#marathon

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IRONMAN 70.3 | Muskoka

PRE-RACE

Instead of staying at hotel or Airbnb, me and my brother Stepan, who is visiting me from Ukraine, decided we will more enjoy camping. The tent was set up at the Arrowhead Campground, which is about 15 minutes driving from the race venue. This is a huge campground and the campsites are not cheap. One night stay will cost you at minimum of CAD$48.31. Rather than price, we really liked the park. It’s clean, quiet and has toilets with showers. Not to mention a beautiful lake right in the middle of it.

A day before began from a nice and easy OWS in Arrowhead Lake. The water in lake is dark, but really warm. Had a small snack and went to the race venue to register for the race, before it got too crowded. The race expo was really small fit perfectly into the ice skating rink, leaving a plenty of unused space. It was really quiet and felt as I’m at a small town race.
Right after registering went to execute my “mini brick“:

10′ easy spin
15 ride holding RPE 3-4
5′ easy spin

15′ run directly off the bike at CP
5′ FW

Checked in my bike and went back to the campground to prepare for the race and go to bed early.
Stepan is putting up the tent while I stress myself out going through the packing list over and over again.

3:30 am wake up. Quick shower and breakfast at McDonalds parking lot on a way to the race venue.

Now, an hour before the start, T1 looks way busier than a day before. All checked in.
Smile! Final photo before the start.

SWIM
38:13

Literally 3 minutes before my wave start I realized I put the wetsuit on the wrong way. I couldn’t believe… Take it off and put it back on.

Unlike all previous races, this one was not a “rolling start”. We proceeded to the lake and were guided towards the red buoy in the middle of the lake…I got confused. We swam up to it and had to float in water for like 3-5 minutes until we were given a command to start.

There was a lot of wrestling in water. I got kicked in head few times pretty hard and about 100-200 meters before the finish someone’s arm hit me in a head and kicked my goggles off. Nice! Swam the remaining distance with my eyes closed. I’m glad it didn’t happen in the middle of the swim, or worse – at the start.

BEWARE OF CURRENT!

Below are few tips for you to keep in mind when swimming through the Fairy Lake. I got the following suggestions from the guy who lived over 20 years right by the lake, where the course goes through. He also raced this race a few times himself and is well aware of direction of the current.

After the second left turn, unlike most of the people, stick to the right hand side and continue swimming close to the shore all the way to the finish (current is stronger on the middle & the opposite side). Right by the finish, don’t cross the lake until it’s about 9 -10 hours on a left from you. Turn left to cross the lake and in a few strokes you will be exiting the water.

Below is the swim course map with directions I marked with red arrows.

Had a pretty fast transition, only 3 minutes. No help from volunteers.

Lessons Learned:

  • Make sure you put the wetsuit the right way.
  • If swimming in lake, beware of current.
  • Practice swimming without goggles, simulating them being kicked off.

BIKE
2:54:16

Did not feel strong at all.
Right on the beginning, about 10 km, a deer:cyclist accident happened. The guy was laying on the side of the road with his bike beside him. Another similar accident happened around 12 km mark.

BEWARE OF ROAD CROSSING ANIMALS! 

30 minutes into the ride I dropped my chain and had to stop to put it back. Grateful it didn’t get stuck in the wheel and didn’t cause more damage. Had to make another stop to use the restroom. I think I lost about 2-3 minutes of precious time. 

A lot of rolling hills. A bit windy on the way there, but not much on the way back. Overall it is a fast course. Having a better (tri) bike would definitely help me shave off few minutes. 

Overall I am happy with my performance on the bike. Also had a pretty fast transition, under 2 minutes.

Lessons Learned

  • Beware of animals crossing the road
  • Make sure the bike is perfectly tuned prior to the race
  • Probably worth looking into investing in a proper bicycle

RUN
1:42:03
~Epic Finish~

First 30 minutes felt like crap 💩. Well that’s the way it always been for me, both in training and racing.
“Embrace the suck and give it some time Sasha!”
Spasms, tension and muscle pain traveled starting from my pancreas then to the liver and down to the legs. 

“Breath deeply. You need to release the spasms before the body completely shuts down the absorption of any foods you are planning to consume. “

3-5 minutes of deep belly breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth did the trick. Pancreas and liver spasms released, allowing me to continue consuming sugars for fuel ⛽️. 

The course was great! We started and finished in Huntsville downtown. A lot of people were supporting athletes along the run course.
A little boy ran a garden hose from his house down to where we were running and sprayed the athletes with a cold water. 

Approximately 35 minutes into the run, I began feeling better. FINALLY! 

I increased the pace and tried to clear my mind from any thoughts that were taking up my mental energy. I put all my focus on technique. 

“Imagine your knee cups as a headlights of the car.
Chin tucked in.
Don’t run like you have a cactus up in your bum, stand tall and strong.
Release the tension off your shoulders, move them down.
Don’t swing your hands too much, keep them close to your torso.
Find a rhythm in your breath.
Breathe deeply: a long exhale and fast big inhale.”

Racing in Hawaii, Kona 70.3, specifically the running part though me a good painful lesson. I learned how painful it could be to run with the injury and how much it can actually slow me down. I learned the difference between the muscle pain and the injury pain. You can not manage the pain coming from the injured body part and it only getting worse as you go. 

I was really hoping that my knee pain will not come back during this race allowing me to run up to my potential. 

After the turnaround I continued feeling strong. No injuries, no pain that can slow me down. Everything hurts, but it’s a muscle pain, know the difference. 

I slowly caught up with the guy in a blue shirt that passed me like a rocket 🚀 when I was struggling on the beginning. I remembered him because he had a number 53 written down on his ankle. Triathletes know what that number means – the age. 

I caught up with him and expressed how impressed I was by his pace at the age of 53. We ran side by side, averaging the pace of 4:14 /km while keeping the conversation. His name is Shean and he’ve been running his entire life. 

“There is a lady running upfront… She’s 52 and she is about to win her age group. I need to catch up with her.”, Shean told me. 

5 km until the finish:

Aid station. Two water cups, one on myself, another in myself. Shean slowed down a bid, and felt behind. I increased my pace and continued running solo. 

The pain was real, but it was a muscle pain. I pushed really hard and gave it all.

