Another TTT Question?????

[gvale]

I have never done this race so all the past comments on this race have got me wondering. I looks like the reports after the race, say that this event is harder than an IM. Many have used this race to train for an up-comming IM.

So I guess my question is....If one properly trains for this event, is it still harder than an IM???

[Nathan]

For me, the answer is yes. I was properly trained for the TTT, IMLP and IMFL in 2007 and the TTT was the most difficult of the three. IMFL was the least difficult.

But, of course George, this is just my result. Obviously, I can't speak for anyone else. And I encourage all who have done these within a month or two of each other (read Tim Ackley) to chime in as well.

[MattCollister]

The hardest part was getting out of bed on Sunday morning.

I didn't think this was harder than an Ironman.

[Nathan]

Recovery from the TTT - well, George I was riding with you 3 and 4 weeks after the event, and still had not fully recovered. While I signed up for the event as a trainer event for Lake Placid, I believe it had a negative impact on my IMLP performance. The TTT did not build me up, rather, it broke me down. In the future, I would treat the TTT as a goal race and not as a training race.

Recovery after Lake Placid took less than a week. And during that week I packed up all of my stuff and moved to Miami Beach. Was back in full training mode for IMFL the day after I arrived on Miami Beach - and my legs and body felt great. IMLP did not break me down the way the TTT did. My body felt much better, much faster.

BUT, you know me George. I'm no expert. I'm sure others out there will say I am crazy.

[TimAckley]

AS for it being tougher than and IM... Maybe, Maybe not... I did it right after IMAZ and I think my body was still in "shock" from recovery and I did not really train much for the race after IMAZ...

Its a tough weekend, don't get me wrong.. Usually really hot... the last two times I have been down there the temps have been in the upper 90's all weekend.... Lots of climbing on both the bike and the run... Being a really good climber on the bike and having really good bike handling skills for some to most of all the decents is a must for this course if you plan to really push yourself i believe... the bike course is very tech. on some of the decents... quite a few crashes last year on some of the turns...

I think the toughest part of the weekend is the 4 different races.. one on Friday night, two on Saturday.. "morning and afternoon" and the final one on Sunday... I think its easier to just race the whole thing at once and not have all the breaks between races.... So this year I plan on doing some more weekends of training like that format...

Lots of people do use the race for training for IMCDA and IMLP... from what I found out last year, actually I think lots of the people racing were doing a IM within the next two months... I would say for IMCDA it would be a good taper point and for IMLP it would be a positive effect on racing.

I know after doing the race last year it took a little longer than expected for recovery.. but not to much longer... Its the elevation change that kills there and that heat.... As Nathan would say for Sundays run " The crawl out of hell"... How true..... I believe thats what he said.... There is very little shade on the run... I think they trimmed the trees so the run course will not grow any weeds or grass on it....

I liked the race and doing it again this year... HFP really takes care of you all weekend... Plus its a really small group of people racing and a really nice race atmosphere...

[morena]

Tim,
I was glad to read your last post about TTT. This year will be the first time I've tried doing such a race and your thoughts are much appreciated and I think will be helpful as I plan my training schedule in the next few weeks. Thanks!!

Morena

[bprack]

Items to remember for TTT
1) Climbing gears and climbing legs (they are not joking when they say 12-27) Be prepared to climb all day everyday.
2) A nicely broken in pair of trail running shoes. These fire roads can suck the life out of you.
3) If you plan on trying to slip into your wetsuit for the 2nd OLY on Saturday, a nice trick for lubricity is slapping sunscreen on appendages, Its tough to put on if your sweating, and you may need the suit to all but eliminate your kick and prevent cramping.

[morena]

I have heard that wearing your wetsuit for the second tri on Saturday is critical because of the cramping (and exhaustion) -- thanks for the sunscreen idea. I have also heard that putting plastic grocery bags on your feet help too!

May I ask those of you who have completed this race what you ate during theweekend, particularly on Saturday between races? I have a hard time eating after hard workouts but I know for this I will have to constantly refuel. I keep thinking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Boost, and bananas -- nice, soft things that I've found go down pretty well might work best but ADVICE from the veterans would be great (because what do I know?)!

Thanks!
Morena

[MattCollister]

morena said:

I have heard that wearing your wetsuit for the second tri on Saturday is critical because of the cramping (and exhaustion) -- thanks for the sunscreen idea. I have also heard that putting plastic grocery bags on your feet help too!

May I ask those of you who have completed this race what you ate during theweekend, particularly on Saturday between races? I have a hard time eating after hard workouts but I know for this I will have to constantly refuel. I keep thinking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Boost, and bananas -- nice, soft things that I've found go down pretty well might work best but ADVICE from the veterans would be great (because what do I know?)!

Thanks!
Morena

I think you eat what you normally eat. Why would you suddenly change up what your body is used to? I wouldn't recommend five-alarm chili or a bean burrito. But whatever looks good and stays down for you.

I remember Saturday lunch. I went to the lodge and had a turkey sandwich, and I think I might have had a few fries. And a soda.

I remember this pretty well because there was a table of competitors next to us and they were really picky about what they ate. I think they ended up ordering plain pasta or something.

In the end, I doubt it made a d**n bit of difference. They just had a really boring meal.

[TimAckley]

Morena,

Last year after each race HFP usually had pasta and stuff to eat as you finished.. I stayed at the lodge and had food there to eat also, some peanut butter sandwiches and I think I had a turkey sandwich also, maybe some yogurt.. Maybe nibbled on some cookies and a banana..

But did not eat anything that I do not in training.. I do not think you want to have a huge meal.. You are carb loading the night before for the day and eating durning your first race also so you should be pretty good, more probably just mantaining... I would practice it in training..

I wore a wetsuit during the second race on Sat. last year and forgot to bring some bags to place over my feet.. I used a sleeve less wetsuit.. The water there is usually warm, its a shallow lake.. I struggled for a long time getting that wetsuit on.. It was a struggle and I thought I had lubed pretty good too, but the bike seems to wear a lot of that off.. I think the bags are the clue to the wet suit.. That sweat really slows down your time in putting on a wetsuit.. I wear a wetsuit when ever I can.. Not Shy..

and you also heard right about the cramping.. I watched the TTT two years ago, When I think Matt did it and watched a lot of the leaders on there first loop of the swim in the second race cramping as they were making there second loop of the swim.. It did not look like a good feeling..
When I swim I do not kick much at all anyways.. But made sure durning that swim after watching in previous years to be a little more hesitant in kicking durning that portion of the race just for that fact...

Bryan made a very good point about the gearing on your bike.. it will make a huge difference in spinning up the hills compaired to dying on them... I used a 27 on the back last year, made a huge difference compaired to the year before.. Anything you can do to help on the run is advisable

[Nathan]

Morena,

I used bags to get my sleeveless wetsuit on last year for the saturday afternoon race. No issues at all putting it on. The bags worked great. Cramping was an issue though during the afternoon race. Both calves were cramped from the very beginning. I basically worked my way around the course with just my arms. Lake is really warm - like bath water.

I stayed in one of the cabins and cooked. BBQ chicken and rice between the morning and afternoon races on saturday. Ate all the meals at the cabin with my family. Supplements were pumpkin donuts, thumb-print cookies, and sponge-bob cookies - I had 3 little nieces with me and those were the treats that I brought for them - and for me also.

[morena]

Thanks to you all for your stories and advice. maybe I should incorporate some Sponge Bob cookies into my training. Katy and I have started talking about some big training sessions we'd like to do so I will make sure I eat things I like that will be beneficial too. Honestly I like to enjoy my meals no matter what I'm doing.