Patagonman - Day 1

 

We landed in Balmaceda (very small airport) around 3pm local time (2 hour ahead from EST). It was a quick 2-hour flight from Santiago (a total of 11 hours of flying and 26 hours of traveling). While Karel was waiting for our suitcases and his bike, I went to the Varona rental car counter (outside of the baggage area) to get our SUV. It was a very quick process and by 3:30pm we were in the car to make our way 1-hour to Villa Cerro Castillo (the location of Patagonman T2 - bike to run). It was a very beautiful drive and we couldn't believe how warm it was (in the 70's)! We arrived to our Airbnb (1.5K from the town center) and it was a little confusing to get in (the lady who met us did not speak English) but it all worked out. The cabin was super cute and so peaceful and quiet. The best part is that the cabin is on a farm and there are two dogs, lots of chickens and baby chicks! 

After we unloaded the car, we drove to the town to get a few items from the grocery store. There are a few stores in town but they are very small and limited with items. However, we were able to get the necessities - eggs, butter, cheese, deli meat (for Karel), a veggie burger for me (I was surprised with the frozen vegetarian options!) and a few other things for breakfast like oats, frozen berries and granola. We also got milk and yogurt. We then went across the street to the only gas station in town to get some bottled water (although it's safe to drink the tap water here). Every place we went to takes credit cards so we haven't had to exchange our money yet. When we arrived back to our Airbnb, we made a light dinner - eggs w/ frozen peppers/onions and bread w/ butter. Shortly after, Karel put together his bike and then we went for a short run. I ran for 26 min (3 miles) and Karel ran for 32 min (4 miles). We both felt awful running but it was good to shake out the travel funk. And the views were incredible along our road. 

View from our Airbnb

The sun didn't set until after 9:30pm but we seeing that we started our run around 8pm, we were ok with that. We were both exhausted from not having a full night of sleep in a day so we both slept amazingly well for 10 hours. 

In the morning, we had oatmeal for breakfast and after catching up on emails and getting some work done, around 9:30am, Karel loaded up the car with his bike and gear and I drove him ~15 min up the road for him to do a ride. He ended up riding for almost 3 hours (54 miles, ~4300 feet elevation gain) and reversed the course to start and then road the last stretch of the Patagonman course into town (T2 area). While Karel was biking, I drove to the start of the gravel road outside of town (first left after the hairpin climb/descend leaving town) and went out of an adventure. My plan was at least 7 miles on the Patagonman course but I ended up with 8.2 miles as I really wanted to make it to the lake. The course started off with gravel for a mile, then 3 miles of rocky, grassy, sandy single track trail and then 4 miles on a windy, hilly, gorgeous gravel road. I stopped a lot for pictures. We don't have any service outside of Wifi areas so I downloaded a podcast on my phone to listen to (although I really didn't need it as I was so focused on the nature around me). I also had the Patagonman run route on my phone (loaded on the Ride with GPS app, offline w/ a 7-day free membership) which helped a lot as the trail section of the course was very difficult to navigate. 

During my run I covered 2400 feet elevation gain, 16.4 miles and completed the run in around 3 hours and 10 minutes. Sadly, I somehow accidentally deleted my run around 13 miles into the run. I was taking pictures of cows and I don't know how I pushed the wrong buttons but it happened. Ugh. So I am guestimating my time. 

The run was absolutely beautiful. I saw so many animals and the nature around me was incredible. I wish I could have kept running but since I was reversing my route (out and back) I couldn't run too far. There were some steep sections that I walked. The gravel was loose in some places and there were also rumble strips. 

I carried 2 x 16 ounce flasks in my Compress Sport vest (it's actually Karel's vest as he is going to wear my USWE vest for the race) with Never Second 30 in each of them. I also had a 16 ounce bottle w/ Skratch and a 12 ounce bottle with water. I also carried a Never Second gel as well as a few pieces of candy (Starburst). I had my passport and money/credit cards in the vest, as well as my phone. It was very warm during the run and the air is somewhat dry. 

I returned to the car around 3:30pm and made a stop at the gas station and grocery store for a few more items and then made it back to our Airbnb around 4pm. 

Here are some pics from my 3ish hour adventure on two feet. 

After I had some food, Karel wanted to check out some of the run course that I ran on (he's deciding which shoes to wear for the race) so I drove him to the gravel road (~1.4 miles into the race course) and dropped him off. I drove to the town to check out the transition area and start of his run and then drove on some of the main road for 10 minutes to check out more of the sights. I picked up Karel around 30 minutes later. Karel ran 33 min (34 min) with some added stops for pictures. 

I showed Karel the transition area and start of the run and then we went for dinner at one of the few restaurants in town - and it was delicious. I had a huge vegetarian pizza (Karel shared it with me) and Karel had a burger. We ate at Pizzería y hamburguesería D-LIZIA.

Tomorrow afternoon we will pack up and head to Coyhaique, which will be our "home base" for the rest of our trip. 

