However I am competitive … with myself. I have a goal time of 12hours. So I know I won’t be competing with the elites or anything silly. Realistically I want to do a 1 hour swim (or less), a 6 - 6:30 bike ride, and then my run kinda sucks…so I was hoping to hold on for a 5 hour marathon. Of course this depends on good weather. All bets are off if it is burining hot or raining. I know I should just want to finish…but honestly anyone can just finish in 17 hours. I want to do my best given the conditions. I have a plan for hot weather just as I do in case of rain.
Anyway…being competitive I want to save minutes where I can, despite knowing it won’t matter in the standings. But for me it’s a pride thing. I want to walk away knowing I did the best I could. That doesn’t mean I want to blow my wad on the bike and walk the marathon…it means I don’t want to be dawdling around doing stupid crap like talking to my buddies at a port-o-john on the bike course…or walking with my wife during the marathon. I’ll walk with her later.
So my thought was to get used to bike shorts with minimal padding because I don’t want to be changing clothes in transition. So I’ve been training on a normal pair of race shorts that have a real thin pad. That way I don’t have to change them in T1 or T2. So my first question…is that really silly at this point? I don’t want to spend 15 minutes in transition changing clothes. I want to be in and out in reasonable fashion.
Second question…On occassion I get what I’d call saddle sores. They appear where the saddle is rubbing through normal riding. Pretty standard stuff I am guessing. But I get them on my century rides with the low-padding shorts.
Is that something that will stop when I get in more long rides? Is that potentially a problem with my saddle fit? THey don’t happen to often, and don’t interfere with my run. But they can hurt. Kinda like pimples…but also like a blood blister really. Anyone else get that? Any quick solutions?
I could always wear the thicker padding on the chorts for the whole race…but I’d think they’d be annoying on the swim and run.
Try some chamois cream (you can have it in your transition bag) and better shorts. My tri shorts (Craft I think) also have a thin pad and while they aren’t as comfortable as the Assos bib shorts I wear when training, they cause me no saddle sore issues.
If those things don’t work, invest in a better saddle and or a bike fitting.
Although I have no doubt my bike fit has room for improvement…Isn’t it a bit late in the game to be making a fit change prior to IM? I’ve always heard that stuff is a no-no when your a month out.
if you are having issues with saddle sores that can be prevented by wearing a thicker padded bike short, I would simply wear the thicker padded shorts during the race and change in T2 into running shorts. If it takes you more than a minute or two to change shorts, than you have other problems.
as for the saddle sores…that comes from moisture and friction. Keep the area clean and dry when off the bike. Consider using a high quality chamois cream (assos, DZ nuts) when on the bike. Wash your bike shorts after every ride.
A fitting, John Cobb saddle and DZnuts chamois cream was my answer. I’m not in IM form but I’m creeping up on HIM and I’ve had no troubles with longer bricks with this combo. Now I’ve added the DeSoto Forza shorts and I’m in heaven. I guess your skin will toughen up but…I would rather butter up than get a calloused taint.
May not be for everyone, but the solution I developed for racing 1/2 IM’s (my first IM will be IMC in 17 days, 10 hours, not that we are counting) is to start with “more clothing” on, and “undress” through the race.
I start the swim with my singlet, and a pair of thin tri shorts under a pair of bike shorts, all under my wetsuit.
T1 lose the wetsuit, bike shoes on, off you go.
T2, switch shoes, lose the bike shorts, off you go.
Works for me and makes for faster transitions. The thin tri short ( I use an Orca) is hardly noticeable under the bike shorts for the ride, and you get the extra padding from the bike shorts.
No, shaving time like that isn’t stupid. You’d be amazed at how much time people lose in transition and chatting along the way on the marathon and during special needs. If you look at people who miss cutoffs you will see most of them have ridiculous t-times and if you could time their special needs stops I bet you’d find they lost 20 minutes.
One of the best pieces of race-day advice I got was that all the volunteers want to be your friend but you don’t have time for that. Be polite but keep moving. No socializing, no “resting” keep your ass moving. Stay away from people slower than you on the marathon. Stay away from those that want to chat and definately stay away from the people who are suffering. You will kick yourself if you come in at 12:02 and can look back and see exactly where you lost those two minutes talking to someone who needed a “boost”. Smile, say “keep it up!” and KEEP MOVING!
Also - I’ve never changed into bike shorts. Waste of time IMO and you can get yourself used to the thinner tri shorts pad.
Can’t give a whole lot of advice on the Ironman thing; I’m pretty much a short-course guy. (I like to race as often as I can.) I can give some advice on the issue of saddle sores, though. They have been a perennial problem for me, but I think I’ve finally gotten them under control this year.
There are two components to saddle sores: shorts/saddle fit, and cleanliness. The first one is, of course, dealt with by trial and error. Once you find a good pair of shorts, might as well get several more pairs of the same type. I’ve finally found a type of bibs that works well for me, and use this type on practically every ride. I use tri shorts only occasionally, just to make sure that I won’t get so badly chewed up during a race that I’ll be hobbled. This is, incidentally, how I go about running sockless also: pretty much only during races (with tons of Bodyglide in the shoes), or a few weeks prior to a race to make sure that my shoes wil work this way.
