Ben Greenfield's Triathlon & Obstacle Racing Adventures, Tips & Tricks

Israman: It's Just A Thing - Top 10 Tips For Racing Israman Triathlon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 06:04:00 +0000

If you missed Part 1 and Part 2 of this special series of articles from Israman triathlon in Eliat, Israel, I'd highly recommend you go and read them, especially if you want to impress your friends with interesting tidbits about this part of the world, or get your mouth watering over Mediterranean cuisine.

In this article, I'm going to get into the nitty-gritty of the Israman triathlon itself. If you've every thought about doing this race, or want a sneak peek into what one of the hardest Half Ironman and Ironman triathlons on the face of the planet is like, then keep reading.

Or if you just want to find out how to stand on a bike for 20 miles, make your feet bleed and pound downhills until your quads are weeping, you can also keep reading. Below are my top 10 tips for racing Israman triathlon.

1. Make A Mantra

You're going to experience a few tough moments during the race. The air temperature and water is a little chilly on race morning. It's still dark out when you start swimming. The first 20K of the bike is nearly all steep climbing. T1 is in a different place than T2, which means you climb and climb on the bike...but never get the dessert: descending. There's a lot of wind. You bike and run in exposed desert.

So when you get into this kind of sticky situation, it always helps to have a mantra. My mantra was "It's Just A Thing." I don't remember where I first heard that phrase, but I think it may have been Mark Divine of SEALFIT. So when my teeth were chattering at the swim start: it's just a thing. When I realized a mile into the 56 mile bike that my borrowed bike seat post was too short and I'd be spending the majority of the bike ride standing: it's just a thing. When I looked down at my watch and saw that the first 40K of the bike took nearly 2 hours because of the brutal climbing: it's just a thing. And when the skin got scraped off the bottom of my feet from 8K of steep downhill running: it's just a thing.

2. Pack Like You're Bipolar.

Israman is cold in the morning. Then you climb into the mountains, where headwinds and crosswinds and elevation drop the temperature even further. Then you finish with a run that starts in the cold mountains but ends in the hot desert along the Red Sea. So bring gloves, arm warmers, leg warmers (unless you have hairy legs like me) and a coat or wind jacket. Sunscreen and chapstick are not bad ideas either. I used none of the items just listed and probably should have.

3. Don't Speedo It

If you show up in your swimsuit, skinsuit, speedsuit, speedo, banana hammock, budgy smuggler, ballbushka, or any other form of skimpy swimwear, be prepared to shiver hard. This race is wetsuit legal. So bring your wetsuit. No need for a neoprene cap or anything like that, and the water is crystal clear and smooth to boot. But it is a bit chilly due to the early 6:15-6:30am-ish race start.

4. Get Ready To Climb

As I've alluded to earlier, you ride from the Red Sea straight up into the mountains. The race opens with nearly 20km of climbing with an elevation gain of 700m, and a total elevation during the race of over 3000m (that's for the Iron distance and the Half is more than half that). As last year and this year's winner Petr Vabrousek reported on Slowtwitch:

"Everyone knows the climbs are tough - 10,000 feet of elevation gain matches the toughest tests in the sport," he said. "But today the desert side winds were brutal. Today there were times when I was riding hard but felt I was standing still. Another factor that makes this race so hard is the bike to run transition is still at 600 meters of elevation. So you don't get the advantage of a long downhill to finish the bike."

That 600 meters downhill starts the run and that declivity takes place over 10 precipitous kilometers. "When you start the run on such a speed downhill, you trash your legs," he said. "People may think that is easy, but with my 80 kilograms weight, my quads are screaming. My feet are screaming. Once I hit the flat, your speed is gone and all you have left is will. Usually I race in very light shoes, but here I ran in my heavy training shoes to absorb the punishment."

5. Don't Watch The Clock

Just face it - you're going to be slower than you expect during the bike ride. A lot slower. For example, 40K of a ride usually takes me about an hour and in this race, it was nearly double that. So don't watch your clock or you'll be disappointed in yourself. A power meter would be fine, but consider keeping the clock off or putting a bit of electrical tape on it.

Then just ride and pay attention to the topography and your gearing, and don't let your time get you down. I think my bike split was about 3 hours and 30 minutes - a good hour longer than my usual Half-Ironman bike split - and you can chalk much of that up to the pure difficulty of the bike course. Every time you think you're done climbing, there's simply another hill!

6. Practice Running Downhill

Like I mentioned earlier: you're going to run downhill at Israman. A lot. And it's steep. The first 10K or so of the entire half-marathon and marathon are straight down a road carved into the side of a mountain.

Your quads are going to take a beating from the constant "braking" you have to do during a downhill run, so send them some warnings in your training. Run steep downhills. Do some hard pounding with a treadmill at 0.0 incline. Strengthen the quads just a bit with some squats, lunges, and even leg extension machine at the gym. Your body will thank you later. And by all means, come prepared with the proper downhill running gear, which brings me to my next point...

7. Choose Your Shoes Wisely

I wore my usual shoe choice: my minimalist Skora racing flats with elastic shoe laces. These are great for speed, but don't offer much in the way of cushioning or tightness. So once I began pounding the downhill, it took about 5K for the bottom of both my heels to get rubbed raw as my feet slide around in my shoes. So I ended up walking and even running backwards for the next 5K.

A better shoe choice would be a slightly more cushioned shoe, and then non-elastic shoelaces that allow for a tigher lace-up. Just sayin'. The picture below shows my awesome, yet inappropriate, shoes.

8. It's Only Over When It's Over

So once you finish the chilly open water swim in the Red Sea, the steep climb into the mountains above Eliat, and the intense downhill running, that last part of the run should be a breeze, right? Not quite. It's only over when it's over - and the final sections of the run include flat but heat-exposed pavement pounding along the promenade that lines the Red Sea. It's beautiful, but by the this point you're physically and mentally beat up, and leg turnover is hard to maintain.

I recommend you pull out my second trick once you get here: count your steps. I counted to 100 over and over again, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in both feet with each step.

9. Don't Forget Your Flag

Finally...the finish line! Keep your eyes open if you're an early finisher, because once you reach the finish line chute, there's a guy with a bucket of little flags that represent each country. Take the time to stop and grab the tiny flag so you can carry it proudly across the finish line.

Warning: even a tiny flag feels very heavy at the end of Israman!

Yes, that's a nice greasy napkin.

10. Think Beyond Baklava

For those of you who had watering mouths reading my previous description of Mediterranean cuisine...

And for those of you concerned that Hummus, Falafel and Baklava may not hit the spot after several hours of racing in the desert...

Take heart.

Thanks to my gracious host for the trip (Vibe Israel) I was able to punish a gluten-free hamburger with the works: ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and pickles. Thank you for that, America. And of course, there was some nice Italian gelato to wash it all down.

Bon appetit, and leave your questions, comments and feedback about the Israman triathlon below. I promise to answer any of your questions about race preparation, aid stations, fueling, course logistics, or anything else. Just promise me you'll think about racing this one - it's well worth the trip!

Poomergency! Poomergency! Thailand Triathlon Adventure 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 21:03:00 +0000

Well, appropriately enough - and I hope you appreciate the vivid imagery - I am typing this blog post while lightly perched upon my toilet at home in America.

Yes, I have finally made it home from the three week Thailand Triathlon Adventure 2013. Barely. And I must still be within 10 feet of a toilet at all times. I'm dead serious.

They actually had to re-seat me to be next to the bathrooms on the plane to accommodate my clock-work like mid-flight poo-mergencies.

So what the crap happened?

Although this entire trip was the epic adventure of a lifetime (just wait till you see the killer photos below), just 2 days prior to the flight home I was struck (inconveniently, 2K into the run portion of the Half Ironman triathlon) by the liquid poopies from the depths of hell. Big time.

As a matter of fact, for the first time ever during a race, I actually pooped my pants.

Shat my chamois.

Soiled my spandex.

Whatever you'd like to call it.

And we're not talking "tire streaks" or "liquid toots" here. I full on exploded in my pants. Like, they were full, and then spilling out onto my legs and into my shoes.

At one point, my entire lower body was covered in "mud" and I had to run back behind the house of some old Thai dude to hose myself off so I could at least cross the finish line without appearing to be a giant crap-covered Timex advertisement crossing the finish line.

According to the docs at the medical clinic, at some point during the week I acquired some kind of opportunistic bacteria that was likely from the lagoon water in which we swam during the first triathlon of the week.

If it's any consolation, it wasn't just me that came down with this malady. I spoke with dozens of others who were struck by the same puke-a-rama, flu-like symptoms and flaming liquid poo that makes you scream with pain, clench your teeth, grab hard onto the nearest solid object so that you don't get blown away, and wonder how you're still alive when it's all over. Think Dumb and Dumber, but for skinny people in spandex.

My personal malady decided to strike during the actual race, just a bit before I hopped onto a plane to head home. Thanks, little poopie bacteria. I needed that. Much, much appreciated, especially with the 9 hour layover in Seoul.

So...that being said, how was the actual RACE, which I know everyone comes here to read about?

It was good, but I'm so freaking exhausted from clenching my sphincter and hatching baby bacteria, I'm going to to give you the bullet points, and then some really good pics below. As usual, leave your questions, comments or feedback below:

-Thanyapura Triathlon Camp. This absolutely rocked. Thanyapura resort rivals any of the best Olympic training centers I've seen here in the US, and I was very stoked to be able to teach a camp there, accompanied by the likes of pro triathletes Jurgen Zack and Tamsin Lewis, and featuring lectures, workshops, bike fits, swim videos, and much more. For just a taste, listen to a sample lecture from the camp here (and definitely stay tuned for me to be doing more camps at this resort).

-Laguna Phuket Triathlon, the race that I consider to be a destination event and the best race on the face of the planet was great, mostly. Swam hard, biked hard, and went through the majority of the race poised to repeat as the overall age group champion until I lost the pack of lead riders and a flat tire derailed my speed for the last 3 miles. I went into the run at a 5 minute deficit to the leader. Rallied for a top 20 finish anyways. Good to know I had the fitness to take it thought, despite my new mass gain protocol.

-Experimented with new nutrition, since I'm not in ketosis right now. Used the very cool new "Infinit-E" solution from Millennium Sports, combined with their CRE-O2 creatine I'm using for my muscle mass gain and their Athlytes capsules to prevent any clumping. 300 calories per hour. Great stack, and the Infinit-E tastes good and burns clean. I'm a fan. As usual, I also ate 10 Master Amino Pattern, an X2Performance and a packet TianChi before the race. I used the same fuel solution for both races. Too bad most of it wound up in my pants for that second race. But nonetheless, this mix worked very well and was something I have been wanting to experiment with as an alternative to Superstarch, since I love to "guinea-pig" new fuel mixes.

