Triathlon/Marathon/Endurance Sports Thread

Currently struggling with my bike training.

Traffic around where I live is a nightmare. We have no bike lanes and basically no shoulder to ride on.

I got ran off the road a couple years ago (avoided major injury, just scrapes and bruises)

A friend of mine got hit by a car 4 weeks ago while biking and got hurt bad. My wife has forbid me to ride around here and honestly I’m ok with that. Nearest greenway that’s more than a couple miles long is over 1 hour away. Makes long bike rides an all day event due to drive time.

I can handle about an hour on the indoor trainer and after that I’m over it.

Going to have to get creative and figure some things out.
That's scary for sure. I'm lucky enough to live in the outskirts and can bike out my front door to country roads with decent shoulders. Getting hit is still a legit worry though.

If you haven't already, check into Varia by Garmin. It's a red light and also a radar that hooks up to your phone or bike computer. Tells you when a car is coming behind you and if they're speeding. The higher end model also has a video camera recorder. No, it won't stop you from being hit but you'll have evidence of what happened if it's needed.

I use the trainer mostly in the winter and only way I get through it is by watching TV shows/movies. Boring AF!
 
Just found this thread; I'm 58 and ran my 4th half marathon since 2020 this year. I'm not in good shape, 5' 10" ~250, but I sign up for 5k's, 10k's and half's to get prepared for Elk season, which is never enough. I want to be down to 230 by 9/1. I'm not a fast runner and average 11 minute miles and like using the Brooks Glycerin shoes for running. I tried a pair of UA Charged and Speedlands but like the Brooks better. Would like to try a pair of Hoka's someday.

I have been watching ultra running films, which have been motivating me to sign up for a full marathon. Of the half marathons that I've done, I didn't feel like i had anything left in the tank to go another 13.1 miles. I am wondering if that was training or fuel or both?!?
 
I am wondering if that was training or fuel or both?!?

Probably both, and just guessing with your description, 11 minute miles are probably way too fast for you at this point.

I've been training pretty hard lately, and had a 4 hr run Saturday.

It's hot down here, and I drank 50oz of Tailwind mix, and 40 oz of just electrolyte mix.

I finished my run at 6:15am, and I was spent. I came home and drank another 50-60 oz in the first hour after, and about 50 oz more before noon.

I didn't piss till after noon.
 
In the 2hrs and 8 minutes it took to run the 13 miles. I ate 3 gels and finished both my 500ml water flasks. Add in a handful of gu gummy’s for good measure.
 
Interesting data I thought I’d share. Wife just did a sweat test as she is ramping up to do the Maryland Full Ironman in August. We live in Central Texas so training is super hot. Running in 80 degree weather she is losing 2600 mg of salt per hour. Crazy. That’s 12 salt pills an hour to keep up with the loss. I always do 1000 mg before runs and the usually take Scratch Labs fuel on long runs and I feel exponentially better during and after long efforts.
 
In the 2hrs and 8 minutes it took to run the 13 miles. I ate 3 gels and finished both my 500ml water flasks. Add in a handful of gu gummy’s for good measure.
If you really want to do ultras, it’s entirely possible, but you’ll have to gradually increase your mileage. Ideally, you’d have 5-6 straight weeks of weekly mileage that match the distance and vertical gain of your goal run. The fueling will sort itself out.

IMHO, there’s little chance that lack of fueling during a 13 mile run explains inability to go further. 13 miles is great, and awesome job for doing it, but fueling doesn’t constrain your performance over that distance; fitness does.
 
If you really want to do ultras, it’s entirely possible, but you’ll have to gradually increase your mileage. Ideally, you’d have 5-6 straight weeks of weekly mileage that match the distance and vertical gain of your goal run. The fueling will sort itself out.

IMHO, there’s little chance that lack of fueling during a 13 mile run explains inability to go further. 13 miles is great, and awesome job for doing it, but fueling doesn’t constrain your performance over that distance; fitness does.
I would agree. Adding a mile a week with a recovery week every 4 really takes a long time to build a solid base. 10 miles is typically when I notice fueling but fitness is definetly more of a limitation.
 
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