On the second issue, cleanliness, I’ll have to be fairly explicit. Firstly, shaving the perineum, with careful attention to the “gutters” of the thighs, is a pretty good start. This should be done either immediately before a ride, or no earlier than the night before. Secondly, washing with soap and water immediately before a ride is highly recommended. Thirdly, antibiotic ointment is pretty useful. I apply it after shaving, and before a ride if there has been some elapsed time between the two. Chamois cream goes over this first layer. Lastly, loose fitting, breathable clothing (preferably loose-fitting shorts) are highly recommended after a ride. Additional antibiotic ointment is helpful at this stage, too. These days, I always pack a pair of loose-fitting shorts and a beach towel in my transition bag. I change out of my tri shorts as quickly as I can after racing. (The beach towel allows some privacy - given how wrapped up everyone else is in packing up their stuff post-race, I don’t think anyone has ever noticed my wardrobe change.) Makes a huge difference in being able to return to regular training fairly quickly after a race.
I never gave any thought to what to wear immediately after a race but what you say makes some sense. I have something else to add to my list, thanks for posting.
X2 on the tri short with bike shorts over, all under the wetsuit. Takes 10 seconds to get the bike shorts off in T2.
I have applied cream after the swim as I was having issues but I did it by cramming a tube of chamois butter in my shorts and squeezing. and it helped. A little squishy for the first few minutes but fine after that. Took 10 seconds.
All in all it’s an extra 20 seconds and the weight of the shorts on the bike but I’m not that worried about it in an IM or a 1/2 and I’d rather be comfortable.
The general advice would be to go with the tri shorts but, since you have a proven tendency towards getting saddle sores in tri shorts, you need to add to the equation how much time you might lose if you have to ride the last part of the bike and run the marathon with a worst case saddle sore.
Your question is a little like asking how many spare tubes to carry. There is a general answer and then there is the answer for a course you know has lots of broken glass on it. Your particular ass appears to be made of glass so take that into account when filtering the “this is what I do” answers.
My two cents, if I were you, I’d at least start practicing putting on cycling shorts fast just in case. And, unless you get this saddle sore thing cleared up soon, I’d consider stopping any bike training in tri shorts too so as not to show up at the starting line with a bum butt.
lube up with something before the swim. i recently rode a 23-day tour where we averaged about 90 miles/day. i started to get some saddles sores after the first few days so i lubed up with what i had - sunscreen (i think i used lip balm one day). i had no saddle sore problems after that. more conventional lubes like chamois buttr or body glide work well, too.
First of all, changing shorts should not be a 20 minute affair … 30 to 40 seconds max. That’s the difference between walking and jogging 2 water stations on the run. Second, what is the added benefit of running in tri shorts? I wear Desoto 400 mile shorts for all three legs, and that has one of the thickest pads I’ve ever used. Before you commit to some hybrid strategy, I suggest you get some comfy bike shorts, and try a 45 minute brick run after your long ride. You’ll figure out pretty quickly whether they work or not. If they fit correctly, then running in them shouldn’t be an issue.
My two cents … for Ultraman Canada I decided that the best strategy on day 2 (273km ride) would be to double up. A nice pair of tri shorts with bib cycling shorts over top. I had the worst chafing and saddle sores ever. Bleeding and deep. They are just barely healed 9 days later.
I think the problem with wearing two pairs is that in all likelihood they might rub each other and bunch a little, causing more problems than they solve. I am pretty sure that is what happened to me. My strategy for IMC is going to be a trisuit with minimal padding, apply assos cream in T1 and suck it up buttercup. My taint may be sore, but I suspect I will not have any sores this time. It’s my last race of the year, so if I come out of it with a little pain I will recover.
If you have the bike mileage to ride between 6 and 6.5 hrs, then you should be just fine riding in a pair of tri shorts. The thing is, you’d want to at least half way confirm that by completing a half IM in bike shorts, and I think that boat has sailed already. One alternative is to get in a long ride of 80-100 miles or more in a pair of tri shorts and see how that goes.
Second, get some Butt butter and generously lube whatever shorts your wearing on raceday, on race morning. I’ve prepped tri shorts this way, and a remarkable amount stays around post swim, for the bike segment. However, for the last several years, I haven’t used anything and I’ve had no problems. Could be the experience of pulling on cold clammy shorts at five in the morning has helped this evolution.
If you haven’t made the transition to tri shorts by the time IMoo rolls around, swim in a pair of prelubed bike shorts. Your first transition will require no changes, which is good since that is the most crowded changing tent time. The second transition will require exchanging bike shorts for something to run in, but you should have a little more space and calm to conduct your business. Given that you are a lot drier after the bike (uh maybe, 2006 anyone?), a change over should take less than a minute.
Better than a 45 minute brick run, do your long runs in the shorts you plan riding in. You’d be surprised what bothers you 2 hours in that you didn’t even notice in the first hour.
I always do my training in what I am going to wear on race day. That’s the only way to know for sure. I wore a pair of shorts I really like for a 3 hour run I did, not training for IM before anyone lectures me, and after 2 hours I had the most painful chafing I’ve had in years. I’d worn them for 1 and 1:30 runs with no problem.
Your saddle sores will be far worse once you start out with a soaking-wet chamois. This will be my first IM too (ok- no laughing at the newbie giving advice!) but from my experience in long-distance touring following jumping in the lake first thing in the morning for my “bath”- they will not dry out. No matter the temperature.
I’m shooting for sub-12 too, and I really feel that the extra 1 minute per transition to ensure comfort is worth it. Really, really worth it. I’m not sure at the moment whether I will change to run shorts or not, but they’ll be in my T2 bag and a second pair in my special needs bag.
I also have experience in ultras that tells me that whenever you have a drop bag available- put an entire change of clothes in it. You never know.
Glad to hear there’s another IM first-timer trying to work out the kinks at this point in the game.