Here's the full description for you nitty-gritty nutritionists out there:

INFINIT-E™ is an incredibly versatile and effective fueling product. Comprised of four ideal carbohydrate sources, natural betaine (an osmolyte) and l-taurine, INFINIT-E™ provides optimal, balanced energy and cellular protection against exercise induced free radicals and environmental stressors.* INFINIT-E™ has low osmolality aiding rapid absorption and won't cause digestive issues. INFINIT-E™ contains ZERO artificial ingredients and is banned substance free!

GLUCIDEX® is a high grade, high molecular weight, long chain glucose polymer (complex carbohydrate) derived from NON-GMO potato. Glucidex® is a fast carb with high bioavailbility for rapid absorption and muscle glycogen synthesis.* It has low osmolality and provides an ideal source of calories without exceeding osmotic balance.* Glucidex® potato maltodextrin has high solubility and a very clean taste with a low measure of sweetness. It is NON-GMO making it a preferred choice over typical corn based maltodextrin products. Glucidex® is GRAS!

CLUSTER DEXTRIN® (Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin) is a new type of dextrin that is produced from amylopectin via a cyclization process. Cluster Dextrin® is a high molecular weight carbohydrate with almost no affect on osmotic pressure. This means it speeds gastric emptying leading to faster absorption and driving nutrient and energy replenishment.* Cluster Dextrin® is NON-GMO and is GRAS.

PALATINOSE™ (isomaltulose) is a low-glycemic (32) and low-insulinemic disaccharide (glucose & fructose) with enzymatically rearranged molecular bonds. We've added Palatinose™ to INFINIT-E™ because it is the only functional carbohydrate which is fully digestible yet slowly released. It provides a sustained energy release because is hydrolyzed and absorbed four to five times more slowly than sucrose due to the stronger binding of its glucose and fructose components. In this way it supplies glucose as fuel for body and brain at a time when the digestion and absorption of pure glucose has long been finished. For muscles and brain this means a constant stream of energy over a longer period of time compared to quickly absorbed carbohydrates. Furthermore, the addition of Palatinose™ allowed us to create a specific carbohydrate release profile by combining Palatinose™ with Glucidex®, Cluster Dextrin® and Trehalose®. Palatinose™ is GRAS!

TREHA® TREHALOSE is sometimes referred to as "mushroom sugar" because it is found in significant amounts in certain mushrooms and fungi, but the compound also appears in yeast, seeds, algae and in succulents ("resurrection plants" - desert plants that survive long periods of drought yet spring to life when provided moisture). Trehalose® is a multi-functional disaccharide (consisting of two glucose molecules) that when metabolized releases both molecules translating into quick energy. Trehalose does not produce the rapid spike in blood glucose seen with sucrose and other sugars because enzyme that digests Trehalose® is found primarily in the small intestine, which means it is not fully metabolized until 2 or 3 hours after digestion. This slow release process further bolsters INFINIT-E™'s sustained energy profile allowing clean, balanced glycogen replenishment.

INFINIT-E™ incorporates Natural Betaine Anhydrous. Derived from sugar beets natural betaine is an osmolyte which has been suggested to provide cellular support against environmental and exercise induced stressors such as dehydration and high temperatures.* Betaine is suggested to promote strength, power and endurance and is a methyl donor helping supporting the liver and cardiovascular system.

While L-TAURINE is often referred to as the second most abundant amino acid in muscle, some muscle biologists have determined that L-Taurine, (not glutamine), is the most voluminous amino acid contained in striated type 2 muscle fiber. L-Taurine is essential to cardiac function and increases muscle cell volume. For an athlete this seems important because expanded muscle cells boost hydration resulting in accelerated rates of protein synthesis. Additionally, supplementation with l-taurine has been shown to prevent oxidative stress induced by exercise. L-Taurine was included in INFINIT-E™ for its affect on cardiovascular support, cell hydration and oxidative stress quenching.

-Challenge Half-Ironman. This race used to be a Half Ironman operated by the World Triathlon Corporation at "Phuket 70.3", but both it and Laguna Phuket Triathlon are now run by Challenge as the Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest. I led the entire age-grouper field during the bike, came out of T2 in second place poised to beat my overall age-grouper 2nd place finish last year, then wound up jogging and pooping for 2 hours. Bummer.

-Managing bacterial issues. I went into Thailand equipped with activated charcoal, oil of oregano, goldenseal/echinacea tincture, high-grade probiotics and nascent iodine. With this potent natural mix of protectants, I've never had issues before. But apparently I swallowed a mouthful of something that even the best stuff couldn't protect me from. My taxi driver on the way to the airport informed me that all the wastewater from all the resorts in the area actually runs into the lagoon that we swam in. So it's possible that I could have simply swallowed a little Thai turd. Gross.

Beginning today, I'm rebooting my entire body with a Gut Cleanse Pack for 30 days. I want that slate wiped damn clean. Before I got on the plane, I also went into the Thanyapura Triathlon Resort for a Myer's Cocktail and high dose Vitamin C injection to try to boost my immune system and rehydrate my body. I think if I hadn't gone through any of these measures I'd be very bad off, but as of now, am simply a bit...regular. In a liquid sort of way.

Look for a future "special podcast" in which I address overseas health issues like this in a more detailed format, but in the meantime, leave your questions, comments and feedback below...

...and...

...also tell me, if you wanted me to arrange ONE triathlon adventure for you to go to anywhere in the world as the next big Ben Greenfield triathlon adventure where would YOU want it to be? Thailand? Pucon? Dubai? Norway? Somewhere else?

Let me know! And here's the pics (which include some absolutely HEARTWARMING photos of the kid's triathlon at Thanyapura):

Post by Ben Greenfield.

Exactly How I'm Going To Pack Solid, Strong, Powerful Mass Onto My Skinny Triathlon Body This Winter.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 14:46:00 +0000

What does it take to build solid power and size for a skinny, 175 pound endurance athlete like me? The photo above is me competing in a 70.3 triathlon at about 190 pounds (I won overall age grouper at that race), and I actually don't mind that slightly more muscular look. After all, I'm not a professional triathlete who needs to stay razor thin 24-7, 365 days a year.

Among both guys and girls, the concept of gaining lean body mass or getting more curvaceous gets talked about a lot, but few have seemed to unlock the secrets of doing it without getting hurt or sick or overtrained. However, in the past few decades, a guy named Dan John, author of several bestselling books on weight training, has emerged as a real leading expert mass gain.

I've quoted Dan many times before in my podcasts, and now it's time for me to actually man-up and use a 12 week variation of his short (and simple) mass gain e-book: "Mass Made Simple".

So I'm setting aside twelve weeks this winter, preparing to eat way more food than I usually eat, and entering the world of attaining body mass - with Dan's program as my guide. Here are the basic principles I'll be following:

1. You must get stronger, and you need to do two things to get stronger: add weight and do more reps. The answer has never been lift light weights for high reps, or lift heavy weights for few reps. The answer remains: Lift heavy weights for high reps.

2. The second part of the formula is that you need to do some serious squatting, which not only makes you hella strong, but also results in a potent release of strength and mass building hormones. One secret of mass gain among the bodybuilding crowd (in which I used to compete) was that to overcome small arms, small chest or any other lack of size was simply to load the body up by squatting more.

3. Finally, the third part of Dan's formula is to spend more time "on the bar" (not to be confused with "at the bar"). For this, Dan is referring to the almighty barbell. And the single best way to get more time with a bar in your hands is to use something he calls "complexes". Complexes are simply a series of barbell exercises performed back-to-back without ever putting the bar down. You perform all the reps on one exercise before moving to the next. This is much harder than it sounds. Your heart rate goes through the roof. Your muscles burn like hell. You cry and whimper. And then you do it again.

So the trick to gaining mass in Dan's program is to put these three elements together - heavy weights at high reps, squatting and complexes - and then of course, actually surviving the workouts and recovering properly.

To achieve these three objectives, there are also three primary elements to Dan's "Mass Made Simple" book:

Element #1: A toughness-inducing mass strength program that begins each workout - namely the bench press and the one arm overhead press.

Element #2: A lung-sucking, full-body-burning barbell complex comprised of six separate exercises - inserted in the middle of each workout.

Element #3: High rep squats (used as a leg crushing "finisher" to each workout)

Now I have to admit, although I'm doing Dan's entire 6 week program this winter, taking a week to recover, then doing the entire 6 week program one more time, I'm adding a few components so that I stay fit enough to throw down a triathlon at the drop of the hat.

This includes:

-one added, hardcore "power swim" each weekend (40-60 minutes in the water)

-one added, hardcore "Sufferfest" bike each week, along with riding my bike to the gym for each workout

-two short runs, tennis or basketball games each week to maintain running speed.

And of course, my usual biohacks, including things like daily cold thermogenesis, morning Core Foundation routines, and elevation training tricks. I put the entire plan on TrainingPeaks (my software and workout logging weapon of choice) including the nutrition I'll be using, supplements, and each detailed daily workout.

So if you care to join me on my journey, in which myself and everyone who joins me will be posting before/after photos on the BenGreenfieldFitness Facebook page - and getting way cool prizes for the best mass gain results - then simply...

-->...click here to grab my 100% done-for-you Simple Mass Gain Plan for Triathletes and Skinny Endurance Athletes. <--

P.S. Dan recommends you focus on getting as lean as you possibly can before entering this program. I recommend you detox and clean your body before entering this program. So you may want to also consider doing an "adrenal reboot" and using 4-12 weeks of my Adrenal Recovery Plan before jumping in.

P.P.S. If you get the "Mass Made Simple"e-book to review it and to accompany the TrainingPeaks triathlon-tweaked verison of the program I wrote, then be forewarned - Dan John recommends Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches. I don't. I instead recommend following my personal nutrition recommendations.

The Official Ironman Hawaii 2013 Race Report

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Get the audio, video and nitty gritty details of my 2013 Ironman Hawaii race, along with 33 post-race questions from fans, readers and listeners, by clicking here.

My "Minimalist Training" Build-Up to Ironman Hawaii World Championships

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 21:42:00 +0000

Want a sneak peek into exactly what I'm doing for my "minimalist" triathlon protocol before Ironman Hawaii on October 12?

Here's what the last month of training looks like (and click here to see exactly how I qualified, what I eat/drink, etc.):

Sep 2, Mon: Bike 3 miles to the YMCA, swim 30 minutes of 200m repeats, 20 minute easy treadmill run for recovery, bike home.

Sep 3, Tue: Ride Elliptigo to YMCA, do 5x5 heavy lift (squat, deadlift, overhead press, clean), 30 minutes sauna.

Sep 4, Wed: Travel to wilderness survival camp. Day off. No phone or computer access.

