Oceanside Coming Up!

The biggest item in this post is that I'm not sure if I'll accept a Kona slot even if I qualify for one at Oceanside. There is a greater discussion of my thinking at the end of this post.

Anyhow, training for Oceanside is pretty much wrapped up. Yesterday I packed up my bike and other equipment so that I'm ready to fly out this evening. These pictures ended up in reverse order:





This trip will be my first time flying with a bike. I'm a bit nervous about excess sized baggage fees, damage to my bike, my bike not arriving in California, and anything else that could go wrong. As an aside, my bike is packed in a case that I bought several years ago with the intent of going to Clearwater to race the 70.3 championship. However, a few weeks before that race I came down with a mysterious illness (perhaps related to an allergen in a new apartment that I had just moved into) that left me unable to train for four months. I was going to school in Chicago at the time, and during one of my few attempts to run while I was ill I had to cross over Lake Shore Drive via a pedestrian bridge. Even the slight incline of the bridge shot my HR up to 175 bpm and tired me out so much that I had to walk. I try to think of that period whenever I'm suffering during training to remind myself how happy I am simply to be able to train. Anyhow, the whole reason I mention that is because this is my first time using the case despite having bought it so long ago. Despite my concerns with flying, I'm excited to race for the first time since Louisville and to visit California for the first time ever.

My final workouts included a 1.5 hr ride with four 10 minute race paced efforts on Tuesday. My power to HR ratio was excellent. Check these numbers out:
1 - 235 W @ 145 bpm (basically IM HR)
2 - 248 W @ 148 bpm (still about IM HR)
3 - 255 W @ 152 bpm
4 - 258 W @ 152 bpm
I think I can hold a 155-160 bpm HR for a HIM, so the resulting wattage would be great if the trends above continue. (A more detailed race plan is below.)

In addition to good power numbers as of late, I'm also at a record low post-adolescence weight of 155 lbs. I haven't watched calories or anything like that, and I am almost always satiated. My guess is that my weight is slowly dropping from having adopted a healthier diet several months ago, and that the loss has been so gradual that I've barely noticed it (plus I rarely weigh myself).

Running is going well, too, which is surely helped by the weight loss. I'm finally getting to the point where I can finish a long run without feeling fatigued. Additionally, over the past few weeks I've done one session per week with some 6:00 to 6:15/mile running. That pace hasn't felt too tough -- yet another good sign that I should have a strong performance in Oceanside.

On a final note about training, I've been swimming more than ever. The gains may not be huge at the moment, but the extra volume should allow me to feel strong at the end of the swim.

Moving on to the race itself, my plan for the race begins with a warm-up. I don't want to start the race in Oceanside Harbor's chilly waters without a proper warm-up. Since no swimming is allowed before the race, I'll probably do a bit of jogging.

Once the swim starts, I want to push myself to the point that I'm slightly uncomfortable. I also plan to make a point of spotting frequently. At Louisville I have a hunch that I didn't swim the best line, so I want to make sure I'm swimming the minimal distance by spotting more often than I had in the past. If I can get on someone's feet, great. However, if I have to ease up than I won't stay on the person's feet and will try to move up instead.

From what I understand, Oceanside's swim is about as fast as it gets due to the saltwater + wetsuit combo and the calm waters. I'd love to go sub-29 minutes (my prior best 1900m swim is a 31 minute first loop at IMLP last year), but I believe anything in the low 30s should leave me in contention to win my AG.

My bike strategy is highly influenced by the course profile:

The course starts flat and gets tough around mile 30. I'm going to hold back slightly for the first 25-30 miles and then pick up the effort for the rest of the ride. Perceived exertion will be my primary gauge, as I'm concerned about elevation effecting my HR and power numbers. Even though I still kind of feel like a triathlon rookie after four years in the sport, I am becoming experienced enough that my sense of PE should be pretty accurate.

That doesn't mean HR and power will be useless, but they'll just secondary to PE. I will, for example, ease off if I'm pushing 265 W or am at 160 bpm a few miles into the ride even if my PE is where I want it. My expectation for the first 25 miles is to be riding around 240 W at 150-155 bpm. Also, I will cap my effort in the hills at 300 W. I know how hard it is for me to push much over 300 W, and I'd wager that going above that effort slows my run.

Oh, and one other important thing: I do not want to chase power numbers. Despite the 250 W @ 150 bpm results above, I will not tell myself to push 250 W. (This goes back to the whole ego thing. The goal of the race is to have a fast overall time, not an impressive average wattage.) Perhaps for the last 10-15 miles I will focus on the power meter and use it as a carrot to keep my effort up.

Nutrition wise, a HIM isn't that complicated. Salt isn't much of a concern given the race's duration and expected temperature. I'll shoot for around 250-300 calories per hour on the bike, but going a under that is better than going over and ultimately my stomach will guide my consumption. My plan is to carry two bottles of sports drink on the bike. Each bottle has ~125 calories. Given that the temperature should be pretty cool while I'm on the bike, drinking a full bottle per hour is probably an unrealistically large amount. If I drink a bit under a full bottle per hour, I'll be at 75-100 calories. This also means I probably need to grab another bottle at an aid station. Just to be on the safe side, however, I'll still get a sports drink re-fill.

I'll rely on gel to provide the remainder of my bike calories. A gel and a half to two gels per hour should do the trick. This means I'll need to carry 5 gels on the bike, though I'll bring 6 or 7 to be on the safe side.

Predicted bike time: circa 2:30 (2:28?) based on looking over earlier year's results. Anything at 2:25 or under would be phenomenal. One note about the goal times: they're based on earlier years' results. Since conditions vary from year to year, I am not going to be attached to any goal times and will not let my actual time alter my focus.

My experience from past races tells me that I start the run too fast. My plan for Oceanside is to run the first 3-4 miles feeling comfortable (whereas I normally push myself to the brink within the first 1-2 miles of a half and then hold on for the last 11-12), and then gradually pick up the effort until mile 6 or 7. HR wise, anything over 170 bpm for the first 3-4 miles will be a signal to reconsider whether I'm going too hard.

Once I hit the midway point, it's time to lay it all on the line. The plan is to be mentally strong and tell myself to start chasing down anyone I can see. Not easing off is especially important since my AG starts in two waves. Unless I'm in the second wave, I cannot be sure of my position.

Nutrition during the run is all about how I feel. I may grab some Coke and might even take in a gel during the early stages of the run. After the midway point, however, my ability to take in calories will be minimal because my effort level will be so high. After that point, any calories taken in will be in small dosages, like a sip of Coke or sports drink, or a fraction of a gel.

Predicted run time: 1:20, with 1:22 being okay and 1:17 or 1:18 being great. Why these times? The run is fairly flat, and I've run a 1:22 half and a 1:21 half (well, that latter half time was the first half of an IM) in the past. Time to set a new run PR!

Okay, so if I'm fortunate enough to have a great race and get a Kona slot, the question becomes whether or not I'll take it. Stacey and I have been considering going to Hawaii for our honeymoon for a while now, and Stacey is even fine scheduling the honeymoon around the Hawaii IM so I can race while we're there. However, I now doubt I can take much time off work for the race, likely just a two to three days. As a result, we'd probably end up flying to Hawaii the Thursday before the race and flying home Sunday or Monday. First, that's not much of a honeymoon, especially with the race taking up a day and race prep taking up another day. That's not too big of a deal though, because we could just do the trip without considering it a honeymoon and then take some separate honeymoon.

Second, such a short trip would be very hectic with 20 hours of travel and an IM in just four or five days. That would make for tough conditions for me to have a high-quality race. When I race in Hawaii, I want to have an excellent performance, not just squeeze the race in between travel days.

There's also the cost issue. The fewer days we have to enjoy Hawaii, the greater the cost per day is with the flight factored in. We figure Hawaii might cost $2500 for a very short trip. Is it worth it? I don't know. That money could be put to good use, e.g., as a portion of a down payment on a house.

Finally, since it's unlikely I'll race Hawaii every year, when I do go I want to have a great performance. If I register for Hawaii I'll be concerned with whether or not I'll have the time this fall for proper training. I also think that maybe with another year or two of hard training I'll be significantly faster and can have an even better result than I'll be capable of this year. Saving the trip for my peak performance is another thing I'm considering.

On the other hand, who knows how many opportunities I'll have to race there. There's the whole "you only live once" thing to consider. Yet I think I'd be fine not ever racing in Hawaii. Yes, every year when I watch the coverage online I always wish I was racing, but it's still just another race.

So, these are the things Stacey and I have been discussing. There are more "don't go" points above than there are "go" points, but I'd say right now I'm 50/50 on going or not. If I don't go, I may do Silverman, IM Arizona (if I can get a slot at Oceanside), or some other late season IM-distance race.

I've only got a few days to figure this out. Any input?