Tips for the Iron Girl Atlanta Bike Ride

As you know, the Iron Girl Atlanta bike ride is 18 miles long. There are some hills on the course along with some nice scenery. You will want to be prepared mentally to complete the ride and still be able to run, or walk, the 3 miles to the finish. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

Start off easier than you think you need to go. You will likely be excited about being done with the swim and ready to move on to the next segment. Control that energy and don't pedal too hard at the start. Take the first 5 or 10 minutes to get comfortable and relaxed as much as you can.

Always ride to the right so others can pass. If you need to pass, check behind you to make sure it's clear, move to the left, and pass someone. Do not spend more than a few seconds riding side-by-side with someone else. Otherwise you will be blocking the way for other riders.

The hills can be challenging if you let them psych you out. Don't let them. Take one hill at a time and just keep pedaling. Choose a gear that will make it easier for you to ride instead of a harder gear one that will cause you to slow your legs down and make you really push hard. Also, if you have to walk your bike then do that but only give yourself permission if you simply can't do it pedaling.

Do not stop when going uphill if you can avoid it. This way when you start riding again you will be on a downhill where it's easier to get going again. Need a drink? Go OVER the top before you stop to reward yourself with a drink. Need to adjust something? Go OVER the top if you can.

You will need to have a water bottle on your bike. Drink a few ounces every 10 or 15 min. Don't wait until you are very thisty because then you are already dehydrated. Unless you are comfortable reaching for your bottle while you ride, be sure to stop on the downhill side of a hill. And make sure you are way to the right so you are out of the path of other riders.

You will also need nutrition on the bike. Nutrition means both electrolytes (like salt) and calories. You can use a sports drink like Gatoraide that contains carbohydrates (energy), electrolytes, and liquid. This can be a substitute for the water.  If you don’t like sports drinks you can stick with water but take in something that contains electrolytes and calories. Sports Beans, a type of jelly bean with electrolytes in it, are good and taste like candy (because they pretty much are!) You can eat a few of these every time you drink water. About 150-250 calories is as much as you’ll want. That’s about 2 packages of beans.

A 3^rd alternative is to drink a non caloric drink with electrolytes and then consume energy gels, sometimes called Gu. Unless you are experienced with this I would stay away from this option for the ride.  Gatoraid , Poweraid (or similar sports energy drink), or water and Sports Beans are simpler choices.

The next post will be on the bike rules about drafting, blocking, and the like that are enforced during the race.

Iron Girl Atlanta Video

This youtube video will help give you a taste of what Iron Girl Atlanta will be like. Take a look! You'll notice that triathletes come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities. No, it won't be easy but you too can do this!

The Swim - What to Expect

If you've never done an open water swim race or a triathlon, you will likely be feeling some apprehension for the swim portion of a triathlon. It's normal to feel this way but knowing what to expect might help you relax a little.

Course Distance - The first thing to know is that the 600 yd distance when you see it marked off with buoys in open water is going to look very long. This is because you are used to seeing and swimming in a short pool that's 25 yards, or at most 50 meters long. DO NOT let this psych you out. You have trained to do the distance. You are prepared. You are just not used to seeing it all stretched out in one chunk. Knowing in advance that it's going to look like a long way will help be mentally prepare. Another way to help you is to know how many strokes (right arm) it takes you to swim across the pool. If you know this you can count you strokes while you're swimming. Let's say it takes you 10 strokes to get across the pool. It might help you to count to 10 a few times when you're out there to remind you that you are making progress towards the end.

Help on the Course - What happens if you happen to get really tired out there and need help? The good news is that there will be lifeguards out there on the course on paddleboards, kayaks, jet skis, or boats who will keep an eye on you. If you need help you can swim over to them and hold on to them while you rest. Or they can come to you. As long as they don't help you make forward progress on the swim, you can then continue on to the finish!

Dog paddle and Freestyle - Do you have to swim freestyle during the race? No! Freestyle is usually the fastest, most efficient way to get through the swim but many swimmers will mix in other strokes. If you need to catch your breath or if you are having trouble seeing where you are going, you are allowed to do breaststroke or sidestroke or even dog paddle! You can roll over onto your back and swim like that. The more you can do the freestyle that you've been practicing the better but no one is going to say anything to you if you do other strokes. Do what ever it takes for you to finish the swim!

