ish) with all expenses covered and/or prize money paying down to the last finisher. Having just bought a house, I don't quite have the financial security to take a gamble as big as Kona quite yet.


That's interesting, we are all a bit Kona obsessed and I for one probably didn't think of the risk vs reward that way.

Who's up for a ST-sends-Cody-to-Kona gofundme? It would be ground-breaking! The ST community can be your WC sponsor.

One condition: you have to wear our sponsor logo on your tri suit-


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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats and all that on executing your race plan mo bro. As a fellow (past) MSCer, its been great to witness your ascension, and live a bit vicariously through your racing.

Curious about your 'perfectionist tendencies' and how that fits with how you think / feel prepping, during and after a race.

Many folks with perfectionism are either not self-aware of that aspect, or are too fearful to admit aloud, let alone publicly, often denying it with some variation of "I'm not a perfectionist, that would be a flaw."

So, for you, what's the most challenging part of changing / managing your perfectionism tendencies?

If a race goes well, like IMMT, how does how your thinking / feeling differ, if at all, from races that don't go as planned?

How did you reward yourself, if at all, after IMMT?

----------------

And another question / comment about your training: for the most part, you seem to design your own training plans, not unlike Lionel. But a lot of folks on ST are criticizing Lionel for his self-coaching approach.

So it would seem the top 2 guys at IMMT are mostly self-coached, yet you're getting praised on and Lionel is getting pissed on for similar approaches. People are funny.

So my question - and it may relate to the perfectionist questions above, or not - is why are you taking this approach to designing your training? Why are you not giving yourself completely over to a coach?

Advocating for research & treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I saw you absolutely flying down Duplessis on your second lap, my first. Congratulations on your win. For us slow folks, it was hot as hell out there. You owned it.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [TriguyBlue] [ In reply to ]
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TriguyBlue wrote:
Could you do 50 IMs in 50 days ?

I've wondered. I definitely have some aspects of the required physiology: extreme durability, freakish fueling ability... I'm still going to say no though. I'm not sure that anyone will ever do this without bending the rules (i.e. all outside, no crutches, no doping). I'm a little curious to give ultra-endurance sports a try after my triathlon career, but I'd never attempt something as crazy and potentially dangerous as 50 IMs in 50 days!

As a side note, the 2015 Ultraman World Champion, Mike Coughlin, is a coach here in Guelph and also a friend of mine. I followed his build up to that win and regularly chat and get advice from him. He's a smart dude who's given me even more respect for the ultra-endurance community.

As another side note, my sister recently completed the Triple Crown of endurance hikes: the Appalachian Tail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail. They each take several months and she did one per year for three years. She didn't go after a FKT, but she and her husband went ultralight and finished the hikes remarkably quickly. As kids, my sister was always the more promising athlete and it's apparent that we share some good endurance genetics.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [ffmedic84] [ In reply to ]
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ffmedic84 wrote:
Congrats on the win! It’s been awesome watching your success.
You mentioned only really doing bricks leading up to this race. Given the recent brick thread on here do you think they helped with your performance? Will you keep them in your builds going forward?

I think the long bricks I did were excellent prep, but not absolutely essential. I've found success with 70.3 racing only doing bricks very infrequently. In this Ironman block, I did several ~5 hour bricks (~4 hour ride, ~1 hour run). If nothing else, they were great opportunities to rehearse fueling and other logistics (transitions, gear). They were also time efficient. Getting all my training done by early afternoon allowed me to recover better for the following day. I often backed these long Saturday bricks up with a hard Sunday morning track session with Jack Laundry on tired legs.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Sean H] [ In reply to ]
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Sean H wrote:
One more question, can you send me a case of those apple chips?

Enter my next Martin's contest! :P

Depending on where you are, you can find them at Costco, Sam's Club, Loblaws, Winners, Starbucks, Porter Airlines flights, maybe some HEB and many other retailers.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [RBR] [ In reply to ]
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RBR wrote:
Wow

Huge congrats!

When you do your STAC Virtual Wind Tunnel is that an optional package which can be purchased with the STAC or do you have to go some place for that?

Thank you

STAC got started making trainers like the Zero and Zero Halcyon, but the Virtual Wind Tunnel is a completely independent offering from the company. I've suggested offering VWT analysis as an add-on package for bike fits, since they're complimentary. To get VWT scanned, you just need to find a STAC partner offering the service (listed here). The scanning is really quick and painless. All the data processing and analysis happens back at STAC headquarters. In addition to allowing you to evaluate position and equipment changes, the scanning also gives you CdA numbers which can be used for modeling with tools like Best Bike Split. I've done half a dozen VWT sessions over the past few years and used the tech to continually refine position and equipment. Most recently, I switched back the LG P-09 helmet and brought my elbows narrower after my latest round of testing. It's an iterative process of testing and validating.

STAC is still ramping up availability of the VWT, but this small company has too many innovative, awesome ideas to pursue! I almost used a prototype aero technology that STAC is developing in IMMT that would have drawn a lot (too much!) attention.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [dtoce] [ In reply to ]
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Dale, thank you so much!

I have considered going 1x, but it's not a high priority. I've not gotten around to personally aero testing 1x, but I've seen conflicting aero data. Some people have seen drag savings, others have seen substantial added drag switching to 1x. So, like most things, it's not a given that it's more aero. It probably depends on the bike, chainring, cyclist's position and maybe even cadence. It's been speculated that part of the issue is that current tri bikes are all designed around 2x with respect to aerodynamics and chain line. Maybe we'll see purpose built bikes for 1x that realize the potential savings. Increased drivetrain friction due to suboptimal chain line is also a concern.

I also like the simplicity of running the same bike setup for all my races. I don't like to mess with equipment changes before races, even something as simple as swapping a crankset (not all courses are 1x appropriate). This reason, and the fact that I do all my own wrenching, have contributed to me having very few mechanical issues in races compered to other pros.

All that said, I have a sweet cross/commuter bike with SRAM 1x, which I love. I'm open to testing 1x for triathlon. I still don't have a component sponsor... cough, cough...

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [rhys] [ In reply to ]
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rhys wrote:
I cant believe i am saying this living in Penticton but man i miss those country roads around Guelph, Flamborough, Dundas! Great video.

It is a real pleasure watching you, Taylor and Lionel develop from your early MSC ambassador team days to winning big races. Congrats Cody. Please send my best vibes to Criag Taylor to in the Guelph circuit.

My Q now that you are past the race a few days, hows your recovery mentally? Still on a high? If youve mentally crashed (us mortals call it post race blues!) do u have a plan in place to regroup mentally?

Congrats again

Rhys

Thanks for following my career! Having ridden all over the world, I feel fortunate to have such great cycling right out my door in Guelph. I can be on quiet, open country roads in minutes. Taking my cross bike out opens up even more options with dirt roads and rail trails. It may not be the most spectacularly scenic, but there's a variety of terrain, decent roads, manageable traffic and lots of training partners.

I haven't abruptly come down off the psychological high from the weekend. I was expecting a crash, but it's been more of a gradual relaxation, not at all unpleasant. I had a really difficult year in my personal and professional life in 2017 (partly detailed in my last budget blog post). I wouldn't wish that on anyone, but it did help me better appreciate an amazing year like this one, when everything is going smoothly. I don't take that for granted. Facing some adversity during a couple periods of my life has really helped me keep things in perspective and be grateful for the good times.

Having been through some highs and lows in the sport, I know that the post-race blues is inevitable to some extent. It's probably a biochemical process that's somewhat impossible to control. If I'm feeling down, I just have to interrogate those feelings and remind myself that there's really no reason to be in a slump. I just let the emotions wash over me and accept them as a fundamental part of the sport I love.

My bf, family and friends are a key part of bouncing back after any kind of performance, good or bad. I have outings and get-togethers planned with them every day this week to distract myself and forcibly remove myself from the triathlon vacuum!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations, Cody!
I don't have any specific questions, I only have a selfish wish. I hope you won't stop posting your annual budget review now that you're even more famous :) Those articles are such a rare insight into a pro triathlon world like nothing else. The world that seems so far and distanced and you made it feel more real in the past thanks to your blog.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [SteveM] [ In reply to ]
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SteveM wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
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.


Firstly thanks for doing this, it’s been really interesting & congratulations on the win.

Could I ask, when/why did you start swimming 6+ times a week?

I've done swim focused weeks or months in the past and a couple swim training camps (with Magnolia Masters in Texas), but it wasn't until I moved back to Guelph last fall that I began consistently swimming 6-7 times most weeks of the year. That was also when I began consistently swimming with a group (mostly Guelph Triathlon Project, sometimes LPC).

Despite being my first competitive sport, swimming has always been my weakest discipline. I've had some shockingly poor swim performances and lost at least half a dozen races in the swim (if that can ever be said). Even last year, my swim performances were unpredictable and I often found myself in the unfortunate position of leading the chase pack (ideally, you're at the back of the fastest pack you can hang with). I knew that something had to be done about my swimming if I truly wanted to be a world class triathlete.

I experimented with various swim changes, everything from stroke analysis (mostly not helpful), technical/drill focus (complete waste of time), USRPT (good, but brutally hard), training camps (helpful, but hard to maintain gains). The two things that I found most helpful were swimming with a group and swimming more frequently. Those two factors go hand in hand, since it's easier to swim more when you're having fun with great lane-mates!

Another factor in my swim progress that I forgot the mention earlier was my switch to mostly two beat kicking. I gradually began introducing two beat kicking as an alternative to my usual and the more common six beat kick. At first, it felt awkward, but gradually became more efficient at slower speeds. The pace break point at which it was more efficient to switch from two beat to six beat gradually sped up. Now I'm at the point where I almost exclusively two beat kick and it's more efficient for anything up to high end threshold (~1:11/100scm). In long course races, a two beat kick feels so cruisy and efficient. I now use a two beat kick almost the entire swim and reserve the less efficient but more powerful six beat kick for the fast start, any surges and briefly at the end to wake up my legs. This kicking change was the closest thing I've had to a technical epiphany in swimming.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Rachela] [ In reply to ]
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Rachela wrote:
Congratulations, Cody!
I don't have any specific questions, I only have a selfish wish. I hope you won't stop posting your annual budget review now that you're even more famous :) Those articles are such a rare insight into a pro triathlon world like nothing else. The world that seems so far and distanced and you made it feel more real in the past thanks to your blog.

+1.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [knighty76] [ In reply to ]
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Lol, the day I accept a GoFundMe is the day I retire from the sport. ;) Even if I had a catastrophic accident, our (socialist!) Canadian healthcare system has got my back.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
TriguyBlue wrote:
Could you do 50 IMs in 50 days ?


I've wondered. I definitely have some aspects of the required physiology: extreme durability, freakish fueling ability... I'm still going to say no though. I'm not sure that anyone will ever do this without bending the rules (i.e. all outside, no crutches, no doping). I'm a little curious to give ultra-endurance sports a try after my triathlon career, but I'd never attempt something as crazy and potentially dangerous as 50 IMs in 50 days!

As a side note, the 2015 Ultraman World Champion, Mike Coughlin, is a coach here in Guelph and also a friend of mine. I followed his build up to that win and regularly chat and get advice from him. He's a smart dude who's given me even more respect for the ultra-endurance community.

As another side note, my sister recently completed the Triple Crown of endurance hikes: the Appalachian Tail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail. They each take several months and she did one per year for three years. She didn't go after a FKT, but she and her husband went ultralight and finished the hikes remarkably quickly. As kids, my sister was always the more promising athlete and it's apparent that we share some good endurance genetics.

I wouldn't if I were you, specifically because of bike safety. That would require riding tired on a lot of open public roads you aren't familiar with. If you're asking for the perfect formula for a horrific bike crash or to killed by a car, 50/50/50 is pretty much it.

----------------------------------------------------------
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [ZenTriBrett] [ In reply to ]
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Cody, yeah yeah, you won your debut and beat me by a little over 3 hours. I PR'd by almost 3 hours.... top that!

Seriously though, congratulations on an epic day. Having a long term plan really pays off. It helped me substantially and I see nothing but a bright future for you as a pro.

You have a great head on your shoulders.

Cheers!
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Scotttriguy] [ In reply to ]
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Scotttriguy wrote:
Congrats and all that on executing your race plan mo bro. As a fellow (past) MSCer, its been great to witness your ascension, and live a bit vicariously through your racing.


Curious about your 'perfectionist tendencies' and how that fits with how you think / feel prepping, during and after a race.

Many folks with perfectionism are either not self-aware of that aspect, or are too fearful to admit aloud, let alone publicly, often denying it with some variation of "I'm not a perfectionist, that would be a flaw."

So, for you, what's the most challenging part of changing / managing your perfectionism tendencies?

If a race goes well, like IMMT, how does how your thinking / feeling differ, if at all, from races that don't go as planned?

How did you reward yourself, if at all, after IMMT?


I'm well aware that perfectionism is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's driven me to most of the accomplishments that I'm most proud of. On the other hand, it's also made my life quite unpleasant at times, negatively motivated me through a fear of failure and caused me to struggled with an "all or nothing" mentality. When I was younger and less self-aware, my perfectionism ran rampant as a student. Before sports were the outlet they are now for me, I poured myself into my university studies with a compulsive intensity. I was top of my class every year, but I graduated as a burnt out insomniac with a borderline eating disorder, anxiety and no social life!

I wrote a two part piece on my blog a few years ago on my development and the role that perfectionism has played, both good and bad. The story is framed by a comparison with my sister, who obviously share much of my neural circuitry, but is very different in some ways. The second part is more about perfectionism. It's the most deeply personal writing I've shared.

The Jock, the Nerd & Lady Luck (Part I)
The Perfectionist & the Elephant in the Room (Part II)

Here's a relevant excerpt from the conclusion:

"Perfectionism may be esteemed by some, but I am too familiar with its ugly side. In a sense, perfectionism is like hyperactive delay of gratification; you never really allow yourself the satisfaction of a job well done, ever fixing your eye on a greater prize. . . .


. . . . my decision to race as a professional triathlete may not strike you as the best course of action for a recovering perfectionist. I beg to differ. Triathlon certainly rewards discipline and attention to detail, but training and racing are exercises in mitigating the suboptimal, the unforeseen and the uncontrollable; in effect, a perfectionist’s worst nightmare.


There is a clear distinction between behaviour that optimizes performance—grounded in reason and forethought—and behaviour fueled by compulsion. I still struggle to choose the former and override the latter, but my progress since graduating has been heartening. My journey in triathlon is helping me learn to control perfectionism and not let it control me."

The satisfaction of executing a plan I've been working towards for years with near perfection is all the reward I need. All the positive attention, a $20k+ payday and the new opportunities have opened up are an added bonus.

I'm not too hard on myself after disappointing races anymore. I have a 24 hour pouting policy. That means that for 24 hours after the race, I allow myself to fully experience the depths of whatever emotions I have. After that, it's no more pouting and on with life.

Scotttriguy wrote:
And another question / comment about your training: for the most part, you seem to design your own training plans, not unlike Lionel. But a lot of folks on ST are criticizing Lionel for his self-coaching approach.

So it would seem the top 2 guys at IMMT are mostly self-coached, yet you're getting praised on and Lionel is getting pissed on for similar approaches. People are funny.

So my question - and it may relate to the perfectionist questions above, or not - is why are you taking this approach to designing your training? Why are you not giving yourself completely over to a coach?



David Tilbury-Davis did coach me completely over the first few years of my pro career. I only took back the reigns last year. I really needed his leadership as I was getting over some personal challenges; recovering from overtraining, low testosterone and related issues; and still learning so much about the sport. I've always enjoyed having a hand in directing my process, but I recognized that I had fucked up and needed someone else to steer the ship. In effect, I fired myself as the captain! After a few years, I felt as though I'd matured and learned enough as an athlete to avoid past mistakes with continued oversight and reality checking from David. Both then and now, our coach-athlete relationship has always been a dialogue, not a dictatorial "my way or the highway" approach.

