I need some help. I’m 40 and an above average runner. I averaged 6:16 on my last 5k. I bike about 19 mph on an olympic distance tri. I did Memphis in May this past week. I did a dual about 6 weeks ago. My problem is I start to cramp in my quads and hams during the run after the bike. I can go on 10 mile runs and be fine, 45 mile bikes and fine. However, after I come off the bike I cramp so bad I have to stop and can’t walk. It’s happened my last 2 races and it’s very frustrating. I raced at 8 am. At 545 am I ate some oatmeal, banana and drank a 64 oz. gatorade.
At 7 I ate a powerbar and drank some water (16 oz.) During the bike I drank a waterbottle of 1/2 water and 1/2 gatorade. I locked up on the first mile of the run and it continued. I drank at every water station.
I must be lacking something in my diet. Or could it be something I’m doing wrong on the bike? It only happens after I get off the bike and run.
Can anyone give me some advice. ? I’d really appreciate it.
BILL BOYD Memphis In May.
Swim 28 min., 25 mile bike 19.2 m.p.h., run … 12 min. miles!!
“During the bike I drank a waterbottle of 1/2 water and 1/2 gatorade.”
Doesn’t look like enough to me. In that race, on the bike, I drank about 90% of 2 waterbottles and each had accelerade with about 75% of the recommended powder in it, i.e., diluted 25%, and took 3 endurolytes as I came through T2.
If you run 18:40 5k it appears your fitness level is sufficient and the cramps are more then likely not a result of sodium depletion. When do you see the onset of cramps? Is it immediately upon beginning the run or four to five miles into the run? I would suspect the cramping is more a result of your lack of bike fitness. It wasn’t that hot on Sunday in Memphis. So I wouldn’t think you could have loss that much sodium in the olympic race. Try using a drink like Infinit to supplement your sodium. I started using Infinit this year and I swear by it now and preach it to everyone that has an ear to listen. I have never found anything close that provides energy and replaces as it does.
My wife gets exactly the same thing. She was well hydrated, plenty of electrolytes etc at Wildflower and cramps the whole run. I think it is a training issue I.E. more training and especially working on bike-run bricks. Maybe a good stretch of the quads before the run and check to see if your stride is too long.
Thanks for the input. I guess all I can do is experiment. Does anyone think it could be too much gatorade? I usually drink water but figure I need it with the races. 2 weeks before the race I did a 33 mile bike and a 4 mile run and didn’t have any trouble. I consciensly didn’t push the bike as hard as i could becasue I wanted to save for the run. I did push but not all out. (90%). I tried to stay in a easy gear. I will admit I do have weak legs. They are not strong, therfore, I try to spin as much as possible. Could it be angles on the bike? Leg angels etc ?..
Last year I didn’t have this problem. I’ve been trying to figure out what’s different besides my age.
I agree with Mike. It looks like you drank a ton of Gatorade before the race, but my guess is that you had to pee a couple of times before the start of the race. You end up peeing out what you put in so your body is in balance before the race starts. If you don’t replace enough DURING the race is when you have trouble on the run. I drank a whole bottle of full strength gatorade Rain with a pinch of salt mixed in (homemade Endurance Formula grin) and about half a bottle of the Endurance Formula that they were handing out at mile 14.
I used to get bad cramps starting within 100 meters coming out of T2 until I started doing short 1 to 2 mile transition runs off of almost every bike ride. Then the problem totally went away. I drink about 1.5 bottles (1 gatorade + 1/2 water) on the oly bike.
I am very similar to you in running ability, and I have had the same problem in 4 out of the 7 tris I have done. In my case there are 3 possible causes
I struggle in the water.
Perhaps riding in to big of a gear and blowing up on the bike.
Lack of true brick training.
I just hired a coach after Wildflower this year and he told me this year that I was probably pushing to big of a gear, and this mixed with a lack of true brick training creates the cramping.
This made sense because at a race before Wildflower I encountered HEAVY gusty winds forcing me to use small chainring with high 90’s / low 100 rpm, for a large portion of the bike. When the run started I had no cramping.
My coach has me scheduled for at least 2 bricks per week. 1 a Trainer workout
12min on bike followed by 1 mile run x 3 or 4 at race pace.
