As I mentioned in my last post, I registered for Ironman Arizona 2014 without really knowing what I was getting myself into. Although I had run a few marathons and half marathons, I hadn't done any real swimming in over 25 years, and I did not even own a bicycle.
Shortly before Christmas, I finally fixed one part of my problem. After weeks of shopping online, and at some local stores, I decided to bite the bullet and buy most of the gear I will need to do an Ironman. Other than running shoes, I needed basically everything. The big two things I needed were a bike and a wetsuit. I also needed everything else that goes with a bike, such as pedals, shoes, bike shorts, a helmet, and a good bike fitting.
When I registered, I knew absolutely nothing about bicycles, other than the fact that triathlon bikes seemed to have different handlebars than road bikes. I did some online research trying to figure out what sort of bike I needed as a beginning Ironman. I found lots of opinions, but not much science to back up the opinions.
The first question in my mind was whether to buy a road bike or a tri-bike. After reading lots of articles and forum threads, it seemed that the weight of opinion was that if you were just interested in trying your first triathlon with a shorter sprint or even Olympic distance, you could get by with a road bike that would be more versatile if you wanted to do other road biking activities, like training in a big bike group. It also seemed that most people advised that if you were going for a 70.3 or a full Ironman, you should probably consider buying a tri-bike. I was still fairly confused. I finally found an actual scientific study that indicated that people have appreciably better running times coming off the bike if they ride a time trial / triathlon bike rather than a regular road bike. Because I didn't really see myself riding other than to train for and race triathlons, and because I wanted every advantage I could get in running off the bike, I decided to by a tri-bike.
Of course, that just led to more issues. I had to decide whether to buy new or used, aluminum or carbon, and then decide on a brand and model. I decided that I would buy a new bike because I did not know enough to intelligently buy a used bike, and I did not want to spend several weekends driving all over town trying to find a used bike on Craigslist or some other service. My next issue was aluminum or carbon. I am fairly cheap by nature, so I seriously considered buying an aluminum tri-bike to save several hundred dollars. I thought long and hard about it, but decided to buy a carbon bike instead. I decided to buy carbon because it supposedly absorbs more of the shock and vibration from the road. I have had some issues with back pain over my last several years of running, and wanted to minimize the chance of having back pain that would impede my training. I also thought that because carbon is becoming cheaper and cheaper, and as a result more common in tri-bikes, a carbon bike would probably retain more of its value if I ever decided to sell it, and upgrade to a better bike.
So now I had decided to buy a new, carbon bike. Now the only issue was what brand, and what model. After hours of online research, I still had no idea which entry level bikes were better than any other entry level bike. I went to a few local bike shops, and didn't feel like I got much in the way of useful information to help me decide. Each store basically told me their brands were best, but couldn't really back up their statements with scientific or empirical data. I also became frustrated because most shops tried to convince me to buy better bikes than the entry level bikes I had come in to check out.
Although I would have preferred to buy locally, I finally decided that the easiest thing to do was just to buy a complete package of equipment that included the bike, the wetsuit, and all the other accessories I needed. Several different stores advertised these types of packages on their website. Unfortunately, none of those stores was in Phoenix. Nytro Multisports in the San Diego area had by far the best deal. For $2,000, I got a Cannondale tri-bike, the pedals, the shoes, the helmet, a wetsuit and a tri-suit. Since most of the entry level carbon tri-bikes I had been looking at cost right around $2,000 without anything else, this seemed like a great deal. Considering that a basic long sleeved wetsuit alone was going to run me over $200, this package was a smoking deal. I called ahead and made sure they had the two sizes I was likely to need in stock before I drove from Phoenix to San Diego. That was the final news I needed to make my decision, because I wanted to have the bike and start training over the Christmas and New Years holidays, rather than waiting for a local store to order and receive my model and size of a bike.