I'm fascinated by sports science and coaching and love nothing more than experimenting on myself. I also like that I can take risks that most coaches wouldn't be comfortable taking with their athletes. I think my training is pretty sensible (due to David's influence!), but I also have some relatively extreme practices, such as several 50k run days in this block and full marathon, up to 9 runs a week, 6 hour trainer rides, etc. I think that taking the lead may have put me on a faster trajectory to a performance like IMMT, though probably a rockier one than if I'd let a world class coach like David take full control!

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Last edited by: Cody Beals: Sep 5, 18 15:55
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Rachela] [ In reply to ]
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Rachela wrote:
Congratulations, Cody!
I don't have any specific questions, I only have a selfish wish. I hope you won't stop posting your annual budget review now that you're even more famous :) Those articles are such a rare insight into a pro triathlon world like nothing else. The world that seems so far and distanced and you made it feel more real in the past thanks to your blog.

Thank you! I plan to continue sharing my annual budget! It's by far my most popular post every year. I haven't had any blowback from sponsors; in fact, many of them read it and express their approval! My only small concern with the budget is that I may be hamstringing myself in some negotiations for large sponsorships. It may be harder to ask a company for $10k+ when they can see that that was a sizeable fraction of my sponsorship revenue last year.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Mr. Beals,

Congratulations! It's awesome to see your success at the IM distance!

I ride a '13 Cervelo P2 and I used a lot of suggestions that you had for your P2 way back then! I've been a fan for awhile!

My questions: For the IM distance, did you have to tweak your bike position at all? Secondly, how often did you get out of aero during the race?

Once again, congratulations.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [marzrya] [ In reply to ]
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marzrya wrote:
Mr. Beals,

Congratulations! It's awesome to see your success at the IM distance!

I ride a '13 Cervelo P2 and I used a lot of suggestions that you had for your P2 way back then! I've been a fan for awhile!

My questions: For the IM distance, did you have to tweak your bike position at all? Secondly, how often did you get out of aero during the race?

Once again, congratulations.

Nope, I didn't make any changes to my position for Ironman. I wondered if I'd have to, but did several long rides outside to make sure I was comfortable.

I'd estimate that I was aero for 95% of the ride. I do my best to stay aero unless I'm going below about 20 km/h, which only happens on relatively steep climbs.

Thank you!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
Congrats on an awesome race!

Do you plan on doing a write up showing your standard week for the last 4-8 weeks like you have for a few of the 70.3s? I've gained a significant amount of knowledge from your blog over the last several years, especially since your polar vortex cycling post. Best of luck going forward!
Thanks! I'm already planning a detailed post on my two month build. It may be unprecedented for a pro to share all their training after a performance like this. I've built a good deal of my reputation as a pro on transparency. I'm also in the position to be able to discuss training since I mostly write my own training plan. My coach/mentor David Tilbury-Davis oversees everything, suggests improvements, and helps me out a great deal with season/race planning, psychology, nutrition, recovery and more, but I'm still the one writing most of the sessions. The day-to-day stuff is the easy part. It's the overarching planning and periodization where I most appreciate his help.

if you can remember to link to that post here so I remember to read it that'd be super cool ;-)

CONGRATS!

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
That's a good idea. Coach David has been on me about getting rollers all year. I could see introducing them for easy rides. I'm just lazy and like to switch off on the trainer... :P

It makes me laugh when world-class endurance athletes say "I'm just lazy...". Jajajajaja

I appreciate the depth of your responses and wish I could be half as articulate as you are. Thank you for all of this.

You mentioned not having to go to the dark place during this race...have you had many experiences where you have? I find inspiration from others who have dealt with it and what kind of mind tricks they play in order to out-suffer other competitors and push the body to limits that most didn't think the human body was capable of. It's truly facilitating to see what we are all capable of, but someone of your caliber (think Dr. Evil) must have some thoughts on where the go during these times. I still tell people about a race years ago (Vineman 70.3) where my body said no, my mind said no, but I found something to drive forward. My time was mediocre at best, but it was one of the most positive experiences of my life and I tell people it was my greatest accomplishment.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I will have to see if I can find the apple chips at HEB.


Just thought of another question, not sure I've seen you answer it, apologies if you already have.

How did you determine your target IM power target(s)?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats on an impressive win. What is your current FTP?


Chris Thornham
Co-Founder And Previous Owner Of FLO Cycling
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [znerd] [ In reply to ]
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znerd wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:

That's a good idea. Coach David has been on me about getting rollers all year. I could see introducing them for easy rides. I'm just lazy and like to switch off on the trainer... :P


It makes me laugh when world-class endurance athletes say "I'm just lazy...". Jajajajaja

I appreciate the depth of your responses and wish I could be half as articulate as you are. Thank you for all of this.

You mentioned not having to go to the dark place during this race...have you had many experiences where you have? I find inspiration from others who have dealt with it and what kind of mind tricks they play in order to out-suffer other competitors and push the body to limits that most didn't think the human body was capable of. It's truly facilitating to see what we are all capable of, but someone of your caliber (think Dr. Evil) must have some thoughts on where the go during these times. I still tell people about a race years ago (Vineman 70.3) where my body said no, my mind said no, but I found something to drive forward. My time was mediocre at best, but it was one of the most positive experiences of my life and I tell people it was my greatest accomplishment.

I've definitely dug deeper during other races in the past. 70.3 Cozumel in 2015 comes to mind as one of my best performances ever in terms of getting the most from myself. I came off the bike in a huge chase pack with a massive deficit to the leader, Andi Boecherer. I had the run of my life, by far the fastest on the day, to almost catch him in the blistering Mexico heat. I got within seconds of him with a kilometer to go before he pulled away. At the finish, I wasn't even too disappointed, since I had never been more confident that I'd given my all, something I'd struggled to go for years.

Going truly to the limit is something I can do only very infrequently, like a handful of times per year, certainly even less in an Ironman. I even shy away from all-out time trials in training because I find that it's such an emotional experience to give everything, whether it's a 20 minute effort or an 8 hour one.

I use a lot of different techniques to get the most out of myself in races. My coach and I like to develop certain "power phrases" that are repeated throughout different parts of a race. They can serve as technical cues, reminders to stay positive, banish negativity, anything really. I usually try to remain present and engage with the pain head on. But sometimes, I like to dissociate and imagine I'm somewhere else, impartially observing whatever is playing out on the race course. In the heat of Cozumel, I visualized that I was back in an ice cave I toured in Austria, cool and dark and calm. It can be a very powerful technique!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Sean H] [ In reply to ]
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Sean H wrote:
I will have to see if I can find the apple chips at HEB.


Just thought of another question, not sure I've seen you answer it, apologies if you already have.

How did you determine your target IM power target(s)?

Those power targets were determine through 4-6 hour long rides. In particular, I did some 4-5 hour rides with a few hours steady at 220-230W, then some work in the target IM range towards the end. That gave me a great sense of what would be reasonable on race day. Calculations based on FTP, TSS, goal time, etc. seem ass-backwards to me.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Canadian] [ In reply to ]
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Canadian wrote:
Congrats on an impressive win. What is your current FTP?

FTP is a concept I don't use at all in my training, racing or analysis. I think I could hold somewhere around 350W for an hour in aero position. That's probably ranged from 340-360W over the past few years depending on the phase of the season. I haven't weighed myself recently, but I probably raced around 156-159 lbs (71-72 kg).

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I'm truly impressed with your transparency. I grew up in your area... A small village just west of Ancaster on some great biking roads with excellent running trails. I left that area 25+ years ago to move to the USA but have many friends and family in the Guelph area.

I was introduced to your name watching IMMT live throughout the day as I was scouting my 2019 IM plans. It was great seeing 3 Canadians in top 3 about 1 hour into the bike, and was proud to be a Canadian. Seeing the 3 of you in the top 3 hooked me in for the long haul that day to see how the race would progress. In my youth, I would never have imagined what I see with the great Canadian athletes we see today.

In your opinion, what has changed over the past 25 years that added additional focus on having athletes excel to be world class in sports besides hockey? Was it the performance at the 1988 Olympics that led to the training focus and opportunities for today's youth that didn't exist for the above average athlete when I was a kid?

Thank you for being available for us in our journey.

Mostly, though, Congratulations on an amazing finish. I wish you the best in your future endeavors.
Cheers,
Brian Kers
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
mbwallis wrote:
First, congrats, that was a huge result. I always appreciate your openness, both here and on social media.

What was your nutrition plan, and how did it differ from 70.3? Any issues with race day nutrition execution?


Thank you! My nutrition plan was one of the biggest positives from the day. I've long suspected that I'm an outlier when it comes to absorbing high rates of carbs without GI issues. That's a factor that can really start to separate the best IM athletes. I put a lot of thought, planning, research and testing into my nutrition plan. I also consulted my coach, David Tilbury-Davis, nutritionist Pamela Nisevich Bede, my friend and sports science wiz Matt Hanson, and many others.

For 70.3, I mix my own blend of all liquid nutrition. It's been a 2:1 ratio of maltodextrin to fructose flavoured with anything from Coke to Redbull to lemon juice. I'll add caffeine and light electrolytes depending on the course and conditions. I aim for about 2.5-3 bottles worth (including the 1.4 L Ventum integrated reservoir) containing a total of 800-900 calories. On the run, I use several gels and sips of whatever is on course. This works out to about 100 grams of carbs per hour. I've only once had minor GI issues and never once thrown up in my adult life.

For Ironman, I also added amylopectin to my blend. It's a starch, unlike the other two carbs. I used a 2:1:1 ratio of maltodextrin to amytopectin to fructose with a little F2C Electro-Durance for electrolytes. Here's what I carried on the bike:

-BTA bottle: 2:1:1 bottle flavored with Redbull and lemon juice (~700 cal)
-rear bottle: 2:1:1 bottle flavored with Redbull (~700 cal)
-Ventum integrated bottle: 2 scoops F2C Glyco-Durance + maltodextrin + Redbull (~400 cal)

I then picked up a bottle of Gatorade (~150 cal), a gel (100 cal) and took quick gulps of water at a few aid stations. The total for the bike was well over 2,000 calories or 100+ grams of carbs per hour, which is nearing the max anyone can absorb.

On the run, I started with a ~300 cal flask with the same 2:1:1 blend and then took in Redbull, Coke, a few gels, Gatorade and water at every single aid station.

I deliberately train with a wide variety of fuel to acclimate my GI system to all sorts of abuse. I'll often buy whatever sugary junk drink is on sale that week.

mbwallis wrote:
And I understand not racing Kona this year, even if you qualified. But are you already saying you definitely will not race it in 2019, if you qualify?


It's hard to say that for sure after such a successful debut, but Kona doesn't currently appeal to me for 2019. It's possible that sponsors or other incentives could still make it worth my while in 2019, but it wouldn't really be intrinsic motivation driving me there so soon. I'm sure my first Kona will be humbling and a learning experience, so maybe there's something to be said for a lower pressure and earlier debut there.


Hi Cody and congratulations on executing a great race and taking the course record! I was at the the Pro's Q&A session on Friday and who knew that you being the first one to show up would mirror the race day results! (Lionel was 7 minutes late and the whole panel and Mike Reilly waited.) I thought your appeared very quietly confident.

My question is related to nutrition. I had a great swim, good bike, okay first hour of the run, and then right around 12k on the run I went KABOOM!! Lots of slow walking, finally threw up at mile 15 and felt better. My first time finishing in the darkness of night. I paced well on the Swim and Bike, but I think my nutrition was off. I avg'd 260 calories per hour on the bike, derived from bars/shot blocks/gels (in that order) and gatorade. I see based off your numbers you basically avg'd 444 calories per hour, based almost entirely off liquid nutrition?

Also, what brand of maltodextrin and fructose do you use?

I'm thinking of experimenting with liquid nutrition in training, and upping my caloric intake to at least 300 cal/hour for my next race (AC 70.3). I want to figure this our before I go back to Tremblant again next year. You'd think I'd have figured my nutrition out after five 140.6 and fourteen 70.3 races!! Any help would be appreciated.
Last edited by: BT_DreamChaser: Aug 23, 18 14:05
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [BT_DreamChaser] [ In reply to ]
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Sorry to hear about your tough day. Nutrition is a puzzle for most athletes. I seem to be fortunate in that I get seemingly get away with almost anything. Some of my training long ride menus would make you laugh! So take my advice with a grain of salt.

I averaged around 450 calories/hour all day in IMMT, taking in close to 700 cal in the first hour of the ride alone! The higher the intake rate, the less room there is for error in terms of the composition. I suggest doing some research into "multiple transportable carbohydrates". The principle is that different carbs like maltodextrin (a polysaccharide or long chain of glucose monomers), fructose and amylopectin (a starch consisting of branched chains of glucose) are metabolized in different ways at different rates. Say a given athlete can only absorb 60 grams/hour of glucose before that pathway gets maxed out and they experience GI issues. But by introducing fructose, which is oxidized through another pathway, maybe the athlete could absorb another 30 grams/hour for a total of 90 grams/hour. It's a little more complicated than that and there are more considerations, but that's the rough idea behind the blend I use.

I highly recommend trying liquid nutrition. Essentially, anything that isn't a carbohydrate isn't going to help you all that much in a race, especially the faster you go. Some argue that certain amino acids can aid carb absorption, but I'm pretty sure that's based on antiquated research. Solid food and protein may also help you feel fuller and stave off hunger pangs, but I don't think that's a good enough reason. My stomach felt "hungry" all day despite my super high liquid calorie intake.

If you're going to experiment with something like my blend, I'd suggest starting with maltodextrin and a little fructose, maybe just 10%. You can ramp that up if you tolerate fructose well, but many people do not. Another option is to buy a dextrin based product (e.g., F2C Glyco-Durance) and add a little fructose to bump up carb oxidation rates. I think that many commercially available products don't include any/enough fructose simply because it doesn't agree with some people. Amylopectin (aka waxy maize) should be lower priority since it may be redundant with maltodextrin and has a lower glycemic index. It's also chalky tasting and doesn't dissolve as well.

I've purchased these products from various brands over the years and haven't noticed any real difference. You can often find maltodextrin in bulk at brewing or supplement stores.

Finally, a disclaimer: I'm not a sports nutrition expert. This approach worked well for me based on my understanding of the science. I'd welcome anyone more knowledgeable to chime in with corrections or more info.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
Canadian wrote:
Congrats on an impressive win. What is your current FTP?


FTP is a concept I don't use at all in my training, racing or analysis. I think I could hold somewhere around 350W for an hour in aero position. That's probably ranged from 340-360W over the past few years depending on the phase of the season. I haven't weighed myself recently, but I probably raced around 156-159 lbs (71-72 kg).

Also impressive. Thanks a lot for the info.


Chris Thornham
Co-Founder And Previous Owner Of FLO Cycling
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Hello Cody Beals and All,

Thanks for posting and congratulations on your race and course record. Awesome!

(Your signature Bliiq URL does not work .... the others are OK) ....... Should be: https://bliiq.us/

Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [nealhe] [ In reply to ]
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Fixed it! Thank you.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody,

Am I reading correctly that you managed to get 700 calories dissolved into each bottle (assuming ~24oz bottles)??
Looking at the calorie counts of malto and amylopectin, I'm trying to figure out how you got that much powder to dissolve in each bottle without clumping etc and having an osmotic concentration low enough to be absorbed?
Could you specify, aside from the ratios, how much you actually put in each bottle?

Thanks!!
Last edited by: SBRcanuck: Aug 23, 18 17:06
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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This thread is remarkable

Thank you so much Cody

It confirms so many things which go against what so many so called experts say are facts including a coach I had.

Such as me consuming 500 calories an hour when I do long distance. I weigh 40lbs more than you and mostly muscle.

If you take in 400/hour it all makes sense.

Sort of like when you found out the teacher was wrong all those years she insisted she was correct lol

Thank you again.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [RBR] [ In reply to ]
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Great race Cody, thanks for doing the AMA. I love it when the pros do one after a race. Been a big fan of yours since reading your blog a couple years ago. I saw a couple people mention some mods you did to a P2C. Is there a link to your mods? I have a 2008 P3C I need to clean up. I know you’ll enjoy writing your year end financial summary this year with 4 wins so far!

Let food be thy medicine...
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
SteveM wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
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.


Firstly thanks for doing this, it’s been really interesting & congratulations on the win.

Could I ask, when/why did you start swimming 6+ times a week?


I've done swim focused weeks or months in the past and a couple swim training camps (with Magnolia Masters in Texas), but it wasn't until I moved back to Guelph last fall that I began consistently swimming 6-7 times most weeks of the year. That was also when I began consistently swimming with a group (mostly Guelph Triathlon Project, sometimes LPC).
Despite being my first competitive sport, swimming has always been my weakest discipline. I've had some shockingly poor swim performances and lost at least half a dozen races in the swim (if that can ever be said). Even last year, my swim performances were unpredictable and I often found myself in the unfortunate position of leading the chase pack (ideally, you're at the back of the fastest pack you can hang with). I knew that something had to be done about my swimming if I truly wanted to be a world class triathlete.
I experimented with various swim changes, everything from stroke analysis (mostly not helpful), technical/drill focus (complete waste of time), USRPT (good, but brutally hard), training camps (helpful, but hard to maintain gains). The two things that I found most helpful were swimming with a group and swimming more frequently. Those two factors go hand in hand, since it's easier to swim more when you're having fun with great lane-mates!
Another factor in my swim progress that I forgot the mention earlier was my switch to mostly two beat kicking. I gradually began introducing two beat kicking as an alternative to my usual and the more common six beat kick. At first, it felt awkward, but gradually became more efficient at slower speeds. The pace break point at which it was more efficient to switch from two beat to six beat gradually sped up. Now I'm at the point where I almost exclusively two beat kick and it's more efficient for anything up to high end threshold (~1:11/100scm). In long course races, a two beat kick feels so cruisy and efficient. I now use a two beat kick almost the entire swim and reserve the less efficient but more powerful six beat kick for the fast start, any surges and briefly at the end to wake up my legs. This kicking change was the closest thing I've had to a technical epiphany in swimming.

Cody - Congrats on the great race!!! As a swimmer turned triathlete, I found your comments on how you went about improving your swim very interesting. Swimming was your first sport but yet you consider, or until coming 2nd out of the water this past race, used to consider, the swim to be your weakest discipline of three; this is quite unusual in my experience but i can see how it could happen, since kids start swimming on teams at a younger age than they start running in races, much less cycling in races. Your analysis of what helped you improve squares 100% with my experiences, espec the part about drills being a waste of time. Your deliberately switching from a 6-beat to 2-beat kick is interesting b/c in my experience, most swimmers just unconsciously select the level of kicking they need/want. As a well-known swim book put it, many 2-beat kickers just fall into this kick as a way of surviving swimming 6000 or more yards/meters per workout; IOW, they find that using the 2-beat is just easier due to less effort needed in the legs. That's how it happened for me back in my teenage swim years when first started swimming twice a day. In any case, you've provided a really good case for the need to swim long and often in order to improve, and that a person needs to mostly just swim, with very limited drills. :)


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats!!

Two questions:
- on the pictures between saddle and bottlecage there is something? What type of setup do you have there? You also had a rubber band to ensure that botle doestn eject?
- you didnt swim/ride with Suunto watch, but you tool that for the run? Have you tested aero impact of having watch while riding?

Thanks! I would say this is best performance this year from Suunto sponsored athlete

—
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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SBRcanuck wrote:
Cody,

Am I reading correctly that you managed to get 700 calories dissolved into each bottle (assuming ~24oz bottles)??
Looking at the calorie counts of malto and amylopectin, I'm trying to figure out how you got that much powder to dissolve in each bottle without clumping etc and having an osmotic concentration low enough to be absorbed?
Could you specify, aside from the ratios, how much you actually put in each bottle?

Thanks!!

That's correct. In my testing, I found that 700 calories was near the maximum I could dissolve in a bottle. The amylopectin in particular didn't like to dissolve and wouldn't fully remain in suspension, settling to the bottom. I gave each bottle a shake before I drank it. I went with a lower concentration in the integrated Ventum bottle because I couldn't shake it.

The osmolality was definitely quite high, but I don't think it was to the point of severely impeding gastric emptying. I had a lower concentration solution in the Ventum bottle to wash it down, as well as pounding water at a few aid stations.

Here's what was in the bottles:
  • 75 g maltodextrin
  • 38 g amylopectin
  • 38 g fructose
  • 150-250 mL Redbull (one with some lemon juice too)
  • 2 scoops F2C Electro-Durance


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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [RBR] [ In reply to ]
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RBR wrote:
This thread is remarkable

Thank you so much Cody

It confirms so many things which go against what so many so called experts say are facts including a coach I had.

Such as me consuming 500 calories an hour when I do long distance. I weigh 40lbs more than you and mostly muscle.

If you take in 400/hour it all makes sense.

Sort of like when you found out the teacher was wrong all those years she insisted she was correct lol

Thank you again.

You're welcome! It's my pleasure to give back to the forum after learning so much here over the years.

The funny thing about carbohydrate absorption/oxidation rates is that they're apparently largely independent of body size. My understanding is that genetics and adaptation play a much greater role in how much an athlete can process. So just because a big guy is burning far more calories than a small woman doesn't mean he can process more. Perhaps this is one of the factors that accounts for the relatively smaller performance difference between men and women in ultra-endurance sports.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [JackStraw13] [ In reply to ]
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JackStraw13 wrote:
Great race Cody, thanks for doing the AMA. I love it when the pros do one after a race. Been a big fan of yours since reading your blog a couple years ago. I saw a couple people mention some mods you did to a P2C. Is there a link to your mods? I have a 2008 P3C I need to clean up. I know you’ll enjoy writing your year end financial summary this year with 4 wins so far!

Thanks for following my career!

I had to delve deep into my blog archives to find that old post. Please excuse any formatting issues as it's been through a few website overhauls. I loved that old P2 and rode it up until my second pro season!

Cervelo P2: DIY Internal Cable Routing

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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ericmulk wrote:
Cody - Congrats on the great race!!! As a swimmer turned triathlete, I found your comments on how you went about improving your swim very interesting. Swimming was your first sport but yet you consider, or until coming 2nd out of the water this past race, used to consider, the swim to be your weakest discipline of three; this is quite unusual in my experience but i can see how it could happen, since kids start swimming on teams at a younger age than they start running in races, much less cycling in races. Your analysis of what helped you improve squares 100% with my experiences, espec the part about drills being a waste of time. Your deliberately switching from a 6-beat to 2-beat kick is interesting b/c in my experience, most swimmers just unconsciously select the level of kicking they need/want. As a well-known swim book put it, many 2-beat kickers just fall into this kick as a way of surviving swimming 6000 or more yards/meters per workout; IOW, they find that using the 2-beat is just easier due to less effort needed in the legs. That's how it happened for me back in my teenage swim years when first started swimming twice a day. In any case, you've provided a really good case for the need to swim long and often in order to improve, and that a person needs to mostly just swim, with very limited drills. :)

Thank you! It's interesting that our experiences with swimming align. If there's one thing I've learned about swimming, it's that there are many routes to progress, especially for triathletes. The key thing seems to be committing to one approach at a time and not bouncing around too much.

I say that swimming was my first sport, but I regrettably never had the benefit of a serious swim team as a kid. I swam on a summer league from age 9 to 16, which was four practices per week and several swim meets over the summer with mostly parent volunteer coaches. I'd do a couple practices per week over the winter as well. My high school finally got a swim team for my junior and senior years, but that was a joke compared to programs in the US. After that, I focused much more on running throughout university, but kept up a little swimming on my own. If I could return to that time, I'd absolutely swim with the varsity team. This background gave me some advantage over an adult onset swimmer, but not nearly the edge a true childhood competitive swimmer has in triathlon.

Two beat kicking was a huge revelation. I remember the first time I employed it in a race, thinking "this feels wayyy too easy... am I in the wrong pack?!" It's the closest thing to a swimming hack that I've discovered. It did take a couple years to get comfortable with. My stroke mechanics are quite different with two and six beat kicks. It feels like I have two distinct tools at my disposal for racing. My stroke rate is naturally quite slow and I find that a two beat kick helps me tempo it up, very useful for open water situations.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [JanneK] [ In reply to ]
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JanneK wrote:
Congrats!!

Two questions:
- on the pictures between saddle and bottlecage there is something? What type of setup do you have there? You also had a rubber band to ensure that botle doestn eject?
- you didnt swim/ride with Suunto watch, but you tool that for the run? Have you tested aero impact of having watch while riding?

Thanks! I would say this is best performance this year from Suunto sponsored athlete

Good eye! I had a spare tube wrapped around the rear bottle cage and back of the saddle. My work with STAC suggested that this placement can actually clean up airflow in that region and lower drag. I had tire levers and a CO2 inflator velcro'd under the saddle. I obviously still need to refine this setup since part of the tube came loose later in the ride and was flapping around!

I put the Suunto 9 on in T2. On the bike, I use my Pioneer head unit for power data, though the Suunto 9 can display power metrics. I haven't tested watch aerodynamics, but I wouldn't be surprised if a watch added significant drag on the bike. On the run, I wore my Suunto to collect data, but I didn't glance at it even once after the start. I'm no stranger to pacing by feel, since I never wear a watch for 70.3 and shorter distance racing. My intuitive pace sense seems to be good, so I didn't see much reason to change that approach. Since it was my first Ironman, I didn't have a precise sense of target pace anyways. I still wore a watch because the data could be invaluable for post-race analysis.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Wow Cody, what a great debut. In another thread I said some athletes scale better to IM from their olympic and 70.3 speed and some do not. For example, I would say Ivan Rana does not scale as well to IM (even though he is strong). In another thread I gave Jordan Rapp as an example who relatively scaled better to IM vs 70.3. How do you rate yourself now that you have a single full IM that is perfectly executed under your belt?

On race day, I watched every minute of the run course, which of couse is like watching paint dry from a pure entertainment factor unless you are invested emotionally in how the athletes are doing, and as such, I had the full supercomuting math going on every time I saw a split and kept calculating and re calculating when a "pass might happen" only to see that you first have was around 1:21. I expected the rough math would be a 10 minute fade for a 2:52 high or 2:53, but you barely faded by 5-6 min on the second half. It looks like you were just going on feel and nothing else and trying to just do your race as you said in the pre race interview. Was it all on feel based on key workouts from your 2 month build and keeping the relative perceived exertion in the final 10K like the final 10K of a 70.3 (just slower pace), or were you checking splits?

I think once you saw the lead on Lionel at the turnaround the math would have been easy to know "your slowest run pace" to keep the win because when Lionel is on, he is "only" running 3:50 K's at best to close an IM run.

Sorry for being late to the party! work life got in the way. But now I had a nice long thread worth of answers to read up on this weekend!
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Three more things:

  1. Don't do an IM this fall
  2. Do one next spring
  3. Go to KONA!!!!

An 8:10 at Tremblant can easily be an 8:0x at Kona as you can handle racing in the heat. You swam 52 fresh water with no wetsuit. I think you are ready for Kona. Your career is hopefully long, but you never know as it can become short. You have the capability and tools to podium.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Awesome performance! Did you use Waxy maize for amylopectin ? and when making these bottles. Do you weigh the powders or convert the grams to volume?


Thanks
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Hi!

1)I live in a flat place, so there're no hills or mountains around.
Do you think it's mandatory to run uphill and downhill to be a better runner?

2)During indoor bike training, do you sometimes make your resistance lower because of your tiredness or elevated heart rate?
For example, you plan is to spin on 250W, but after some time you undestand, that is too high for you, and you set it to 230W.

3)Do you always compete on fresh tires? Can you start a 70.3 or full IM with tires after spending 400 miles on them?

4)How often do you ride a road bike?


Thank you.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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devashish_paul wrote:
Wow Cody, what a great debut. In another thread I said some athletes scale better to IM from their olympic and 70.3 speed and some do not. For example, I would say Ivan Rana does not scale as well to IM (even though he is strong). In another thread I gave Jordan Rapp as an example who relatively scaled better to IM vs 70.3. How do you rate yourself now that you have a single full IM that is perfectly executed under your belt?

Thank you so much, Dev! Ever since my half distance debut in 2013 (I won the Ontario Provincial Champs with a sub-4 hour course record), people around me have been predicting that Ironman would ultimately be my forte. I've done relatively better every time I've stepped up in distance, whether it was going from 800 to 3000 on the track, 50 to 1500 in the pool, or sprint to Ironman. I rarely finished a 70.3 thinking that I couldn't continue at roughly the same pace for a while. I also knew that my durability and seemingly gifted fueling ability would make my success at Ironman more likely. So I think that I rate pretty far towards the Ironman end of your scale. The question in the back of my mind is if my best distance could be even longer, a question I don't plan to explore for a long time!

There's no such thing as perfect execution in triathlon! That's the end of the rainbow that we all chase and part of what makes the sport so compelling. My "perfect" day at IMMT would have been having the confidence to line up with Antoine J-D and get on his feet instead of Yoder and Gambles in the swim. Then even split the bike with 270W AP / 280W NP. Then get pushed to the 2:45 marathon I felt I had prepared to run. But I'll take the day I had! =D

devashish_paul wrote:
On race day, I watched every minute of the run course, which of couse is like watching paint dry from a pure entertainment factor unless you are invested emotionally in how the athletes are doing, and as such, I had the full supercomuting math going on every time I saw a split and kept calculating and re calculating when a "pass might happen" only to see that you first have was around 1:21. I expected the rough math would be a 10 minute fade for a 2:52 high or 2:53, but you barely faded by 5-6 min on the second half. It looks like you were just going on feel and nothing else and trying to just do your race as you said in the pre race interview. Was it all on feel based on key workouts from your 2 month build and keeping the relative perceived exertion in the final 10K like the final 10K of a 70.3 (just slower pace), or were you checking splits?

I think once you saw the lead on Lionel at the turnaround the math would have been easy to know "your slowest run pace" to keep the win because when Lionel is on, he is "only" running 3:50 K's at best to close an IM run.

Sorry for being late to the party! work life got in the way. But now I had a nice long thread worth of answers to read up on this weekend!

You're right that I paced entirely by feel. I wore the new Suunto 9, but just to collect data for post-race analysis. I didn't look at my watch at all in this race and I don't even wear one for 70.3. I've always had a knack for pacing by feel, usually predicting my run pace and distance quite accurately in training. I think a nearly evenly split run may have been possible if I had been pressured right up to the finish, but I shudder to think of the physical and mental toll! Pacing by feel on the run helps me get the most out of myself because I'm not limited by pre-conceived notions of what I'm capable.

I did some key training runs that helped me dial in Ironman pacing. I did a couple 50 km run days in this block and many other days over 30 km. Those 50 km days featured a hard swim straight into a 35+ km treadmill run with intensity, then a 15+ km easy trail run in the afternoon. Three weeks out, I ran a standalone marathon on the treadmill in 2:45 including warm up and cool down with some work as fast as 3:25/km in the interval set. What made these workouts confidence inspiring for me is not that I accomplished them, but that they weren't particularly epic sessions; I trained more or less normally the day before and after.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [jaelinfunk] [ In reply to ]
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jaelinfunk wrote:
Awesome performance! Did you use Waxy maize for amylopectin ? and when making these bottles. Do you weigh the powders or convert the grams to volume?


Thanks

Thank you! Yes, I used waxy maize. I believe it's usually almost 100% amylopectin. It's also relatively cheap and not difficult to find.

I use a kitchen scale to mix my nutrition on a weight basis. I'm always traveling to races with all these unlabeled baggies of white powder. TSA loves me! ;P

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Wow, excellent race. It is great to see another Canadian who wins Ironman races and will be a threat at Kona. I've been following your career from a distance and it's amazing to see the progression.

You know better of course but given how well the 70.3's have prepared you for IM racing, have you considered just continuing with the shorter races this year and then focus on a spring IM and then Kona? I believe Dev mentioned it above too and I'm sure you've considered all possibilities but it seems to me that the shorter races have proven to be a great building block and you might upset that if you do another IM too soon.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [NickMa] [ In reply to ]
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NickMa wrote:
Hi!

1)I live in a flat place, so there're no hills or mountains around.
Do you think it's mandatory to run uphill and downhill to be a better runner?

2)During indoor bike training, do you sometimes make your resistance lower because of your tiredness or elevated heart rate?
For example, you plan is to spin on 250W, but after some time you undestand, that is too high for you, and you set it to 230W.

3)Do you always compete on fresh tires? Can you start a 70.3 or full IM with tires after spending 400 miles on them?

4)How often do you ride a road bike?


Thank you.

1) No, I don't think that practicing hills is essential to run them well. Just like on the bike, it's all about fitness and pacing, much less technique or experience. You can always do treadmill sessions with some incline work, which I've done in the past. The only specific hill work I do outside is brief blocks of 10-45 second hill sprints, usually to reintroduce intensity after periods of downtime.

2) All my bike workouts feature a power range. I'll plan to hold something like 215-240W for an endurance ride, 290-320W for tempo, etc. I'll usually have a tighter "ideal" range, but I won't consider the session a failure unless I'm totally missing the target intensity zone (i.e. endurance, tempo, threshold, VO2). Only then would I stop and reevaluate whether the session was worth trying to push through. The same thing goes for the number of intervals I'm planning. It's usually a range. In fact, I'm waking up without a definite training plan most days. I just have an approximate framework and then figure out how to get the most out of myself each day, whether it's pushing through or backing off. This approach takes a lot of self-awareness, honesty and maturity as an athlete and was counterproductive earlier in my self-coached days.

3) I don't use fresh tires for every race. I can get about 1000 km out of Continental Attack/Force/TT with hardly any visible rounding off or wear. I'll generally replace them for racing before that point as a precaution. I ran fresh Conti TT tires for IMMT, with just 1 hour of riding on them to wear off the waxy finish (important if it's wet!). I ran a Vittoria Corsa G+ Speed as a rear tire for several 70.3s this year. It's no doubt a wickedly fast tire, but I've decided that it exceeds my personal risk tolerance. It feels like tissue paper and it's also the most difficult tire to mount I've ever used.

4) I currently don't own a road bike, but I have a badass old scandium cross bike usually set up with 32c slick tires. It's my gravel bike, commuter and even trainer bike sometimes. I've had periods where it's the only bike I'm consistently riding, but I haven't touched it in a while. This year, all my training has been on my Ventum, mostly on the trainer and less than a quarter outside. I've found that fitness built on the cross bike is readily transferable to the tri bike with a brief period of acclimation to aero position.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Sanuk] [ In reply to ]
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Sanuk wrote:
Wow, excellent race. It is great to see another Canadian who wins Ironman races and will be a threat at Kona. I've been following your career from a distance and it's amazing to see the progression.

You know better of course but given how well the 70.3's have prepared you for IM racing, have you considered just continuing with the shorter races this year and then focus on a spring IM and then Kona? I believe Dev mentioned it above too and I'm sure you've considered all possibilities but it seems to me that the shorter races have proven to be a great building block and you might upset that if you do another IM too soon.

Thank you! I'm considering either option right now: another fall IM or my usual fall 70.3 circuit with a focus on Kona qualifying next year. This week has been too exciting, exhausting and overwhelming to make any decisions just yet. I've witnessed otherwise rational pros make regrettable impulsive decisions right after a race, good or bad. Once I'm more recovered and thinking clearly, I'll debrief with my coach next week and make plans. I actually appreciate all the input since I admittedly hadn't given Kona or my longer term trajectory much thought. Like I said, I'm very incremental with my goals! I tend to get anxious and unfocused when I'm looking too far past the next modest stepping stone. That's where a good coach like David can come in and help make sure I'm on track within the context of a grander plan.

One thing is for sure: 70.3 racing will continue to figure heavily in my race schedule. I don't intend to become one of those athletes who steps up to Ironman only to piss away his 70.3 speed. I love the dynamic and engaging nature of 70.3 racing and training way too much to give that up. It's also perhaps easier, or at least less risky, to earn a living through 70.3 racing than Ironman.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Hi Cody,

I noticed you went back to the P09 vs the Aerohead for IMMT. Any reason?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [EnderWiggan] [ In reply to ]
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EnderWiggan wrote:
Hi Cody,

I noticed you went back to the P09 vs the Aerohead for IMMT. Any reason?

The P-09 was back on top in my latest round of STAC Virtual Wind Tunnel testing after some other changes. I wasn't thrilled about that, since the Aerohead is way more comfortable, has a better visor, potentially safer with MIPS, and it looks cooler!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Small detail but I saw that you have changed from the modified Giro shoes to BOA dial shoes. Any specific reason?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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For those racing and attending the Multisport Canada Wasaga Beach Triathlon this weekend, in Wasaga Beach Ontario, we are planning a LIVE Ask Me Anything session with Cody as well as Jackson Laundry (who trained with Cody through the winter and has been having a break-out year of racing himself), that I will be Emceeing just prior to the Awards Ceremony of the Olympic Distance race. Weather permitting, this should be around 2pm in the afternoon!

Thanks to Cody and Jackson ahead of time, for their time!


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
devashish_paul wrote:
Wow Cody, what a great debut. In another thread I said some athletes scale better to IM from their olympic and 70.3 speed and some do not. For example, I would say Ivan Rana does not scale as well to IM (even though he is strong). In another thread I gave Jordan Rapp as an example who relatively scaled better to IM vs 70.3. How do you rate yourself now that you have a single full IM that is perfectly executed under your belt?


Thank you so much, Dev! Ever since my half distance debut in 2013 (I won the Ontario Provincial Champs with a sub-4 hour course record), people around me have been predicting that Ironman would ultimately be my forte. I've done relatively better every time I've stepped up in distance, whether it was going from 800 to 3000 on the track, 50 to 1500 in the pool, or sprint to Ironman. I rarely finished a 70.3 thinking that I couldn't continue at roughly the same pace for a while. I also knew that my durability and seemingly gifted fueling ability would make my success at Ironman more likely. So I think that I rate pretty far towards the Ironman end of your scale. The question in the back of my mind is if my best distance could be even longer, a question I don't plan to explore for a long time!

There's no such thing as perfect execution in triathlon! That's the end of the rainbow that we all chase and part of what makes the sport so compelling. My "perfect" day at IMMT would have been having the confidence to line up with Antoine J-D and get on his feet instead of Yoder and Gambles in the swim. Then even split the bike with 270W AP / 280W NP. Then get pushed to the 2:45 marathon I felt I had prepared to run. But I'll take the day I had! =D

devashish_paul wrote:
On race day, I watched every minute of the run course, which of couse is like watching paint dry from a pure entertainment factor unless you are invested emotionally in how the athletes are doing, and as such, I had the full supercomuting math going on every time I saw a split and kept calculating and re calculating when a "pass might happen" only to see that you first have was around 1:21. I expected the rough math would be a 10 minute fade for a 2:52 high or 2:53, but you barely faded by 5-6 min on the second half. It looks like you were just going on feel and nothing else and trying to just do your race as you said in the pre race interview. Was it all on feel based on key workouts from your 2 month build and keeping the relative perceived exertion in the final 10K like the final 10K of a 70.3 (just slower pace), or were you checking splits?

I think once you saw the lead on Lionel at the turnaround the math would have been easy to know "your slowest run pace" to keep the win because when Lionel is on, he is "only" running 3:50 K's at best to close an IM run.

Sorry for being late to the party! work life got in the way. But now I had a nice long thread worth of answers to read up on this weekend!


You're right that I paced entirely by feel. I wore the new Suunto 9, but just to collect data for post-race analysis. I didn't look at my watch at all in this race and I don't even wear one for 70.3. I've always had a knack for pacing by feel, usually predicting my run pace and distance quite accurately in training. I think a nearly evenly split run may have been possible if I had been pressured right up to the finish, but I shudder to think of the physical and mental toll! Pacing by feel on the run helps me get the most out of myself because I'm not limited by pre-conceived notions of what I'm capable.

I did some key training runs that helped me dial in Ironman pacing. I did a couple 50 km run days in this block and many other days over 30 km. Those 50 km days featured a hard swim straight into a 35+ km treadmill run with intensity, then a 15+ km easy trail run in the afternoon. Three weeks out, I ran a standalone marathon on the treadmill in 2:45 including warm up and cool down with some work as fast as 3:25/km in the interval set. What made these workouts confidence inspiring for me is not that I accomplished them, but that they weren't particularly epic sessions; I trained more or less normally the day before and after.

Hey for these longer treadmill runs, what percent grade did you use and did you throw in any 5-10% to simulate the Tremblant course....I assume you did not and thus your 2:45 training run on the treadmill and your 2:49 race day execution may, in effect be the "same run".

Thanks for the visibility into the 50K training days and it is interesting that you chose treadmill + trail, I assume so that you can maximize the aerobic load and hip flexor/hamstring benefit while not having such a quad pounding recovery penalty.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [roa11] [ In reply to ]
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roa11 wrote:
Small detail but I saw that you have changed from the modified Giro shoes to BOA dial shoes. Any specific reason?

Another good eye! I recently got those Shimano RC7 shoes. They make great tri shoes with the simple modification of removing the tongue. I was never enamored with the Empire SLX, despite the purported aero savings (never validated by me). I may have needed a larger size, but I found that comfort was lacking. I've struggled for a long time with intense pain in my forefoot that flares up after 3-4 hours of riding, especially in the heat. I think that my feet were swelling and cutting off circulation. I experimented with different retention systems for the Empire, including velcro and various elastic laces. The problem with all was that they weren't adjustable on the fly. The single BOA dial is awesome because it's easy to loosen or tighten as needed during a race. I really don't see the need for purpose built triathlon shoes when something like this works so well.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Fleck] [ In reply to ]
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Fleck wrote:
For those racing and attending the Multisport Canada Wasaga Beach Triathlon this weekend, in Wasaga Beach Ontario, we are planning a LIVE Ask Me Anything session with Cody as well as Jackson Laundry (who trained with Cody through the winter and has been having a break-out year of racing himself), that I will be Emceeing just prior to the Awards Ceremony of the Olympic Distance race. Weather permitting, this should be around 2pm in the afternoon!

Thanks to Cody and Jackson ahead of time, for their time!

Looking forward! Jackson and I love to banter. Throw us some good questions!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Coming out of the swim at 52:XX, was that a controlled effort or as fast as you could hold?

___________________________________________
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2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)
Last edited by: realAB: Aug 24, 18 8:04
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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devashish_paul wrote:
Hey for these longer treadmill runs, what percent grade did you use and did you throw in any 5-10% to simulate the Tremblant course....I assume you did not and thus your 2:45 training run on the treadmill and your 2:49 race day execution may, in effect be the "same run".

Thanks for the visibility into the 50K training days and it is interesting that you chose treadmill + trail, I assume so that you can maximize the aerobic load and hip flexor/hamstring benefit while not having such a quad pounding recovery penalty.

I did all my treadmill running at 0.5% incline in this block. I did a pretty extensive analysis of treadmill running physics back in 2014 on my blog:

Running the Numbers: How Much Easier are Treadmills?

I used to always run at 1%, but I found that to affect running biomechanics more noticeably. 0.5% seems to be the sweet spot for me. I'm well aware that I need to run a little faster on the treadmill in addition to 0.5% incline at paces below about 4:30/km in order to make it roughly equivalent to overground running.

The treadmill can also be harder in some respects. Besides boredom, my gym lacks any fans. So all my hard treadmill runs are mildly to extremely heat limited. Taking into account all variables, I feel that 0.5% incline plus 5-10 s/km faster on the treadmill is a good conversion to overground running.

I would never presume to equate a treadmill workout with an outdoor run, let alone a hilly one after an Ironman swim and bike!! I've overused the treadmill in the past and it's given me an inflated sense of my fitness. It's a great tool, but a crutch like any other. I try to only use it for one workout and maybe an easy run or two per week during race season. I made sure I got at least one longer run on the roads and one quality outdoor session (usually track) per week as well. For the really long runs, the treadmill helped with lower impact, more precise pace control and less mental fatigue. You're right that the aerobic load is comparable, but without the same musculoskeletal trauma as outside. The same goes for the trail runs in the afternoon. Trails are also good practice with focusing and staying mentally sharp when tired, since you can't zone out like the road.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [realAB] [ In reply to ]
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realAB wrote:
Coming out of the swim at 52:XX, was that a controlled effort or as fast as you could hold?


Tbh, that was one of the easiest swims of my career! I even had a moment of panic that I'd somehow cut the course! I was prepared for a challenging, painful swim on the gas the entire time, like some of my best 70.3 swims. I was surprised that the pace settled down right away and I comfortably stayed on Gambles and Yoder's feet before dolphin diving around them at the end. The surges I'd expected never came and our small pack was pretty friendly.

I hadn't been swimming particularly well in this block, but I've learned that swim fitness is easily hidden under a mountain of fatigue and returns after a good taper. I also owe a lot to Craig Taylor's program with Guelph Triathlon Project. He's not trying to reinvent the wheel, but his program reflects careful planning and a deep understanding of swimming. He has a great track record developing top swimmers. I'm one of the slowest guys in the group including some ITU swim studs. We also regularly do quality open water work with mass starts and buoys—basically race simulations—which was a missing piece of the puzzle for me in the past and helped develop my open water skill set.

I'm still not particularly confident in my ability to consistently make front pack. So far this year, I've been 3rd out of the water (70.3 Taiwan), well back/2nd pack (70.3 Monterrey & Texas), 3rd out (70.3 Victoria & Eagleman), and now 2nd out (IMMT). Past seasons were far more erratic, especially in rough conditions. I may still struggle in chop or with a bigger and faster front pack in championship races.

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Last edited by: Cody Beals: Aug 24, 18 8:20
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
ericmulk wrote:
Cody - Congrats on the great race!!! As a swimmer turned triathlete, I found your comments on how you went about improving your swim very interesting. Swimming was your first sport but yet you consider, or until coming 2nd out of the water this past race, used to consider, the swim to be your weakest discipline of three; this is quite unusual in my experience but i can see how it could happen, since kids start swimming on teams at a younger age than they start running in races, much less cycling in races. Your analysis of what helped you improve squares 100% with my experiences, espec the part about drills being a waste of time. Your deliberately switching from a 6-beat to 2-beat kick is interesting b/c in my experience, most swimmers just unconsciously select the level of kicking they need/want. As a well-known swim book put it, many 2-beat kickers just fall into this kick as a way of surviving swimming 6000 or more yards/meters per workout; IOW, they find that using the 2-beat is just easier due to less effort needed in the legs. That's how it happened for me back in my teenage swim years when first started swimming twice a day. In any case, you've provided a really good case for the need to swim long and often in order to improve, and that a person needs to mostly just swim, with very limited drills. :)


Thank you! It's interesting that our experiences with swimming align. If there's one thing I've learned about swimming, it's that there are many routes to progress, especially for triathletes. The key thing seems to be committing to one approach at a time and not bouncing around too much.

I say that swimming was my first sport, but I regrettably never had the benefit of a serious swim team as a kid. I swam on a summer league from age 9 to 16, which was four practices per week and several swim meets over the summer with mostly parent volunteer coaches. I'd do a couple practices per week over the winter as well. My high school finally got a swim team for my junior and senior years, but that was a joke compared to programs in the US. After that, I focused much more on running throughout university, but kept up a little swimming on my own. If I could return to that time, I'd absolutely swim with the varsity team. This background gave me some advantage over an adult onset swimmer, but not nearly the edge a true childhood competitive swimmer has in triathlon.
Two beat kicking was a huge revelation. I remember the first time I employed it in a race, thinking "this feels wayyy too easy... am I in the wrong pack?!" It's the closest thing to a swimming hack that I've discovered. It did take a couple years to get comfortable with. My stroke mechanics are quite different with two and six beat kicks. It feels like I have two distinct tools at my disposal for racing. My stroke rate is naturally quite slow and I find that a two beat kick helps me tempo it up, very useful for open water situations.

