The skinny:
0:49 swim. As a non-swimmer I enjoyed the current assist. The course suited me well.
5:03 bike. Fantastic weather and gently rolling terrain made for a fast ride. Passed a draft party then rode solo for the 2nd loop. Took in a crapload of calories and maintained steady power until the end.
3:07 run. Nice mix of flat and hilly, and very well supported. Took in a crapload more calories. Started easy-ish, and positive split ~4’ between loops. I ran without an insole most of the way.
9:08 overall, 1st M40-44, 2nd am, 22 OA, Kona-bound for 2015
Lovely course, fun city, and fantastic crowd and volunteer support. I would do this race again in a heartbeat.
WRT the calories, I’m curious how much/what you took in
I generally consume ~500 cals/hour throughout an IM, half from liquids, half from solids/gels. I’ll consume a tad more during the early stages of the bike, before fatigue takes away my appetite. At IMCHOO I took a gel just before the swim, a powerbar out of T1, then alternated gel/powerbar every 30-40 min. I ate 4 powerbars total, then started taking bananas at the aid stations. I drank about 6 bottles of Perform and some water here and there during the bike (peed 3 times before T2). During the run, I downed a gel every 30 min, and walked through every aid station to drink 1-2 full cups of Perform and maybe some water.
So the total consumption works out to 4 powerbars (960 cals), ~12 gels (1200 cals), 1 banana (100 cals), and ~9 bottles of Perform (1890 cals).
A few things to note:
Never had a GI issue in my 6 IMs, despite experimenting with fueling strategies. My stomach is fairly resilient, but this system may not work for others.
I make sure the drinks and gels have a crap-ton of sodium (my total sodium intake for the race is ~10K mg)
No caffeine until mile 80 of the bike.
No special needs. Everything I consume I either bring with me or pick up at aid stations.
WRT the calories, I’m curious how much/what you took in
I generally consume ~500 cals/hour throughout an IM, half from liquids, half from solids/gels. I’ll consume a tad more during the early stages of the bike, before fatigue takes away my appetite. At IMCHOO I took a gel just before the swim, a powerbar out of T1, then alternated gel/powerbar every 30-40 min. I ate 4 powerbars total, then started taking bananas at the aid stations. I drank about 6 bottles of Perform and some water here and there during the bike (peed 3 times before T2). During the run, I downed a gel every 30 min, and walked through every aid station to drink 1-2 full cups of Perform and maybe some water.
So the total consumption works out to 4 powerbars (960 cals), ~12 gels (1200 cals), 1 banana (100 cals), and ~9 bottles of Perform (1890 cals).
A few things to note:
Never had a GI issue in my 6 IMs, despite experimenting with fueling strategies. My stomach is fairly resilient, but this system may not work for others.
I make sure the drinks and gels have a crap-ton of sodium (my total sodium intake for the race is ~10K mg)
No caffeine until mile 80 of the bike.
No special needs. Everything I consume I either bring with me or pick up at aid stations.
Nice race and fun report to read. Not that your bike time was slow, but I’m intrigued by how much off it was from Chris’s time. You put out more watts, weigh roughly the same, yet his bike time was almost 20 min quicker. Can a bike like the Dimond Chris rides and maybe a more aero position account for that time gap?
Awesome run split you laid down! It’ll be nice to have a year to prep for Kona.
I’ve never seen different power meters report data that could be easily compared with another, seems like it’s more of a between device comparison thing.
Nice race and fun report to read. Not that your bike time was slow, but I’m intrigued by how much off it was from Chris’s time. You put out more watts, weigh roughly the same, yet his bike time was almost 20 min quicker. Can a bike like the Dimond Chris rides and maybe a more aero position account for that time gap?
Yeah, I’m curious about this as well. Can power meters really be this different? I mean 22.8 mph on 242 watts, what is your power meter?
I was 22.8 mph on 194 watts (Power2Max crank based PM). But hey, if you can run a 3:07 off of 242 watts, who cares, you da man!
In a nutshell, the core diet involves eating low glycemic index foods like fruits, vegetables, and legumes, while avoiding refined sugars and grains. In my case, this meant cutting back on bread, pasta, rice, and cereal. I used to eat cereal every day for breakfast (and often for snacks)… now it’s a banana in the morning (pre-workout) and a protein shake (post). Salads are my go-to lunch. Dinners tend to be light, with minimal carbs. Apples + almond butter and carrots + hummus are my snacks of choice. The only time I eat “easy” calories are during the workout window and when carb-loading before a race.
Great read, man. Congrats again!
My favorite part is the 1.25 IF. Studly.
Seriously, I can’t imagine putting down that kind of run split on that course.
Well,
I should say, I’m going to be imagining it a lot for the next year.
Shorter bike, harder run in Kona. I guess I better eats me spinach.
Can power meters really be this different?
From what I’ve heard, power meters that measure from the rear hub vs those that measure from the crank can produce noticeably different results. I’ve also seen significant differences in my own PM before and after calibration.
I mean 22.8 mph on 242 watts, what is your power meter?
Quarq sram (crank-based)
You put out more watts, weigh roughly the same, yet his bike time was almost 20 min quicker. Can a bike like the Dimond Chris rides and maybe a more aero position account for that time gap?
Can’t say for sure, but I suspect Chris’ actual power numbers are higher than what his PM reported. I thought for sure he would be in the 250-270 range.
