First HIM? Need Help/Advice

Triathlon Forum
1

Hi,

Im debating registering for the HIM in Muskoka, Ontario Canada on Sept 13th. If i were to do this race i would do it with the mindset of finishing as my main goal.

So here is a little background of my short triathlon career:

-began last summer. Raced 4 sprint triathlons with mediocre results but felt overly confident with the distance.This summer so far i’ve ran a 1/2 Marathon, completed 2 sprint triathlons and 1 race which was closer to the olympic distance (1.2km swim, 24km bike, 6.4km run)

My Run - Im currently 3 weeks into a Marathon Training plan and was planning on racing a marathon in the middle of October. I feel as though I could run a 1/2 marathon tomorrow if i needed to with somewhat good results.

My Bike - I ride probably 5 days a week but not always hard training sessions. I’ve done a couple 100km sessions but need a lot of work with fueling as I bonked hard on my last 100km training session. Ive been doing lots of hill as i live near gatineau parc, Quebec.

Swim - Didn’t have a great time with the swim last season but this season I feel amazing about my swims. I swam 1.2km in my last race and felt fine during and after wards.

Overall I know I need a tonne of work on my fueling and perhaps some additions to my nutrition and I am willing do whatever is needed. Im currently frantically reading through this guide, the hammer fueling guide -

http://www.hammernutrition.com/downloads/fuelinghandbook.pdf?utm_source=Endurance%2BAthletes%2BGuide%2Bto%2BSuccess&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=fuelingbook

So seeing as it is July 25th today and race day would be September 13th, I have a large amount of time to devote to training, willing to invest in whatever is needed to fuel properly/train…

Should I race and is it possible? I don’t mind being sore or out of commission for a few months afterwards if thats what it entails. A HIM would be amazing to check off for this season!

I know I am a rookie with little experience so I will take all advice/criticism happily! Thanks for the help ahead of time!

2

Should I race and is it possible?

Yes, it’s possible. No, you won’t be racing especially if your only goal is to finish.

3

Of course. You’ll do fine. Just build up those bike miles so you can comfortably complete about 70 miles and still have something left for a run. If you’re reasonably fit, you’ll be recovered from a 70.3 within a week.

4

Thanks a lot for the advice. My main worry i guess is getting proper fueling down in time for the race. How long does it usually take people? Im going to start around what i’ve read is the avg amount and just work up or down from there. 4 electrolytes, 25 ounces of fluid, 300 calories all per hour.

I have decided to register for the race today or tomorrow though!Thank you both for replying

5

Just practice nutrition in training. It’s not rocket science…don’t over-complicate it. The general rule is 250-300 calories/hour on the bike and about 1/2 that on the run for MOST people, but everyone’s different. Weather on race day, your fitness and pace, your sweat rate all contribute to what your personal nutrition plan should be. My advice? Keep it very simple. Train with what’s available on course. If that’s Gatorade and Power Bars/Power Gels, then train with that stuff.

Good luck.