Start -  The start for Iron Girl Atlanta is from the beach. When the horn goes off you will run or jog into the water with your group (called a wave). When the water is deep enough stop running and start swimming. If you are not one of the faster swimmers in your group then it's usually best to start a little back behind the leaders so you don't get run over. There are other swimmers around you and not everyone swims straight. Someone is likely to run into you by accident. Don't let this bother you; just keep swimming.

Sighting - Unlike the pool, there are no lines for you to follow on the bottom of the lake. Instead you need to look for buoys that are set out on the course. As you swim you need to periodically lift your head up to see the buoy and know where you are swimming to. It is best to do this while you continue to swim freestyle. Raise your eyes forward like a periscope, take a quick look, and continue swimming. The less you slow down or stop to do this the better. How often should you look? It depends how straight you swim and if there are other swimmers close to you that can swim with to help you go straight. Start by swimming 6 or 8 strokes and then sight the buoy. If you find yourself swimming pretty crooked, sight more often but also try to correct your swimming so you will go straighter.

Caps and goggles - Plan on wearing goggles to help you see where you are going. You are very likely used to swimming with goggles in your training. Don't change now! You will be required to wear a latex rubber race cap for the swim. It will likely be the same color as the other people in your 'wave' (group). If you're not used to wearing a cap, you should practice wearing one so it won't bother you during the race.

Exit - At the end of the swim you will reach the beach, leave the water, and run (or walk) to the transition area. The best way to do this is to swim AS FAR AS YOU CAN before you stand up. Standing up early will cause you to slowly wade in until you reach dry land. This is very slow and frustrating. Instead, swim until your hands brushes the bottom of the lake 4 times. Then you'll know you are probably in water that is shallow enough for you to stand up. After you stand up, take your goggles off your eyes but leave them on your head. No need carrying your goggles or your cap. Take that stuff off after you get to the transition area. The path from Lake Lanier to the transition area is a fairly steep hill. It's okay to walk or jog this so that you don't tire your legs for the start of the bike ride.

Finally, if you are allowed to get wet and warm up in the lake before the start, do it. Get your face wet and do a little swimming. It will help you be ready to go when the race starts. Also start of EASY. You are going to be excited/nervous/anxious/psyched. If you're not used to feeling this way you might feel like you are losing your breath. Stay calm, exhale and inhale gentle, blow bubbles, and start swimming easy. As you get going you can then start swimming at a more normal pace for you.

YOU CAN DO THIS!

Transitions

We are getting ever closer to Iron Girl Atlanta. To be prepared it is very helpful if you practice TRANSITION. Transition is the changing between disciplines during a triathlon. The first transition comes when you come out of the water for the swim and get ready to go out on the bike ride. It's also referred to as T1. The second transition comes when you return from the bike ride, rack your bike, take your helmet off, and go out on the run. It's important to know what you are doing. In order to be comfortable it helps to practice transitions.


What are transitions? from Skip Slade on Vimeo.

Or you can click on this link for the video about transitions that you should watch before doing transition practice. Sorry it's 11 minutes long but there is a bonus: Hurley makes an appearance. One thing to note: you may not be wearing a wetsuit so ignore any references to that. Also, I will be bringing a race belt for you to use that will hold your race number. (You'll understand what I'm talking about after you watch.)

Say Yes to the Dress - Atlanta?

We are still more than a month away from Iron Girl Atlanta but you need to start thinking about what to wear for the race. The decision is a little more complicated because you will be swimming in water that's warm enough not to require a wetsuit. The typical thing when a wetsuit is required is that you wear your triathlon outfit underneath and then you're already to go when you strip that wetsuit off. Without the wetsuit and without a tent in which to change in, do you wear a swim suit for the whole race? Or do you wear your swim suit and do a towel change into bike shorts or a triathlon outfit? Or do you wear a trisuit for the whole thing - from the swim through the run?

