Good news: I just finished my last race of the year which was a 1/2 IM. I hit my goal time improving in all three portions and cut 29 minutes off my time from last year.
Bad news: The run was painful from start to finish. My glutes cramped for the first time ever. That went away at the two mile point then my quads started acting up soon after and continued to the end. Walking at the water stations didn’t help so I just gritted my teeth and ran through it.
I took four Endurolytes the day before the race then two in the morning and two more at T2. I hydrated well during the race. I feel like my training was adequate.
I’m guessing I hit it a little too hard on the bike (glutes and quads cramped but not calves). Other than turning that down a notch, is there anything else I can do next time?
I don’t believe so.
Sounds like you were sensible about avoiding hyponatremia the day before, which is smart. LOTS of people go into the race hyponatremic because they chug water the day before to try and “superhydrate.” Electrolytes on Saturday are crucial. Of course, if you took 4 endurolytes and like two gallons of water, then that goes right out the window…
So given that, did you make sure to get enough electrolytes during the race? What did you eat/drink/supplement during the race? Have you tried higher electrolyte intake during training?
Second thing to look at it positioning on the bike. Especially on a flat course, many people end up spending much more time in continous aero than they are used to. Even if you ride 5 or 6 hours, it is important to make sure that you are disciplined about being in your race position for long stretches. If that isn’t comfortable, work on flexibilty and re-examine your positioning to make sure you are well situated on the bike.
And, of course, make sure not to pop yourself on the bike. 