Sep 5, Thu: Wilderness survival camp. No phone or computer access.

Sep 6, Fri: Wilderness survival camp. No phone or computer access.

Sep 7: Sat: Wilderness survival camp. No phone or computer access.

Sep 8, Sun: Wilderness survival camp. No phone or computer access.

Sep 9, Mon: Home for one day. Hike with family.

Sep 10, Tue: Fly to London to speak at Global Triathlon Conference. Day off.

Sep 11, Wed: 1 hr lift/bike/run high intensity interval training in hotel gym.

Sep 12, Thu: 1 hr lift/bike/run high intensity interval training in hotel gym.

Sep 13, Fri: 1 hr lift/bike/run high intensity interval training in hotel gym.

Sep 14, Sat: London Primality workshop

Sep 15, Sun: 1 hr lift/bike/run high intensity interval training in hotel gym. Fly home.

Sep 16: Mon: Easy Elliptigo ride on the trail by my house. 30 minutes sauna if time.

Sep 17, Tue: Bike 3 miles to YMCA, 30 minute swim "skills & drills", 20-30 minute sprint workout on treadmill.

Sep 18, Wed: Bike 3 miles to YMCA, 30 minutes lift, 30 minutes sauna if time.

Sep 19, Thu: Bike 3 miles to YMCA, 30 minute swim "sprint" workout, 20-30 minute tempo workout on treadmill.

Sep 20, Fri: 30 minutes kettlebell/mace/clubbell workout. Bike 3 miles to YMCA, 30 steady hypoxic swim, 30 minutes sauna.

Sep 21, Sat: Long ride. 80-100 miles.

Sep 22, Sun: 90 minute hilly run.

Sep 23, Mon: Recovery day. Yoga. Possibly hot yoga.

Sep 24, Tue: Bike 3 miles to YMCA, 30 minute swim "skills & drills", quick sprint workout on treadmill.

Sep 25, Wed: Bike 3 miles to YMCA, 30 minutes lift, 30 minutes sauna if time.

Sep 26, Thu: Bike 3 miles to YMCA, 30 minute swim "sprint" workout, 20-30 minute tempo workout on treadmill.

Sep 27, Fri: 30 minutes kettlebell/mace/clubbell workout. Bike 3 miles to YMCA, 30 steady hypoxic swim, 30 minutes sauna.

Sep 28, Sat: Sufferfest Blender ride.

Sep 29, Sun: 90 minute hilly run.

Sep 30, Mon: Recovery day. Yoga. Possibly hot yoga.

Oct 1, Tue: Bike 3 miles to YMCA, 20 minute swim skills, 20 minute treadmill run, 30 minutes sauna.

Oct 2, Wed: Bike 3 miles to YMCA, 20 minute swim sprints, 20 minute lift, 30 minute sauna.

Oct 3, Thu: Bike 3 miles to YMCA, 20 minute swim sprints, 20 minute treadmill run, 30 minute sauna.

Oct 4, Fri: Hard 1 hour swim. 30 minutes sauna. Lift if time.

Oct 5, Sat: 60 minute run. 30 minute swim skills workout.

Oct 6, Sun: Sufferfest Blender ride.

Oct 7, Mon: Bike 3 miles to YMCA, 20 minute swim skills, 20 minute treadmill run, 30 minutes sauna.

Oct 8, Tue: Travel to Hawaii, day off.

Oct 9, Wed: Bike to pier, quick swim. Short treadmill run at hotel. Mobility work.

Oct 10, Thu: Bike to pier, quick swim. Mobility work.

Oct 11, Fri: Bike to pier, quick swim. Mobility work.

Oct 12, Sat: Race Day!

Questions, comments or feedback? Leave them below.

Finally, click here to donate to my podcast and, in doing so, directly support my journey to get to the big race in Kona!

An Insider Sneak Peek Into My Last Month of "Minimalist" Triathlon Training Before An Ironman Triathlon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 19:46:00 +0000

Want a sneak peek into exactly what I'm doing for my "minimalist" triathlon protocol before Ironman Canada on August 25?

Here's what the last month of training looks like:

7/21, Sun: 3 hour bike ride up Mt. Spokane (1 hour to base, ~30 minute climb, descend, 1 hour home). Ironman pace.
7/22, Mon: 90 minute run with 3x10 minute Zone 3-4 hill repeats.
7/23, Tue: Bike to pool (2.5 miles away from house), 40-60 minute swim as 500-800m repeats.
7/24, Wed: Bike to gym (2.5 miles away from house), 30 minute heavy lift.
7/25, Thu: Bike to river (1 mile away from house) for 30 minutes of swim/run repeats.
7/26, Fri: Bike to gym, 30 minute lighter lift with core/balance.
7/27, Sat: 90 minutes Sufferfest blender on bike with 30 run off bike.
7/28, Sun: 90 run on treadmill as 5 easy, 3 hard, 5 easy, 6 hard, 5 easy, 1 very hard repeats.
7/29, Mon: Off
7/30, Tue: Elliptigo to pool for swim
7/31, Wed: Bike to gym, 30 minute heavy lift.
8/1, Thu: Bike to river for 30 minutes of swim/run repeats.
8/2, Fri: Elliptigo to gym, 30 minute lighter lift with core/balance.
8/3, Sat: LAST LONG RIDE DAY, 90 MILES RACE PACE WITH FULL FUELING PRACTICE
8/4, Sun: Off. Lots of foam roller/mobility work.
8/5, Mon: LAST LONG RUN DAY, 18-20 MILES AS 3 MILE LOOP AROUND MY HOUSE
8/6, Tue: Easy recovery swim in river. Yoga.
8/7, Wed: Bike to gym, 30 minute heavy lift.
8/8, Thu: Off day with easy swim drills.
8/9, Fri: Bike to river for 30 minutes of swim/run repeats.
8/10, Sat: Olympic Distance Triathlon.
8/11, Sun: Easy recovery bike 60 minutes, easy recovery swim drills.
8/12, Mon: 1 hour hard upriver swim
8/13, Tue: Bike to gym, 30 minute heavy lift.
8/14, Wed: OFF, travel to Atlanta.
8/15, Thu: Ancestral Health Symposium, minimal training (short lift, short run).
8/16, Fri: Ancestral Health Symposium, minimal training (short swim, short bike).
8/17, Sat: Ancestral Health Symposium, minimal training (short lift, short run).
8/18, Sun: Ancestral Health Symposium, minimal training (short swim/bike/run).
8/19, Mon: Bike to pool, 1 hour swim drills/feel for water.
8/20, Tue: Bike to gym, easy body weight lift.
8/21, Wed: OFF, travel to Whistler.
8/22, Thu: Swim/bike/run short repeats, mobility work.
8/23, Fri: OFF, mobility work.
8/24, Sat: Swim/bike/run short repeats, mobility work.
8/25, Sun: RACE.

Only thing that doesn't appear above are the "underground training tactics", like isometric holds after bike rides, cold thermogenesis, some electrical stimulation, etc. Leave your questions or comments below and I'll be happy to reply!

Ironman Japan 70.3: The Official "Ask Me Anything You Want" Article.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 15:22:00 +0000

A few days ago, on the BenGreenfieldFitness Facebook page, I posted this:

***This is the official "Ask Me Anything About Ironman Japan 70.3" thread.*** You ask, and I'll answer in the race report I'm writing on this Sunday. Pacing, fueling, pre-race, post-race...whatever you'd like to know, comment below, and feel free to share!

And you had some great questions.

So let's jump right into this non-run-of-the-mill race report (and for a more comprehensive discussion of the Japan 70.3 logistics and nutrition, listen to last week's 06/08/2013 "Naked Truth" phone app episode with Jessa, which we recorded after downing a post-race bottle of cold sake)...

------------------------------------------

Dom Leste With the changes you made, how did your HRV & other biomarkers during the week & post race compare to wildflower?

As I reported here, leading up to and after Wildflower my cortisol hormone was out of control, and my heart rate variability, an important measurement of my nervous system health and overall training "readiness" was dropping.

So in the 5 weeks, separating Wildflower and Japan, I incorporating deep breathing and meditation, and also added a complete recovery day with "yoga only" (during which I also popped Master Amino Pattern like it was going out of style).

In addition, I started eating more. Like just "not being hungry ever". I don't weigh myself so I have no clue if I gained weight, but I wanted to send a message to my body that it didn't need to be catabolic and stressed. Thanks to Dave Asprey, a big part of that "eating more" was just more MCT oil and butter mixed into smoothies and stuff like that.

Anyways, my weekly Talking20 blood measurements still aren't in, so I have no clue what happened there. But my morning heart rate variability measurements went up significantly. So there's that.

------------------------------------

Arik Riehl What are the major changes you have to make in order to compete at a event where there is significant time differences?

Since Wildflower?

I ran less (two runs per week, one 90 minute hard run and one 30 minute sprint/skills run).

Played tennis less.

Sat more (i.e. took more breaks from my standing workstation).

Ate more (see above).

So my body was way more recovered going into this race.

I also changed to rhythmic breathing and nasal breathing, based on two books:

-Body, Mind & Sport by John Douillard

-Running on Air by Budd Coates

I used this new form of breathing all during the race and it helped a bunch. I think it's why I PR'd in the half marathon.

Then of course remember Japan 70.3 is a different course - flat and fast.

Finally, I held a new kind of running flask and I think it made me run faster. No joke. Scroll down to bottom of this post and check out the MyList. It is called a "Vapor".

-----------------------------------------

Andrew Gowans Damm that is a fast run. Congrats! Q's - how did carb reduction effect your training in the first few weeks? Did you notice increased Hr and RPE during that time? If so, how long before you started to feel good / normal in training? What is your training 60/90 min long tempo run pace?

I was already on a "low carb diet".

So I switched to a ketogenic diet, which means I wasn't "cycling carbs" back in on the weekend. I talk about that here.

But it really is a moot point because I used my Metron ketone breath testing tubes during this trip and I wasn't in ketosis at all in the 2 days leading up to Japan. Too much travel and rice, and due to a shipping delay, I wasn't able to bring along my planned supply of MCT oil, coconut oil and butter. So ketosis kind of went to crap.

Like, race morning breakfast was a bowl of white rice.

But I still used only 200-250 calories per hour DURING race (of UCAN + MAP + X2Performance). So I was still tapping into primarily fatty acids during the event.

Also, I have no clue what my normal running pace is. I run based on feel and breathing and here's why. (But I still recommend the athletes I coach to use HR monitors/GPS for the important runs so I can see what's going on with them as their coach).

-----------------------------------------

Steven Hall Why do you often understate your training volume?

I don't understate my volume, Steven. People think you have to train a bunch to be fast.

Read this.

I use that "Ancestral Athlete" approach I describe in that link I just gave you. I go "balls out" when I train, then I recover really well. That's it. There's nothing magical about it.

If I wanted to go pro, and get really fast, I'd amp up training volume and switch to an 80/20 approach. But I don't have the time or desire to do that. I get ADD if I ride my bike longer than 2 hours or run for longer than 90 minutes so I avoid that as much as I can.

-----------------------------------------

N=1 Lifestyle You going to stay ketogenic with your fueling for this race or keep your regular fueling strategy and get back to the ketogenic diet after the fact?

Well, see above. Plan was to stay ketogenic, but it didn't happen. It's damn hard to do when you're traveling, that's for sure. I'm back into ketosis now, mostly with Bulletproof Coffee, keto kale shakes and very little carb.

Like today I'll have this for breakfast.

Then go to church. Then have a sardine salad for lunch. Take a nap. 10 mile trail run at a fast pace. Can of coconut milk. Frisbee golf with kids. Liver, sauerkraut and roasted eggplant for dinner, along with lots of butter.

-----------------------------------------

Bradley Odom Would love to see you power numbers during the race, as well as mile splits on run. Thanks!

LOL. So would I. But I don't track any of that stuff. Bad me. I'm more qualitative than most people think. But part of what makes me happy about this sport is unplugging and just not having computers and phones and stuff around while I'm racing.

I did wear my fancy Timex Run Trainer. But I just had the chronograph function going and that was it.

-----------------------------------------

Dan Ordoins N=1 Lifestyle. Same question. Ben Love to here more of YOUR thoughts on Keto for performance and PPP pathway.

I think it will be another year before I can realize full benefits of ketosis. Listen to this Jack Kruse podcast to hear more about why. Body takes awhile to be able to fully tap into PPP.

Also, based on what I described earlier, I have yet to do a full race in "ketosis". Ironman Canada will ultimately be the first "true test", but that's just the way the chips fall. I have a big training weekend planned in Canada July 5-7, so I'll keep folks posted on how that goes over on the Facebook page.

-----------------------------------------

Finally, I've decided to make a "MyList" for you of all the gear and nutrition that I use for a race like this. Check it out below - I hope you find it helpful! If you have more questions, comments and feedback, leave them below!

Get Hella Good Karma Points from Ben Greenfield

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:00:00 +0000

I need a super quick favor from you...

The brand spankin' new BenGreenfieldFitness phone app launches on June 4. That's today.

My goal is to rank as a top app. And to do that, I gotta get at least 5000 downloads during the 48-hour launch window today and tomorrow.

Trust me - YOU can totally help me pass that number.

So sometime today or Wednesday, it would be killer if you could mention the app to your friends and followers on Twitter, Facebook, blog, newsletter, whatever. Just something quick like:

"Ben Greenfield just launched a free fitness app - Android: http://goo.gl/yisgR - iPhone: http://goo.gl/B6MyR. Check it out & rate it!"

I owe you one big time if you can help me out on this one...so spread the karma! And of course, be sure to grab the free app for yourself too...

Wildflower Race Report

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:59:00 +0000

I've published my Wildflower triathlon race report on my other blog and you can read it by clicking here.

There are a ton of nutrition and health take-aways, especially if you want to know more about how much triathlon can damage your body if you're not careful!

Enjoy...

Gettin' Schooled by the Sea at Laguna Lang Co Triathlon in Vietnam

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:58:00 +0000

Yeah, I ate an octopus the day before the race. For courage, of course.

I gotta admit - it seems like it's been awhile since I've raced.

As a matter of fact, the last time I did a triathlon was in Thailand last December, and since then it's been a lot of tennis, snowboarding and pumping iron.

But I’ve always said that if I were forced to choose one triathlon on the face of the planet to be on my race “bucket list”, I’d go with the December Laguna Phuket triathlon in Thailand, a race well-known for it’s friendly cultural setting, mouth-watering cuisine, scenic and challenging courses, and legendary post-race parties.

So when I heard about Laguna Phuket’s new sister event, the April 14 Laguna Lang Co Triathlon in Vietnam, I registered, got my Vietnam visa (easy to do online) for 7 days in Vietnam, and hopped on a plane to Da Nang International Airport for a 1.8k Swim, 62k Bike and 12k Run.

The actual race takes place at Laguna Lang Co, a new holiday destination resort built on Lang Co Bay in Central Vietnam. The resort is slated for a bunch of extra development, but right now includes the Banyan Tree and Angsana hotels and spas, multiple on-site restaurants, a fully stocked gym, an 18-hole championship golf course, an enormous lap swimming pool that nearly circles the entire resort, and recreational activities like ATV rides and bungee trampolining.

Man, I hate triathlon travel. Such a drag. ;)

So you're kinda spoiled.

The events were awesome (as I've come to expect from the Laguna group), with a police-guided motorcycle bike tour of the course, good-sized pre-race buffet party full of Vietnamese foods like meat curries, fresh rolls with peanut sauce, seafood soups and an colorful variety of dragonfruit, mangoes, guava, pears and melons.

And lots and lots of spa time (photos below).

Police guided tour of bike course

Gotta love Dragonfruit...

Alright, alright - so I know you're getting the idea that I pretty much stuffed my face, got massages, and lounged by the pool the whole time, but I did actually race, so let's get down to the nitty-gritty details.

--------------------------------

Swim

Breakfast: 2 packets UCAN Superstarch

Nutrition 45 minutes before swim start: 10 MAP, 1 packet TianChi, 1 shot "X2Performance" (a new blend I'm trialing).

Gear: BlueSeventy PZ3+ Skinsuit over ChampSys Team Timex one piece race suit, BlueSeventy Element Goggles

(Especially for long trips, I also travel with some general health supplements like Mt. Capra colostrum, Mt. Capra probiotics, Lifeshotz antioxidants, etc. and I'll do a post soon about that, or you can watch this video).

The swim is a fairly straightforward point to point course, heading straight out to the sea from a running beach start in front of the Banyan Tree, then turning right to swim parallel to and exit the water at the Angsana beach.

The seas were really swelling this year - so much so in fact that up until the race start they said there was about at 10% chance that we would actually have a swim at all. I ventured out into the rough waters the day before and got tossed around a bit - I must admit more than any other race venue I've been to in years of racing. Even though I'm a relatively decent swimmer, I suspected the swim would give anybody even mildly uncomfortable about open water swimming a real scare, so I was curious to see if they'd even have a swim.

As it turned out, on race morning they actually shortened the swim to 1.2K, and gave any participants an option to complete the duathlon if they wished to opt out of the swim.

Pacing doesn't really matter for a 1.2K swim. You just go hard the whole time, and the first 200m or so is the most important to establish good positioning in the water.

Knowing Ironman world champion Chris McCormack was a talented surf rescue swimmer, I lined up behind him at the running beach swim start and planned to head in the general direction he did (with the caveat being that I knew he'd leave me far behind his wake within a matter of minutes). So even though I had the pleasure of watching him disappear fast ahead, my attempt to shadow him at least left me with a tough, but relatively well-navigated path through the swells.

Me in red cap, far left, behind Macca.

Once I made it past the big breakers, my swim felt fast and good, which I was happy with as it was my first chance to trial my "minimalist triathlon training" protocol - and I hadn't swam any "intervals" of anything more than 200 meters up to this point in the season.

Perhaps I got a bit too confident though, because as I was mere seconds from finishing the swim, and literally body surfing into the beach on a giant swell, I lost control and was body-slammed hard into the ocean floor. I somersaulted, stood up, gasped for breath, got hit by another wave and tossed nearly 10 feet. I felt my knee and low back twinge as I slammed into the ocean floor again, but was more embarrassed than injured, as this all happened as a crowd of onlookers at the swim exit watched.

Do despite getting schooled by the surf at the swim finish, I came out of the water in 8th place, at just over 18 minutes.

----------------------------

Bike

Nutrition: 2 packets UCAN Superstarch with 2 shots X2Performance (mixed in downtube water bottle) and 10 MAP (in ziplock bag in jersey)

Gear: QR Illicito with Shimano DI2, Shimano CR-50 wheels, Challenge "Triathlon" tires, Louis Garneau cycling shoes, Gray Aerodome helmet

The bike was a scenic, flat and fast time trial course that weaved through open roads alongside rice fields and small villages. Within 5K out of Laguna Lang Co is one of only three relatively short climbs on the entire course, with a second climb 15K in, and a final climb back into the resort area near the finish. The climbs are all short, with the longest one being that one in the middle, at maybe a 1/2 mile. The course is primarily a large loop consisting of well-marked, paved country roads, a short section on the national highway connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and a circumference around a lake (Lap An Lagoon).

And I was literally by myself the entire time on the bike. At one point, a marshall rode past me on a motorcycle, a couple times a TV film crew came by for some footage, and that was it. I've had this happen before - being in "no man's land" sandwiched between the pros and the rest of the age groupers, and when it happens, the toughest part is simply to not lose focus, as there's not a whole lot to think about out there. In my case, I'd blow up trying to close a 3 minute gap on the pros, and I'd lose too much time spinning it out and waiting for some age groupers to work with. So it was just a solo time trial

I tend to "mash" on these long, flat courses, and rode at a cadence of about 60-70rpm nearly the entire time, finishing the 62K at about 1:40 and getting into T2 right where I began, still in 8th place.

Even though it was flat and fast, this was honestly a tough bike ride for me - not just mentally, but also physically. Since this was the first race of the season, I haven't ridden longer than about 20 minutes in awhile, and I should probably get 2 or 3 good, focused 60-90 minute long intervals rides before Wildflower Long Distance triathlon in May (my first "A race" of the season).

----------------------------

Run

Nutrition: One more shot of X2Performance halfway through.

Gear: Skora Running shoes

The run at Laguna Lang Co triathlon is a two lap course that weaves on slightly undulating paths along a golf course and ducks in and out of the resort area, primarily on grass and golf cart paths, with a few short gravel track sections.

Although the early swim start of 6:30am ensures the majority of the race is not excessively warm, I arrived expecting tropical climate heat by the time I was out on the run. But this year’s race was unseasonably cool and overcast, with occasional bursts of rain - so it never really got too warm - good news for my Washington white skin and extreme lack of heat acclimation.

I'm not sure if it was the cooler conditions, all the off-season tennis and snowboarding, the Hurricane treadmill workouts or the Litvinov sprints, but I ran like a bat out of hell and felt great the whole time, finishing the 12K in 47 minutes, passing two athletes (and learnng later that another dropped out), and arriving at the finish line as:

5th overall and 1st place amateur.

----------------------------

Post-Race

It was certainly a pleasant arrival at the finish line, which was stocked with fresh Vietnamese foods, dozens of massage therapists, and plush seats and tents for post-race lounging. So I did a bit of stretching, got a massage, pushed my bike literally fifty feet into my hotel room and by 10:30am was sitting at the Angsana hotel's breakfast buffet.

