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Your First 70.3
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mattsurf




Joined: 28 Sep 2016
Posts: 852
Location: Zug, Switzerland

PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 8:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's very interesting, because if you post this question on a couple of popular facebook forums, you would get a different set of answers... like "Get a coach", "get a bike fit"

The difference is that this forum is largely populated by experienced triathletes, who have done many events of all distances, while the FB forums are largely populated by people whose primary aim is to complete an Ironman as soon as possible
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Roscoemck




Joined: 10 Aug 2016
Posts: 483
Location: Glasgow

PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 8:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What plan did you follow? Did you actually follow it or complete 70% of it. Loosely followed a plan from Triathlete. Didn't put enough into intensity

What do you wish you knew before starting training that you know now? Don't do junk miles, make workouts count. I also wish I'd learned to swim properly and done an open water swim. That 1.2 miles was hell to me and I hated it.

Did you have a time goal or just to finish? Thought I would manage under 7 hours, finished in 6h 45m

Did you have a race day plan? Did it work. My plan/goal was to finish

Did you have a nutrition stagedgy did it work, what would you do different now? Bars and electrolyte on the bike. Water on the run. Actually need more fluid on the bike and ended up using the supplied gels on the run as I was bonking.

Overall what’s the single best advice you could have given to yourself at any point during your journey to completing your first 70.3? Train smarter
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Chrace




Joined: 28 Apr 2010
Posts: 2910
Location: Eating a Yorkie

PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 10:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mattsurf wrote:
It's very interesting, because if you post this question on a couple of popular facebook forums, you would get a different set of answers... like "Get a coach", "get a bike fit"

The difference is that this forum is largely populated by experienced triathletes, who have done many events of all distances, while the FB forums are largely populated by people whose primary aim is to complete an Ironman as soon as possible

That's probably the main reason tritalk is still going. The depth of knowledge on here is just mental.
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stenard




Joined: 04 Sep 2013
Posts: 2063

PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 10:28 am    Post subject: Re: Your First 70.3 Reply with quote

First one was a while ago now, or so it seems. Of course, for many of you on here your first HIM was probably before I had even left school! Still, it's strange looking back...

How did you all find your first half?
Loved it, but the run was pretty tough. The whole process definitely felt a step up and more daunting than any sprint or standard distance I had done before. I did the Cotswold Classic in 2014.

What plan did you follow? Did you actually follow it or complete 70% of it
Only huge structure was the Trainer Road HIM plan for the bike. That year, I followed it fairly rigidly. Swim and run were more my normal type sessions. Back then I was not in a club, swam by myself, and used to run with a running shop run group on Mondays (5k) and Wednesdays (8k) - back then I pretty much smashed myself both days.

The main thing I also did was my first half marathon in the spring (Bath). I also did a trail HM 6-8 weeks after that as well (Evesham).

What do you wish you knew before starting training that you know now?
Not to overdo the bike. I didn't have a power meter back then, but I do now. I have since done the same race again two more times. I have got progressively fitter, yet now have my target HIM at, or below, what I racing at before I got a coach. I think on a relative basis, I probably pushed even harder in that first one on the bike, purely based on average speed and the fact I was on a road bike for that one. That's probably why I said at the outset the run got tough!

Did you have a time goal or just to finish?
Finish first and foremost, but I had rough time goals for each discipline based on learnings from training. Back then, the bike was quite a bit shorter, and I managed to break 5hrs.

Did you have a race day plan? Did it work
Not really. I made some choices like putting bike shorts over my tri shorts, and I also put a gilet on. I guess the distance worried me from a comfort perspective. I now wouldnt worry about that. I did my Ironman in just tri shorts.

Did you have a nutrition stagedgy did it work, what would you do different now?
Mainly eat little and often on the bike. I used back then what I still use now as part of my nutrition strategy ... sainsburys flapjack chunks in a top tube bag. I imagine I just used something like high5 tabs and gels.

Now I'm a bit more structured, using PH1500 for fluids as I've determined I'm a heavy, salty sweater, and my food intake is more defined. I have a gel 5mins before swim start, various solids during the first 90mins of the bike (flapjack chunks, cut up energy bar, chews), then switch to gels in the final hour. Gels and chews on the run.

Overall what’s the single best advice you could have given to yourself at any point during your journey to completing your first 70.3?
Probably the bit about not over-biking above. It feels like as it's the longest discipline, you should try and maximise investment of effort there. But with power data to now review, I've seen how much extra effort just a handful of minutes saved on the bike requires. The cost on the run, both in terms of enjoyment and time lost, is just not worth it. The bike is probably my weakest discipline now though (back when I did my first though, it was probably the swim and I felt fairly capable on a bike at that time, although in hindsight that was likely unjustified!).
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tuckandgo




Joined: 03 Sep 2012
Posts: 461

PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 2:49 pm    Post subject: Re: Your First 70.3 Reply with quote

Barryc wrote:
Stepping up to 70.3 this year more specifically the lakesman half. How did you all find your first half?

What plan did you follow? Did you actually follow it or complete 70% of it
What do you wish you knew before starting training that you know now?
Did you have a time goal or just to finish?
Did you have a race day plan? Did it work
Did you have a nutrition stagedgy did it work, what would you do different now?
Overall what’s the single best advice you could have given to yourself at any point during your journey to completing your first 70.3?

Sorry for all the questions but I find people on here will give a much better idea of what to expect than the typical tri mag write ups

This is a bit of fun.

- my first tri, had 6 weeks specific training off the back of being bike fit. Got a custom made plan from a coach who basically said 'this is going to be hard work and hurt, but not nearly as much as the event will if you don't do it.'

- I followed it to the letter.
- I already had a good understanding of training ideas '(zones, recovery etc) from other sports but if you don't then get an handle on this - so you can follow your plan properly - would reap dividends
- Goal was to race hard and finish with even splits (i.e. without blowing up).
- This translated into survive the swim, pace the bike and first half of run off a consistent HR, then if there's anything left in the tank squeeze on the last 10k.
- Food - energy drink and gels on the bike (500ml and 1 gel per hour), one caffeine gel half way round the run.
- these strategies worked just as well for me in my second half IM in June, 6 years after my first race!

Best advice - be prepared, don't test anything new near race day, follow the training plan, follow the race plan - control the process don't worry about the outcome.

And have lots of fun! Smile


Thanks
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Barryc




Joined: 21 May 2018
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

To all who have posted thank you very much.

All great advice!
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