newadam

Any opinions on the best "equipment" to use during a 13 mile run? I usually run shirtless, thinking that being air-cooled is the best. I'm not a super fast runner(about 20:30 for 5k, 47:30 for 10k), and I have only one race under my belt at the 13 mile distance--I averaged 9 minute miles for that one. So, this year, I'm aiming to cut 13 minutes off that time by averaging 8 minute miles. I've been following a 1/2 marathon running plan for 2 months, and I have 1 month before the 1/2 Ironman I'm doing. I think I'm on target. HOWEVER, I am all ears to anyone who might give me hints about surviving in the second half of that run. Literally, I could probably have walked the last 3 miles faster than I "jogged" them. Hence, my Body Armour question...will that material keep me cooler and more refreshed vs. running without a shirt?

Thanks

David

jrennie

I've found that running in direct sun I stay cooler with a compression shirt w/sleeves than w/o. I never run shirtless(my extreme albinoness might make cars swirve into the blinding light) Judging by your run time and comment on the last 3 miles I would venture a guess that you might have a pacing problem. I run a 5k right around the 20min. mark and a 10k in 41min, I notice a little drop toward the end of the 10k but try to make a mental effort to keep my per mile times within a 15-20 second range.(Might be worth trying for your 1/2m)

racergirl

I sweat very little which means I overheat even if its in the 50s and 60s. Nowadays I wear a mesh hat. At every aid station I throw water over my head, under each armpit (there is a plexus there so lots of blood going to the core), and/or down my neck. Other than those major blood flow areas, I actually find that when I run with anything more than a sports bra and shorts it traps heat next to my skin. After about 15min I'm dying to shed a layer or two. The hat, however, makes a noticible difference and keeps my wee Irish nose from burning.

^*^BATMAN^*^

I would say that

A) for a triathlon( i am pretty sure of the rules in the US) but there should be a torso rule, ie. you HAVE to have a shirt on.
B)It will in theory keep you cooler in a race where there are water stations. What you should do is take a cup at every water station(weather dependant) and pour it down the back of your neck(IMO best for cooling whole body).
Also, when you sweat with a shirt on, it will make the shirt wet. So the sun will warm up your shirt to evaporate the wetness, but you will be sweating/pouring water onyourself to replace it, thus keeping your body cooler then if the sun was trying to evaporate the sweat directly off your skin.

Hats, I find that they make a hudge difference, I myself race with a visor on, but people always tell me full hats are better. If you dump water on your head like racergirl there, it will saturate the hat/visor, and will give you nice cooling on your head for longer then if you didnt. Plus it will keep the sun out of your face/head.

Pacing for the run in a half Ironman. You should definatly go out slow. If you are having troubles in the last few miles, slow down your pace slightly, then you can run the same pace the whole run. Or try slowing down your bike a bit. I was told before I did my first half, that for every 15 minutes you are faster on your bike, you will be 30 minutes slower on the run(for an ironman). Now that is all based off pacing, like being fast/slower then your pace. In theory it will work in the reverse, if you are a little slower in the bike(ie. take it easy going up hills) you will have less lactic build up for your run, so you can hold a slightly faster pace for th ewhole thing.


Ohya, i think we need pictures from racer girl to prove that when she runs in a sportsbra and shorts that the hat helps

StanSeven

It's hard to tell what you mean with your question about feeling "refreshed." If you aren't taking in enough fluids, getting dehydrated could be a culprit to you slowing those last few miles.

As someone else said, you have to wear a shirt in a triathlon. As long as it's not cotton that makes you feel like a soggy rag, just about any synthetic material in a running shirt is fine.

If you are slowing that much, there are two likely reasons. One is lack of fluids and energy. Take in more. Try sports drinks with sugar and electolytes. Also consume some energy in the form of gels.

The second is lack of training. If you've been following a halff marathon training schedule with a mix of endurance and speed workouts, you'll be fine.

Vuroth

Clothing wise, wear what you trained in. If it was good enough for training, it's good enough for race day.

In 5k and 10k runs, I more or less ignore in-race hydration and nutrition. For a half marathon, that just isn't viable. Bring a long a power gel, power bar, or some jelly beans on your next long run. Also, carry water during your training runs (or, at worst, cache some). Find out which foods you can stomach during a run. Get used to drinking during long runs. Both of those should keep your energy levels up for the second half of the run.

'roth

newadam

Thank you to all of you who gave advice--I learned some great ideas from you. Still, beings as I'm a 6'4" man, I'm probably gonna forego the sports bra. I have ALWAYS run shirtless, and you guys are the first to tell me there's some rule about having to wear a shirt. USAT officials have been at all of these races...it's odd that they haven't said anything. You were all right about the over-pacing in my first 1/2 Ironman--I held right at 24.5mph for the first 30 miles of the bike...then straggled in for the last 26--I ended up averaging around 20.5 and had very little left for a LONG run! (did I mention I had never run farther than 5 miles at a time on 4 occasions in preparation??) This time around, I'm going to put limits on my paces in the first 2/3rds of each event--that is, I'll aim to negative split. Do you think that's a better strategy (assuming I don't drastically negative split). I had always thought I should just push my pace until I ran out of steam.

Thank you all, again, for the time you took to help.

David

^*^BATMAN^*^

I did my fist half ironman about 2 weeks ago. I normaly average about 37-40km/h for the bike. For the race I held back, and averaged 33.3km/h. I felt ok goign onto the run, but a lower back injury came back to haunt me for the first lap of the run, so My run sucked, but it was a bone pain, not fatigue, i felt great other then my back.

jrennie

pushing your pace till you pop is great for a training ride or a sprint finish but these are endurance events. Marathon winners are not the fastest runners, they are the fastest runners that can maintain a pace for 26 miles (strange tortise and hare reference)

newadam

Actually, I've been intrigued to realize that I have done the Olympic Distance course here in South Carolina in 2:15 but did double that same course (1/2 Ironman here just duplicates the course, basically) in 5:15. It took me 45 minutes more to do the course the second time! The more you guys talk, the more I get the sick feeling that I really messed up in my last 1/2 Ironman by taking out too fast. I'm starting to think I did the whole race wrong. Any thoughts on how to hold back the pace?! Do you aim for an mph on the bike...watch your heart rate...or what?

David

jrennie

Finishing a 1/2 ironman is a great task alone so don't worry to much(olympic distance is all I will even think about) I would go with a heart rate monitor and focus on taking notation of pace and hr while on the bike and on the run. figure out what is a sustainable pace that will push your limits and stick to it. I always seem to run/bike faster in a race no matter how much I tell myself to slow down.

sweetharriet

yup. i can't help attempting to keep up on the bike, though i know what my HR should be, and how much running i have to save it for. i find my best training was group bricks, it helped me chill OUT, which made my bike that much more efficient, and my run just a little more comfy.

i've been at tons of races with shirtless peoples. usually there's a bunch that wear tri tops, though. i don't know how much the tight-fit dri-weave tri shirts irritate the mens, cause i'm not one. i wear a one-piece and bodyglide it up ahead of time.