Everything worked out great with Nytro. I left Phoenix at around 6:00 in the morning, and made the five hour drive to San Diego. They were able to fit me, assemble the bike, and get me out the door with everything I needed in just a few hours. I was home before 8:00 that night. Nytro's staff seemed to be experienced with helping know-nothing rookies like me who are just starting out with biking and triathlons. They took the time to explain what they were doing in fitting my bike, and why they were doing it. They also took the time to explain the basics of things like clipless pedals, CO2 inflation systems, lights, and similar accessories. I can't say enough good things about my experience with Nytro, and the bargain that their beginner package is compared with buying the necessary equipment separately.
It turned out that buying the bike was the fun part. Then I had to learn how to ride. I had owned a few commuter bikes that I used to ride to school and around the neighborhood when I was younger, but I had never even been on a tri-bike. Even when I was younger, I don't think I ever rode more than 10 miles at a time. I was hoping that my running experience would somehow make me fit enough to ride the many hours that would be required to train for a full Ironman.
The first weekend, I tried doing a couple of hour long rides. Trying to learn to ride in the aero position was sort of like learning to ride a bike all over again. Everything felt really wobbly at first. Although my legs got tired, they did not get sore like they normally do when I run hard for more than an hour. I did several more hour long rides over the next week. My biggest problem was getting my feet out of the pedals when I came to a stop. Since I had never used clipless pedals before, the rotation necessary to release my shoes from the pedals did not come naturally. I decided I would try to always unclip my right foot first, since it would normally be along the curb when I stopped. On about my fourth ride, I decided to try and switch it up when I got back home, and try to release my left foot first. That didn't go so well. I didn't get my foot out in time, and I tipped over right into my driveway. Fortunately, I don't think any of the neighbors saw me. I scratched up my right pedal, and bruised my ego, but fortunately did not hurt myself.
After the first week, I had worked my way up to riding about 75 minutes. I even tried some of the bigger hills around my neighborhood one day. I won't lie - they seemed much tougher on a bike than they do running. Nonetheless, I was feeling really good about myself after the first week. I was increasing my speed and my time in the saddle, and more importantly, I wasn't getting nearly as sore as I thought I would.
Because I didn't want to push too hard, I only did an eight mile run with my running group on Saturday. The pace was fairly fast by my standards, but I felt pretty good afterwards. I was really feeling proud of myself because I had put in a lot of hours during the previous week, and I was still feeling great.
Then came Sunday. All good things must end. I decided that since I hadn't had any problems with 60 to 75 minute rides, I would try a two hour ride. The first 12 miles or so seemed very easy. The only issue was my hands were really cold, so I decided to swing by my house and pick up some heavier gloves. That meant I had to go up some medium sized hills to get home. Then it was back out for another hour plus. I decided I would do the second half on a more flat route. Everything was going fine through about 25 miles. Then I could feel my legs starting to get really heavy, and my quads starting to get sore. Worse than that, my shoulders were getting sore, and my neck was killing me. Before I actually started biking, I had been concerned that it would be my back that would get sore from trying to stay in the aero position. I never gave much thought to how much muscle it would take to bend my neck in the aero position, and how sore my shoulders would get.
Once I got past 26 miles, my brain started freaking out a little, saying this is further than you have ever gone before - even when you have run marathons. Unfortunately, I was still about six miles from home. I tried to push a little harder and hold my pace, but I couldn't do it, and my pace started droping off. The last three miles back to the house include a couple fairly short but fairly steep hills. I made it home, but I was more than a little concerned about whether I could make it up the last hill, or whether I was going to have to get off my bike and push it the last few blocks back home. When I was about a block from home, I looked at my Garmin watch, and realized that I still about a minute under two hours, so I rode around the neighborhood a little so I could say I rode for the full two hours.
I could barely get off the bike, and I walked like a drunken sailor at first. I took a quick shower and then headed off to church. Sitting in church is when everything decided to tighten up. For the first time, I was feeling the kind of soreness I had feared. Apparently somewhere between 90 and 120 minutes is the magic line where I exceed my current fitness.
It is now two days later, and my legs still feel a little dead. I was able to run four miles this morning, but not nearly as fast as I normally would have run. Tomorrow is New Years. Depending on how I feel, I may try to go for another two hour bike ride, but go a little slower. I think. I know it is too early to think too much about pacing in my race, but in my mind, I sort of decided that I would like to aim for something around a 16mph average, so that is what I have been trying to average on my training rides. I was able to hold that pace in my two hour ride, but I think if I am going to go any longer than that for the next several weeks, I am going to need to slow it down. I am going to use my running experience and just ride for time rather than pace until I have built my volume up. I have plenty of time, and I know that trying to do too much too soon is a sure fire way to get injured.
Stay tuned. Next week I am going to join the YMCA and start swimming. I have already started looking around for a swim coach. I can't wait to discover all sorts of other new muscles I haven't used in over 25 years, so I can be sore in all sorts of new places.
Happy New Years everyone. Stay safe.
Of course, that just led to more issues. I had to decide whether to buy new or used, aluminum or carbon, and then decide on a brand and model. I decided that I would buy a new bike because I did not know enough to intelligently buy a used bike, and I did not want to spend several weekends driving all over town trying to find a used bike on Craigslist or some other service. My next issue was aluminum or carbon. I am fairly cheap by nature, so I seriously considered buying an aluminum tri-bike to save several hundred dollars. I thought long and hard about it, but decided to buy a carbon bike instead. I decided to buy carbon because it supposedly absorbs more of the shock and vibration from the road. I have had some issues with back pain over my last several years of running, and wanted to minimize the chance of having back pain that would impede my training. I also thought that because carbon is becoming cheaper and cheaper, and as a result more common in tri-bikes, a carbon bike would probably retain more of its value if I ever decided to sell it, and upgrade to a better bike.
So now I had decided to buy a new, carbon bike. Now the only issue was what brand, and what model. After hours of online research, I still had no idea which entry level bikes were better than any other entry level bike. I went to a few local bike shops, and didn't feel like I got much in the way of useful information to help me decide. Each store basically told me their brands were best, but couldn't really back up their statements with scientific or empirical data. I also became frustrated because most shops tried to convince me to buy better bikes than the entry level bikes I had come in to check out.
Although I would have preferred to buy locally, I finally decided that the easiest thing to do was just to buy a complete package of equipment that included the bike, the wetsuit, and all the other accessories I needed. Several different stores advertised these types of packages on their website. Unfortunately, none of those stores was in Phoenix. Nytro Multisports in the San Diego area had by far the best deal. For $2,000, I got a Cannondale tri-bike, the pedals, the shoes, the helmet, a wetsuit and a tri-suit. Since most of the entry level carbon tri-bikes I had been looking at cost right around $2,000 without anything else, this seemed like a great deal. Considering that a basic long sleeved wetsuit alone was going to run me over $200, this package was a smoking deal. I called ahead and made sure they had the two sizes I was likely to need in stock before I drove from Phoenix to San Diego. That was the final news I needed to make my decision, because I wanted to have the bike and start training over the Christmas and New Years holidays, rather than waiting for a local store to order and receive my model and size of a bike.
Everything worked out great with Nytro. I left Phoenix at around 6:00 in the morning, and made the five hour drive to San Diego. They were able to fit me, assemble the bike, and get me out the door with everything I needed in just a few hours. I was home before 8:00 that night. Nytro's staff seemed to be experienced with helping know-nothing rookies like me who are just starting out with biking and triathlons. They took the time to explain what they were doing in fitting my bike, and why they were doing it. They also took the time to explain the basics of things like clipless pedals, CO2 inflation systems, lights, and similar accessories. I can't say enough good things about my experience with Nytro, and the bargain that their beginner package is compared with buying the necessary equipment separately.
It turned out that buying the bike was the fun part. Then I had to learn how to ride. I had owned a few commuter bikes that I used to ride to school and around the neighborhood when I was younger, but I had never even been on a tri-bike. Even when I was younger, I don't think I ever rode more than 10 miles at a time. I was hoping that my running experience would somehow make me fit enough to ride the many hours that would be required to train for a full Ironman.
The first weekend, I tried doing a couple of hour long rides. Trying to learn to ride in the aero position was sort of like learning to ride a bike all over again. Everything felt really wobbly at first. Although my legs got tired, they did not get sore like they normally do when I run hard for more than an hour. I did several more hour long rides over the next week. My biggest problem was getting my feet out of the pedals when I came to a stop. Since I had never used clipless pedals before, the rotation necessary to release my shoes from the pedals did not come naturally. I decided I would try to always unclip my right foot first, since it would normally be along the curb when I stopped. On about my fourth ride, I decided to try and switch it up when I got back home, and try to release my left foot first. That didn't go so well. I didn't get my foot out in time, and I tipped over right into my driveway. Fortunately, I don't think any of the neighbors saw me. I scratched up my right pedal, and bruised my ego, but fortunately did not hurt myself.
After the first week, I had worked my way up to riding about 75 minutes. I even tried some of the bigger hills around my neighborhood one day. I won't lie - they seemed much tougher on a bike than they do running. Nonetheless, I was feeling really good about myself after the first week. I was increasing my speed and my time in the saddle, and more importantly, I wasn't getting nearly as sore as I thought I would.
Because I didn't want to push too hard, I only did an eight mile run with my running group on Saturday. The pace was fairly fast by my standards, but I felt pretty good afterwards. I was really feeling proud of myself because I had put in a lot of hours during the previous week, and I was still feeling great.
Then came Sunday. All good things must end. I decided that since I hadn't had any problems with 60 to 75 minute rides, I would try a two hour ride. The first 12 miles or so seemed very easy. The only issue was my hands were really cold, so I decided to swing by my house and pick up some heavier gloves. That meant I had to go up some medium sized hills to get home. Then it was back out for another hour plus. I decided I would do the second half on a more flat route. Everything was going fine through about 25 miles. Then I could feel my legs starting to get really heavy, and my quads starting to get sore. Worse than that, my shoulders were getting sore, and my neck was killing me. Before I actually started biking, I had been concerned that it would be my back that would get sore from trying to stay in the aero position. I never gave much thought to how much muscle it would take to bend my neck in the aero position, and how sore my shoulders would get.
Once I got past 26 miles, my brain started freaking out a little, saying this is further than you have ever gone before - even when you have run marathons. Unfortunately, I was still about six miles from home. I tried to push a little harder and hold my pace, but I couldn't do it, and my pace started droping off. The last three miles back to the house include a couple fairly short but fairly steep hills. I made it home, but I was more than a little concerned about whether I could make it up the last hill, or whether I was going to have to get off my bike and push it the last few blocks back home. When I was about a block from home, I looked at my Garmin watch, and realized that I still about a minute under two hours, so I rode around the neighborhood a little so I could say I rode for the full two hours.
I could barely get off the bike, and I walked like a drunken sailor at first. I took a quick shower and then headed off to church. Sitting in church is when everything decided to tighten up. For the first time, I was feeling the kind of soreness I had feared. Apparently somewhere between 90 and 120 minutes is the magic line where I exceed my current fitness.
It is now two days later, and my legs still feel a little dead. I was able to run four miles this morning, but not nearly as fast as I normally would have run. Tomorrow is New Years. Depending on how I feel, I may try to go for another two hour bike ride, but go a little slower. I think. I know it is too early to think too much about pacing in my race, but in my mind, I sort of decided that I would like to aim for something around a 16mph average, so that is what I have been trying to average on my training rides. I was able to hold that pace in my two hour ride, but I think if I am going to go any longer than that for the next several weeks, I am going to need to slow it down. I am going to use my running experience and just ride for time rather than pace until I have built my volume up. I have plenty of time, and I know that trying to do too much too soon is a sure fire way to get injured.
Stay tuned. Next week I am going to join the YMCA and start swimming. I have already started looking around for a swim coach. I can't wait to discover all sorts of other new muscles I haven't used in over 25 years, so I can be sore in all sorts of new places.
Happy New Years everyone. Stay safe.
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