As your coach I do not have direct female experience with what the best choices are. Aside from telling you to NOT say yes to the dress, I was uncertain about how to advise you. So I asked around and got answers from 20 or 25 experienced women triathletes. There were two schools of thought. The first is to go ahead and wear a swim suit for the whole race. The second, more popular opinion is that you should wear a triathlon top and triathlon shorts for the whole thing, including the swim. It was unanimous that you should not try to do a towel/surfer change, trying to get out of a wet swim suit and then putting something else on your wet skin.  And wearing a swim suit for the whole race could lead to some serious chafing.

The best option is for you to GO SHOPPING! Yes, that's right, shopping! Look for some triathlon shorts. The have a soft pad that makes the bike ride a little more comfortable. The pad isn't as thick as it is in bike shorts (which is good because that means you can swim in it) but it's thick enough to be better than plain fabric. You also need a triathlon top that feels comfortable and will move with you as you swim, bike, and run. They normally have a zipper that goes part way down the front.

You can wear this outfit for the entire race. If you really want to it's possible to throw on a t-shirt and/or a pair of running shorts over your trisuit after the swim or after the bike but only if you really want to. Do a search for tri tops for women and you can see what's out there. If there's a good bike store near you they may carry to triathlon-specific clothing. Even better would be to find a triathlon store. (Yep, there are stores dedicated to triathlon!) Go try some on, see what they have, and pick something that feels comfortable and fits well. It doesn't need to be the most expensive. You don't need something fancy but getting something that is specifically for triathlon will help make for a better day.

And one more thing - look for a sports bra that is comfortable and will support you properly. According to a number of the women I spoke with it can make all the difference. Many running stores, including Road Runner Sports and many more, carry a nice selection.

With so many weeks to go before the race you may be wondering why I'm bringing this up now. You definitely need to practice with your new clothing. Do some training in them. Swim at least once. For sure ride the bike a few times. And wear your race clothes when you do some runs. The biggest advise triathletes ALWAYS give to newbies is "nothing new on race day". That means don't try anything at the race that you haven't already tried in training. That includes what you wear! And please, no one say "Yes to the Dress"!

Gears and Pedal Speed

New athletes to cycling often wonder about two things when they’re riding: how fast they should pedal and, with so many choices, what gear should they ride in?

Deciding how fast you should pedal is the easier of the 2 questions. The speed you turn the pedals is usually called cadence. You measure cadence by counting how many times your right (OR  left) leg completes a full revolution in one minute. Exercise bikes and some spin bikes may have this number displayed for you. Unless you have a ‘bike computer’ on your bike you may have to count it yourself. Do this in a safe area where traffic and other hazards are at a minimum. Using a watch that displays seconds, count each time your leg comes up on the pedal stroke for 20 seconds. Now multiply this number by 3 to get your cadence.

Under most conditions it has been shown that people tend to be most efficient at around 90 revolutions per minute (rpm). Is 65 okay? I would say that's too slow. When you turn the pedals at that cadence it's a lot like lifting a heavy weight - you fatigue pretty quickly and can’t do very many repetitions. What about 75 per minute? You're getting closer and that would be much better. Once you start getting into the low to mid 80 rpm range you are pretty close to the sweet spot. Will this be easy to do? No, not right away, unless you are already used to it. You'll need to practice it. What if it's just too hard to pedal that fast?

That brings us to the gear question. Choosing what gear to ride in is a bit more complicated but not a lot. If it is too hard to pedal at 80, 85, or 90 rpms then you are probably using a gear that's too high. Shift into a lower gear to make it easier for you to turn the pedals faster. It seems complicated because of all of those gear/sprocket/metal-toothed thingys there on your bike. Those big, metal-toothed sprockets next to your right pedal are called chainrings. Many bikes have 2 of these while some have one or three.

Together the group of sprockets on the back wheel is called a cassette. Each individual ring in the cassette is called a cog. It is helpful to know which is a chainring and which is a cog.

You will have two shifters on your handlebars to change gears. The left shifter changes gearing between the chainrings next to your pedal. The right shifter changes which cog you are using. The chainrings make the biggest change when you change gears. If you move the left shifter you make a big jump, making pedaling either much easier or much harder. If you move the right shifter you make a smaller jump up or down – more of a fine tuning adjustment.