Of course, as expected, the post-race parties began soon after the race, with a lively beachside and rooftop cocktail pool party just hours after the race finish, followed by another huge buffet at the post-race awards ceremony, and finally a DJ and dancing party that stretched into the wee hours of the night. So basically, if you do this race, come prepared for your day to just be beginning when you cross the finish line.

Mmm...my favorite - spring rolls...

After sleeping in the morning after the race, I took a complementary 90 minute shuttle trip to the nearby city of Hoi An to take in the local culture and Vietnamese architecture, temples and houses, as well as get in some shopping, spas and a variety of authentic Vietnamese street food like fresh seafood in rice paper, beef and shrimp skewers, and tasty Pho noodle broth.

The last couple days I was there after the race, the sun came out, it got hot, and I had a chance to do a little training in what I'm told is the more typical weather this time of year, and it definitely did get warm - so come prepared for that if you plan on showing up next year!

----------------------------

Summary

I could totally see Vietnam turning into a triathlon training and racing hotspot.

If you dig Asian travel, I'd check this race out - and for me, it was a nice way to get a bit of a tune-up in and kick of the race season with a solid effort. I love to help folks out with triathlon advice, so leave your questions, comments and feedback about nutrition, training, pacing, the race, or anything else below.

By the way, leave your comments below or email me: ben@bengreenfieldfitness.com if you're interested in doing the "sister" race in Thailand this December - http://www.lagunaphukettriathlon.com - I'm considering putting together a 2 week trip to that race for anyone interested...first come, first serve - max would be 12 people.

Sample Training Week of Minimalist Ironman Training...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:36:00 +0000

Many of you heard my interview with EVOAthlete's Jay Schroeder. While I'm working on a more formal post about how I am implementing his advanced endurance training methods in my minimalist training (6-9 hour per week) build-up to Ironman Canada, here is a basic overview if you want to see what a week of training looks like for me right now:

Monday:

-Easy 30 minute recovery ride

-30 minute focused swim drills with fins/paddles

-Tennis practice, either before or after in sauna do 5x20 second on, 5 seconds off isoextreme lunges

-Before bed: 5 minute isoextreme wall squat

Tuesday :

-Full body foam roller

-5 minutes inversion table

-5 minutes hot-cold contrast thermogenesis

-Swim 10x100's using Wetronome to decrease 100m time by 0.2s per week.

-Run Hurricane workout, 10x30 seconds at 10mph and 10% incline + 5-8 rep Barbell Complex (Squat/DL/Overhead Press/Clean) + 30 Burpees finisher with mobility drills

Wednesday:

-Swim 50's and 25's sprints. Dryland - between each set perform 35 rebound bent over DB row "pen drops" with folded dollar bill exercise

-After completing swim, in sauna: 10x30s on/10s off iso extreme standing hamstring and iso extreme back foot elevated lunge 2 minutes each side.

-30 minute ride with 5-10x 10-20 second super high cadence neuromuscular repeats, after ride perform 1 Russian Lunge every 5 seconds for 2 minutes, then repeat for opposite side

-At some point during day, iso extreme rebound standing doorway pushups - 1 rep every 10 seconds for 5 minutes, hten iso extreme scapular pullups 20x10 seconds on/5 seconds off.

Thursday:

-Before or after run perform isoextreme doorway pushup, 5 minutes.

-Litvinov 400m repeats as 15-30 dumbbell swings or front squats to 400m uphill or flat run. After, do 5x20 second on, 5 seconds off Isoextreme lunges. 30 Burpees finisher.

-Tennis

-Before bed: 5 minute isoextreme wall squat

Friday:

-5 minutes inversion table

-5 minutes hot-cold contrast thermogenesis

-30 minutes Injury Prevention Protocol (preferably in sauna)

Saturday:

-Electrostimulation 30 minutes quads/hamstrings + 60-90 minute Zone 3 intervals ride. After: isoextreme standing hamstring 10x30 seconds on, 30 seconds off

-Hypoxic swim set, 20-30 minutes

Sunday:

-Run 60-90 minute Zone 3 intervals + swim longer 200-500m intervals. Between each swim set 15 rebound bent over row "pen drops" + folded dollar bill exercise and rebound bent-over front delt raise 15x + folded dollar bill exercise

More to come soon at BenGreenfieldFitness.com! Also, check out Jay's site at EVOAthlete.com.

How I Prepare My Race Day Nutrition For A Half-Ironman

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 10:33:00 +0000

I've received quite a few questions about how I actually prepare my race day nutrition for a Half Ironman. If you read my "Healthy Race Day Nutrition Plan" article, then you know that my race day nutrition for a Half-Ironman looks like this:

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1. UCAN

UCAN is a high molecular weight, corn-derived starch that is metabolized differently than simpler sugars such as fructose or maltodextrin. It is a powder that you mix with water, and it’s metabolism results in far less insulin production and less blood sugar spiking compared to other gels and sports drinks, and as a result of these lower insulin levels, this approach also allows your body to tap into it’s own storage fat as a fuel.

How I use UCAN: I simply consume 2 servings (220 calories) 2 hours before the race, then 2 servings per hour during the entire bike and run. I mix 6 packets (enough for 3 hours) into a water bottle that I keep on the downtube of my bicycle and consumed a mouthful every 15-20 minutes, and put 3 packets into a flask that I guzzle from every 5K on the run.

------------------------------------

2. Energy28

One drawback to UCAN is that most of it is flavored with artificial sweeteners, so I choose the plain, unsweetened version. But the plain version tastes a bit “chalky”. So I wanted to figure out a way to add a bit of flavor, and also get some extra energy-boosting compounds. Enter Energy28 Liquid Superfood, which imparts both flavor and also energy enhancement without the caffeine central nervous system overstimulation.

How I use Energy28: I simply consume 1 servings for each serving of UCAN . So I put 6 servings in the water bottle that I have the UCAN in, and 2 servings per hour in a flask of UCAN that I carry on the run.

------------------------------------

3. Master Amino Pattern (MAP)

As I’ve written about extensively in this 2 part series on amino acids, high blood levels of amino acids primarily:

1) reduce your rating of perceived exertion, allowing you to work harder without your brain “shutting down” your body;

2) keep your body from cannibalizing your own lean muscle during exercise, thus limiting post-workout or post-race soreness.

But most proteins (the source of amino acids) need to be digested, which can take a long time and shuttle a lot of extra blood away from your muscles and into your stomach. Enter the MAP capsules, which completely digest in 23 minutes, while other protein sources take anywhere from 2-6 hours.

How I use MAP: I consume 10 capsules 30 minutes prior to the race, then simply carry a small ziplock bag of MAP in my shorts and eat 5 per hour during the entire bike ride (I just chew them, but you could also swallow them with water).

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So how do I practically prepare all this? Here's how, courtesy of my iPhone camera from my hotel bathroom in Thailand before a race...

Run Flask Step 1: Dump 3 packets of UCAN onto a makeshift funnel, in this case, the front page of the race program.

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Run Flask Step 2: Fill flask with UCAN powder (this is just a handheld flask holder - companies like NathanSports and FuelBelt make them)

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Run Flask Step 3: Set flask out on floor by bed with 3 packets of Energy28, which I'll add in the morning just before I head to race start. Mixing the night before can cause clumping, so I wait until last possible minute. After adding Energy28, there will be barely any room left for water, but I'll top it off with 2-3oz water.

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Bike Bottle Step 1 (optional): Toss a bunch of UCAN packets in bathroom sink. No funnel required since bike water bottles have a larger mouth.

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Bike Bottle Step 2: Dump the UCAN packets one-by-one into bike bottle.

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Bike Bottle Step 3: Set the bike bottle out next to 6 more Energy28 Packets for mixing the next morning. Go to pasta party, sleep, get up, and kick butt. ;)

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No photos of the MAP, but that's pretty straightforward. Just put some capsules in a ziplock bag and carry in your jerseys or up one of your shorts legs.

Rather than you having to go the four corners of the planet to get this stuff, I figured out how to just bundle it all for you in one convenient Low Carb Fueling package:

http://goo.gl/Yryi5 <–UCAN+MAP+Energy28 Low Carb Fueling Package

The package above is basically 60 packets of UCAN, a full 120 tablet bottle of MAP & a bottle of Energy28 – everything you need to get your low carb fueling dialed in, and about 1-2 months worth of fueling!

And leave any questions, comments or feedback below...

Overall Amateur Win at Laguna Phuket Triathlon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:17:00 +0000

Here's the results!

Story and pics to come later...

Redemption - The Leadman 125

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:31:00 +0000

At the last minute, I registered for the Leadman 125 race in Bend, Oregon as a "redemption" race for my DNF (Did Not Finish!) at Half Ironman World Championships 2 weeks ago.

So myself and my friend Derek Garcia drove down to beautiful Bend, and met up with an athlete who I coach (Jim McIntosh) to survey the bike course - which started up at about 5000 feet elevation at chilly Cultus Lake and ended with a screaming fast descent down into Bend, Oregon.

For this race, I planned on using a whole new nutrition protocol, which I talked about in detail in this Endurance Planet podcast, but which basically involved:

1) UCAN Superstarch - eat 2 servings for breakfast (mashed with a banana) and then one densely mixed bottle of UCAN (200 calories per hour) on the bike downtube and one Nathan running flask for the run (also mixed for about 200 calories per hour).

2) Energy28 Superfood - slam one just before the swim, and then one serving of it mixed in with each serving of UCAN - for both flavor and some extra energy boosting compounds, like Maca and Rhodiola (Energy28 also has about 35 calories a serving).

3) 5 Master Amino Pattern capsules per hour (to keep my blood amino acid levels up).

Basically, with this 1-2-3 combo, I'm giving my body a slow release sugar with some amino acids in it, and deriving the remainder of my energy from my body's own fat stores - which basically means I'm eating 200 calories less per hour than I normally do during a race. You can really geek out on this nutrition protocol by clicking here, if you'd like.

----------------------------------------

As I expected with a late season race in the Pacific Northwest, race morning was dark and cold. Our bus driver got lost on the way up to Cultus Lake, so I arrived at the transition area in just enough time to put my water bottle on my bike, use the porta-potty, and rush into the tent to put on my wetsuit.

Unfortunately, I'd grabbed the wrong wetsuit from the stash of wetsuits in my garage (my BlueSeventy Helix was stolen at the Troika Triathlon), and I found myself feeling like I was being strangled in a tiny wetsuit with arms and legs that came up to my elbows and knees!

But the water was cold enough to where I did not want to venture out without a wetsuit, so I wore it.

I ran into the water and made it to the swim start just as my wave took off...

