Long Bike Rides and Long Runs

  The long bike rides, though far fewer than what I need to be doing this time next year, are going well. In fact I find myself enjoying riding in the saddle for hours on end. It's fun to really cover mileage with your own man(woman)-power. Biking is definitely my favorite of the three tri sports.

 

  So what is a long bike ride? Is it all about mileage, time or both? I use to only watch mileage and keep track of my training using only mileage but now I mostly use time. It's a whole new method for me. The Ironman is one long day in the saddle so the more I train, the more I sit in my saddle, the better off I will be. A long bike ride ranges from 4-7 hours in the saddle.

 

  You may be wondering why I am worrying about long saddle rides a year from Lake Placid. Great question. In less than two weeks my family and I will be going to Lake Placid for the 2011 Ironman. I will be volunteering Sunday during the event in order to register for Lake Placid 2012. Since I will be in Lake Placid and possibly not return again until 2012 race day I have decided to bike the entire 112 mile course. I have not yet ridden 112 miles on my bike and am a bit anxious about it. I hear the course has some good hills and downhills (stating the obvious). I want to ride the entire course and begin to memorize the miles that are ahead of me.

Once I know what kind of a course it is then I will know how to train.

 

  Have I mentioned yet that I absolutely LOVE my Specialized bike?! It's an amazing machine. I have put hundreds of miles on it, each mile better than the one previous. The bike is ready for it's first tune-up but I am having a hard time parting ways with it even for a couple days. I need to do it before we leave for Placid though.

 

 

  Running has been going pretty good. It's definitely not exactly my "cup of tea" but once I am out there doing it I enjoy it. I am starting to figure out that half marathon distance is my favorite (I think). This marathon distance increases risk of injury and exhaustion a bit more. My 6-10 mile runs are quick and short. I do not carry a fuel belt and usually finish the run feeling energized and good. My 11-18 mile runs are a very different story. I definitely use my fuel belt when running anything over 10 miles. My fuel belt carry's 4 small water bottles, fuel and my phone. I love having the belt and wouldn't be able to cover the distance without it unless I planted water bottles and electrolyte drink and fuel along the way (what a pain that would be). My long runs can be daunting when I first start but I remind myself to just put one foot in front of the other. Also, what works for me is to just think about the first half of the run. So if I'm running 18 miles I focus on the first 9 miles only, which isn't a big deal. Once I get the 9 miles covered then all I have to think about is getting home. It works great for me. I usually feel pretty good during my runs and haven't had any problems. The trouble comes after my run is finished though. I have been having terrible GI trouble. After my run I will start to get terrible stomach cramps to the point I feel like I'm going to throw up. Also, I find myself running to the bathroom many times. It feels alot like the stomach flu except with a bit more pain. This lasts for about 4 hours then I feel fine and start thinking about my next long run. :-) You might be wondering what my problem is. I believe it is fuel related. Either the Perform electrolyte drink isn't settling well or my Shot Blocks. Not sure which one yet but I am in the process of figuring it out. I just recently bought different chews to try.  

 

   I have been increasing my run mileage in preparation for Lake Placid as well. My goal is to bike the 112 mile bike course on Monday and to run over half of the marathon on Tuesday. That should give me a good feel for what I have coming in a year. Once I finish my Lake Placid training I will decrease my running mileage for a bit and then start to build again just in time for my marathon in October. 

 

 

  Until next time happy training.

 

Smiles, Alicia