This past weekend I raced in St. George, Utah at a small half ironman event and dropped out at mile 2 on the run. My swim was fine and the ride felt fine until about 40 miles when I gradually seemed to lose all energy. I was barely moving by the end and might not have started the run except I had a huge family cheering section. By mile 2, I stopped dead and decided something was not right. A passing car took me back to the ambulance where my entire body started to tingle and my blood pressure was 88/50. After resting and eating a big meal at the hospital I felt fine.
The only thing that I can think of to explain it was that I woke late and didn’t eat anything before the race. I never eat anything before most races, but perhaps half iron distance or longer requires a change in philosophy.
Any thoughts?
Chad
P.S. At Santa Cruz two weeks ago I followed the exact same fueling plan and had a great race (for me). The only difference was that I vaguely remember taking in about 250-300 calories of Hammer Gel an hour or so before the race.
Hydration was fine at the start. Had to pee right before the race began. The race started in the 60s and was probably in the 80s for the run. I drank approximately 60 oz on the bike over 3 hours (58.5 hilly miles at 3,000 feet). I haven’t checked my weight, but I doubt there was a change.
Because I didn’t run the half marathon I recovered very quickly and have run 7 hours 20 minutes with about 2:15 hours riding from Mon-Thurs of this week. No lingering effects.
WOW… that’s just CRAZY man! How can you NOT eat before a Half Ironman?
Yeah, I’ve already did some morning workouts without breakfast but never a RACE!
When you wake up you are completely empty! Remember that your body comes from 8-hour without any food and your glyco reserves are hitting the bottom! You gotta eat something!
You gotta eat and you gotta eat well… a large bowl of cereals 2 hours before the race would do the job! I’m amazed you got thru the swim and the bike. I’d guess I would never gotten out of the water cause I’m so used to eat first thing in the morning that sometimes I wake up just to eat and then go to sleep again!
Try to wake up 3 hours before a race and eat well… you’d be amazed how great you would perform!
I did 3 Half’s this summer and found I did best with a decent breakfast and taking most of my calories in on the first 3/4 of the ride. I probably should have DNF’d the second race but walked/shuffled the last 3 miles instead. The 3rd race I ran really well with more food. I had 1 gel+1 small bottle of gatorade + a few enduralyte tablets before the swim, 2 hammer flasks and 3 bottles of gatorade on the bike, a few cups of water and gatorade on the run. I added up my race calories to 1700 not including a bagel and peanut butter for breakfast. The previous race where I bonked, I ate about 1/2 that.
Not eating before very probably had something to do with your troubles. I always eat 400-500 cals at least 3 hours prior to the race. Also you don’t mention how many cals you took in on the bike. Last if you are a heavy sweater 60 oz of fluid in 3 hours at 80 F at the end migh be a little light.
Two questions to think about: what was it that you drank? If water, you were possibly depleting/diluting your electrolytes, especially if in hot weather. I’d GUESS that St. George, UT was pretty warm. I ALWAYS drink a race drink such as Accelerade or Gatorade which provide electrolytes and in hot weather races I supplement with an electrolyte capsule such as Succeed. If you get low on electrolytes, a condition known as hyponatremia, you’ll feel dizzy, get cramps, be weak and risk more serious conditions.
Okay, you didn’t eat anything before the race. Big mistake, but what did you consume DURING the race? I’ve taken to using gels even in olympic distance races and find I do much better, even with 2 or 3 gels, which give me an additional 300 calories on top of the energy drinks which give 100 calories or so for each 12 oz. In a HIM, you would certainly need some nutrition during (as well as before) the race. Most coaches I know agree that replenishing at the rate of about 300 or 350 calories per hour will keep you going. That could be as easy as drinking two bottles of Gatorade and one gel per hour!
Ah, but two weeks earlier at a half in Santa Cruz, Calif. I raced 4:38 on a very hard course with maybe 250 calories pre-race, 500 on the bike and maybe 100 on the run (my stomache couldn’t take anymore). I finished with a 1:24 run on a course with a mile of sand and 3-4 miles of rolling hills.
The only difference I can remember is the 250 calories pre-race. At St. George I took in 650 calories on the bike. I can’t believe the difference between a strong finish and a DNF is 250 calories.
The only difference I can remember is the 250 calories pre-race. At St. George I took in 650 calories on the bike. I can’t believe the difference between a strong finish and a DNF is 250 calories.
Chad
Not quite an expert and only been at the sport for like 5 years or so… but I think an expert’s/doc’s comment to that statement would be something like “you would be amazed…”
I’d bet you that you would break the 4:30 on that last HIM you did if you had a nice breakfast 3 hours before the race!
I agree w/Pedro - nutrition is key - before a 1/2 IM, I usually eat a bagel, 2-3 bananas, a pear, cottage cheese, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 serving of Sustained Energy, and shot of Hammergel. No sugar. Somewhere around 1200-1500 calories. I weigh 163 - so that does matter.
I appreciate everyones input. Based off of past races if I ate that much I would have stomache meltdown.
The other disparity between the two races was the training in the week leading up to the race. At Santa Cruz I had a 4:20 ride at 235 watts and a 2:15 run on Monday/Tuesday as part of a 16 hour bike/run week. I could tell as I ran around the parking lot that day that my legs had some serious juice in them. I felt like the entire day was near effortless until the last five miles of the run.
The week before St. George I did several easy days and two short race pace workouts with more rest than usual. The day of the race I felt decent, but not that “rearin’ to go” feeling I had at St. George. It was all very strange.
I used Pepetuem at both races, but put an extra scoop in for St. George because I knew the ride was long and hilly. Along with that I drank water. The temperature on the bike probably did not pass 75 degrees until very late in the ride. Oh, and I weigh 154 at 72 inches.
You flew at Big Kahuna - 4:38 is awesome (you crushed me) but I wouldn’t describe that course as even close to hard…the swim is cold and in the ocean (these days thats unfortunately hard) - bike rolling - run is almost completely flat. I’d say its on par as one of the easier half’s in California…just my opinion.
As to your question - no idea. Maybe just wasn’t your day. I was thinking of decreasing my breakfast for my next half - but I think I’ll stick with what has worked…thanks.
A coach can’t hold your hand on race day. I agree with Paul D. on the other thread about firing your coach. At the end of the day its time to step up and take some responsibility. I should have paid closer attention to my meal the night before, the time I needed to get up, what I ate and other smaller details. Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you don’t.
At Santa Cruz I ate very little before the race, pulled a muscle in my calf when I couldn’t get my wetsuit off and drank maybe 40 ounces of water all day. An yet, I was flying that day.
I know you were partly kidding and I appreciate your sense of humor.
Exactly - you can’t hold anyone’s hand. One thing we do ALWAYS do is have a pre-race week plan, nutrition plan, and race plan. Being able to go over that with someone who has literally created and reviewed thousands of those, is well worth the price of admission. Of course no coach can help you on race day, but preparing you for the race, is a coach’s job, no doubt about it.
Conversely, in this case, you got the best lesson there is, and that is race experience. No coach can teach you that.
I’ll think you’ll straighten things out for next time.