Interesting...i've seen some guys become very fast swimmers, for 50-100 yd/m races, just on summer league but obv it is not as good as year-round. And on the tempo, no doubt 2-beat requires a bit higher turnover rate. Thanks for your insights!!!


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for all of the responses. This thread is a goldmine of information.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Fleck] [ In reply to ]
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Fleck wrote:
For those racing and attending the Multisport Canada Wasaga Beach Triathlon this weekend, in Wasaga Beach Ontario, we are planning a LIVE Ask Me Anything session with Cody as well as Jackson Laundry (who trained with Cody through the winter and has been having a break-out year of racing himself), that I will be Emceeing just prior to the Awards Ceremony of the Olympic Distance race. Weather permitting, this should be around 2pm in the afternoon!

Thanks to Cody and Jackson ahead of time, for their time!

Fleck, I know you are the anti Kona guy (in that there are more races in the world outside Kona), but can you just brow beat Cody into going to Kona next year. We want to see the male equivalent of the Lori Bowden vs Lisa Bentley vs Heather Fuhr all Canadian smackdown in Kona this time featuring Coady and Lionel.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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I’m sure Seear will help us! ;)

devashish_paul wrote:
Fleck wrote:
For those racing and attending the Multisport Canada Wasaga Beach Triathlon this weekend, in Wasaga Beach Ontario, we are planning a LIVE Ask Me Anything session with Cody as well as Jackson Laundry (who trained with Cody through the winter and has been having a break-out year of racing himself), that I will be Emceeing just prior to the Awards Ceremony of the Olympic Distance race. Weather permitting, this should be around 2pm in the afternoon!

Thanks to Cody and Jackson ahead of time, for their time!

Fleck, I know you are the anti Kona guy (in that there are more races in the world outside Kona), but can you just brow beat Cody into going to Kona next year. We want to see the male equivalent of the Lori Bowden vs Lisa Bentley vs Heather Fuhr all Canadian smackdown in Kona this time featuring Coady and Lionel.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody
Congratulations on your win!

For your bike, you mentioned you did a lot of VO2 and anaerobic during the winter months. Did you also have long easy ride on the weekends?
Did these long easy ride help you hold higher power (220w-230w like you mentioned) during the race?
Thanks
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
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ericmulk wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
SteveM wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
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.


Firstly thanks for doing this, it’s been really interesting & congratulations on the win.

Could I ask, when/why did you start swimming 6+ times a week?


I've done swim focused weeks or months in the past and a couple swim training camps (with Magnolia Masters in Texas), but it wasn't until I moved back to Guelph last fall that I began consistently swimming 6-7 times most weeks of the year. That was also when I began consistently swimming with a group (mostly Guelph Triathlon Project, sometimes LPC).
Despite being my first competitive sport, swimming has always been my weakest discipline. I've had some shockingly poor swim performances and lost at least half a dozen races in the swim (if that can ever be said). Even last year, my swim performances were unpredictable and I often found myself in the unfortunate position of leading the chase pack (ideally, you're at the back of the fastest pack you can hang with). I knew that something had to be done about my swimming if I truly wanted to be a world class triathlete.
I experimented with various swim changes, everything from stroke analysis (mostly not helpful), technical/drill focus (complete waste of time), USRPT (good, but brutally hard), training camps (helpful, but hard to maintain gains). The two things that I found most helpful were swimming with a group and swimming more frequently. Those two factors go hand in hand, since it's easier to swim more when you're having fun with great lane-mates!
Another factor in my swim progress that I forgot the mention earlier was my switch to mostly two beat kicking. I gradually began introducing two beat kicking as an alternative to my usual and the more common six beat kick. At first, it felt awkward, but gradually became more efficient at slower speeds. The pace break point at which it was more efficient to switch from two beat to six beat gradually sped up. Now I'm at the point where I almost exclusively two beat kick and it's more efficient for anything up to high end threshold (~1:11/100scm). In long course races, a two beat kick feels so cruisy and efficient. I now use a two beat kick almost the entire swim and reserve the less efficient but more powerful six beat kick for the fast start, any surges and briefly at the end to wake up my legs. This kicking change was the closest thing I've had to a technical epiphany in swimming.

Cody - Congrats on the great race!!! As a swimmer turned triathlete, I found your comments on how you went about improving your swim very interesting. Swimming was your first sport but yet you consider, or until coming 2nd out of the water this past race, used to consider, the swim to be your weakest discipline of three; this is quite unusual in my experience but i can see how it could happen, since kids start swimming on teams at a younger age than they start running in races, much less cycling in races. Your analysis of what helped you improve squares 100% with my experiences, espec the part about drills being a waste of time. Your deliberately switching from a 6-beat to 2-beat kick is interesting b/c in my experience, most swimmers just unconsciously select the level of kicking they need/want. As a well-known swim book put it, many 2-beat kickers just fall into this kick as a way of surviving swimming 6000 or more yards/meters per workout; IOW, they find that using the 2-beat is just easier due to less effort needed in the legs. That's how it happened for me back in my teenage swim years when first started swimming twice a day. In any case, you've provided a really good case for the need to swim long and often in order to improve, and that a person needs to mostly just swim, with very limited drills. :)

Cody - on the bolded portion, I'm curious to get your opinion of stroke analysis for weaker swimmers who are looking to make improvements. I fall into the weaker swimmer category and as I start to age, a little run speed is falling off and am considering trying to pick up the swim speed to compensate in races. Larger swim blocks in the past have typically not helped much and I asssume your comments are directed more at the folks who already swim sub 1:30/100m?

Last part of the question around who you believe are good AG swim coaches in the Halton/Guelph area that can measurably help with improvements.

Congrats on a great race and appreciate the insight into your training and racing.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [MustGoFaster] [ In reply to ]
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MustGoFaster wrote:
ericmulk wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
SteveM wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
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.


Firstly thanks for doing this, it’s been really interesting & congratulations on the win.

Could I ask, when/why did you start swimming 6+ times a week?


I've done swim focused weeks or months in the past and a couple swim training camps (with Magnolia Masters in Texas), but it wasn't until I moved back to Guelph last fall that I began consistently swimming 6-7 times most weeks of the year. That was also when I began consistently swimming with a group (mostly Guelph Triathlon Project, sometimes LPC).
Despite being my first competitive sport, swimming has always been my weakest discipline. I've had some shockingly poor swim performances and lost at least half a dozen races in the swim (if that can ever be said). Even last year, my swim performances were unpredictable and I often found myself in the unfortunate position of leading the chase pack (ideally, you're at the back of the fastest pack you can hang with). I knew that something had to be done about my swimming if I truly wanted to be a world class triathlete.
I experimented with various swim changes, everything from stroke analysis (mostly not helpful), technical/drill focus (complete waste of time), USRPT (good, but brutally hard), training camps (helpful, but hard to maintain gains). The two things that I found most helpful were swimming with a group and swimming more frequently. Those two factors go hand in hand, since it's easier to swim more when you're having fun with great lane-mates!
Another factor in my swim progress that I forgot the mention earlier was my switch to mostly two beat kicking. I gradually began introducing two beat kicking as an alternative to my usual and the more common six beat kick. At first, it felt awkward, but gradually became more efficient at slower speeds. The pace break point at which it was more efficient to switch from two beat to six beat gradually sped up. Now I'm at the point where I almost exclusively two beat kick and it's more efficient for anything up to high end threshold (~1:11/100scm). In long course races, a two beat kick feels so cruisy and efficient. I now use a two beat kick almost the entire swim and reserve the less efficient but more powerful six beat kick for the fast start, any surges and briefly at the end to wake up my legs. This kicking change was the closest thing I've had to a technical epiphany in swimming.


Cody - Congrats on the great race!!! As a swimmer turned triathlete, I found your comments on how you went about improving your swim very interesting. Swimming was your first sport but yet you consider, or until coming 2nd out of the water this past race, used to consider, the swim to be your weakest discipline of three; this is quite unusual in my experience but i can see how it could happen, since kids start swimming on teams at a younger age than they start running in races, much less cycling in races. Your analysis of what helped you improve squares 100% with my experiences, espec the part about drills being a waste of time. Your deliberately switching from a 6-beat to 2-beat kick is interesting b/c in my experience, most swimmers just unconsciously select the level of kicking they need/want. As a well-known swim book put it, many 2-beat kickers just fall into this kick as a way of surviving swimming 6000 or more yards/meters per workout; IOW, they find that using the 2-beat is just easier due to less effort needed in the legs. That's how it happened for me back in my teenage swim years when first started swimming twice a day. In any case, you've provided a really good case for the need to swim long and often in order to improve, and that a person needs to mostly just swim, with very limited drills. :)


Cody - on the bolded portion, I'm curious to get your opinion of stroke analysis for weaker swimmers who are looking to make improvements. I fall into the weaker swimmer category and as I start to age, a little run speed is falling off and am considering trying to pick up the swim speed to compensate in races. Larger swim blocks in the past have typically not helped much and I asssume your comments are directed more at the folks who already swim sub 1:30/100m?

Last part of the question around who you believe are good AG swim coaches in the Halton/Guelph area that can measurably help with improvements.

Congrats on a great race and appreciate the insight into your training and racing.

Must Go - It looks like you meant to reply to Cody rather than to me. His original reply to me is up in post 150; he didn't include the bold part in his reply but rather just my questions/comments, but at least you'll be getting through to him. :)


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [dboatx] [ In reply to ]
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dboatx wrote:
Cody
Congratulations on your win!

For your bike, you mentioned you did a lot of VO2 and anaerobic during the winter months. Did you also have long easy ride on the weekends?
Did these long easy ride help you hold higher power (220w-230w like you mentioned) during the race?
Thanks

Thank you! I rarely ride really "easy", usually at least steady endurance/Zone 2 (usually >215 W). I never go noodle around for 4+ hours in Zone 1 like quite a few long course pros. I don't enjoy long rides and consider Zone 1/recovery rides almost a complete waste of my time. My longest ride all winter (until April) was 3 hours. I was at home in Canada all winter, riding exclusively indoors with cycling volume around 6-8 hours most weeks. This would typically feature one 1.5-2 hour interval ride (usually VO2), a 3 hour ride with intervals towards the end (usually VO2, sometimes tempo/threshold), and a couple 1-2 hour steady endurance rides. Over the winter, almost all my long (3 hour) rides featured intensity, unlike this summer IM block in which I did quite a few long steady rides.

The focus of my training blocks from January to June was on 70.3 racing, but I still made subtle shifts to gear up for the IM block. Later in the spring, I started to include 4+ hour rides and 40-50 km run days more often that I would for 70.3 training.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I just wanted to pop back in and say, don't listen to the hecklers on the other thread that got locked. You'll never make everyone happy, and you're a great racer and even better person. Keep doing what you're doing!

The point is, ladies and gentleman, that speed, for lack of a better word, is good. Speed is right, Speed works. Speed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Hi Cody. I know I am very late to the party. But I've been very busy and now read through the thread.

Congrats on the win and great race! I stumbled upon your blog three years ago and I really enjoy your insight. When I took up endurance sports I got into an eating disorder and it was quite a journey to truly figure out how detrimental it was. Now it seems so obvious.

So I have some other things that I am wondering:

- You wrote about doing a lot of hard intervals (during the non iroman build up) and that you can't go to really dark places in races too often in the season. So how hard are your hard workouts? How often do you really push yourself to the edge in training (during Vo2max sessions)?

- How is the periodisation of your season? Do you follow kind of a polarized approach with a lot of intensity for the 70.3 season and then just build in the long steady miles in the iroman build up?

- How long do you spend away from training each year and are you doing kind of similar volume year round?

Thank you very much for your insight.

10k - 30:48 / half - 1:06:40
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [ToBeasy] [ In reply to ]
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ToBeasy wrote:
Hi Cody. I know I am very late to the party. But I've been very busy and now read through the thread.

Congrats on the win and great race! I stumbled upon your blog three years ago and I really enjoy your insight. When I took up endurance sports I got into an eating disorder and it was quite a journey to truly figure out how detrimental it was. Now it seems so obvious.

Thank you! Congrats on overcoming your eating disorder and speaking publicly about it.

ToBeasy wrote:
So I have some other things that I am wondering:

- You wrote about doing a lot of hard intervals (during the non iroman build up) and that you can't go to really dark places in races too often in the season. So how hard are your hard workouts? How often do you really push yourself to the edge in training (during Vo2max sessions)?

My workouts virtually never exceed what I consider about 95% effort. If I'm doing VO2 intervals, I usually stop knowing that I could do one or two more if I absolutely had to. Going this far is still quite brutal and provides a comparable training benefit without dipping into those finite psychological reserves I save for racing.

Many of my workouts don't have a fixed number of intervals and are designed to end in "failure". Early on, my coach and I had a discussion about what it means to take a session "to failure". I told him that I couldn't sustain even one or two interval sets "to failure" per week because that was a crushing emotional experience for me. You could look at this two ways; either I suck at giving my all in training, or my "all" is so extreme that it must be reserved for special occasions. I'm not sure which is more accurate!

ToBeasy wrote:
- How is the periodisation of your season? Do you follow kind of a polarized approach with a lot of intensity for the 70.3 season and then just build in the long steady miles in the iroman build up?

It's tough to give a short and simple answer to this one! Generally, I'm following the basic periodization doctrine of progressing from more to less specific. So I'm typically starting with a more polarized approach (lots of easy endurance with some very high end intervals) over the off-season. Then I'll progress towards briefer periods of less polarized, more race-specific intensity as races approach. But this is an oversimplification. I'll return to more polarized, high intensity blocks throughout the season. Some training weeks won't fit tidily into any category. As much as my coach and I like to plan and analyze, we're also making intuitive adjustments based on perceived needs or areas for improvement. Especially as I begin my final training block of the season, I'm really listening to my body on a daily basis and not planning much beyond a few days at a time.

I also use group workouts as a psychological boost throughout the year. I'll often hop in a session with Jack Laundry, Guelph Triathlon Project or LPC, even if it doesn't fit perfectly into my periodized training plan. Sometimes the benefits of training with others outweigh the benefits of religiously adhering to my specific plan.

ToBeasy wrote:
- How long do you spend away from training each year and are you doing kind of similar volume year round?

Thank you very much for your insight.

In the past, my training has been quite high monotony from week to week and month to month. While the intensity distribution varies, overall training load wasn't drastically different comparing most months. A key area that my coach has helped me with is recognizing and embracing the need for recovery, whether it's off/easy days or longer periods of downtime. Left to my own devices, I used to gravitate towards a misguided approach that many athletes fail to avoid: long strings of fairly hard days/weeks without adequate recovery. These days, there's more variation between my easier days/weeks and harder ones. The result is that I feel like I'm not training as hard as past years most of the time (with some key exceptions), but I'm clearly making progress. I can actually enjoy the recovery time I take now, because it's not guilt-ridden forced recovery triggered by pushing too hard or long.

I'm overdue to take some proper downtime. I haven't truly rested for more than a few days for as long as I can remember! At the end of this season, I plan to take a full month of rest and unstructured training. It'll probably be 1 week totally off, 1 week of just easy swimming, 2 weeks of easy/unstructured mountain biking and social jogging, before easing back into more structured training. Such a significant break may not be warranted every year, but I think it's a good idea to hit reset every once in a while.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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One more question. You said you consumed about 700 calories your 1st hour on the bike. Is is safe to assume that hour was lower power/effort than the rest if your ride?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody, congrats and thanks for your candid sharing of your knowledge! Really really appreciate it!