Right by the finish line, as I stepped down on the red carpet, Shean showed up in my peripheral view. He really surprised me with his appearance and he was pushing really hard, trying pass me. Suddenly a finisher’s black stripe got pulled up at the finish line and the crowd went ballistic. I had no idea what was happening and the only thing I knew is that I needed to cross that finish line first.

I did it!

The feelings I experienced were so strong so I will remember them forever. I got so much joy and pure sense of happiness. I felt so much respect to Shean and all the athletes around. I experiences a sense of comradery and athletic fellowship.
Wow! What a finish, what a race!

After we both caught our breaths, Shean said that he’ve been chasing me all the way to the finish and thanked me for pushing him so hard. Thank you too Sean! This is what the competition should be like!

Lessons Learned

  • All the hard trainings, pains and tears were well worth that short burst of emotions while crossing the finish line FIRST
  • I learned what the healthy competition should be like and I experienced a pure sense of athletic fellowship
  • I discovered few new shades of pain and pushed my body harder than I did before

NUTRITION

Luckily I didn’t overeat so bad the night before, as I did the previous times. Still should’ve eaten less to get a good night rest.

The race had great on-course nutrition: Clif Bars, Gatorade and RedBull. Even with such support, still pack the nutrition products you’re used to and have tried already in training. This is what I did.

Race Morning
Planned to consume throughout the race
Consumed throughout the race

Lessons Learned

  • Planned and actually consumed numbers were pretty close. Good job here
  • Gatorade proved once again to work well for me. Don’t shy away from it during racing
  • Coke gives me liver spasms. That’s a no-no, unless I’m 5 km or less to the finish.
  • Deep belly breathing help relieve the liver and pancreas spasms
  • Don’t overeat before going to bed the night before

RESULTS

Set a new PR
by beating 70.3 Kona by 22 minutes

Repetition is mother of learning!

REPEAT AFTER ME:

You are doing triathlons because YOU CHOSE TO, not because you have to. 
Don’t forget that!

You do it FOR YOURSELF, no one gives a f*ck.
Don’t forget that!

NO ONE FORCES you to train every damn day. 
No one, besides your ego or whatever motivation you have.

You can quit anytime you want. 
No one gives a fuck! 

It’s your life, it’s your decisions. 
Don’t forget that!

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IRONMAN 70.3 | Hawaii – “The Big Island”

PRE-STORY

Mental Masturbation

Marbella race completely destroyed my expectations, flipped everything upside down. For about 3 weeks after the race I suffered from depressing thoughts and emotions. I got locked up in my head. I almost dropped out of sport of triathlon… 

It was dark and I searched for help at different places. I was looking for someone to help me to stop my mental masturbation and make a sense of my thoughts and emotions. 

My swimming and triathlon coaches, Bruce and Renee, my father – were able to find the right words and grounded me and kept me away from mistakenly turning my back on the sport. Thank you! I’m am grateful for you.

You can only lead the horse to the water, but you can’t force him drink. Still, all the mental work needed to be done. I had to re-evaluate and reassess the mindset I bring into the training and racing. 

What role does the sport play in my life?
What function does it have?
Whom am I competing against?
How do I see myself as an athlete, but more importantly who the Sasha is as a person?
How do I evaluate my athletic performance?
What expectations do I have for my body and how are they linked to the feeling of self worth?

I had to destroy and rebuild myself as an athlete. I bring a different mindset to this race, my expectations are different. 

My goals for this race were:

SWIM: under 30 minutes 
BIKE: no specific goal here. Just give it all and see how it goes 
RUN: 1/2 marathon under 1:40 hr 

RACE EXPO

NUTRITION

3 day before the race, starting Wednesday, I increased my carbohydrate consumption from typical 300g/day to 300g+. Wasn’t tracking anything so it’s hard to say what the actual amount was. 

I give preference to low glycemic, complex carbs. I like to have my foods simple and I get most of my carbs from:

  1. Oatmeal 
  2. Brown rice 
  3. Sweet potatoes 

Previously, for Ironman Marbella, I was carb loading with solely with oatmeal. It’s a great option, however due to the high fiber it’s not the best option for a day or two prior the race. This time I am loading with brown rice. I am hoping that low fiber content will make it easier on my GI and prevent digestion issues on the course. 

A day before, on Friday afternoon suddenly felt really bad hunger. Ate a lot of rice, oatmeal and chicken. 

Opening a can of peanut butter was a mistake. After I got a taste of it, I literally lost control… I ate the entire jar myself. (About 3000 Calories). I wasn’t tracking anything, however my curiosity took over and I threw in some numbers into MyFitnessPall to guesstimate the amount ate. 

This is almost triple the amount of food I usually eat. Damn, I’m so full! I hope this extreme caloric excess will provide by body with the energy to unleash on the course tomorrow. Stopped eating at 6 pm, went on a 30-40 minute walk around the block. Planning to wake up at 4 am, which will give my body about 10 hours to digest all the peanut butter I ate 😅 I hope I won’t feel this full tomorrow morning. 

RACE MORNING

Did not sleep well 😔
Had night sweats and woke up to the restroom 3-4 times. My usual resting heart rate went up from 40-41 to 55 bpm.
Really bAD headache upon waking up. 

Breakfast:
Sweet potato (~300g)
Oatmeal 50g
4 tbsp of peanut butter
1 tbsp of honey 
Banana 
Coffee

RACE VENUE: T1

T1 transition opened up from 5-6:15 am. I arrived at 5:30am and faced a huge line from cars. We were not moving at all. I heard one of volunteers saying that they’re already full and there are no parking spots left. Well, great! People were leaving their cars everywhere, on the side of the road, on the hills, anywhere they could find a spot. I was not an exception and left my car on the side on the road. I had 20 minutes left until transition is closed.

Clean transition. This means that you can not leave anything on the ground. All your bike gear has to be off the ground.

Walking down the isles of bikes with my wetsuit hanging over my shoulder I’ve been getting weird looks from other athletes. I a few minutes I realized why. My bike rack neighbor, when saw the suit on the ground, said: “Nice wetsuit, man! Is it legal to swim in suit?”

This is when I realized that NO ONE had a wetsuit , besides me 😆. Went back to the car to drop it off.

I was very disorganized. I couldn’t focus, I could think straight. I felt I was in some sort of mental fog 🌫 On top op it, since waking up this morning I had a REALLY BAD HEADACHE.

SWIM
[00:43:42]

slow but enjoyable

Idiot brought a wetsuit. 

My wave, 25-29 was starting 25 minutes after the official start. First, they let older folks get wet and slowly moved downtown to the younger athletes. Each wave was separated by one minute time.

10 minutes before the start had a half of Cliff Energy Gel.

Despite headache, felt ok through the swim. It was not as crazy as Marbella start and I found out that I was competing with only 42 athletes, my age group. 

It was hard to sight. Because of waves and small size buyees. Another thing was the sun. Being a left side breather I was constantly blinded by the sun, zigzagging throughout the course. 

There were a lot of space between athletes. Because of wise separation between age groupers, there were enough space for everyone to swim at the comfortable pace without getting kicked in the head or pulled by the feet. 

The swim course was absolutely beautiful. The water was so crystal clear, that you could even the tiniest fish swinging around the corals on the bottom. Turtles foot steps could be seen on the white sand. I almost wanted to slow down, just to watch the wildlife. 

The last turn, straight to the finish line, sun was hitting right in the face. Couldn’t see anything, so I was jut following other folks.

Exiting the water, you’ve got to run up the hill to T1. It was about 2 minutes run that would bring your HR up. 

Approaching the bike, I had a volunteer by my side offering to hold transition bag and help to lift the bike. The young kid was really nice.

Headache is getting worse.

BIKE
[02:50:27]

challenging but fast

At the *mandatory pre-race meeting, organizers made a big emphasis on drafting rules and penalties. At least 6 meters between front wheels. Two penalty tents on the course. Yellow card – 30 seconds, blue card – 60 seconds if I recall it correctly. 

T1 was quick. No need to take the wetsuit off, just put your shoes, helmet, sunglasses on and fill your pockets with nutrition, previously prepared. 

The Course:

First 20 km flew by fast. It was a bit windy here and there, but nothing crazy. Approaching the hill is when the wind started to pick up. The higher we went, the stronger the wind blew. About 10 km to the top of this monster hill the wind was BRUTAL. Rocks and sand flew into my face. Along the route I’ve seen quite a few flats and respectively frustrated athletes. Unfortunately you can not prevent it, but you can prepare. “Every hill has a downhill”, I kept repeating in my mind and oddly enough this hill was not an exception. Halfway through the course, on top of the hill you turn around, grab your G2 and fly downhill. I felt I could use a higher gear ⚙️ but my cassette did not carry any. With gravity and wind working for you, not against, second part of the ride was definitely more fun and enjoyable. 

Nutrition: Aid stations were offering Gatorade Endurance at each tent, so I planned to rely solely on it. Brought only one bottle of electrolyte solution, leaving the second bottle cage empty for G2. Also only aid station#3 had GI gels.  

Planned to consume & Actually consumed:

Pretty close to what was planned. Sugar in Gatorade accounted for the rest. Also G2 endurance tastes good. I loved it. 

Headache continued chasing me through the entire bike leg and followed into the run. I could feel the veins pumping on the sides of my head.  

Quick Tip: in hot climates like this, solid foods most likely will melt. If you don’t want to drink your protein bar, pack gels or liquid sources instead. 

RUN
[01:58:05]

hot and painful

REALLY-REALLY HOT🥵 is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the run part.  Right the second I dismounted off the bike, sharp pain 9/10 hit me behind the left knee. I could not even walk… 

“The race is over!”, flew through my mind. Somehow I limped up to my running bag and put on my gear. Again, volunteers were really helpful and helped me with my bike. Thank you!

First 5 km were painful to even step on the leg. However I felt a little bit better 30-40 minutes into the run and slightly picked up the pace. 

Run Course:

We were running along the golf course, often on the grass. Wild goats were starring at people from the side of the road. They were more confused than us, having no idea what was going on.

Two loops with 7 aid stations on each. Gatorade, water, coke and ice. In addition there were ice sponges, GU gels, oranges and bananas. Very well organized and setup. 

Planned & Consumed through the run:

Twice as much as planned.

15 km into the run, really fast and sharp pain hit my knee again 8/10. Ever since it never went away and rapidly increased to the point where I could not resist it anymore… I suffered each step I took. However I did not walk. I was slow, really slow, BUT I did not walk! and it took a lot. 

Dropped my race belt, which I later lost. I also found it much more painful to run downhills rather than uphills. 

Suffering was real, especially for the last 5 km. 

“It’s all good mental training Sasha!!!”, I keep repeating in my head. My mind crossed the finish line, not the body. 

Total consumed through the race:

According to carb consumption formula (0.33 x body weight (150 lbs)) x 5 hr 40 min = 277 grams of carbs were required to cover energy expenditures. 

Looks like I’ve done a pretty good job with my fueling and it’s almost gram to gram precisely close to what formula suggests. 

RACE RESULTS

LESSONS LEARNED

  1. I tend to binge eat the night before race. I don’t repeat such behavior during regular days. Could be due to stress and anxiety, could be out of fear of coming into the race under fueled and bonking, could be because of deeper psychological issues I am not aware of.
  2. Overeating before bed will not fuel up your glycogen stores, but will compromise your night sleep. You will wake up exhausted and feeling like crap.
  3. Do your homework and carefully research on race rules, requirements and regulations. Failing to do good research made me bring the wetsuit into the event where it was not permitted.
  4. Rice and sweet potatoes are better alternatives to oatmeal for pre-race meal. Consuming low-fibrous foods reduce the chance of GI distress during the race.
  5. Gatorade Endurance G2 is a great hydration tool. If possible, use it in the next race or hard training.
  6. Some gels can cause your liver to spasm. Don’t experiment with unfamiliar fuel on the course. If got a spasm, deep balled breathing: in through the nose, out through the mouth.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Absolutely gorgeous race course!

  • This is definitely the race to remember and experience worth all the money I payed. 
  • I did not perform as I wanted to. I suffered a lot. 
  • I trained my mind. I experienced 50 shades of pain and will be more appreciative of pain free body. 
  • I enjoyed the race!
  • I’ve been there, I’ve seen the fish and felt the warm water on my skin. I smelled the melting road and enjoyed the cool breeze of salty air on my sweaty face. 
  • I put my all, physical and mental. It’s all that matters. 

Special thanks to Volunteers along the course! You guys were EXTREMELY NICE AND HELPFUL! You were one of the highlights of my experience. 

REPEAT AFTER ME:

You are doing triathlons because YOU CHOSE TO, not because you have to.
Don’t forget that!

You do it FOR YOURSELF, no one gives a f*ck.
Don’t forget that!

NO ONE FORCES you to train every damn day.
No one, besides your ego or whatever motivation you have.

You can quit anytime you want.
No one gives a fuck! 

It’s your life, it’s your decisions.
Don’t forget that!

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IRONMAN 70.3 | MARBELLA, Spain

Pre-Story:

Since the Paris marathon which I did on January 6th this year I decided to focus entirely on triathlons. Despite my coach’s concerns in regards to racing frequency, I set myself ambitious goal to do 5 IRONMAN Races this year. Four of them are 70.3 and one full distance, to close the season.

4 months I’ve been training specifically for the first race of the season – IRONMAN 70.3 Marbella. It’s also my very first IRONMAN Race. 

NUTRITION

Pre race 1-2 days:

This crazy trip didn’t allow me properly eat prior to the race. However I am really happy that I was thoughtful enough to bring three lunch boxes with food. No problems with security checks at the airports. Just make sure there is no meat and it’s secure in transparent container. 

Night before the race I went nuts and really overate going to bed stuffed like a pig. The reason of such overeating is partially due to my exhaustion from the trip. It was really, really stressful and I used the food to comfort myself. Guilty of that. 

I had a lot of oatmeal (250-300g) + 1/2 cantaloupe +3 bananas + 2 sweet potatoes. 1 scoop of protein and some BCAAs to sprinkle onto the oats. Listening to my friend’s suggestion, I totally eliminated any sort of meat or fish.

Race morning: 

Oatmeal ~200G + 3 bananas + BCAA, Creatine + 3 cups of coffee + Sweet potato.

Felt stuffed, should’ve eaten less.

Consumed throughout the race:

Lessons Learned:

  1. Oatmeal before the race is a good choice. You can find it at any grocery store around the world. I actually like the way it tastes. It doesn’t spike your blood sugar; slow burning carbs. It fuels you with glycogen and does not cause diarrhea or any GI problems. The only issue I see with it is that because of high fiber concentration it takes a while to leave the body. Don’t eat too much of it right before the race or exercise.
  2. Try not to overeat, especially before the bed, especially the night before the race.
  3. Have a gel 10-15 minutes before the swim.
  4. Take at least 2-3 lunch boxes with you on a trip. Plane and airport foods are horrible. You will thank yourself later.
  5. Don’t leave your nutrition in transition area, you will have access to it in the morning. You can then throw all extra stuff into transition bags and setup bike water bottles.
  6. Coke might cause the liver to spasm. Drink, but be careful. Not a bad choice for the last 5 km.

SWIM

15 Minutes before the swim found 1 gel laying on the sand. Ate it =)

Overall pretty happy with the swim.

Right from the beginning felt strong, however remembered Renee’s guidelines and pulled myself back from going too hard. 

The crowd was crazy. Got hit in the head 3-4 times. Some people were literally pulling me back by the ankles. Drank a bit of salty water, however didn’t panic and stayed calm throughout the entire swim. Didn’t sight at all on the beginning, however began to close to the end. The ocean was cold, so my feet almost cramped 2-3 times… reduced kicking, focused more on a stroke. I found it to be really hard to keep good technique in such crazy environment.

Came out of water feeling strong. Got pleasantly surprised with the time. No dizziness or fatigue.

Lessons Learned:

  1. Don’t swim in the middle, stick to one of the outer sides.
  2. Blue Nike googles are good, don’t switch them. Wear them under the swim cap.
  3. Have a gel 10-15 minutes before.
  4. Don’t underestimate your swim time and instead of 40, go into 30 minutes swim wave. 
  5. If the water is cold – less kicking, so you don’t cramp.

BIKE

The course was absolutely amazing. Views from the top are outstanding.

A lot of climbing. A LOT. In addition, strong head facing and side winds made the bike part a real challenge.

Dropped one of my water bottles right on the beginning. I was surprised of myself that didn’t get upset or mad and simply let it go a second later. In fact, loosing a bottle was not such a bad thing. Isotonic drinks at the aid stations were pretty good and I had an empty bottle holder to carry them in. Also they didn’t taste like they had any calories in them. 

Found myself being pretty good climbing the hills. I was rarely passed while going up, however I felt like I could’ve used a higher gear on the downhills and flat segments. Fighting the hills I was constantly passing guys on fancy aero bikes, catching their eyes on me. However when the downhill time came they would fly by, leaving me in th dust. 

I didn’t eat as much as planned, however it didn’t affect the performance. I stopped once just to pee. I also saw some guys pee on a bike, right in front of me. Because of the winds urine would fly right on the people behind. Disgusting.

Last 20 km were really fast, all downhill. Trying to be as aero as possible I was even passing folks of carbon bikes. Strong side winds and sharp turns made it pretty dangerous to ride at such high speeds. By the end of the ride I felt pretty fatigued, however not too much. 

Lessons Learned: 

  1. Expensive, carbon/aero bikes are worthless on a hilly course. Hold on to buying a new bike.
  2. Take only one bottle on the bike. Keep the room for on course hydration.
  3. Adjust the speeds on your bike so you can switch the highest gear.
  4. Wear the race belt right away, underneath the wetsuit. Less hustle putting it on while transitioning into the run.
  5. Bike position felt good. No need to change anything.

RUN

Right off the bike felt a bit dizzy.

First 5-7 km were a struggle. Wasn’t feeling strong and the distance ahead of me set the fascination in my mind. I did not feel like I could do it. 

I was surprised that I didn’t have any GI problems up until half way through. Even when I did stop to use the bathroom, it wasn’t bad. It’s just the amount of food I ate days prior. Right after the bathroom use, the second breath opened up. I felt stronger and wasn’t struggling that much anymore. In fact 30-40 minutes into the run is when I began feeling better. Remaining half of the run I got to truly enjoy it. Loved it! Towards the end had some liver spasms, but nothing too painful.

Increased my pace for the last 4-5 km. Finished strong.

The course along the beach was fantastic. It was really, really cool and I got a lot of joy running through it. 

Lessons Learned:

  1. Right off the bike you might feel dizzy. That’s normal.
  2. First 30-40 minutes you will feel like crap. Push through, you will feel better as the time goes on. Focus on technique and pace. Visualize the finish and appreciate a chance to do what you do and to be where you are.

RESULTS

Update (May 13):

I’ve had some time to think and this are the thoughts & conclusions I came up with…

Is it so much about the race and accomplishment or about the experience? 
Is it about the medal 🏅 or the person you’ve become to get the medal? 

It’s about the lifestyle you’ve created to achieve your goal. 

Training for triathlon makes me better not just in one but three spots: swimming, running and cycling. What other sport develops the athletes so broadly? How about the mental training I get during the process? How about invaluable lessons I learn from this sport that applicable to my work, business, life and relationships? Only so many people gained access to this knowledge and you can connect with them through the sport. 

I know I won’t be doing triathlons for the rest of my life. However, when I decide no longer continue with the sport I will have a solid foundation of endurance, strength and health to bring into another pursuits I will choose to follow in future. Just think of all the adventures you can go on with your skills and fitness. You can follow a swimming path, and challenge yourself to do a cross lakes swimming or something that makes you excited. 

You can go on multi days or weeks of ultra endurance running trough the beautiful forests of Canada or USA. You’ve got cycling fitness that will allow you to become professional cyclist or go on a crazy adventurous cycling trip across the state or country. 

Essentially, triathlon opened up a lot of doors and opportunities for me. It give me options to choose from. 

You are doing triathlons because YOU CHOSE TO, not because you have to.
Don’t forget that.

No one forces you to train every damn day. No one, besides your ego or whatever motivation you have. You do it because you chose to do it. 

You can quit anytime you want.
No one gives a fuck! 

It’s your life, it’s your decisions.
Don’t forget that!

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3 hr Bike + 20 min Run. March 15, 2019 ~God’s Mode~

BRICK

3 hours at 195 Watts + 20 min Run off bike

A 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.

What a beautiful day today in Canada 🇨🇦. Sun rays gently pet my face. The sound of birds singing give me so much joy. I breath fully into my lungs, I stand strong on my feet, I AM ALIVE! I am full of energy and my soul is singing. 
I am so happy to come out of my Pain Cave and shake up my legs on a little run.

IRONMAN 70.3 Marbella 2019 is around the corner and I feel that I reach my peak form. Training volume goes up and I begin to feel fit as f@ck! I feel the explosive power within my body.

Warm-up:
15 min easy

Main set:
3 hours @ 180-195 watts
At mins 30 & 60 of each hour, ride x 7 mins @ 260-275 watts with 3.5 min easy riding after each interval.

Cool-down:
15 min easy

Using the sweat rate and fueling data I’ve collected over the past few weeks I develop the following 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 = 3.5 * 1400 = 4900 mL
5% Solution: (255 g carbs / 4900 mL) x 100
Sodium Requirements: 0.5 x 4.2 = 2450 mg

What?

Electrolyte Solution:

Gatorade G2 (591 mL) x 8 bottles = 4728 mL
Carbohydrates: 12 g x 8 = 96 g
Sodium: 270 mg x 8 = 2160 mg
Calories: 50 x 8 = 400

FUELING

Pre-Exercise: 30 min Before

Workout is done early at 5:30 AM. After the night fast.

Two bananas + cup of coffee + sugary drink (Aloe bullshit) + BCAA with Creatine Monohydrate

Felt good, not overly stacked. Just enough.

75 g of high GI Carbs = 300 calories

During Exercise

How?
Formula: 0.3 x 150 = 45 g/h x 3.5 hr = 158 grams of carbs
What?

Carbohydrates: 126 grams / 880 calories
Calories per hour: 880 / 3.5 hr = 251 calories/hour

RESULTS

Pre-Weight: 67.5 kg
Post-Weight: 68.2 kg (post bike) 67 kg (post run)
Liquids Consumed: 4137 mL
Weight Lost: 3437 ml (3.4 kg)
Sweat Rate: 982 mL/hr (post bike) 1040 mL/hr (post run)

Weight Loss: 5 % body weight

5% is too much. Bad job here.

BIKE

Yesterday I’ve had a quite hard day with 3.5 km swim, followed by 16 km run. On top of it I had some work commitments to deal with. I also didn’t eat enough calories to cover the energy expended. 

Considering the fact that I woke up at 4:30 am, I was concerned about how my body will handle 4 hours of consistent training…

To my HUGE surprise I felt really good and strong. In fact, holding 195 Watts for 3 hours was so easy, that I even thought there might be something wrong with the power meter. (No issues with equipment. Calibrated power meter before the ride). With so much power in my legs I began to wonder how long will it last for until fatigue begin to creep up? I was expecting my power go down and HR go up as I go farther. I was really surprised to see that 1, 2 hours into the ride my HR significantly dropped, but power stayed the same. It felt even easier to hold that power, so I put the higher gear – my speed and cadence increased. What is going on here? Why do I feel so strong? Past two days I’ve been pushing my body so hard, but I am feeling so good… Is it something related to nutrition? Sleep? Hydration? Why? I shouldn’t be performing so good … Is the power meter broken? No it’s not.

It felt I could ride like this for days. Is this some sort of breakthrough? I am confused but happy…

I want to feel this way every day. How can I maintain this energy levels consistently?

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

RUN

First 10 minutes were and easy run @RPE 3. Didn’t feel very strong. 

Next 5 minutes were at RPE 4, so I picked up the pace. I got surprised by how much stronger I felt compared to running at the slower pace just a moment ago. What’s going on? I got the feeling that I could run much faster so I speeded up even more.

Feeling strong! I’m so confused…

Distance Covered:
150 KM: 145 on bike + 5 by feet.
Time Elapsed:
3 hours 50 minutes.
Energy Expanded:
2787 Calories 

Lessons Learned

  • Start eating right from the beginning and stay consistent.
  • Pre-meal doesn’t have to be huge, as long as you’ve got enough during-fuel.
  • Proper bike position changes RPE and power output. Seat position is REALLY painful 😖. The cover I put on helped, but not much. I need a new seat. 
  • Higher cadence (80-90 rpm) makes it easier to hold bigger power.
  • Sweat Rate of 1400 mL/hour is on the high side. At this intensities I could go away with approximately 1200 mL/hour.

What will I do Differently?

  • Try liquid sources of carbohydrates. A coke?
  • Get the freaking new seat.
  • Use the restroom before run.
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1st MARATHON DE FRANCE

RACE RECAP

The venue took place at the sports complex with hot drinks and even live music. I got my bib and started to prepare for the race. Standing at the front line of the start line I got a good vision of the road ahead of me. 3…2…1 and we all set our bodies into motion.  The time has come to kick some French ass. As always I’ve come with a plan.

PACING:

  1. 13 miles at pace 7:50-8:00 /mi. 
  2. 9 miles at 7:45 /mi. 
  3. 4.6 miles as fast as I can, depending on conditions. 

In fact I felt really strong during the first 13 miles, running at 7:30-7:33 /mi, 20 seconds faster than planned😬. I was constantly reminding myself to slow down, however 30 minutes into the race I stopped resisting and made a decision to continue with a faster pace. Bad decision. 

NUTRITION

I will begin from saying that I totally failed it, not just on the race day, but  a week leading to the race. For breakfast I had approximately 200g of brown rice, 1.5 scoops of whey protein shake, 1 grapefruit and banana. On the course I brought 3 hummer gels (~ 70g of carbs in 300 calories), and two 200 ml bottles with BCAA mixed with creatine (no calories here). Throughout the course there were 7 fueling stations, serving !potato chips!, dark chocolate, oranges, pure cubed table sugar, orange juice, coke and water. My body is familiar only with bananas and coke, therefore I decided not  to experiment and ate approximately 1 banana, flushing it down with 2 gulps of coke (~40-50g of carbs). Shortly after I passed the halfway point, I realized it wasn’t nearly enough to keep up with a faster pace I chose to stick with. Poor nutrition, undereating few day prior to the race, sleep deprivation did it’s nasty job. It’s an “F” Sasha. Lessons learned. 

PERFORMANCE

Remaining 13.6 miles I felt pain in the liver and excruciating pain throughout my legs, making it more and more difficult to keep up with the pacing strategy. Right leg T-band and quadriceps on the left one, became sources of burning pain making the race more fun than I could handle. The second half was a 100% mental race. I became the main actor of my own movie called “50 Shades of Pain”, battling rapidly raising fatigue and exhaustion. It was really painful experience, maybe the most painful I ever had. Instead of running a negative split, as I usually do, I found myself getting slower and slower with a creeping thought of not finishing.

“It’s all good mental training” as mantra I kept on repeat in my head. I did not walk. I finished running! In just two months of hard training I broke my PR by 15 minutes since Toronto Waterfront Marathon. 

I really enjoyed French nature while running through wide opened fields and forests. I am grateful for the warm and dry weather and appropriate choice of clothing I did for the race. I am grateful for the mind and body that allow me to take on this not only physical, but for the most part mental challenge. Thank you for not failing on me. 

I am grateful for people that supported and believed in me. 

Renee, thank you for smart, structured and personalized training plan and the words of wisdom I got from you. You are not only my coach, but a mentor to me. 

Alysa I am grateful for your support. You know me better than anyone else. You have the power to ground me in times of deep crisis. You find the right words and approaches to break my armor and get me out of the mental prison I put myself into. 

Mom, thank you for accepting my decision and cheering up for me from Ukraine. This is not how I imagined our vacation. Knowing that you had no hard feelings, took a huge weight of my chest and let me focus on the race. 

Dad, thank you for always being honest WITH me, FOR me. I highly value your advices regards my physical and mental health. Thank you for giving me freedom to make my own mistakes. 

Stepan, I am grateful for having you by my side, cheering up for me and forgiving my unpatience and short fuse. At the start line, you was worried for me more than I was for myself. You didn’t judge my decision to continue with a trip, pursuing my personal goals.

Another goal of mine got achieved setting me up for the next, greater challenges. I hit the PAUSE button for marathons and shift my focus to something greater. New 2019 year is going to be challenging and exciting year as I’ll spend it under the IRONMAN flags around the world 🌎

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Eurotour 2019

The New 2019 Years chapter has started. Happily I grab a pen and title the first page with “Marathon de Paris”. I’ve planned a family trip, where me, my brother and mom will travel to Paris by car, driving through Poland 🇵🇱 Germany 🇩🇪Belgium 🇧🇪and France 🇫🇷. We will be making stops along the way to meet my old friends and visit new places. Three of us will get a chance to see the Eiffel Tower and explore the city of love together, sharing our emotions and thoughts. We will have approximately 5,500 km to talk about all the things I’ve missed while chasing my dreams in the foreign countries, far away from home. We will reunite and strengthen the family bond between us three. It will be the first time I have my family cheering up for me at the finish line of the Paris marathon. 

Day 1

Woke up exhausted but excited about what’s coming. The amount of stress is peaking as I’ve taken a lot on myself, organizing and planning our family trip through the Europe. Approximately 5,000 kilometers are to be explored in the next few days. 
For the past 2 days, I’ve been sensing a weird tension between my mom and me. I initiated an intimate conversation with her to address my feelings. This eliminated misunderstandings that could’ve grown into something bigger. We clearly communicated our feelings, which I consider a great success as it made us both feeling better. Now we’re ready for adventure!

My godfather Nicola expressed the interest in traveling with us. Without thinking twice, I agreed to make a loop through Hanover 🇩🇪, helping him with his personal business. He’s funny and kind man, always joking and telling stories from his childhood. Me and him would switch driving whenever we get tired and sleepy. 
During one of those rotations I noticed an interesting thing. When got on the back seat to rest my mom offered to put my head on her laps so I can lay down. During one hour that I was asleep my heart rate dropped down to 36 beats per minute (my regular resting heart rate is 41-43). I felt like I slept for 5 minutes only. 
Approaching Poland border my godfather made sure we made mandatory stop at Duty Free store. According to him, two bottles of vodka he got, will serve as a medicine to improve his health and well-being. Can’t refuse to stop when it comes to his health. 
Crossing the border totally changed my plans, setting me onto a new trajectory for this trip and essentially for life…

At the border

Miss Olga, where are you traveling? – Immigration officer asked. To France! – She responded confidently.


Non gonna happen… my mother is not permitted to enter European Union through the Poland border due to the passport issues. She is forced to leave the vehicle and being deported back to Ukrainian territory. I hugged my mother and she walked away accompanied by border patrol personnel. 
Car stereo is off. Smiles are wiped off our faces. Months of hard Marathon training lost its value. In instant, time, money and effort I put into pursuing my dreams depreciated in the face of decision I’m about to make. The eyes across are full of fear, looking at me silently with a big questioning mark… There is no one else, besides myself to ask for help or advice. Within next few minutes I’m required to make a though decision which I am not ready for. No matter what I choose to do next, the relationship with the person I love so much, who gave me birth, will not be the same. I am given a power to change trajectory of life for my little brother as I set a benchmark of action and decision making in critical situations like this. 
Sasha, what to do? Will you look back with a sense of regret or pride? If you die tomorrow, how will your family remember you?

Day 2: Germany-> Belgium-> France 🏁

Despite the fact that my mother was deported back to Ukraine I made a decision to continue with the trip. It didn’t come easy and I left Poland in pieces. Having two drivers allowed us to cover about 1500 km in one day, meeting a sunrise in Germany 🇩🇪. We spent almost the entire day in Hanover running back and forth helping my godfather. However when the job was done I got really happy to get back on the road, with only me and Stephan in the car. 
To split the long leg of driving to Paris I made a stop in Liège, Belgium 🇧🇪. Saint Paul Liège Cathedral made a strong impression on both of us. What an amazing piece of architecture. The town itself is so beautiful, with its tiny streets and cute little cafes put back to back offering a vast variety of drinks and food. This is the town where I first tried the fried chestnut “Marrons” 🌰. I felt in love with it from the first bite. Sooooo freaking good! 
Back on the road. Covering the remaining distance to France, me and Stepan had a really good conversation we both enjoyed. I’ve said a lot, and he heard me. Tomorrow is the day I’ve been working so hard towards… I need to get my shit together. 

Race Day 🇫🇷

First time in past 6 days I got to sleep more than 5 hours. Marathon starts at 8:45, so I woke up at 4:30 to give myself enough time to get ready. 
Arriving at 6:30 am I got confused as the venue was dead empty. No people or signs of upcoming event. I anxiously starred in my phone, checking the address and contact info. 
A little cafe across the street lighted up, showing the sign of life. A guy opened the doors and began preparing his business for opening. I ran up to him saying “Bonjur Sir! Do you speak English?” The response was negative. Do you know anything about the marathon? Running? Yes, Yes! he responded and I felt a huge relief. He pointed towards the narrow street and said something about the stadium and 5 minutes walk. It was enough.
I then asked if I can get a cup of coffee at his place and he invited me inside. It was the best 3 euro I spent on coffee as I got a chance to hear his family’s story and see the place inside out.

His name is Boris, and the restaurant was his farther’s legacy that he got shortly after he recently passed away. Boris, in the past mechanic, moved here from downtown Paris to continue his father’s business. He loves to play golf and race his Yamaha dirt bike. He is really passionate about every little detail in the cafeteria he now owns, as it all reminds him of his dad. Two policemen helmets, he pointed at, represented the history of serving the country as jandarme by his father and grandfather. The amount of family pictures spread through the walls, would keep you engaged for hours. The place had no single modern piece of electronics and it seemed like I got inside time machine that brought me at least a hundred years back. Boris proudly put his hand on a blander manufactured in 1930, which definitely added to the charm of this unique place. 
Cheers! We finished our coffees and I left the place, heading towards the “stadium”.

Venue took place at the sports complex with hot drinks and even live music. I got my bib and started to prepare for the race.
Standing at the front line of the start line I got a good vision of the road ahead of me. 3…2…1… and we all set our bodies into motion.

1st MARATHON DE FRANCE race recap can be found here.

Day 4. Paris🇫🇷

I absolutely loved Paris. Every street is unique hosting the cutest cafes and restaurants. Beautiful happy people exploring the city impressed by its architecture and colors not less than me. 

At some point, walking around the city I felt a weird feeling that something is off, something was missing. With the speed of the lightning strike I realized what’s missing. Despite the fact that streets of downtown Paris were flooded with cars, motorcycles and bicycles, I haven’t heard a single car honking. No one got mad at each other behind the steering wheel. Wow😮

I was impressed by the amount of motorcycles and bicycles around the city. Every street has designated line for cyclists. This might be my paradise. 

On the flip side are the prices. “Gasole” – Diesel fuel and gasoline are crazy expensive compared to Germany, Poland or even Ukraine. Groceries are really expensive as well, forcing you think twice before putting that fruit or vegetable into the cart. 

Overall I left under a really good impression of France and Paris specifically. I will definitely come back to explore the city as I feel like I only tapped into the tip of the iceberg. 

Eiffel Tower

It was December 2017, when I set a goal to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I don’t know why, I just thought it would be really cool to see it with my own eyes. Indeed it was cool!

I could not believe I am standing in front of it. It’s gorgeous! It’s unbelievable! It’s bright! It’s so fucking cool! I have experienced what Daniel Goleman called in his book “Emotional Intelligence “, an “emotional flooding”. I am standing right in front of the Eiffel Tower in the heart of Paris. My brother is by my side, sharing this lifetime experience with me. Holly smokes am I lucky?!

You know, a lot of times the things you see in the movies, look way cooler than in real life. It is not the case! If you haven’t seen the Tower with your own eyes, I strongly suggest that you make an effort to do so. I’m still under the impression, carrying euphoric feelings I caught in Paris. I will definitely come back for more!

Notre-Dame de Paris & Louvre

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is my favorite cartoon of the childhood. I was amazed by the attention to the smallest details of this historical place. It gave me chills realizing how much history it carries within. How much work and energy has been put into raising this building. 

Standing inside the Notre-Dame I was imagining the hunchback anxiously running through tight hallways on his way upstairs to ring the bells. The air is electrolyzed here. Every brick in the wall is priceless. 

15 minutes is how much time you get before you experience another emotional flood. 15 minutes away by feet you get access to another place you absolutely must see – The Louvre. I didn’t get a chance to dive in inside but even just being there gave me chills. Details, details and more details. It’s incredible how much attention has been put into the smallest things. Not a single thing, a statue repeats itself and completely made from scratch by hand. Bravo! 

Day 5: Munich 🇩🇪

This is where I’ve met a buddy of mine whom I haven’t seen in 7 years. When I told him I’ll be driving through Munich, he nicely offered to drop the heat at his place. Oleg been living and working in Germany for the past 4 years, and definitely have few interesting insights to share about German culture, traditions, people and just his overall experience living there.

He is a beer fan so guess where he took us out? We went straight to German pub for a glass of traditional local drink and a great conversation. 

2.80 euro opens up the underground gates leading to subway station. The few stations that I saw, were really tidy and clean. Munich subway also seemed to be not too deep as I didn’t even loose the LTE cellular service while on the train. An interesting thing, when the train stops, to get out you have to open the doors manually. Without knowing that, I guarantee you will miss your station, waiting the doors open manually. 

20 minutes later, we found ourselves on the main square of Munich – Marienplatz. Wow! The first word I dropped seeing massive gothic buildings all around me. Hundreds of high end shops and restaurants light up Marienplatz better than anything else. Stepan look! There is a guy selling fried chestnuts 🌰. Money doesn’t matter when it comes to “Maroni”. 5 euro? Not a problem! Just give me that 15 pieces of heaven.

“Cheers for meeting!” – we each raised a glass of local brew (12 euro total). The beer was good, so good that Stepan finished both, his and mine =) I’ll be teasing him for a while.

It’s safe here, Oleg started. Going out at night, I feel secure. It is wild to see people fist fight at the pubs or night clubs in civilized country like Germany. People don’t get robbed. 

Grocery stored are closed early. It’s a problem to buy produce after 8 pm, therefore you better plan ahead what you will need for a week. 

Germans prefer to hang out within closed circles of people they call friends. This makes it a bit challenging to fit into the group and blend in.

A lot of people are smoking here. Unfortunately, a huge portion of them consists from females. When it comes to intimate relationships, just like for me, Oleg sees it as a dealbreaker. Girls here also have a strong need for independency, which could be perceived as the obstacle by many Ukrainian/Russian males.  

Overall Germany appeared as a great country to live at. Roads are perfect, gas and groceries are cheap, quality of life is high. Munich is an active, beautiful city, offering a lot of things to do to a lot of visitors and residents. I liked Germany!

Day 6. Wroclaw, Poland 🇵🇱

Leaving Germany the weather sucked and it snowed the entire time. However I relatively easy put 550 km on odometer, finding myself and Stepan in Wroclaw. 

Few words about Poland and my impression of it. I perceived this county as something similar to Ukraine. I was wrong. Life quality is waaaay higher. Groceries are cheaper than in Ukraine, Germany and especially France; Gas and Diesel is cheaper as well; Streets are clean with bicycle lanes; A lot of expensive cars on the road; A lot of construction throughout the city indicating the growth; Even being located within close distance to Ukraine, the weather is 5-7 degrees warmer, making Wroclaw ideal for running and cycling in winter time; And the last thing- a lot of pretty young girls consist the city population. 

I understand that every place has its own issues, however I’ve got a really good first time impression of the city of Wroclaw and Poland in general. My friends are really happy to be able to live and work in the neighbor country and share my positive thoughts about it. 

Serioga – a buddy of mine lives and works in Wroclaw. We share so many great memories growing up in our hometown Zhitomir. No matter how tired I am, stopping in Poland to see him is absolute must. 

Serioga and his wife Irina met us really warm. We felt welcomed and taken care of. He cooked delicious dinner, also considering my healthy food choices. I am impressed, bravo 👏 

Thank you guys! It was really nice to meet you. 

Day 7. Lviv, Ukraine 🇺🇦

My Eurotour has come to the end…

Not just yet. Lviv – the city of lion 🦁 located on the western part of Ukraine, close to the border with Poland. It is one of the most amazing cities in my home country that I’ve never been to. 

My mom wasn’t able to join me and my brother in Europe, therefore I felt I had to make an effort to compensate for the time we’ve been apart. Meet me in Lviv!

Leaving Poland and entering Ukrainian border was easy and fast. Totally different experience from what I’ve had on the way there. Few hours later I got squeezed in my mother’s tight hug. We made it, we back home. 

I never skip workouts and traveling is not and excuse to break the rule. 6 am: I’m wide awake searching for nearby lap swimming pools. “Outdoor swimming pool “ is located in Lviv. Quick weather check, negative 8 outside the window. Hmmmm…. interesting how this pool look like and what’s the water temperature in it in the middle of Ukrainian winter❄️. 

50 meter, 8 lanes of clear blue warm water surrounded by ice and snow. Holly smokes this is so awesome! Water temperature is 26-27 degrees Celsius, raising so much steam that it’s hard to see farther than your nose. I was impressed. 

The city is gorgeous and the best way to explore it is by feet. Even the laziest person will easily put 20-30k steps walking around the city. January is also the time of Christmas market, where you can try so much different foods and even by yourself a pair of real wool handmade socks to keep yourself warm while in Ukraine. Telling you from own experience, it was one of the best purchases I ever made😁

It was really nice to see Matthew my best friend, whom I grew up with. He made the city of Lion his temporary home.

We both changed quite a bit, however warm childhood memories remain fresh, not rusted by time and distance. Meeting with people that have known you for so long gives you the sense of change you underwent. 

Matthew served as our personal guide, keeping us engaged with the stories and interesting facts about the new city. He has always been a great friend of mine and always will. I’m really proud of you for all the things you have accomplished and all the great things that are waiting ahead of you. I’m sure we will get a chance to travel and experience the world together and I am really looking forward to it. Take care buddy. 

All three of us had an amazing time in Lviv. The best part of this trip was the fact that we finally were side by side and had a privilege to share the same experience of traveling and discovering new places together. 

Bonus Tip

Being constantly side by side for so long brings some challenges associated with misunderstanding and simply getting tired from one another. Even such patient person as my brother can give a crack while being with me for so long. You can find a key to everyone’s heart and here is the approach I used to smooth our mini-fights and eliminate any grudges that arose during our vacation: