Burn Baby, Burn

One of the most important things to consider when trying to complete an Ironman is nutrition. Not just in the weeks and months leading up to the race, although that is definitely key, but during the actual race. In a short race nutrition is never an issue beyond staying hydrated, but an IM is a whole new thing.

I did some surfing to find out just how many calories I can expect to burn in the course of the race and the answer, to put it mildly, is kind of shocking. Frightening, actually. It turns out that "a recreational athlete can expend from 7000-12,000 calories during an Ironman event depending on their size, finish time, and intensity throughout the race".

Did you get that? 7 to 12 thousand calories. That's about what I eat in a week. My source goes on to estimate that a 5' 10" 155 lb man (approximately my size) would burn around 9,150 calories over the day. It's more complicated than I'm letting on here, but just for argument's sake let's see what that works out to in common food items. Just to give you an idea:

9,150 calories is equivalent to

• 87 bananas or


• 100 hammergels or


• 42 potatoes (baked, skins on) or


• 61 beers (regular, not lite) or


• 92 scrambled eggs or


• 153 pancakes or


• 1830 celery sticks

That's alot of food any way you slice it.

The really stunning thing is that it is impossible to absorb more that 250-400 calories per hour, so even working with a base glycogen storage capacity of 1800-2200 calories plus some additional calories (as much as 50% from fat, which if you knew me would have you laughing right now) you simply cannot eat enough to replace the calories you'll burn during the race.

Well that sounds encouraging. The strategy, such as it is, is to

• carbo-load as much as possible in the days and weeks leading up to the race


• try to stay in the aerobic zone during the race (it's more efficient than going anaerobic)


• hydrate hydrate hydrate


• eat as much as you possibly can during the race, especially early (on the bike)

It can't be as impossible as it sounds - thousands of people finish the IM every year. Thousands don't, too, but I'm trying not to think about that.

Source: www.trinewbies.com (look under nutrition)

Injury Report

One of the problems with being an athlete of any age is injury, but when you are an 'older' athlete (older than what, I wonder?) the frequency and duration of injuries become a greater factor in both training and competition.

Generally speaking I've been pretty lucky in that department. No major injuries like torn ACLs or broken bones, no plantar fasciitis (which has severely hobbled an acquaintance of mine, a guy who was a top triathlete in his age group) and no bigtime recurring troubles that would sideline me for any length of time.

I do, however, have a kind of wonky back. Being a tall & lanky sort of fellow I am prone to the occasional back spasm, which puts a spanner in the training works whenever it flares up. Like right now for instance. A few days ago I was standing there minding my own business when I felt a twinge in my back. Uh oh. I know that feeling, and it isn't good. Two or three times a year my back seizes up on me for no apparent reason and knocks me flat, and 2006 was getting off to a great start.

Can this be prevented? Partially. Attention to core strength and flexibility, plus regular massage will reduce both the frequency and duration of this type of problem, but I'm finding in my case that it's something I will likely just have to deal with for the rest of my life.

This time, since it happened on a holiday monday there would be no emergency shiatsu treatment as in previous crises. I had to wait 2 days to get an appointment, two days filled with muscle relaxing drugs, heating pad sessions and absolutely zero exercise. Not good. But at least it's January and not June, when a layup would have a more serious impact on my training schedule. If anything like this were to happen prior to a race, I would be toast. There's no way I could compete, not in that condition. Timing, as in so many things, is key.

So no running this week, no weight training, and only my bike commute for exercise. Great.

To add insult to injury, my shiatsu therapist, whom I have been totally dependent on for four years now, informed me yesterday that she would be moving in April... to Montreal. Since I'm in Toronto this presents a problem, obviously. Kind of a long drive for a massage. My back is getting sore just thinking about it. Better take some drugs...

What the Hell is an Ironman?

Believe it or not, I still get asked that question from time to time. I'll casually mention to someone that I'm involved in triathlon, or B. will bring it up when we're out and once in a while someone will say "What's an IronMan?" or more usually "What's a triath-a-lon?" or even "I hear you do the marathon". Cue the violins, and a closeup shot of a tear rolling down my cheek as I effect a pained expression. So sad. And yet so preventable. I know that triathlon is not the most spectator-friendly sport but it still amazes me that it still has such a low profile, especially given that running (the sport formerly known as Jogging) has become so wildly and improbably popular of late.

On the other hand, if the sport remains a niche activity it will never be taken over by hordes of duffers, pikers, tourists or wannabes a la golf or running.

Now I know that YOU know what the IronMan is, because you stopped to read this blog. But just in case you're here accidentally because you were looking to buy some more Ironman action figures for the bedroom you keep in your parents' basement I'll lay it out for you.

The IronMan race is a 3 part event.

Part 1: Swim for 4 km (2.4 miles)
Part 2: Bike for 180 km (112 miles)
Part 3: Run a marathon. That's 42.2 km (26.2 miles).

This is all on the same day, one after the other. No stopping for lunch, no getting a good night's sleep between the bike and the run, no tagging a teammate and letting them take over for the next event.


The Early Days

The first triathlon was held in September of 1974 in San Francisco, and according to one of it's founders, Jack Johnstone, it was a pretty low key affair. A couple dozen entrants and some wonky distances (6 miles running, 5 miles cycling, 500 yards swimming, with the run and bike portions being non-continuous!) and the Mission Bay Triathlon was born. Everyone finished the race, and the next year a bunch more people showed up and the rest is history.

Part of that history is the birth of the IronMan, a much longer race that would eventually grow into a worldwide franchise.

The IronMan


The first IronMan event was held in 1978 in Hawaii. It was a combination of three already-existing events; the Waikiki Roughwater Swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (115 miles) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles). Legend has it that it was originally conceived as a way to settle which athletes were more fit, runners or swimmers or cyclists. The idea for the IronMan race is credited to Navy Commander John Collins, who evidently thought he was some kind of tough guy. The inaugural race attracted 15 men, 12 of whom completed the full distance. The winning time: 11h 46m 58s, still a respectable time today but nowhere near the low 9-hour range of today's elite competitors. Women entered the race the next year, and the sport continued to grow until today the various IronMan races around the world typically attract some two thousand athletes each. Not bad for an event that began life as little more than a bet to settle some local bragging rights!

Sources:

Wikipedia
TRIATHLON - The Early History of the Sport