I don't have a question of my own, but MustGoFaster earlier tried to ask you a question which was accidentally replied to another STer. What he's asking also applies to me - being a slow adult-onset swimmer. So, would like to have your input on it. Thanks in advance!

MustGoFaster wrote:

Cody - on the bolded portion, I'm curious to get your opinion of stroke analysis for weaker swimmers who are looking to make improvements. I fall into the weaker swimmer category and as I start to age, a little run speed is falling off and am considering trying to pick up the swim speed to compensate in races. Larger swim blocks in the past have typically not helped much and I asssume your comments are directed more at the folks who already swim sub 1:30/100m?

Last part of the question around who you believe are good AG swim coaches in the Halton/Guelph area that can measurably help with improvements.

Congrats on a great race and appreciate the insight into your training and racing.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [mdtrihard] [ In reply to ]
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mdtrihard wrote:
One more question. You said you consumed about 700 calories your 1st hour on the bike. Is is safe to assume that hour was lower power/effort than the rest if your ride?

Not at all! I averaged almost 280W for the first hour, the highest of the entire ride.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [MustGoFaster] [ In reply to ]
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MustGoFaster wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
SteveM wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
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.


Firstly thanks for doing this, it’s been really interesting & congratulations on the win.

Could I ask, when/why did you start swimming 6+ times a week?


I've done swim focused weeks or months in the past and a couple swim training camps (with Magnolia Masters in Texas), but it wasn't until I moved back to Guelph last fall that I began consistently swimming 6-7 times most weeks of the year. That was also when I began consistently swimming with a group (mostly Guelph Triathlon Project, sometimes LPC).
Despite being my first competitive sport, swimming has always been my weakest discipline. I've had some shockingly poor swim performances and lost at least half a dozen races in the swim (if that can ever be said). Even last year, my swim performances were unpredictable and I often found myself in the unfortunate position of leading the chase pack (ideally, you're at the back of the fastest pack you can hang with). I knew that something had to be done about my swimming if I truly wanted to be a world class triathlete.
I experimented with various swim changes, everything from stroke analysis (mostly not helpful), technical/drill focus (complete waste of time), USRPT (good, but brutally hard), training camps (helpful, but hard to maintain gains). The two things that I found most helpful were swimming with a group and swimming more frequently. Those two factors go hand in hand, since it's easier to swim more when you're having fun with great lane-mates!
Another factor in my swim progress that I forgot the mention earlier was my switch to mostly two beat kicking. I gradually began introducing two beat kicking as an alternative to my usual and the more common six beat kick. At first, it felt awkward, but gradually became more efficient at slower speeds. The pace break point at which it was more efficient to switch from two beat to six beat gradually sped up. Now I'm at the point where I almost exclusively two beat kick and it's more efficient for anything up to high end threshold (~1:11/100scm). In long course races, a two beat kick feels so cruisy and efficient. I now use a two beat kick almost the entire swim and reserve the less efficient but more powerful six beat kick for the fast start, any surges and briefly at the end to wake up my legs. This kicking change was the closest thing I've had to a technical epiphany in swimming.

Cody - on the bolded portion, I'm curious to get your opinion of stroke analysis for weaker swimmers who are looking to make improvements. I fall into the weaker swimmer category and as I start to age, a little run speed is falling off and am considering trying to pick up the swim speed to compensate in races. Larger swim blocks in the past have typically not helped much and I asssume your comments are directed more at the folks who already swim sub 1:30/100m?

Last part of the question around who you believe are good AG swim coaches in the Halton/Guelph area that can measurably help with improvements.

Congrats on a great race and appreciate the insight into your training and racing.

I definitely need to elaborate on my earlier comments about stroke analysis. Every time I've done it, the same handful of technical flaws have been pointed out, which I'm well aware of. I've never really been giving the tools or instructions to address these flaws, assuming those even exist. So for me, stroke analysis has largely been this circular exercise in frustration. The only way I've made consistent progress is through swimming hard, swimming often and swimming mindfully. Putzing around with underwater cameras, weird drills and lots of "technique-focused" swimming has been a waste of time. My time working with Magnolia Masters ingrained the principle that technique must be developed under load, i.e. when swimming fast!

I do think that stroke analysis has a place for weaker, less experienced swimmers. Of course there was a time when I wasn't even aware of my various technical flaws. Some coach, somewhere along the way must have shown or explained them to me. Earlier, I explained my view that most runners naturally gravitate towards biomechanically efficient form given the appropriate application of volume and intensity. This is true to an extent with swimming, but much less so. Most of us don't have the same intuitive sense of how to move efficiently through water and some elements of modern freestyle technique are downright counterintuitive! So I think some key pointers early along the way can be quite helpful, but stroke analysis isn't the magic bullet it's often made out to be.

I can only personally vouch for Craig Taylor and James Loaring as swim coaches in the area, but I'm sure there are many other good ones.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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 Cody,

Thanks for the further insight and comments.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
MustGoFaster wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
SteveM wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
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.


Firstly thanks for doing this, it’s been really interesting & congratulations on the win.

Could I ask, when/why did you start swimming 6+ times a week?


I've done swim focused weeks or months in the past and a couple swim training camps (with Magnolia Masters in Texas), but it wasn't until I moved back to Guelph last fall that I began consistently swimming 6-7 times most weeks of the year. That was also when I began consistently swimming with a group (mostly Guelph Triathlon Project, sometimes LPC).
Despite being my first competitive sport, swimming has always been my weakest discipline. I've had some shockingly poor swim performances and lost at least half a dozen races in the swim (if that can ever be said). Even last year, my swim performances were unpredictable and I often found myself in the unfortunate position of leading the chase pack (ideally, you're at the back of the fastest pack you can hang with). I knew that something had to be done about my swimming if I truly wanted to be a world class triathlete.
I experimented with various swim changes, everything from stroke analysis (mostly not helpful), technical/drill focus (complete waste of time), USRPT (good, but brutally hard), training camps (helpful, but hard to maintain gains). The two things that I found most helpful were swimming with a group and swimming more frequently. Those two factors go hand in hand, since it's easier to swim more when you're having fun with great lane-mates!
Another factor in my swim progress that I forgot the mention earlier was my switch to mostly two beat kicking. I gradually began introducing two beat kicking as an alternative to my usual and the more common six beat kick. At first, it felt awkward, but gradually became more efficient at slower speeds. The pace break point at which it was more efficient to switch from two beat to six beat gradually sped up. Now I'm at the point where I almost exclusively two beat kick and it's more efficient for anything up to high end threshold (~1:11/100scm). In long course races, a two beat kick feels so cruisy and efficient. I now use a two beat kick almost the entire swim and reserve the less efficient but more powerful six beat kick for the fast start, any surges and briefly at the end to wake up my legs. This kicking change was the closest thing I've had to a technical epiphany in swimming.


Cody - on the bolded portion, I'm curious to get your opinion of stroke analysis for weaker swimmers who are looking to make improvements. I fall into the weaker swimmer category and as I start to age, a little run speed is falling off and am considering trying to pick up the swim speed to compensate in races. Larger swim blocks in the past have typically not helped much and I asssume your comments are directed more at the folks who already swim sub 1:30/100m?

Last part of the question around who you believe are good AG swim coaches in the Halton/Guelph area that can measurably help with improvements.

Congrats on a great race and appreciate the insight into your training and racing.


I definitely need to elaborate on my earlier comments about stroke analysis. Every time I've done it, the same handful of technical flaws have been pointed out, which I'm well aware of. I've never really been giving the tools or instructions to address these flaws, assuming those even exist. So for me, stroke analysis has largely been this circular exercise in frustration. The only way I've made consistent progress is through swimming hard, swimming often and swimming mindfully. Putzing around with underwater cameras, weird drills and lots of "technique-focused" swimming has been a waste of time. My time working with Magnolia Masters ingrained the principle that technique must be developed under load, i.e. when swimming fast!

I do think that stroke analysis has a place for weaker, less experienced swimmers. Of course there was a time when I wasn't even aware of my various technical flaws. Some coach, somewhere along the way must have shown or explained them to me. Earlier, I explained my view that most runners naturally gravitate towards biomechanically efficient form given the appropriate application of volume and intensity. This is true to an extent with swimming, but much less so. Most of us don't have the same intuitive sense of how to move efficiently through water and some elements of modern freestyle technique are downright counterintuitive! So I think some key pointers early along the way can be quite helpful, but stroke analysis isn't the magic bullet it's often made out to be.

I can only personally vouch for Craig Taylor and James Loaring as swim coaches in the area, but I'm sure there are many other good ones.

Cody....wait...you're coming to the same conclusion that all the fish on ST have been telling us:

  • Swim more often
  • Swim harder
  • Swim with a group


Damn, why are those guys so right????

OK, did people brow beat you into going to Kona next year, so we can start the Cody going to Kona thread, or are we going to have to deal with another year of Ashley Horner 50/50/50 fluff?

What's your take on Jan's run today at 70.3 Worlds combined with his 2:39 at Frankfurt and how this changes everyone's tactics this year in Kona (I know you are not going, and this is not about your race, but asking a practicing pro, how this is likely to change what tactics people employ on the bike....noting that you have said the way to beat Lionel is doing your own race).....but if you were to go to Kona I assume you will go when you feel you can make the front pack on the swim and ride with them to Hawi and back which means spiking power and rolling with some on course punches.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
devashish_paul wrote:
Cody....wait...you're coming to the same conclusion that all the fish on ST have been telling us:
  • Swim more often
  • Swim harder
  • Swim with a group
Damn, why are those guys so right????

I know, right?! I won't pretend to be sharing any new revelations or wisdom about swimming. It's not rocket science, but it took me and many others a long time to reach this simple conclusion. I think that because swimming is a more technical sport, many athletes are forever chasing the idea that there are shortcuts to progress beyond boring, consistent hard work.

devashish_paul wrote:
OK, did people brow beat you into going to Kona next year, so we can start the Cody going to Kona thread, or are we going to have to deal with another year of Ashley Horner 50/50/50 fluff?

Haha, I've taken all the feedback into consideration. I seem to have bounced back very well from IMMT and I'm racing IMChoo on September 30th to cap off my season. If all goes well, I could get an early Kona slot there. But that wasn't high on my list of reasons for choosing that race.

I'm leaning towards structuring next year similar to this year, which is easily my best season. I'd focus on 70.3 racing until June, take a mid-season break, then switch gears and focus on a couple late season IMs.

I've also been toying with the idea of putting my Kona plans to a vote. I would shoot a little video explaining my position, the risks and opportunity cost of Kona, then have my followers vote on whether or not I race. It could generate some fun discussion and publicity. I'd probably only resort to that if I'm still on the fence about Kona next year. I'll be more inclined to race Kona if I crush the first half of the season and don't feel any financial pressure.

devashish_paul wrote:
What's your take on Jan's run today at 70.3 Worlds combined with his 2:39 at Frankfurt and how this changes everyone's tactics this year in Kona (I know you are not going, and this is not about your race, but asking a practicing pro, how this is likely to change what tactics people employ on the bike....noting that you have said the way to beat Lionel is doing your own race).....but if you were to go to Kona I assume you will go when you feel you can make the front pack on the swim and ride with them to Hawi and back which means spiking power and rolling with some on course punches.

I'm just catching up on some 70.3 Worlds coverage now. Obviously a super impressive race at the front. Great athletes always have and always will make strange, unpredictable and impulsive decisions at Kona, often throwing a sensible race plan out the window. Of course you have to take into account the unique dynamics of a championship race when formulating a plan. But I don't think a few standout run performances by one athlete should make the other contenders completely rethink their plans.

In general, I don't closely follow race coverage and what other athletes are up to, with the exception of a few close friends. For example, I was the only one who hadn't woken up and immediately checked 70.3 Worlds results before the group track workout this morning. I basically do the bare minimum of research to know my competition and develop a tactical plan for each race. Frankly, I'm just not much of a sports fan! I've probably watched a combined total of an hour of sports coverage outside triathlon this year, Olympics, TdF and team sports included. Don't get me wrong: I love our sport, my process, the people I've met and the opportunities it's opened up. But there's already more than enough triathlon in my life without obsessing over what other athletes are doing.

CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Cody Beals wrote:
devashish_paul wrote:
Cody....wait...you're coming to the same conclusion that all the fish on ST have been telling us:
  • Swim more often
  • Swim harder
  • Swim with a group
Damn, why are those guys so right????


I know, right?! I won't pretend to be sharing any new revelations or wisdom about swimming. It's not rocket science, but it took me and many others a long time to reach this simple conclusion. I think that because swimming is a more technical sport, many athletes are forever chasing the idea that there are shortcuts to progress beyond boring, consistent hard work.

devashish_paul wrote:
OK, did people brow beat you into going to Kona next year, so we can start the Cody going to Kona thread, or are we going to have to deal with another year of Ashley Horner 50/50/50 fluff?


Haha, I've taken all the feedback into consideration. I seem to have bounced back very well from IMMT and I'm racing IMChoo on September 30th to cap off my season. If all goes well, I could get an early Kona slot there. But that wasn't high on my list of reasons for choosing that race.

I'm leaning towards structuring next year similar to this year, which is easily my best season. I'd focus on 70.3 racing until June, take a mid-season break, then switch gears and focus on a couple late season IMs.

I've also been toying with the idea of putting my Kona plans to a vote. I would shoot a little video explaining my position, the risks and opportunity cost of Kona, then have my followers vote on whether or not I race. It could generate some fun discussion and publicity. I'd probably only resort to that if I'm still on the fence about Kona next year. I'll be more inclined to race Kona if I crush the first half of the season and don't feel any financial pressure.

devashish_paul wrote:
What's your take on Jan's run today at 70.3 Worlds combined with his 2:39 at Frankfurt and how this changes everyone's tactics this year in Kona (I know you are not going, and this is not about your race, but asking a practicing pro, how this is likely to change what tactics people employ on the bike....noting that you have said the way to beat Lionel is doing your own race).....but if you were to go to Kona I assume you will go when you feel you can make the front pack on the swim and ride with them to Hawi and back which means spiking power and rolling with some on course punches.


I'm just catching up on some 70.3 Worlds coverage now. Obviously a super impressive race at the front. Great athletes always have and always will make strange, unpredictable and impulsive decisions at Kona, often throwing a sensible race plan out the window. Of course you have to take into account the unique dynamics of a championship race when formulating a plan. But I don't think a few standout run performances by one athlete should make the other contenders completely rethink their plans.

In general, I don't closely follow race coverage and what other athletes are up to, with the exception of a few close friends. For example, I was the only one who hadn't woken up and immediately checked 70.3 Worlds results before the group track workout this morning. I basically do the bare minimum of research to know my competition and develop a tactical plan for each race. Frankly, I'm just not much of a sports fan! I've probably watched a combined total of an hour of sports coverage outside triathlon this year, Olympics, TdF and team sports included. Don't get me wrong: I love our sport, my process, the people I've met and the opportunities it's opened up. But there's already more than enough triathlon in my life without obsessing over what other athletes are doing.

OK that's more like it (the Chatanooga +potential Kona trajectory). At least if nothing else maybe we can get Ashley Horner demoted to second page so you will have done some community service :-)

In terms of swim more often/swim harder/swim with a group. I have one more question via a comment for you.

In biking you and almost all on ST obsessively focus on shaving every newton of aerodynamic retarding force. We're all into the aerodynamics so with that's I'll lead into the swim:





If there was an ST contest for contorting your body into the shape of a torpedo, Phelps would win it. But getting in this position is not as simple as getting fit in the wind tunnel. The top swimmers have the maleability in the entire body to hold the torpedo shape through their entire stroke. But to do that, the only way is to morph your body swimming more and holding the streamline all the time.

I think our first instinct in a pack swim when we are gapped is to pull harder. But if we were drafting on a bike, we'd try to get as small as possible at the same time. When swimming hard, often in a group you get to practice being a hydrodynamic torpedo and the body shape can litterally change in time with more practice, almost like someone who does yoga all the time and can hold the poses for longer in more duress than a person who shoes up 2x per week.