IM 70.3 World Championship (Marbella) nutrition tips

Cooler weather triathlon races bring unique challenges when it comes to clothing, pacing and mindset. But fueling mistakes are some of the most overlooked.

Key considerations for include:

▶Cool enough that thirst/appetite may be suppressed, increasing the risk for bonking and dehydration.
▶A demanding/hilly bike requires a somewhat elevated effort and increased energy cost - alongside more time out on the bike course.
▶A flat run course - with "perfect" weather may feel great in the early miles but falling short on bike nutrition can lead to early fatigue.

Ironman Race Week in Lanzarote! Part 3

Day 1: Tuesday May 13th

After two long days of travel, we were ready to move our bodies. Typically, Wednesday before a race is our "biggest" day of training but since we didn't do anything for the past 48 hours, it was important for me to wake up my body with a good load. This would also allow for a few days of recovery before the race. 

Our Airbnb is located at the Colony Club, which is across the street from the Plus Fariones Suite Hotel. Our professional athlete Bara (from Czech) is staying with us. She arrived on Friday so that she could spend a few extra days on the island in her final prep before the race. We have a nice ocean view and we are a quick 5 minute walk to the race start/venue. We are also within walking distance to the grocery. There are countless restaurants, ice cream shops and stores along the beach (which is also the run course for the Ironman). 

Around 9am, we walked to the Centro Deportivo to go for a swim. The entry fee was 15 Euros each (day pass). The pool was the perfect temperature. The shape of the pool is unique in that it's circular but the middle lane is approximately 25 meters. Karel and I each did our own session and ended up with 3000 meters. After the swim we walked to the grocery to get a few things and then went back to our Airbnb. 

Karel assembled our bikes in the late morning and at 1pm we headed out on the bike course to ride the opening loop of the 112 mile bike course. This was our first experience riding in Lanzarote and the island met our expectations. It was very hilly (a few punchy climbs but mostly long steady climbs) and very windy. The wind was ranging between 15-18mph with gusts up to 30 mph. This is typical for the island. Although the temperature is "only" in the 70's, the sun is very strong so it feels a lot warmer. Depending on where we were on the course, the wind was in our face, at our side or tailwind. There were some fun descends and also some scary descends with tight turns and cross wind. The scenery was incredible. We rode 35 miles in 2:06 and covered almost 2700 feet of elevation gain. The course has over 8000 feet elevation for 112 miles. 

After a fast twisty descent into town (wind at our back), we took some side streets to end up back at our Airbnb. After the ride, I did a short 20 minute run off the bike to finish off a day of triathloning. 

Surprisingly, my legs and body felt really good after 2 days of sitting/traveling. 

Day 2: Wednesday May 14th

I was really looking forward to swimming in the salty ocean. The water temperature is around 66 degrees F but with a wetsuit, it feels perfect. After XTRI Icon and Norseman, I have a new standard for "cold" water. The water was very clear and there were lots of fish. Karel and I wore our Roka wetsuits and Roka goggles and swam one loop (~2100 meters) of the course. There were small buoys set up along the race course (they will be replaced with large buoys for race day). I felt really good in the water. There was a little chop but not a big current in either direction. On the way back on the loop, the water gets much more shallow and it was even easier to see all of the fish. There are only fish in the ocean here (no jellyfish or sharks). 

After the 32-minute OWS, I went for a 5.4 mile, 42 minute run. I ran along the run course with Bara and she turned around after ~15 minutes as her run was shorter than my run on this day. I enjoyed running along the ocean and seeing all of the stores and restaurants. The run course has gentle rollers (undulating) so I wouldn't call it flat but it's not hilly. My legs felt really good. I threw in some fast feet turnovers on the way back. It was very warm. I always run with my hydration belt so I continued to stay fueled and hydrated. 

Around 12pm, I had an hour massage in our Airbnb (for 50 Euros). Bara found a company that comes to your Airbnb so it was great to work out some tightness in my calves and upper back that I acquired from spectating and travel. Bara also got a massage around 4pm and Karel had one at 5pm. While I was getting my massage, Karel went out to bike the other, bigger loop of the race course. He covered 74 miles and 6600 feet elevation (plus an extra "fun" climb) in 4:43 which included a pastry (water) stop and some pictures. Karel has his road bike here and he attached aerobars (which he used at ICON and Stone XTRI). 

Day 3: Thursday May 15th

I went to bed around 9pm and made myself get up at 7am. Although I'm not sleeping deep through the night, I do feel somewhat rested when I wake up and I am not craving a nap during the day. I experienced some chaffing on my neck from my wetsuit and salt water (I forgot to put on body glide) so my morning open water swim didn't go as planned. I tried KT tape on my neck but it didn't stick. I then walked back to the Airbnb while Karel and Bara swam and I put on a t-shirt to cover my neck under the wetsuit. That seemed to help. I later went to buy waterproof bandages which I will wear on race day. I'm glad I went back out to swim as the water was extremely choppy. It took me three minutes longer to swim the loop compared to the day prior. I was able to find a good rhythm with the ocean but it was a much more difficult swim compared to the day prior. 

