Merle III: Ready to Roll

Just a few pictures and words about the bike setup for Ironman Florida.  Nothing tremendously new here for me, but there are some slight adjustments that I've made just for this race.

Here's Merle III (named after my late grandmother, who inadvertently bought me my first tri bike) in all her glory:

I got these new Zipp Vuka Shifters a few weeks ago.  They won’t save me any time but they look cool, and sometimes when you’re suffering out there pedaling with all you’ve got, feeling cool is just what you need to press on for a little bit longer!

Charles Royal turned me on to Lizard Skins handlebar tape as well.  I love its grippyness and, the red color, well that’s just for bling affect.

I’ve been struggling with mounting a torpedo water bottle cage for a while, though it worked well for White Lake Half Iron last year.  I think I have this pretty well secure this time around.  I’m going with an Xlab Gorilla cage for maximum bottle grip as I hear there’s a section near the bike turnaround that is kinda rough.

Since I had to redo all the cables anyway for the Zipp shifters, I upgraded to Jagwire cables.  They’re supposed to be the best, so why not?

As I usually do for long distance races, I’ve attached my gel flask holder to the top tube.  This makes it easy to grab my EFS Liquid Shots.  I mount it so that the bottle points aft so that I can grab it with my right hand, squeeze it into my mouth without turning it around and then stick it back in the holder.  (note cables zip tied just forward of flask for reduced drag).

I hate having to use this great big Xlab tire bag but since I’m using tubular tires I figure I better carry a spare or my race is over once I get a flat.  I would love to rely simply on Vittoria Pit Stop tire sealant as I did for St Croix 70.3, but since they don’t make the valve with an elbow it won’t work on my rear disc wheel anyway.  So I’m carrying a spare tire, 3 CO2 cartridges, and 2 tire levers in my Xlab bag.  I also have a new ISM Adamo seat since I loved the first one I had.

I’m gonna go with Vittoria Open Corsa tires instead of the Tufos I have been using.  From what I’ve read they have very low rolling resistance and are an all-around fast tire.  They don’t hold air all that well so I’ll definitely have to pump them up race morning, but that’s a small price to pay I figure.

I replaced my usual Zip bottle cage on the downtube with another Xlab Gorilla cage.  Again, it’s all out of paranoia that I’ll lose a bottle on that rough section of the course I read about.

I’m really a fan of the Purist bottles, which have a great valve for sucking down the juices.  These bottles don’t leak and since my concoctions are extra syrupy the last thing I want is a sticky mess every time I reach for a drink.  I’ll start the bike leg with some bottles I don’t mind ejecting when through, with the plan of picking up my two Purist bottles at Bike Special Needs halfway through the course.

I’d love to roll with my Sidi tri shoes but they’re so narrow that my feet will be numb halfway through the bike, so I got some new Bont Vaypor road shoes that I really like.  The left one already smells like piss (scratch the image on your screen for scent).  It’s been broken in alright.  Of course, since it's a road shoe this means no flying mount and dismount but, for this distance, those seconds perhaps are expendable and comfort comes first for this cat over 112 miles.

Thanks to my wonderful wife Angie and Mike Beaman at Inside Out Sports for getting my bike pimped out and squeezing it all into one day that I wouldn't be riding it.  That wasn't easy, and I am much appreciative.

The Goop I'll Eat for IMFL

This might be of interest to some folks, so I thought I would post what the planned nutrition intake is for Ironman Florida (just 2 weeks away!).  At the very least, it may come in handy for myself to look back on one day and say, "What the hell were you thinking?!"  or maybe come back to if it all works out as I hope.

For those of you that don't know this stuff, I will probably burn around 10,000 calories or more on race day but you don't replenish the calories in a 1:1 ratio.  Not even close.  A calorie deficit is certain, but you can do what it takes to keep your muscles and other squishy parts feeling healthy and willing (reluctantly, to say the least) to progress to the finish line.  In this case, I intend to replenish about 1/3 of the calories I will burn on race day.  Until afterwards, then it's beer and burgers galore.....!

Notable Nutrition Items Week of Ironman:

-         Stop caffeine one week prior, resume race morning

-         Continue meals and eating habits of training block

o       Salmon or chicken with steamed veggies for dinner, flavored white rice prior to long workouts

o       Cottage cheese and glass of skim milk pre-bedtime

-         First Endurance EFS or Gatorade predominant drinks last 2 days before race

 I'd like to thank the following brands for supporting me by allowing me to pay in full for the products pictured.....

Pre-Race Breakfast:

-         2 scoops Hammer Sustained Energy (213 cal, 45 g carb, 7 g protein) and 2 cups Silk chocolate soy milk (280 cal, 46 g carb, 10 g protein)

-         2 blueberry Pop-Tarts (400 cal, 76 g carb, 4 g protein)

-         1 Honey Stinger Waffle (160 cal, 21 g carb)

-         1 banana (200 cal, 51 g carb, 2 g protein)

-         First Endurance EFS, 22 oz, with 4 First Endurance Pre Race pills

-         1 Saltstick salt tablet

-         4 Hammer Nutrition Anti-Fatigue pills

-         First Endurance Optygen HP and MultiV

-         1 Gu Roctane gel (20 min prior to race) (100 cal, 20 g carb)

Total If All Consumed: 1545 cal, 287 g carb, 43 g protein

Bike Leg:

-         Bottle 1 (22oz): 2 scoops EFS (192 cal, 48 g carb), 2 scoops CarboPro (230 cal, 57 g carb) , 1 Saltstick tablet, 2 Pre Race pills, 1 Antifatigue pill

-         Bottle 2 (26 oz): 2 scoops EFS, 2 scoops CarboPro, 1 Saltstick tablet, 2 Pre Race pills, 1 Antifatigue pill

-         1 EFS Liquid Shot (400 cal, 100 g carb)

-         At special needs replace Bottle 1 and Bottle 2 with same thing and replace EFS Liquid Shot

-         1 Bottle: flat Red Bull (115 cal, 28 g carb, 1 g protein), 2 scoops Powerbar Perform (140 cal, 17 g carb), 1 Antifatigue

-         (I have some Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem Solids on order but not sure if I’ll use them, 100 cal, 20 g carb, 3 g protein)

-         At mile 80, 3 Hammer Nutrition Energy Surge tablets

-         Powerbar Perform and water on course as needed

Total If All Consumed: 1539 cal, 261 g carb, 4 g protein

Run Leg:

-         1 EFS Liquid Shot (quite possibly will end up ditching this early in the marathon)

-         1 Saltstick tablet every 45 min

-         1 Antifatigue every 45 min

-         2 Pre Race every 45 min

-         Gels on course as needed

-         Special Needs: flat Red Bull

-         At mile 18, 3 Hammer Nutrition Energy Surge tablets

-         Coke (46 cal, 13 g carb), Powerbar Perform, and/or water every aid station

Total If All Consumed (assuming 15 Coke shots): 515 cal (1205 cal), 128 g carb (195 g carb), 1 g protein

120 Miles of Brain Activity

I’ve been asked what I think about when I’m out on a 6 hour Ironman training ride.  Surely it must be boring, right?  Well, yeah, but there’s loads of things to think about!  So, while on my 120 miler Sunday I took a moment to actually pay attention to what was going through my head.  Here’s an excerpt:

Okay, left turn coming up.  Can I stay in aero position on this turn or should I sit up?  I can stay.  No let’s get up.  No stay.  Get up, get up, GET UP!!!!! Phew, that was a close one.  What was I thinking?!  It’s just a training ride.  Okay accelerate…..but stand to accelerate only for 8 strokes, no more!  1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10….dammit!  That’s too many.  Now your quads are blown!  That’s ridiculous, get in your aero position.  Turtle the neck!

Alright, settle into your pace now….not too hard.  That’s too easy.  I said not too hard.  That’s too hard!  Okay, there we go.  Nice form.  Make your hands perfectly symmetrical with all your fingers nice and aero.  I wonder if it’d be more aero just to have nubs instead of fingers?  What was that cool word Dantzler said she learned in school for fingers?  It sounded like ‘felatio.’ Whatever.  Turtle the head!  Time for a drink.  Quick swig, tuck the bottle back in.  Make your fingers aero, turtle the head.  Don’t look at the time. 

I need to pee.  Too bad.

What if money weren’t an option?  What would you buy for your bike?  A powermeter, definitely.  Some new Zipp wheels.  Zipp Vuka handlebars.  A cool paintj……WHOOOOAAAAAAA!  Dog!  Where’d you come from?!?!  “GO AWAY!  I DON’T WANNA PLAY!”  Damn, that was close.  Shit, he’s still there!  This dog’s fast.  Okay, hang on little fella.  Meh, dropped him.  Okay get ready for this next turn…..

……and accelerate!  Stand and pump.  Count strokes….1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10…..Nooooooooo!  Too many standing strokes!  Your quads are blown and the whole day is a disaster!  Wait, simmer down!  All’s fine.  Tuck in.  Turtle the head.  Aero hands.

This road sucks.

I wonder if I’ll be able to run all 6 miles after this.  Stop it.  We’re not a runner yet.  Not til we’re done cycling.  Just think about cycling!  How much longer til the end of this interval?  Don’t look.  You won’t like it.  Don’t look at the clock!  Awwwwww!  You looked at the clock!  Still 26 minutes and there are 7 more to go!  Oh damn.  That’s a long time to hold this pace.  You can do it!  Just get comfortable.  Get aero.  Well, which is it?  I dunno, just do something.  Pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal. 

I need a song to keep me occupied.  “Ain’t nothin’ gonna break-a my stride!  Ain’t nothin’ gonna slow me do-own.  Oh no, I gots to keep on movin’!”  For real?  That’s the best you got?!  Okay, go with it.  Gosh, this is lame.

Hey, check out all those dead bugs stuck to my shoulder!  Gross!  Hey, no free rides!  Wait, turtle the head!  Stop looking at your stupid shoulder!  But there are bugs!  Tuck in, get aero!  Fine.  Pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal.  I wonder if my face is covered in bugs too.  Gross.  My head hurts.  Live with it.  Pedal.  Now my back hurts.  Okay stand for a sec.  Quick stretch, stand and pedal but only for 8 strokes…1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10..11……Nooooooooooo!  That’s way too many!  You’ll blow your quads!  Get back in aero.  Turtle the head!

Oooh.  How about Rob Zombie?  “Never gonna stop me, never gonna stop!”  Yeah, that’s a good song.  Sing it over and over again!

Well, that’s about 2 minutes worth of a five and a half hour ride.  So, you can see it’s HIGHLY exciting to solo 120 miles every weekend.