-------------------------------

Feeling like I was hyperventilating the whole time, I managed to get onto the feet of a faster swimmer and hold on for dear life for the 2.5K swim. He dropped me about 200m from the finish, but at that point I was simply relieved not to have A) frozen or B) ripped my wetsuit.

I swam this swim the same way I approach my Half Ironman swims - no pacing or holding back. Just swim as hard as you can (without breaking form) from start to finish.

As I came out of the water and ran into T2, struggling to emerge form my tiny wetsuit, I had no clue what place I was in, but knew that I was freaking cold!

When I arrived to my bike, I saw that the bike beside me was already gone, which I hate to see. So I skipped the important step of putting on gloves, or arm warmers, or socks, and just took off.

-------------------------------------

Thanks to my hasty transition out of transition, for the first 15 miles of the bike I watched my fingers slowly turn blue. I couldn't hold my water bottle or eat anything because my hands were so cold! I just kept opening and closing my fingers, hoping they'd warm up soon so I could eat and drink.

By about the 15 mile mark, I had passed everyone on the bike and caught the leader, Jeff Smith. Since my legs were feeling good, I decided to put a move on him too, so I passed him, put the hammer down and didn't look back for the next 5 miles.

When I finally did turn around, Jeff was still there! He hasn't lost his last 9 races, so I should've known better than to think I could drop him that early in the race...

For the rest of the 65 mile ride, including the 50+ mile per hour descent into Bend, Jeff and I raced neck to neck, taking turns holding the lead all the way into run transition, where Jeff rode in about 20 feet ahead of me...

-------------------------------------

I beat Jeff out of transition, but at that point, I was thoroughly parched, and wasn't sure I was going to be able to maintain the intensity I wanted for the 10 mile run. My strategy was to simply run this race just like a 10K, then hold on for dear life in the last 4 miles.

But my lips and throat were completely bone dry, since I only had one bottle of water during the entire bike ride. Every time I went cycling through an aid station, they simply weren't ready with the water bottles. That's the hazard of leading the race!

As I worried about my hydration, Jeff caught me quickly, and we reached a Y in the road after just 1 mile. It wasn't marked. One option was to run along the river and the other was to climb a steep 1/4 mile hill.

I'm not sure why, but we both took off up the steep hill, and it wasn't until we got to the top of it that we realized we ran completely off course. It's a horrible sinking feeling when you're in the lead and you lost precious minutes running the wrong way, but once again, that's the hazard of being in front.

-------------------------------------

So we took off back down the hill, and now Jeff was in front of me. For the next 4 miles, I tried to keep him in sight, and by mile 5, I saw him not run through an aid station, but actually briefly stop to drink water at the aid station, which (no offense Jeff) to mean is a sign of weakness in a run of this distance, and suggests that you might be hurting.

I was hurting too, but that's the point where I put my head down and my move. I passed Jeff by the end of that aid station, and didn't look back for the next 2 miles.

At mile 7, I glanced back and didn't see anyone.

But not wanting to take any chances, and knowing that the 34 and older age division started 6 minutes behind us, so someone could actually still beat me, I kept the throttle down all the way to the finish line, and ended up winning the overall race title by a little under 3 minutes.

-------------------------------------

So despite barely making the swim start, wearing a tiny wetsuit, and getting lost on the run, I managed to squeak out the overall win for Leadman 125!

The best part is that with that different nutrition protocol, my gut felt fine after the race (none of the usual bad gas, post race sugar burps, caffeine downers, or anything like that!).

Here I am with my finisher's tape:

So what's next? Myself and a group of 15 athletes will be headed to Thailand this winter to do a double triathlon in beautiful Phuket (where even the triathlons have a happy ending). ;)

Leave your questions, comments or feedback below.

What Happened In Vegas (Hopefully Stays In Vegas)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 22:24:00 +0000

At the end of this post, I've got a quick question for you that I'd love to hear your feedback on...

I must admit that I felt pretty dang good coming into the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas.

Really good, actually.

My legs were a-popping and I was ready to lay down the smack and back it up. After a tough race (see my previous post) at ITU Long Course World Championships in Spain, I raced a Half Ironman "tune-up" a few weeks ago, where I took third overall (Troika Triathlon) and have just felt really fantastic lately.

I've raced long enough to know when my body is ready for a solid performance, and this seriously threatened to be it.

-----------------------

But the mishaps started the night of the race.

At 2am, the hotel room next door woke my roommate Graeme and I up with a very loud hip-hop song on repeat. It was literally shaking the wall.

Then the jackrabbit-like humping started, with a guy who kept shouting "F*&^ me harder! F*&^ me harder!"

You gotta be kidding me. After about 45 minutes, hotel security shut them down and we finally got back to sleep.

-----------------------

Despite being a bit sleepy, the swim went well.

But soon as I hopped on my bike, though, something felt funny.

On the first hill up and out of transition, people were passing me left and right. I shrugged it off and just waiting for my legs to "come around".

Just to be sure, at the top of the hill, I pulled aside and checked my tire pressure. Everything was good...

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Then, on the downhill, as I slid to the front of my saddle, the whole saddle went nose down. I had just gotten a bike fit, and had been messing around with my fit afterwards.

Obviously, I failed to tighten the seat enough.

No big deal, I thought, and I slammed my butt down into the saddle to correct it.

Then the real trouble started. My entire seat post slid down. Yet another mechanical adjusting failure on my part.

So I rode the next 5 miles standing up, until I found a tech motorcycle and did a quick tool adjustment on my seat.

By this time, I figured I was screwed for a podium finish, but tried to keep my head in the game.

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But I just kept getting passed, despite me working harder than ever on the bike.

No offense, ladies, but there were women riding by me who had numbers like "48", "49" and "50" written on the back of their calves.

That just doesn't happen to me in races!

-------------------------

So at mile 40, I pulled over for a third time, and this time I spun my rear disc.

Even though I had checked it the day before, I must have jostled it laying the bike down in the minivan, because the brake caliper was shoved up against the disc.

I'd been riding with brakes on for the past 40 miles.

At that point I was mentally ready to be done, and knew I wasn't going to be anywhere near the podium division finish I was looking for.

-------------------------

I "soft pedaled" back into transition, ready to throw in the towel.

The screaming spectators and crowds got me inspired to jump into the run.

However, when you're running a race in over 100 degrees heat, you need a reason to be out there, and at that point, my reason had faded. A finisher's medal was not enough incentive for me to punish my body for the next 90 minutes.

So at mile 3, I walked it in and called it a day.

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Here I sit in Vegas, getting ready to end a tough experience with a hard drink.

But there's one more thing:

When I have an experience like this, I need a redemption race. Something to give myself a mental boost of positivity, go prove to myself that I'm fast, go use the fitness I built up for this race, and ensure that everything is OK.

So here's my question for you:

Where do you think I should race? I'm ready anytime in the next 2-3 weeks. You name the place and I'll try to make it happen - Olympic up to Half Ironman...go!

Hurting Is Temporary, But Quitting Lasts Forever.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 18:14:00 +0000

As my toes dug into the Spanish sand, part of my body anticipated the blasting air horn that would start the 2012 Long Distance Triathlon World Championships, and send me sprinting out into the water for a grueling 2.5 mile swim, 75 mile bike and 19 mile run.

The other part of my body was messed up.

My eyes were bloodshot from severe lack of sleep, my gut had a deep gnawing pain, and my usually sprite pre-race muscles felt drained and empty.

No, this was not a result of a nasty Rioja wine drinking binge, too many Café Largo’s the night before, or some kind of stomach bug.

It was simply me experiencing the same sub-optimal state that has been described to me over and over again by other triathletes, whether during a training workout or before an important race.

That dead feeling of being completely exhausted and unable to dig when the race intensity begins.

It’s been so long since I’ve arrived at a starting line in that state, I had forgotten what it feels like to have a non-responsive body despite perfect training, a good taper, and no emotional and lifestyle stress.

And it was a loud and clear reminder to me: arriving on the starting line of a race with a 100% physically prepared body means that you have to take care of your gut during race week. Otherwise, by abusing or neglecting a section of your body that is even more exposed to external environments than your skin, you’re setting yourself up for subpar performance.

So what is it about the gut that can create this kind of dreaded pre-race condition in triathletes? In exactly one month, you’re going to find out the answer in Lava Magazine – or you can leave your guesses or comments below, because I’m not going to tell you until then, since it’s an article I’m commissioned to write and I can’t “leak it” on this blog post.

But until then, here is what ensued from my race week mistakes…

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The swim was tricky, with twists and turns throughout – rather than the typical “loop” or “out and back” you see in most swims. Over and over again, I tried to “dig” and drop the group I was in, but kept having to fall back on hips and feet to draft.

At 1500 meters, I considered grabbing hold of a kayak and calling it quits. But eventually, my hands hit sand and I came charging out of the water in an hour even, in 10th place. After learning later that the swim was actually long by nearly 400 meters, I was pretty happy with this, as it means it would have given me an equivalent Ironman swim split of about 55 minutes – one minute faster than my personal record. But I drafted the entire time, so it didn’t really feel like it was swimming, as much as desperately trying to stay on feet.

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All through the swim-to-bike transition, I was gasping for breath – more than usual. My heart felt like it was beating out my throat, my lungs felt tight and constricted and when I finally started pushing the pedals, I once again experienced that frustrating sensation of not being able to dig.

By this time, I knew what the problem was, because that gnawing ache in my stomach had now grown into a full-blown “issue” - and by the time I was 90 minutes into the bike, I was vomiting gels.

So with dead legs and an exhausted body, I wiped the vomit from my mouth and began repeating a mantra that I would repeat over 50 times before the day was over:

“Hurting is temporary, but quitting lasts forever”.

------------------------------------

With this mantra, I strung myself along, splitting the painful bike into 5K portions, and trying to keep down something – anything. By the time I finally got off the bike and onto the run, it had been an hour since I’d last eaten or drunk.

I came off the bike still in 10th place, with a 3:08 bike split and an average speed of just under 25 miles per hour over the 75 miles. But I knew that even that placing wasn’t going to last long with the way I was feeling – and it was pure will at this point that was keeping me on my feet.

“Hurting is temporary, but quitting lasts forever”.

I said it one more time as I slouched in the bike-to-run transition tent, preparing myself mentally to charge out in front of thousands of screaming Spanish fans and at least try to look like a triathlete, not a walking zombie. All I wanted to do at this point was curl up into a ball and go to sleep.

As I came out of the tent, I wished I’d had earplugs. The roar was deafening. There were more spectators in the cobblestoned Vitoria plaza than I’d ever seen in any race, shouting, cheering and blowing horns.

I clutched my stomach and began running.

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Within 1K, I passed my wife Jessa, and when I crumbled to her side and literally collapsed onto my back on the race course, she immediately knew I was having a rough day.

My breaths were coming in short spurts, and my heart rate was screaming in my throat. What was wrong with my body? I felt like I had no control.

Jessa and a police officer helped me to my feet, and I desperately turned to the officer in broken Spanish, “Donde es el bano? Donde es el bano?”

He pointed across the park at a lone bathroom, and I ran to it and stumbled inside. With my head in my hands, I grimaced through several minutes of extreme discomfort, then splashed my face with cold water, and finally emerged from the bathroom:

“Hurting is temporary, but quitting lasts forever”.

------------------------------------

When I emerged from the bathroom, two spectators literally shoved me back out onto the run course and I started running. Within 1500 meters, I was back in another bathroom. This happened again, and again, and again over the first 15K of the run course. By this time, I had discovered that I could only keep down one source of energy: Coke.

After consuming two full cans of carbonated Coke during those first two loops of the run, I knew that I would finish, but it would be ugly. At this point, I only had three things keeping me going…

1) The fans;

2) Imagining pushing my twin boys in the stroller, and not wanting them to see me be a quitter.

3) “Hurting is temporary, but quitting lasts forever”.

I though the last loop of the run would never come. By the time it finally did, I had taken eight bathroom stops and completely emptied the contents of my gut out both my front and backside. I was now running with what felt like balloons full or air in my stomach.

With pride, I somehow passed the final bathroom on the run course without stopping – although it seemed like merely the site of a bathroom was now my gut’s cue to “empty”. I’m guessing by this point I just had nothing left to “go”.

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Cathedral.

Cobblestones.

Screaming spectators.

The finish line arch.

In this video below, you can barely see me clutching my head in my hands as I cross. That about sums up my thoughts at that point, “I have no clue how I just finished that race”.

------------------------------------

My final run split a flat and fast course was 2:20 – 20 minutes slower than last year on what should have been a much speedier course. This got me 19th place in my division and 33rd overall out of 593 male athletes who competed – and nowhere near my 1st place finish from last year.

I broke down crying from a combination of extreme fatigue and exhausted disappointment. After limping to the hotel, I spent the next 5 hours in bed, doubled over with gut pain and unable to do anything but lie there and stare at the ceiling.

So what happened? What can cause an athlete to arrive in perfect preparation to a race, but suffer such a lack of ability to perform?

Over those 6 hours and 30 minutes, I had been reminded of an important lesson that I already knew, but took for granted. You’ll get to learn exactly what that lesson is in my next article in Lava Magazine. Stay tuned. It will be in the “Kona” issue.

A Tiger And A Double Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog In A Cheeseburger, Please.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 00:50:00 +0000

How Can You Not Read A Race Report That Starts With A Baby Tiger Photo?

Today, as a pre-race tune-up before I go defend my gold medal at ITU Long Course World Championships in Spain next week, I dropped into the Tiger Triathlon.

This race is advertised as a "quarter Ironman".

Which basically seems to be a 1K swim, a 40K bike, and an 8K run. I'm not quite sure how the math on that works out with the run part, but whatever - I'm in!

So I showed up on race morning with 2 kids, 2 dogs and my wife (bless her heart, once I took off on the swim she was left with all 4 of them) and with the help(?) of my 4 year old boys set up transition area in a blistering 20 minutes, with barely enough time left over to put on my brand new Blue Seventy Helix wetsuit (thanks B70 guys!) and rush down to the water.

Here's the hurry-up video I shot for my Twitter and Facebook followers who asked me how I set up my bike for an Olympic Distance Triathlon...

The swim horn sounded and we were off. Here's where I remembered an important lesson:

In an early morning lake swim, the glare of the bright morning sun at some point is going to really impede your sighting as it glimmers off the lake, so A) if you can get tinted goggles, wear them, and B) if you have the option to draft do it.

Fortunately, I did both A) and B), and came out of the water in 2nd place, about 5 second behind the leader. I passed him in the run up to T1 and headed out on the bike in 1st.

The 40K point-to-point bike is a net elevation loss, which means a few things:

1) You need to really focus on maintaining wattage, as it's easy to let yourself "cruise" with as many downhill stretches as a bike course like this has - no "zoning out"!

2) If you're lucky enough to come out of the water in 1st place like I was, you need to put the hammer down early because if anybody gets on your wheel it's much tougher to shake them off when you've both got a downhill advantage.

As I rolled into transition and dismounted to grab my shoes, I was unpleasantly reminded of one other thing about net elevation loss bikes...

3) You'll be going faster than usual, which makes non-aerodynamic position have a higher time penalty. This means you stay tucked, aero, and for heaven's sake, don't look back behind you because that stick your helmet tail into the wind.

Why did this turn into an unpleasant reminder for me?

Because I didn't realize that another competitor, super-speedy runner Jesse Carnes, had snuck up on me in the bike and rolled into transition just a few seconds behind me. Rather then getting to comfortably run to the finish line, this meant I was now going to have to suffer - especially considering that the entire two-loop run takes place on Jesse's old highschool cross country course!

I took off running scared, and here's where I implemented another tip:

If you know the guy behind you is a faster runner than you, try to outsplit him early so that he doesn't have the motivation to catch you later on.

So with Jesse hot on my heels, I ran the first 4K much harder than I knew I could maintain for the full 8K.

And it worked.

By the time we reached the finish on the high school track, I'd put about 25 seconds on him, which was enough for me to cruise in for the win in 1:43 and change.

And get a freaking huge Tiger Triathlon coffee mug, which means I may need to increase the volume of my morning coffee dose:

Delicious and decadent post-race celebratory details will come in just a moment, but first a few shout-outs:

Nutrition/Gear notes:

-Day before: Slept in tiny hotel room with wife and kids. So none of the usual Millenium Sports Somnidren GH and EarthPulse for sleep enhancement.

-2 hours pre-swim: 2 sweet potatoes. Totally plain. Burn clean.

-30 minutes pre-swim: 2 delta-E (caffiene/B12/Taurine packs), 20 Sprays Magnesium Oil, 10 Master Amino Pattern capsules, 4 Extreme Endurance

-Wetsuit: Blue Seventy Helix

-Google: Blue Seventy Element

Bike notes:

-Shoes: Louis Garneau Tri-Speed shoes

-Helmet: Gray Aero helmet

-Wheels: Shimano C-50

-Tires: Challenge Triathlon

-Groupo: Shimano Dura-Ace

-Seat: Adamo ISM Road Saddle

-Sunglasses: Native Eyewear

-Fuel: GU Roctane powder, 300 calories, mixed into 20oz water.

Run notes:

-Shoes: My killer new Skora Forms <--you must wear this shoe - it is a minimalist racing shoe that looks like a freaking Italian designer shoe.

-No food, no water.

Of course, a big thanks to all my sponsors. Check them all out here.

OK, on to that post race decadence I mentioned.

I don't know where you compete in triathlons, but out here in the Northwest, it's usually not terribly difficult to find bananas, peanut butter, and some kind of cream cheese in the post-race area. If you're lucky enough to find all three, then do as I do, and make yourself a peanut butter-cream cheese-banana split.

And that's not the only post-race indulgence in which you can partake...

...Tiger Triathlon happens to be out in Colville, Washington - about a 90 minute drive north of Spokane - and if you ever happen to have the pleasure of taking that drive, I would highly recommend that you do as I did, and indulge in a "World Famous Clayton Burger" after the race (if you're gluten-free like me, sans bun, of course.)

You'll find the joint on the left side of the highway as you drive back from Colville to Spokane, about halfway back.

Going Kamikaze in Japan.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 23:29:00 +0000

With the nature of my previous post, I'm sure you may be wondering exactly how that bike setup modification worked for me, and how the race in Japan went overall.

Here's a few race notes, and for those of you who are actually interested in racing in Japan next year, check out my upcoming article in Lava Magazine for some of my travel, eating and tips for the race!

1. The point-to-point swim was wetsuit legal and fast. With a typhoon in the days leading up to this race, part of that could have been due to weather changes, but there was a fairly strong current pushing us the whole way. Best as I could tell, one pack came out of the water before me, so it was off to the chases after an 800 meter run to T1.

Swim split: 23:20

2. As I mentioned in the post before this one, this bike course is extremely complex with over a hundred 90 degree turns and eight u-turns. Chasing a pack in front of me, I rode solo up to about 50K, but just couldn't hunt them down, and every split I took at the u-turns they were maintaining a consisten 2 minutes on me. After I was overtaken by the second main pack of 6 riders, I stayed with them for the final 30K into T2, where I arrived a bit nervous knowing that I needed to put at least 2 minutes into that first pack on the run if I wanted to podium. Interestingly, drinking to thirst on the bike, I was still drinking close to 40oz of water per hour, while putting away about 4 gels an hour. You lose lots of fluids in the Asian heat and humidity!

Bike split: 2:35

3. This run is fairly flat and fast, with aid stations every 2K and lots of small groups of frenzied Japanese spectators cheering for the athletes. Early on, I decided to go a bit kamikaze, as I felt like I got a slow start and was already more behind than I wanted to be coming off the bike. At the 4K, I opened up to my threshold pace and just decided to go until I blew up. I managed to pass a couple athletes, but didn't quite run my way up as far as I would have liked. Since I was running pretty hard, I didn't waste too much time with nutrition, and for fuel, I had a few quick sips of coke at some of the aid stations, maybe about 200 calories worth for the whole run.

Run split: 1:22

Overall time: 4:27, 4th age group, 13th overall

I managed to snag a Vegas World Championship slot, and also took away a valuable lesson from this race: if you want the best fried chicken, fried shrimp and sweet potato sake on the planet, go to Japan!

Also, and this may be of interest to you minimalist out there, I only did one 30 minute run per week in my final 3 weeks before this race. Everything else was commuting on my Elliptigo! Something to be said for elliptical trainers and not running very much. ;)

Nutrition/Gear notes:

-Day before: Millenium Sports Somnidren GH and EarthPulse for sleep

-2 hours pre-swim: 4 scoops LivingFuel SuperBerry

-30 minutes pre-swim: 1 Nutrarev, 1 Energy28 and 1 delta-E, 20 Sprays Magnesium Oil, 10 Master Amino Pattern capsules, 4 Extreme Endurance

-Skinsuit: Synergy Hybrid

-Google: Blue Seventy Element

Bike notes:

-Shoes: Louis Garneau Tri-Speed shoes

-Helmet: Gray Aero helmet

-Wheels: Shimano C-50

-Tires: Challenge Triathlon

-Groupo: Shimano Dura-Ace

-Seat: Adamo ISM Road Saddle

-Sunglasses: Native Eyewear

-One gel every 15 minutes, water when thirsty

Run notes:

-Shoes: K-Swiss K-Ruuz

-4oz Coke every other aid station.

-Water when thirsty

And a big thanks to all my sponsors. Check them all out here.

How To Prepare Your Triathlon Bike For Racing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 06:19:00 +0000

One thing that I've learned from racing is that depending on the bike course, sometimes you need to change the way your bike prepared.

In other words, what works for one race may not work for the next.

Here's how my bike usually looks:

That's an aerobar mounted horizontal water bottle holder (the XLab Torpedo), with a hacked up Profile Design Razor designed to carry a bottle of electrolyte capsules (which I no longer use) and up to 10 gels. Click here if you want to read more about how I made this.

So my rationale for this type of race setup can be explained by an excerpt I wrote in a recent article in LAVA magazine:

"In fall of 2011, Cervelo engineers reported on their website a comparison of two options for aerobar mounted drinking systems - a system that hangs down vertically in front of the head tube and one that mounts a standard round bottle horizontally on the extensions between the arms. They found that the vertical bottle added some drag (depending on the system and shape of the head tube) - but still not as much as a standard fueling bottle mounted on the seat tube or down tube of the bike frame. The straw sticking up was the biggest problem with the vertical bottle.

In contrast, a standard bottle mounted horizontally between the rider’s arms on the aerobar actually filled in the turbulent area behind the hands and reduced drag significantly – making it faster than having no bottle at all!"

Here's a few close up shots:

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However...

Yesterday I did a bike course preview of Ironman Japan 70.3, which I'm racing tomorrow.

And it is freaking nuts.

-There are 112 90-degree turns and eight U-turns.

-The first 15K of the race is on tiny, bumpy, nearly single-track trails with a cliff on one side that precariously drops down into the ocean.

-Approximately 1 mile is the longest "stretch" in which you can be in the aero position without turning sharply onto a new road.

This totally screws the bike setup above, and here's why:

1. Big bumps can send gels flying if they're *anywhere* on your bike, including taped to your top tube, sitting in a bento box, or in my case, shoved into downtube mounted water bottle holder. So I would risk losing all my fuel with this setup.

2. An aerobar mounted water bottle holder is worthless if you're rarely in the aero position, and need to fumble with your aerobars to get the water bottle out. The more fumbling I do the less likely I'll pop out of the first 15K without a bunch of a riders on my tail.

So I made some changes, and here's how my bike looked when I racked it - a much cleaner front end, and a downtube mounted water bottle holder.

Of course, as an astute reader, you're probably wondering about where I'm putting the gels.

This is a simple fix, and one I've used before...

...the gels go in a ziplock bag stuffed into the swim-to-bike transition bag. I hop on my bike, grab the gels, and stuff them all into my right shorts leg within the first mile of the bike. When I need to eat, I grab a gel from the right leg and stuff the litter into the left leg.

Questions, comments or feedback? Leave them below! And be sure to track the race at IronmanLive.com if you want to see how I survive.

How To Learn From Your Triathlon Mistakes - The Hawaii Comedy of Errors...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 21:10:00 +0000

Between a knee injury and saddle sores earlier in the week, and lots of things not going as planned during the race, Hawaii 70.3 turned into a comedy of errors! This video says it all (turns out, however, I wasn't in transition looking for my run bag as long as I say in the video - I only lost about 2 minutes there).

Below this video, I'll tell you what I learned from my triathlon mistakes...

So what did I learn from my mistakes at Hawaii 70.3?

1) Know the course - the simple act of *counting* the buoys prior to the race would have put up a mental red flag for me as soon as our swim pack turned towards the finish and I realized we were one buoy short. That would have been a simple count that literally would have saved a good 300-400 yards of extra swimming.

2) Trust yourself - volunteers, as freaking awesome as they are to generously give their time, simply do not have as much skin in the game as you, and you shouldn't rely on them 100% to find your bags. Rather than trusting where volunteers were sending me in transition, I should have simply followed the numbers and found my run bag that way (T2 is in a different place than T1 in this race, so you don't actually *see* where your run bag is prior to getting there...)

3) Understand how dominoes work - earlier in the week, I rode the 112 mile Hawaii Ironman course with a "saddlesore" on my butt. Simply shifting slightly away from that uncomfortable spot set up a chain reaction that resulted in a knee injury and lots of mental stress prior to the race. Understand that when one domino falls, many can follow if you're not careful.

My overall division placing in this race was 5th swim, 5th bike, 7th run, 7th overall.

And for you gear and nutrition geeks, here is what I used in the race:

Nutrition/Gear notes:

-Day before: Millenium Sports Somnidren GH for sleep

-2 hours pre-swim: 4 LivingFuel SuperGreens

-30 minutes pre-swim: 1 Nutrarev, 1 Energy28 and 1 delta-E, 20 Sprays Magnesium Oil, 10 Master Amino Pattern capsules, 4 Extreme Endurance

-Skinsuit: BlueSeventy Point Zero 3

-Google: Blue Seventy Element

Bike notes:

-Shoes: Louis Garneau Tri-Speed shoes

-Helmet: Gray Aero helmet

-Wheels: Shimano C-50

-Tires: Challenge Triathlon

-Groupo: Shimano Dura-Ace

-Seat: Adamo ISM Road Saddle

-Sunglasses: Native Eyewear

-One gel every 20 minutes, half bag of GU Chomps at end of each hour, water when thirsty.

Run notes:

-Shoes: K-Swiss K-Ruuz (although the guy ahead of me was wearing Vibrams, which, with the undulating, golf course run, I'd actually consider racing if I do this race again)

-One gel every 30 minutes, switched to Coke at 15K mark, with 4oz Coke every aid station.

And a big thanks to all my sponsors. Check them all out here.

Wildflower Race Report

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:53:00 +0000

I just posted a PR and got on the podium at the Wildflower Half-Ironman Triathlon in California...with a:

26:46 Swim - Thanks to the Paul at SwimSmooth, I learned to look slightly forward, keep my fingers closer together, and exhale underwater - and this allowed me to break the 27 minute barrier for a half IM swim, although I had zero drafting opportunities during the swim...

Nutrition/Gear notes:

-Day before: Millenium Sports Somnidren GH for sleep

-2 hours pre-swim: 4 LivingFuel SuperBerry

-30 minutes pre-swim: 1 Nutrarev, 1 Energy28 and 1 delta-E, 20 Sprays Magnesium Oil, 10 Master Amino Pattern capsules, 4 Extreme Endurance

-Wetsuit: Synergy Hybrid

-Google: Blue Seventy Helix

2:37 Bike - This was my first chance to do a long course race for Team Timex on the Quintana Roo CD0.1 and it is a sick bike indeed. This turned into quite a lonely race, as I was by myself on the bike the entire time as well (it's always tough to self-pace and not have some others to play with on the bike). Pretty much stuck to a gel every 20 minutes the whole way through, and drank to thirst, at about 30oz water per hour.

Bike notes:

-Shoes: Louis Garneau Tri-Speed shoes

-Helmet: Gray Aero helmet

-Wheels: Shimano C-50

-Tires: Challenge Triathlon

-Groupo: Shimano Dura-Ace

-Seat: Adamo ISM Road Saddle

-Sunglasses: Native Eyewear

1:28:56 Run - As usual, the Wildflower run freaking hurt, and once again I was on my own the whole time. Per my usual strategy on a half-marathon, I held back slightly on the first 10K of the course, then gradually began to increase pace for the next 10K. I had a gel at 5K, 10K, and 15K, and a sip of water at the aid stations where I grabbed a gel.

Run notes:

-Shoes: K-Swiss K-Ruuz

4:36:32 Overall Time

But...

...10 days before the race, I was dangerously close to being overtrained...

So here's an interesting article about how exactly how I dug myself out of that overtraining hole.

And a big thanks to all my sponsors. Check them all out here.

How To Race Naked (Almost)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:07:00 +0000

Sometimes you have to just unplug when you're exercising.

I wrote about this concept in the article "The Death Of Heart Rate Zones", in which I explain that a big component of exercise is a combination of playing and listening to your body.

Now don't get me wrong here. Many times your heart rate and speed is really important. Heck I'm on Team Timex, which is, among other things, kind of based around the concept of having some really cool tools to quantify your training.

Quantifying workouts becomes even more important for many situations, including:

A) beginning exercisers, who are just getting into working out or training more precisely, and thus need to really monitor how their muscles and breathing feel at specific heart rates, speed, power, etc.;

B) people who have been assigned a workout by a coach, who want to share their workout data with their coach;

C) a coach to be able to monitor an athlete's workouts and recovery without necessarily being there in-person;

D) an athlete to be able to compare one race to the next using more than simply race time splits (a bigger advantage in a race of nutritional or exhaustive attrition, such as a Half to Full Ironman).

But this weekend, I took off the heart rate monitor.

And the fancy triathlon suit.

And the swim skin.

And the sunscreen.

And I just raced, retaining a small shred of cloth around my loin to save onlookers and other racers from my pasty white buttocks.

I never glanced at my watch, and pretty much decided to just go hard until my body imploded or I crossed the finish line.

And while I'll have plenty of chances this year to quantify data during a race, such as in my upcoming Wildflower Half-Ironman, Hawaii 70.3 and Japan 70.3 races, this weekend's Grizzly Triathlon was just a chance to hang out with my friend Dave Erickson and do some almost naked Northwestern style training.

No wins for me this weekend (this race was "untapered" at the tail-end of a very tough training week), but my splits were:

-12:42 1000m swim, 30:20 12 mile bike, 19:40 5K run = total time: 1:02:42

-3rd division, 8th overall

Here are the videos, produced by my friend Dave Erickson, who also raced:

A big shout out to my sponsors, who I'll be highlighting in my final race report of this 4 week series of races I'm doing...

...next up is Leadman - a ski, mountain bike, trail run race in Kellogg, Idaho!

Fat, Poopin' and Racin'.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:41:00 +0000

I just finished my first sprint triathlon of the year! Here's my race report, which involved fat, pooping, and more!

Here's the link:

http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2012/04/why-you-should-squat-to-poop/

How Much Salt Do You Lose In Your Sweat?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:57:00 +0000

I'm here at Team Timex Multisport camp, and today was a sweat sodium analysis.

What do you think? Am I a heavy sweater?

Or am I a wimp when it comes to fluid loss?

Stay tuned to find out, or check http://www.facebook.com/bgfitness for up-to-date results...

...including fluid loss, sodium loss, change in internal temperature and more.

Timex Torture Test with Ben Greenfield

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:34:00 +0000

Check out this funny endurance video, in which Dave Erickson and me put a Timex Run Trainer through a torture test in a re-enactment of the John Cameron Swayze Timex commercial. "Takes A Lickin and Keeps On Tickin". And the original video with John Cameron Swayze: