IRONMAN 70.3 Marbella, Spain. March 2, 2019 ~Strong like a BULL~

BRICK

3 hours at 180 Watts + 15 min Run off bike

brick workout is any workout that combines swimming, biking and/or running into a single session. The most common example is the bike to run brick, where you go for a run immediately after finishing a bike ride.


Warm-up:
10 min easy

Main set:
2.5 hours @ 170-180 watts
At the top of hour 1 and hour 2, ride x 10 mins @ 215-230 watts. Spin easy x 5 min after each interval.

Cool-down:
5 min easy

Using the data I’ve collected over the past few weeks I go into the 3 hour ride with following fueling and hydration strategy:


Hydration

Goal: 
Prevent loosing more than 3% of weight through the fluid loss. In my case 68 kg (150 lb) = 2.1 kg

How?

Sweat Rate: ~1400 mL/h
Liquids Required: Exercise Duration x Sweat Rare = 3 * 1400 = 4200 mL
6% Solution: (255 g carbs / 4200 mL) x 100
Sodium Requirements: 0.5 x 4.2 = 2100 mg


What?

Electrolyte Solution:

Gatorade G2 (591 mL) x 7 bottles
Carbohydrates: 12 g x 7 = 84 g
Sodium: 270 mg x 7 = 1890 mg
Calories: 50 x 7 = 350


FUELING


Pre-Exercise: 30 min Before

It worth mentioning that the workout is done early in the morning, after the night fast.

Had two bananas + Clod brewed coffee + sugary drink = 57 high GI Carbs, 235 calories.

Felt good, not overly stacked. Just enough.


During Exercise


How?
Formula: 0.3 x 150 = 45 g/h x 3 hr = 135 grams of carbs 
What?

Carbohydrates: 144 grams

Calories per hour: 1100 / 3hr = 367 cal/hr (towards the higher end of absorption rate)

Didn’t eat the cliff bar as I was pretty full.


RESULTS


Pre-Weight: 69 kg
Post-Weight: 69.5 kg
Liquids Consumed: 4137 mL
Sweat Rate: 1212 ml/hr

Loss: 3637 mL 2% body weight

Good job Sasha! Happy with the fluid loss. Right on point!


BIKE


Felt really strong. On the beginning my HR seemed to be a bit high, but after the first interval it dropped from 140 bpm to about 136 bpm, holding the same power of 180 Watts. Feeling strong, increased the power to 190 Watts and surprisingly HR stayed the same ~136 bpm. Continued with 190 W for the rest of the workout. Had to stop for the restroom twice, in the middle and almost at the end. The seat is really uncomfortable, made me change my position every 5 minutes.

Overall I am really happy with bike performance and the way I felt. Great job Sasha!


RUN


Nothing special on the run. Legs are heavy, RPE is peaking. Towards the end, had the urge to use a restroom. Next time would be smart to use the restroom before heading out.


Lessons Learned

  • Start eating right from the beginning of the workout. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
  • Pre-meal doesn’t have to be huge, as long as you’ve got enough during-fuel and stay consistent with it.
  • Seat position changes RPE and power output.
  • There are ups and downs, keep your head up. One bad workout doesn’t mean the next one will be also bad.
  • Higher cadence (80-90 rpm) makes it easier to hold bigger power.
  • 1400 mL/hour is on the high side. At this intensities I could go away with approximately 1200 mL/hour.
  • One bite of banana + one bite of chocolate protein bar = HEAVEN.

What will I do Differently?

  • Experiment with liquid sources of carbohydrates.
  • Adjust the seat, where I feel comfortable. If not, buy the new seat.
  • Use the restroom before the run.