After the swim, I was craving pancakes so we walked .7 miles to Kalma cafe.  Everything is close by here so we haven't used our rental car. We could have gotten by without a rental car but we need it to transport us to a different location after the race. 

Kalma was recommended to us from our athletes Yannick and Katie who raced here last year. It was SOOO good. I got the yogurt pancakes and a side of scrambled eggs and Karel got brioche bread with ham, along with a Fanta and Cappuccino.

As for the rest of the day, this was a chill day. I worked on the computer, checked in (athletes needed to reserve a time slot for check in so I chose 2pm) and started to carb load. I watched the mandatory athlete briefing online on Wednesday. 

This is a small race compared to other IM distance events (maybe 1200 athletes compared to 3000+ at other events) so the expo, registration tent and merchandise tent is small. The transition area is also small but it's on the beach and the finish line area is incredible. It was set up earlier in the week and they are continuing to put up the final touches. 

I am feeling nervous but also excited. I think my emotions are mixed because I know this will be an incredibly challenging course but I also feel I am bringing good fitness to this race so I feel some pressure to perform. 

And keeping with tradition, I got a delicious Caprese (buffalo mozzarella, basil and sauce) from La Lanterna. Bara called in the pizza and then we walked 0.5 mile to pick it up. The cost of food is very reasonable here. 

Why pre race weigh in? 

Monitoring pre and post weight changes can help medical personnel identify severe dehydration (weight loss) or hyponatremia (weight gain). Knowing pre weight can help medical staff provide appropriate hydration and electrolyte support in the case of a health issue during or after the race. Although it's "only" in the 70s here, the sun is extremely strong and there's no shade on the course which means athletes are more at risk for heat related issues while racing.

Day 4: Friday March 16th

Because I had extra time on Thursday, I went ahead and packed my gear bags for the race. Prior to travel, I put my bike nutrition in individual bags so it was very easy to prepare my bottles for the race. I did the same for my run nutrition.

For the race, my bike nutrition plan is the same that I do for my long workouts (and my run nutrition is the same for every training run).

Bike nutrition: 

• 90g carbohydrates INFINIT Fructose per bottle (3 bottles with Fruit Punch, 3 bottles with Grape). I will stop at special needs on the bike to replace my empty bottles. 
• I also have a few Power bar chews and a Never Second C30 Fruit Punch gel in my bento box on my bike if I need it. 
• I will also carry a bottle of Ketone Aid and may take a few swigs throughout the bike. 
• I will use water from aid stations for sipping/cooling. 

Run nutrition: 

• 30g carbohydrate Never Second berry per 10-ounce Nathan hard flask. 
• I will bring along 4 additional small baggies to refill the bottles throughout the run. 
• I will use water from aid stations for sipping/cooling. 
• My run nutrition should last me around 3 hours so I will use on course nutrition (coke or 226er isotonic sport drink) for the remainder of the run.

In the morning, I slept in as long as I could knowing that I probably wouldn't sleep well the night before the race. I went to bed around 9:30pm on Thursday and woke up around 8am for almost 11 hours of sleep. Around 9am, Karel and I went out on our bikes to pre-ride the long loop of the run (6 miles out and back and then 2 smaller loops of ~3.5 miles) and then went out to ride the first few miles out of town on the bike. The wind was strong at times (cross wind) but I felt better in it than the first day that we rode (Tuesday). I rode for ~70 minutes and did a 1 mile run off the bike in my New Balance Elite race shoes. 

I kept with my typical carb loading plan (I try to aim for at least 400g carbohydrates which is ~8g/kg/bw of carbs): 

-Bagel w/ PB before workout

-Sport nutrition during workout (~45g carbs INFINIT fructose in bike bottle and finished on the run)

-Gu Roctane recovery drink mixed with milk 

-Eggs (1 whole, 2 whites) w/ bagel and butter and sugar (I haven't found maple syrup but substituting with sugar). 

-Pasta w/ sauce and an egg (couldn't find a veggie burger) 

-1 package brown sugar pop tart (that I brought from home)

-Basmati rice + soup 

After my warmup, Karel continued on riding and had a refuel stop in Teguis. 

Nearing 5pm, we checked in our bikes and dropped off our bags. 

On the right, this is an electric pump that I will use on race morning to pump up my tires. I can pre-set the pressure (75 psi rear wheel, 68 psi front wheel) in the device and the pump will do the rest. 

Bib number required on the bike. I will put on my compression socks after the swim. 

Transition area on the beach.

~1100 participants 

I'm more excited than nervous. I really like challenging courses and I feel very prepared physically. Of course, I am nervous for things out of my control but I know that I am bringing experience to this race so I can handle anything that comes my way. 

Thank you for following along!