But which one should you use? Use the one that allows you to pedal comfortably in that 80-90rpm cadence range. Start off easier, in the small chainring (the one by your pedal) and one of the middle cogs (the ones on your back wheel). Shift to a harder cog if that’s too easy. If you keep moving the right shifter and it’s still too easy, shift to the big chainring. What “number” gear you’re in doesn’t matter. What matters is being able to turn your pedals at a good cadence while still being relatively comfortable. 

Here are a couple of examples. If you are riding up a fairly steep hill you will probably ride in the small chainring and one of the easiest cogs. If you are on a downhill you probably will be in the big chainring and one of the harder cogs. Experiment to see what works for you.

Finally, shifting gears smoothly takes practice and anticipation. You cannot shift gears unless you are pedaling. If you are coasting along, not moving the pedals, and you move the shifter, nothing will happen. You must be pedaling forward before the gear will change. But there is a little trick with this. In order for the bike to shift smoothly you need to be pedaling softly as you change gears. If you are pushing down hard on your pedals as you shift, the gear may not change. Instead you may hear some metal grinding sounds. Ease up on your force for a brief second or two (don’t stop pedaling though) and it will do what you want it to. 

As you approach a hill you will shift into the small chainring slightly ahead of time, before you start to slow down very much. As you go up the hill, if that isn’t easy enough, you shift to an easier cog. Anticipate this so you can shift before you find your legs barely being able to turn. Once the hill begins to flatten out or you reach the top, you will shift to a harder cog and, if need be, to the big chainring. Anticipate needing to do this so that your legs aren't spinning around like the Roadrunner in the cartoon because you waited too long to shift.

PRACTICE! Prop your bike’s rear wheel up off the ground, or ask someone to hold it up for you. Turn the pedals with your hand and move the shifters so that you can actually watch as the gears change. Then take your bike to a parking lot or a hard grass or dirt field and practice gear changes. This way you won't have to worry about cars, obstacles, or other riders. You will gain confidence and be more comfortable after a little practice.

Breakfast

People who are training for an event like a sprint triathlon wonder what they should do about breakfast. Many of these same people are looking to not only get in shape and compete in an event, they are also looking to lose weight. While I am not a nutritionist I have been in the same boat myself as well as observed other athletes deal with the same thing. And to be sure, I've also heard and read advice from multiple nutritionists and dietitians on this subject.

The opinions are almost universal: eat a healthy, well-balanced breakfast to start your day. It will allow you to feel satisfied and keep your blood-sugar levels in balance for the next 3 or 4 hours. Skipping the morning meal sets you up to slow your metabolism and run your body at a fuel deficit. You will not function as well as you would if you had fueled properly.

What is "properly"? Include the 3 macronutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. It probably a good idea to include at least 5 grams of protein at breakfast. Protein seems to help satiate most people better than if they eat a meal without it, partly because of how it affects blood sugar and energy level stabilization. Carbohydrates are required as well and complex carbs are best. If the carbs are in the form of breads and cereals, these should be made with whole grains whenever possible. Carbs also come from fruits and vegetables. Healthy fats are best - go easy on dairy or other animal fats. What are the "healthy" fats? Most nutritionists think olive oil or canola oil are good choices when it comes to liquid oils.

Suggestions? Try eggs, soy protein (e.g. soy sausage), nonfat yogurt, low fat cheese, nonfat milk, lean meats, almond or peanut butters, whole or chopped nuts (almonds again!), legumes such as pinto and black beans, high fiber low sugar cereal, whole wheat bagel or toast, bananas, berries of all kinds, oranges, apples, kiwi, avocado, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, salsa, canola oil, and olive oil.

Supplements? It's always best to get your micronutrients from real foods. Many athletes I know (including me) take a multivitamin and Omega 3 oils like fish and flax seed oils. There are many more that may be appropriate for you, such as calcium and Vitamin D. Your doctor or a nutritionist can make recommendations, especially if they do a blood test.

I have my own personal preferences on what foods and supplements I ingest. That doesn't mean mine are the only way or even the best way. I have opinions and biases but just wanted to share some information without those biases being a part of this.