So since you are the aero king among ST pros, how much is this mindset influencing your swimming.

On the flip side, I think LIonel is just trying to pull harder and use more of his available engine in the water.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:

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!

Amazing work in the race Cody.

I found something very innovative in your bike walkthrough on the GTN show. That was your pad reach and explanation behind it. It seems like you have a very reasonable argument there, yet your reach (at least to my eye) seems more extended than pretty much everyone in the pro field. It's almost like you've brought back the 1995 Chris Boardman position.

How much acclimatization did it take you to be able to hold that position for long rides? It seems well-suited to short course racing but you've proven you can hold it over 112 miles as well. Also, did you test any less extended positions in the virtual tunnel against your current position?

-------------------
Madison photographer Timothy Hughes | Instagram
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I totally get the wait-until-I-feel-I-am-“fullyâ€-ready mentality. But, Here’s the number one reason to go for it sooner rather than later. You’re “later†plan assumes there will be a later and that later will be better/faster. Assumes you continue to improve, stay injury free, that other things in life won’t get in the way, etc, Meanwhile, you *might* be giving up your best year/years for the potential promise of a future good result that may never come. But I also think putting it to a vote by strangers is crazy!!! Best of luck in your decision!
Last edited by: DFW_Tri: Sep 2, 18 12:17
Quote Reply
Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Cody Beals wrote:
devashish_paul wrote:
Cody....wait...you're coming to the same conclusion that all the fish on ST have been telling us:
  • Swim more often
  • Swim harder
  • Swim with a group
Damn, why are those guys so right????


I know, right?! I won't pretend to be sharing any new revelations or wisdom about swimming. It's not rocket science, but it took me and many others a long time to reach this simple conclusion. I think that because swimming is a more technical sport, many athletes are forever chasing the idea that there are shortcuts to progress beyond boring, consistent hard work.

devashish_paul wrote:
OK, did people brow beat you into going to Kona next year, so we can start the Cody going to Kona thread, or are we going to have to deal with another year of Ashley Horner 50/50/50 fluff?


Haha, I've taken all the feedback into consideration. I seem to have bounced back very well from IMMT and I'm racing IMChoo on September 30th to cap off my season. If all goes well, I could get an early Kona slot there. But that wasn't high on my list of reasons for choosing that race.

I'm leaning towards structuring next year similar to this year, which is easily my best season. I'd focus on 70.3 racing until June, take a mid-season break, then switch gears and focus on a couple late season IMs.

I've also been toying with the idea of putting my Kona plans to a vote. I would shoot a little video explaining my position, the risks and opportunity cost of Kona, then have my followers vote on whether or not I race. It could generate some fun discussion and publicity. I'd probably only resort to that if I'm still on the fence about Kona next year. I'll be more inclined to race Kona if I crush the first half of the season and don't feel any financial pressure.

devashish_paul wrote:
What's your take on Jan's run today at 70.3 Worlds combined with his 2:39 at Frankfurt and how this changes everyone's tactics this year in Kona (I know you are not going, and this is not about your race, but asking a practicing pro, how this is likely to change what tactics people employ on the bike....noting that you have said the way to beat Lionel is doing your own race).....but if you were to go to Kona I assume you will go when you feel you can make the front pack on the swim and ride with them to Hawi and back which means spiking power and rolling with some on course punches.


I'm just catching up on some 70.3 Worlds coverage now. Obviously a super impressive race at the front. Great athletes always have and always will make strange, unpredictable and impulsive decisions at Kona, often throwing a sensible race plan out the window. Of course you have to take into account the unique dynamics of a championship race when formulating a plan. But I don't think a few standout run performances by one athlete should make the other contenders completely rethink their plans.

In general, I don't closely follow race coverage and what other athletes are up to, with the exception of a few close friends. For example, I was the only one who hadn't woken up and immediately checked 70.3 Worlds results before the group track workout this morning. I basically do the bare minimum of research to know my competition and develop a tactical plan for each race. Frankly, I'm just not much of a sports fan! I've probably watched a combined total of an hour of sports coverage outside triathlon this year, Olympics, TdF and team sports included. Don't get me wrong: I love our sport, my process, the people I've met and the opportunities it's opened up. But there's already more than enough triathlon in my life without obsessing over what other athletes are doing.

For the part in bold, I think guys like you or Rapp know that you cannot change your physiology on race day and magically gain FTP to react to crazy surges. However, I don't think many of the other pros are smart enough nor disciplined enough to not let it get in their heads. This should be very interesting.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
[
  • My boyfriend, James - We've been together 3.5 years and he's only seen me race once in person. He's highly interested in my career, but has his own interests and isn't just a tri fanboy. He keeps fit, but he's not an elite athlete. James really keeps me grounded and helps keep my life in balance. Since pro triathlon is a career that influences every aspect of your life, it's easy for it to become a 24/7 obsession. For me, that's not ideal or conducive to longevity in the sport. James is my lifeline to the outside world!


  • Thank you for your transparency on this front as well. It took qualifying for Boston and 70.3 worlds, then winning a few local races at my end before thanking/referencing my partner on posts. Not sure why it is as much of a deal these days, but it is nice to see male athletes at the highest levels get over the stigma/fear that comes from acknowledging that our personal lives are a bit different from the norms.

    Are you anticipating any additional publicity as a result of this revelation (in conjunction with 3 - 70.3 wins and an IM win this season) and how do you intend to avoid making it a distraction?
    Last edited by: ohhim: Sep 2, 18 13:50
    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [ohhim] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    ohhim wrote:
    Cody Beals wrote:
    [
  • My boyfriend, James - We've been together 3.5 years and he's only seen me race once in person. He's highly interested in my career, but has his own interests and isn't just a tri fanboy. He keeps fit, but he's not an elite athlete. James really keeps me grounded and helps keep my life in balance. Since pro triathlon is a career that influences every aspect of your life, it's easy for it to become a 24/7 obsession. For me, that's not ideal or conducive to longevity in the sport. James is my lifeline to the outside world!


  • Thank you for your transparency on this front as well. It took qualifying for Boston and 70.3 worlds, then winning a few local races at my end before thanking/referencing my partner on posts. Not sure why it is as much of a deal these days, but it is nice to see male athletes at the highest levels get over the stigma/fear that comes from acknowledging that our personal lives are a bit different from the norms.

    Are you anticipating any additional publicity as a result of this revelation (in conjunction with 3 - 70.3 wins and an IM win this season) and how do you intend to avoid making it a distraction?


    I'm glad you appreciate it. I've been out in my personal life for several years. I came out to the triathlon world in a TRS interview a couple years ago. Since then, I haven't made any secret about being gay, but it's not front and center in my triathlon career. I feel privileged to live in a time and place where it doesn't have to be a big deal. Despite this climate of acceptance I've benefited from, I've chosen not to play it up as gay athlete. At first, I decided that I'd rather build a reputation and following due to my racing and personality. I've even turned down some overtly gay sponsorship opportunities and interviews.

    That said, I've also come to appreciate that I'm in a position to help other people feel more comfortable and increase acceptance through my visibility as an out athlete. I receive some touching messages of support from other queer athletes and their loved ones every time it comes up. I remained in the closet for far too long, partly because I lacked what I felt were relatable gay role models. Sports are still an intimidating and unwelcoming sphere for many queer people and I'd like to help change that. I increasingly feel a sense of responsibility to do more on that front.

    CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
    ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications
    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    Cody Beals wrote:
    ohhim wrote:
    Cody Beals wrote:
    [
  • My boyfriend, James - We've been together 3.5 years and he's only seen me race once in person. He's highly interested in my career, but has his own interests and isn't just a tri fanboy. He keeps fit, but he's not an elite athlete. James really keeps me grounded and helps keep my life in balance. Since pro triathlon is a career that influences every aspect of your life, it's easy for it to become a 24/7 obsession. For me, that's not ideal or conducive to longevity in the sport. James is my lifeline to the outside world!


  • Thank you for your transparency on this front as well. It took qualifying for Boston and 70.3 worlds, then winning a few local races at my end before thanking/referencing my partner on posts. Not sure why it is as much of a deal these days, but it is nice to see male athletes at the highest levels get over the stigma/fear that comes from acknowledging that our personal lives are a bit different from the norms.

    Are you anticipating any additional publicity as a result of this revelation (in conjunction with 3 - 70.3 wins and an IM win this season) and how do you intend to avoid making it a distraction?


    I'm glad you appreciate it. I've been out in my personal life for several years. I came out to the triathlon world in a TRS interview a couple years ago. Since then, I haven't made any secret about being gay, but it's not front and center in my triathlon career. I feel privileged to live in a time and place where it doesn't have to be a big deal. Despite this climate of acceptance I've benefited from, I've chosen not to play it up as gay athlete. At first, I decided that I'd rather build a reputation and following due to my racing and personality. I've even turned down some overtly gay sponsorship opportunities and interviews.

    That said, I've also come to appreciate that I'm in a position to help other people feel more comfortable and increase acceptance through my visibility as an out athlete. I receive some touching messages of support from other queer athletes and their loved ones every time it comes up. I remained in the closet for far too long, partly because I lacked what I felt were relatable gay role models. Sports are still an intimidating and unwelcoming sphere for many queer people and I'd like to help change that. I increasingly feel a sense of responsibility to do more on that front.

    Hey Cody, just delving into the political world here for a moment. Personally I'm not a fan of the label "queer". It's just all people. Some people love people of the opposite sex, some people love people of the same sex....but if we are to have a level field in society, then it's all just people....no normal people no queer people. That's my mindset. We're all equal (something that Obama stressed yesterday...and the thing I love about being an athlete is we may look different, act different, have different languages, religions, professions, and other passions....but hey, we have that common ground about obsessing about splits, results, watts, pace clocks, aero helmets, compression socks, skinsuits, electronic shifting etc which brings us together....and the funniest one is obsessing about latex which is a conversation I was having with the co founder at my company who rides TT's....I was saying, "you're crazy not using latex"....now that would be funny if our HR biz partner walked in at that moment not realizing we're talking TT bikes

    Dev
    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [DFW_Tri] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    DFW_Tri wrote:
    I totally get the wait-until-I-feel-I-am-“fullyâ€-ready mentality. But, Here’s the number one reason to go for it sooner rather than later. You’re “later†plan assumes there will be a later and that later will be better/faster. Assumes you continue to improve, stay injury free, that other things in life won’t get in the way, etc, Meanwhile, you *might* be giving up your best year/years for the potential promise of a future good result that may never come. But I also think putting it to a vote by strangers is crazy!!! Best of luck in your decision!

    I hear you. But I can't say I'd feel regret or disappointment if I were suddenly forced into retirement without racing Kona. It's just not a passion or burning desire I feel at this point. My coach and I are in agreement that Kona is mostly a waste of time until I feel confident in having a good shot at the top ten. Anything less than that may be a "learning experience", "personal development" and all the other platitudes that athletes console themselves with after a disappointing race. But it's still a failure with respect to advancing my career, earning a living and perhaps even my personal enjoyment of the sport.

    Asking you guys to vote is a little crazy and would admittedly be a publicity stunt. But in a sense, it reflects the fact that the age groupers and spectators are the ones who ultimately drive my bottom line, whether it's by shelling out to Ironman, supporting my sponsors or at least giving me clicks/views. My agent and a few fans are trying to brand me as the "People's Pro" and a stunt like this wouldn't hurt!

    CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
    ASICS | Ventum | Martin's | HED | VARLO | Shimano | 4iiii | Keystone Communications
    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    devashish_paul wrote:
    Cody Beals wrote:
    ohhim wrote:
    Cody Beals wrote:
    [
  • My boyfriend, James - We've been together 3.5 years and he's only seen me race once in person. He's highly interested in my career, but has his own interests and isn't just a tri fanboy. He keeps fit, but he's not an elite athlete. James really keeps me grounded and helps keep my life in balance. Since pro triathlon is a career that influences every aspect of your life, it's easy for it to become a 24/7 obsession. For me, that's not ideal or conducive to longevity in the sport. James is my lifeline to the outside world!


  • Thank you for your transparency on this front as well. It took qualifying for Boston and 70.3 worlds, then winning a few local races at my end before thanking/referencing my partner on posts. Not sure why it is as much of a deal these days, but it is nice to see male athletes at the highest levels get over the stigma/fear that comes from acknowledging that our personal lives are a bit different from the norms.

    Are you anticipating any additional publicity as a result of this revelation (in conjunction with 3 - 70.3 wins and an IM win this season) and how do you intend to avoid making it a distraction?


    I'm glad you appreciate it. I've been out in my personal life for several years. I came out to the triathlon world in a TRS interview a couple years ago. Since then, I haven't made any secret about being gay, but it's not front and center in my triathlon career. I feel privileged to live in a time and place where it doesn't have to be a big deal. Despite this climate of acceptance I've benefited from, I've chosen not to play it up as gay athlete. At first, I decided that I'd rather build a reputation and following due to my racing and personality. I've even turned down some overtly gay sponsorship opportunities and interviews.

    That said, I've also come to appreciate that I'm in a position to help other people feel more comfortable and increase acceptance through my visibility as an out athlete. I receive some touching messages of support from other queer athletes and their loved ones every time it comes up. I remained in the closet for far too long, partly because I lacked what I felt were relatable gay role models. Sports are still an intimidating and unwelcoming sphere for many queer people and I'd like to help change that. I increasingly feel a sense of responsibility to do more on that front.


    Hey Cody, just delving into the political world here for a moment. Personally I'm not a fan of the label "queer". It's just all people. Some people love people of the opposite sex, some people love people of the same sex....but if we are to have a level field in society, then it's all just people....no normal people no queer people. That's my mindset. We're all equal (something that Obama stressed yesterday...and the thing I love about being an athlete is we may look different, act different, have different languages, religions, professions, and other passions....but hey, we have that common ground about obsessing about splits, results, watts, pace clocks, aero helmets, compression socks, skinsuits, electronic shifting etc which brings us together....and the funniest one is obsessing about latex which is a conversation I was having with the co founder at my company who rides TT's....I was saying, "you're crazy not using latex"....now that would be funny if our HR biz partner walked in at that moment not realizing we're talking TT bikes

    Dev

    Dev, I completely agree with you. One of my favourite things about triathlon and endurance sports is that we athletes are far more interested in each others' PR, KQ, TT, 70.3, etc. than orientation, politics or religion.

    I'm not a fan of labels in general, but queer is simply a convenient catchall term for anyone who doesn't fit neatly into a conventional heterosexual box. Of course we're all unique and abnormal in wonderful ways. I just prefer the term "queer" to the ridiculous alphabet soup that is LGBTQQIP2SAA (or whatever the latest iteration is)!

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    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    Cody Beals wrote:
    devashish_paul wrote:
    Cody Beals wrote:
    ohhim wrote:
    Cody Beals wrote:
    [
  • My boyfriend, James - We've been together 3.5 years and he's only seen me race once in person. He's highly interested in my career, but has his own interests and isn't just a tri fanboy. He keeps fit, but he's not an elite athlete. James really keeps me grounded and helps keep my life in balance. Since pro triathlon is a career that influences every aspect of your life, it's easy for it to become a 24/7 obsession. For me, that's not ideal or conducive to longevity in the sport. James is my lifeline to the outside world!


  • Thank you for your transparency on this front as well. It took qualifying for Boston and 70.3 worlds, then winning a few local races at my end before thanking/referencing my partner on posts. Not sure why it is as much of a deal these days, but it is nice to see male athletes at the highest levels get over the stigma/fear that comes from acknowledging that our personal lives are a bit different from the norms.

    Are you anticipating any additional publicity as a result of this revelation (in conjunction with 3 - 70.3 wins and an IM win this season) and how do you intend to avoid making it a distraction?


    I'm glad you appreciate it. I've been out in my personal life for several years. I came out to the triathlon world in a TRS interview a couple years ago. Since then, I haven't made any secret about being gay, but it's not front and center in my triathlon career. I feel privileged to live in a time and place where it doesn't have to be a big deal. Despite this climate of acceptance I've benefited from, I've chosen not to play it up as gay athlete. At first, I decided that I'd rather build a reputation and following due to my racing and personality. I've even turned down some overtly gay sponsorship opportunities and interviews.

    That said, I've also come to appreciate that I'm in a position to help other people feel more comfortable and increase acceptance through my visibility as an out athlete. I receive some touching messages of support from other queer athletes and their loved ones every time it comes up. I remained in the closet for far too long, partly because I lacked what I felt were relatable gay role models. Sports are still an intimidating and unwelcoming sphere for many queer people and I'd like to help change that. I increasingly feel a sense of responsibility to do more on that front.


    Hey Cody, just delving into the political world here for a moment. Personally I'm not a fan of the label "queer". It's just all people. Some people love people of the opposite sex, some people love people of the same sex....but if we are to have a level field in society, then it's all just people....no normal people no queer people. That's my mindset. We're all equal (something that Obama stressed yesterday...and the thing I love about being an athlete is we may look different, act different, have different languages, religions, professions, and other passions....but hey, we have that common ground about obsessing about splits, results, watts, pace clocks, aero helmets, compression socks, skinsuits, electronic shifting etc which brings us together....and the funniest one is obsessing about latex which is a conversation I was having with the co founder at my company who rides TT's....I was saying, "you're crazy not using latex"....now that would be funny if our HR biz partner walked in at that moment not realizing we're talking TT bikes

    Dev


    Dev, I completely agree with you. One of my favourite things about triathlon and endurance sports is that we athletes are far more interested in each others' PR, KQ, TT, 70.3, etc. than orientation, politics or religion.

    I'm not a fan of labels in general, but queer is simply a convenient catchall term for anyone who doesn't fit neatly into a conventional heterosexual box. Of course we're all unique and abnormal in wonderful ways. I just prefer the term "queer" to the ridiculous alphabet soup that is LGBTQQIP2SAA (or whatever the latest iteration is)!

    You mean 50 something year old people who parade around in lycra and shaved legs with tattoos? Not sure what box we should put "those people" into LOL!!! But yes, I like sport for the comfort zone it puts us into relative to each other.
    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    devashish_paul wrote:
    OK that's more like it (the Chatanooga +potential Kona trajectory). At least if nothing else maybe we can get Ashley Horner demoted to second page so you will have done some community service :-)

    In terms of swim more often/swim harder/swim with a group. I have one more question via a comment for you.

    In biking you and almost all on ST obsessively focus on shaving every newton of aerodynamic retarding force. We're all into the aerodynamics so with that's I'll lead into the swim:



    If there was an ST contest for contorting your body into the shape of a torpedo, Phelps would win it. But getting in this position is not as simple as getting fit in the wind tunnel. The top swimmers have the maleability in the entire body to hold the torpedo shape through their entire stroke. But to do that, the only way is to morph your body swimming more and holding the streamline all the time.

    I think our first instinct in a pack swim when we are gapped is to pull harder. But if we were drafting on a bike, we'd try to get as small as possible at the same time. When swimming hard, often in a group you get to practice being a hydrodynamic torpedo and the body shape can litterally change in time with more practice, almost like someone who does yoga all the time and can hold the poses for longer in more duress than a person who shoes up 2x per week.

    So since you are the aero king among ST pros, how much is this mindset influencing your swimming.

    On the flip side, I think LIonel is just trying to pull harder and use more of his available engine in the water.

    I wrote out a longer reply but lost it TWICE due to a glitch. Here's an abbreviated version.

    This is some next level stuff right here. I'm surprised by how little attention seems to be payed to drag and hydrodynamics, both with respect to technique and other details. For example, I see quite a few pros who don't bother shaving their arms for non-wetsuit swims.

    I've admittedly been guilty of neglecting this front. I was racing in a worn out old swim skin for years before recently upgrading to a new one. The improvement was quite noticeable and probably accounted for some of my recent swimming progress. I would never dream of running slow tires, for example, so I'm not sure why this oversight seemed acceptable...

    My impression is that swimming is the least mature of the three disciplines. It's the discipline with the greatest discrepancy between elite triathletes and elite single sport athletes. The best tri swimmers have long been impressively quick, but the level of tri swimming in general is clearly on the rise. I've had to make progress just to hold steady relative to the field over the course of my five year career. Most of that progress has been won through sustaining higher swim training load. Those gains will eventually plateau and I'll be more motivated to revisit stroke analysis as a potential means to eke out a little more progress.

    CodyBeals.com | Instagram | TikTok
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    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    That’s makes perfect sense. Good luck!
    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    Cody Beals wrote:
    devashish_paul wrote:
    OK that's more like it (the Chattanooga +potential Kona trajectory). At least if nothing else maybe we can get Ashley Horner demoted to second page so you will have done some community service :-)

    In terms of swim more often/swim harder/swim with a group. I have one more question via a comment for you.
    In biking you and almost all on ST obsessively focus on shaving every newton of aerodynamic retarding force. We're all into the aerodynamics so with that's I'll lead into the swim:
    If there were an ST contest for contorting your body into the shape of a torpedo, Phelps would win it. But getting in this position is not as simple as getting fit in the wind tunnel. The top swimmers have the malleability in the entire body to hold the torpedo shape through their entire stroke. But to do that, the only way is to morph your body swimming more and holding the streamline all the time.
    I think our first instinct in a pack swim when we are gapped is to pull harder. But if we were drafting on a bike, we'd try to get as small as possible at the same time. When swimming hard, often in a group you get to practice being a hydrodynamic torpedo and the body shape can literally change in time with more practice, almost like someone who does yoga all the time and can hold the poses for longer in more duress than a person who shoes up 2x per week.
    So since you are the aero king among ST pros, how much is this mindset influencing your swimming.
    On the flip side, I think Lionel is just trying to pull harder and use more of his available engine in the water.


    I wrote out a longer reply but lost it TWICE due to a glitch. Here's an abbreviated version.
    This is some next level stuff right here. I'm surprised by how little attention seems to be payed to drag and hydrodynamics, both with respect to technique and other details. For example, I see quite a few pros who don't bother shaving their arms for non-wetsuit swims.
    I've admittedly been guilty of neglecting this front. I was racing in a worn out old swim skin for years before recently upgrading to a new one. The improvement was quite noticeable and probably accounted for some of my recent swimming progress. I would never dream of running slow tires, for example, so I'm not sure why this oversight seemed acceptable...
    My impression is that swimming is the least mature of the three disciplines. It's the discipline with the greatest discrepancy between elite triathletes and elite single sport athletes. The best tri swimmers have long been impressively quick, but the level of tri swimming in general is clearly on the rise. I've had to make progress just to hold steady relative to the field over the course of my five year career. Most of that progress has been won through sustaining higher swim training load. Those gains will eventually plateau and I'll be more motivated to revisit stroke analysis as a potential means to eke out a little more progress.

    The same goes for beards and mustaches, all elite swimmers shave their face, as well as the rest of their bodies, before a big meet. :)


    "Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    ericmulk wrote:
    Cody Beals wrote:
    devashish_paul wrote:
    OK that's more like it (the Chattanooga +potential Kona trajectory). At least if nothing else maybe we can get Ashley Horner demoted to second page so you will have done some community service :-)

    In terms of swim more often/swim harder/swim with a group. I have one more question via a comment for you.
    In biking you and almost all on ST obsessively focus on shaving every newton of aerodynamic retarding force. We're all into the aerodynamics so with that's I'll lead into the swim:
    If there were an ST contest for contorting your body into the shape of a torpedo, Phelps would win it. But getting in this position is not as simple as getting fit in the wind tunnel. The top swimmers have the malleability in the entire body to hold the torpedo shape through their entire stroke. But to do that, the only way is to morph your body swimming more and holding the streamline all the time.
    I think our first instinct in a pack swim when we are gapped is to pull harder. But if we were drafting on a bike, we'd try to get as small as possible at the same time. When swimming hard, often in a group you get to practice being a hydrodynamic torpedo and the body shape can literally change in time with more practice, almost like someone who does yoga all the time and can hold the poses for longer in more duress than a person who shoes up 2x per week.
    So since you are the aero king among ST pros, how much is this mindset influencing your swimming.
    On the flip side, I think Lionel is just trying to pull harder and use more of his available engine in the water.


    I wrote out a longer reply but lost it TWICE due to a glitch. Here's an abbreviated version.
    This is some next level stuff right here. I'm surprised by how little attention seems to be payed to drag and hydrodynamics, both with respect to technique and other details. For example, I see quite a few pros who don't bother shaving their arms for non-wetsuit swims.
    I've admittedly been guilty of neglecting this front. I was racing in a worn out old swim skin for years before recently upgrading to a new one. The improvement was quite noticeable and probably accounted for some of my recent swimming progress. I would never dream of running slow tires, for example, so I'm not sure why this oversight seemed acceptable...
    My impression is that swimming is the least mature of the three disciplines. It's the discipline with the greatest discrepancy between elite triathletes and elite single sport athletes. The best tri swimmers have long been impressively quick, but the level of tri swimming in general is clearly on the rise. I've had to make progress just to hold steady relative to the field over the course of my five year career. Most of that progress has been won through sustaining higher swim training load. Those gains will eventually plateau and I'll be more motivated to revisit stroke analysis as a potential means to eke out a little more progress.


    The same goes for beards and mustaches, all elite swimmers shave their face, as well as the rest of their bodies, before a big meet. :)

    But...to Cody and Eric this is a second order savings just like dimpled/textured equipment/suits are on the bike. The first order savings is the aero position on the bike or the torpedo position in the water. I think the macro gains are right there. As Mark Spitz showed, shaving down is less important than the actual shape that you can put your body into WHILE pulling hard. For more of us, our hydrodynamic profile just turns to a parachute while pulling hard (kind of like standing up out of the saddle pushing a big watt surge rather than staying aero and doing the same watt).
    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    Cody Beals wrote:
    AquaBikePatti65 wrote:


    I've not been convinced that this is worth trying to alter through orthotics or delibarate technique changes. First, I have essentially zero injury history. I can literally count on one hand the number of runs I've missed due to injury (just a bout of Morton's neuroma due to tight shoes in 2010 and a mild calf strain this year). My durability seems to be one of my greatest assets as an athlete and the overpronation obviously isn't causing any injuries.

    Hey congrats on a phenomenal race, really enjoyed following it. If you're still answering questions, can I ask how you overcame your Morton's neuroma? I'm dealing with that now and have been doing conservative measures for some time. Thanks very much.

    -------
    http://www.y-rocket.blogspot.com/
    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [TriSRV] [ In reply to ]
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    TriSRV wrote:
    Hey congrats on a phenomenal race, really enjoyed following it. If you're still answering questions, can I ask how you overcame your Morton's neuroma? I'm dealing with that now and have been doing conservative measures for some time. Thanks very much.

    It can be a really persistent, insidious injury! I think that the origin in my case was a combination of shoes that were too small/narrow (especially in the forefoot) which was exacerbated by wearing thick winter running socks. Once that bundle of nerves between the metatarsals becomes inflamed, it's tough to get the inflammation down. It felt like a marble between my metatarsals at its worst and I may still have some residual scar tissue built up there.

    I took a shotgun approach and tried a number of things to deal with the injury. The most critical thing was switching to shoes with a wider toe box. Even briefly wearing tighter shoes could result in a setback. I also avoided walking with bare feet by wearing slippers or sandals around the house. The next most helpful thing was a taping technique I developed. I would pack soft foam pads (actually makeup remover pads) between the two problematic toes and gently secure them in place with athletic tape. This had the effect of spreading the metatarsals and taking pressure off the inflamed nerve bundle. It felt odd and uncomfortable, but it was better than the pain. Towards the end of the injury, I took a few days off running, but that was more of a precaution. Finally, I tried an off-the-shelf metatarsal lift, icing and NSAIDs, but I'm not convinced they did anything at all.

    Good luck!

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    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    ericmulk wrote:
    The same goes for beards and mustaches, all elite swimmers shave their face, as well as the rest of their bodies, before a big meet. :)

    Maybe so, but it's a fact that a beard earns you +10 stamina and +5 intimidation on the run... ;)

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    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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    It's funny how BikeRadar trashed the LG P-09... they'll need to revise their review as their helmet mashed a Ironman course record lol.

    https://www.bikeradar.com/...rneau-p-09-14-48753/
    Last edited by: propeloton: Sep 4, 18 7:23
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    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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    First off, congrats to a fantastic race. And hats off to being open to answering average forum joe questions which is super appreciated. Now to my question. I have a running and cycling background which I competed in both alongside but seperately so it felt only natural to compete in triathlons once in a while. I am an aweful swimmer though. For a while it was fun swimming with the slowest groups and than collecting many competitors on the bike and run. As I want to take the sport more seriously next year I would like to improve my swim speed (currently 1:50/100m). Any advice how you would structure a swim training plan when I will only have time for two hours of swimming a week due to job and family?

    I also tend to cramp up while swimming after about 1k slowing me down. Could that be a nutritional thing?

    Thanks, if you have any advice other than look up swim training in Youtube. There is just too much advice to choose from for my taste. I just need a starting point.
    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Sebi76] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    Sebi76 wrote:
    First off, congrats to a fantastic race. And hats off to being open to answering average forum joe questions which is super appreciated. Now to my question. I have a running and cycling background which I competed in both alongside but seperately so it felt only natural to compete in triathlons once in a while. I am an aweful swimmer though. For a while it was fun swimming with the slowest groups and than collecting many competitors on the bike and run. As I want to take the sport more seriously next year I would like to improve my swim speed (currently 1:50/100m). Any advice how you would structure a swim training plan when I will only have time for two hours of swimming a week due to job and family?

    I also tend to cramp up while swimming after about 1k slowing me down. Could that be a nutritional thing?

    Thanks, if you have any advice other than look up swim training in Youtube. There is just too much advice to choose from for my taste. I just need a starting point.

    Thank you!

    I'd like to keep this thread on topic: AMA about my IMMT race. I've already written a lot about my swim training and what I've found works for me. Without knowing a lot more about your situation, I'm not in a position to dispense training advice. That said, some general recommendations would be to swim as often as possible (maybe 3 x 40 min swims/week), swim with others and swim hard every session (not just steady, aerobic swims).

    I highly doubt the cramping is nutritional. It's almost certainly related to your fitness. If your legs are cramping up, make sure your kicking technique is correct (especially pointed toes). The group I swim with does a lot of kick sets (up to 20% total mileage) over the winter. I found this helpful despite the fact that kicking doesn't account for much propulsion at 70.3/IM swim pace.

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    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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    for me, I'm prone to leg cramps on the swim, and they are usually fitness and/or fatigue related. eg getting back in the water after a layoff or ramping up bike or run training. My calf muscles hate that.

    Swimming Workout of the Day:

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    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Sebi76] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    Magnesium did the trick for me, get it when I bike or run hard - before a swim. But magnesium can keep it away (for me).

    ---
    Long Distance PB: 8:25
    Instagram: larsschmidttri
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    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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    Thanks very much for the great reply (!), I'll try out those steps.

    -------
    http://www.y-rocket.blogspot.com/
    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Timtek] [ In reply to ]
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    Could you please point me to the video mentioned?I curious to know Cody's explanation, but I wasn't able to find the video. Thanks!
    Quote Reply
    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [crazyeng] [ In reply to ]
    Quote | Reply
    Oh crap, I mixed up Tyler Butterfield with Cody due to their similar bike positions. Sorry Cody!

    Here is the video I was thinking of, with the explanation I mentioned at 4:45 of the vid:







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    Madison photographer Timothy Hughes | Instagram
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    Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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    Cody - congrats on a very impressive showing in your Ironman debut. It was awesome watching you ripping it up out there on course. Looking forward to watching you continue to develop at the Ironman distance...if the first is any indication there is much more coming. Keep it real!

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