I will be starting the longer runs off of the bike after my long Saturday ride next week. This week it is 25 mile ride 4 mile run. Next week it is 50miles and 4 (Ouch!).
Not sure if this helps. I had leg cramping issues (quads) at around 11-12 mile mark during everyone of my races last year. I would do 18-22 mile training runs at just over an 8 minute pace, no problems. My 1/2 marathon race pace is about 7 minute pace. I took endurolytes and had pretty good race nutrition. I could get through the 1/2 marathons and 1/2 irons without killing my times too much, but anything further than that my legs just continued to lock up. I worked with my coach and we thought it was dehydration. So I hydrated. I had a February marathon and at mile 13, legs started to lock up. Finally, he asked what the hell are you doing different between racing and training. I said resting and hydrating. Dohhhh…I was drinking too much WATER before my races and apparently diluting my electrolytes. So, I now I drink cytomax and sports drink starting the day prior to race, no water. Also, I started to drink V8 which has a ton of sodium and potassium. It worked for me!! Plus, when I had the cramping issues, my legs were garbage for a week. No cramps, my recovery was back to my normal 2-3 days.
I have had very similar experiences. Me: 39 y.o., 6:15s for a 5K, maybe 6:45s for 10 mi. When I ran off the bike, I got significant cramping. Then I started developing cramping on the bike, even in training, at 30-40 miles. For hours after a ride, my calves and quads would fasciculate, trying to cramp. It got gradually worse through 2005, until, at Lake Placid last year (my fourth IM), I had severe hamstring cramping during the first lap of the swim (made for a long day, needless to say). I did some research and tried salt tabs - no better. I switched to Endurance Formula Gatorade for training - no better. Then I started taking a Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc supplement every day, along with a Vit D supplement. Cramping GONE, almost instantaneously. Have since been vigilant about the Ca/Mg/Zn supps and a multivitamin, and have been able to push through some major training mileage and an early-season 70.3 race without any problems. It’s an easy fix to your problems and something we all need more of anyway. Try it - I bet it works. Hope this helps: keep us posted.
Wow. I hit the gold mine here. Thanks for all the great advice. I’ll play with them all. One thing is for sure… different things work for different people. I did urineate 2-3 times prior to the race. I thought that was a good thing. I figured my body was hydrated properly and the excess was out. I will add more bricks or at least a mile or two after 2 bikes a week. I’ll also try the supplements. They can’t hurt. I’ll make sure I drink more on the bike. I was out of water at mile 14 and they gave me that gatorade. I thought they were angels sent from heaven, then while opening it I dropped it !! I could have cried. Again thanks guys.
I’ll also try the hydration drink someone was talking about. I"ll try anything!!
I know you guys know this but when you train very hard, pay 1,000’s for a bike drive, etc…
then you get a cramp and mess it all up, the advice is worth alot of $
I’ve had a similar thing happen to me, although usually in longer events (HIM’s and all-day AR’s) vs. Olys and Sprints.
I find that hitting a Gu (prefer Gu over Hammer for this due to the caffeine) and mebbe 1-2 Succeed! electrolyte tabs (MUCH better IMHO that Endurolytes, which have hardly any sodium in 'em, I only use those for training, since I have a coupla free bottles kicking around), with a swig or 2 of water sets me straight within a few minutes. I also had 2 Vitamin I and a caffeine pill when this happened to me during the race on Sunday, and after it all had a chance to kick in, I felt much much better and the cramps all but went away. I had to keep having another gel every 15-20 mins or so to keep them at bay however.
I do LOTS of bricks, and never have this problem in training. So, another factor may be that I’m a crappy swimmer, and even tho I don’t kick all that hard or much during the swim, perhaps that also has an effect.
I’m a recent InfinIT convert. Having all my electrolytes and calories right in one bottle makes life SO much easier on the bike. Plus, unlike w/ Perpetuem (which I used last season), it “plays well with others”, so if you want to then have some Gatorade or whatever, you won’t have a volcanic eruption in your gut.
I think cramping is a combination of several factors: hydration, electrolytes, nutrition, and prior bike pacing. You should try to address all of them as best you can.
I am looking forward to LP and having a decent run split. I did Devilman and so nice to feel strong at the end of the run!!