Stetson
295 GAH
666
Wesco custom

246-NIN
6634
Custom Wesco
Goodart

Cross post
My daily driver currently on safari.

Mr. & Mrs.

246
Schaefer outfitter
634
Wesco

Schott perfecto
Merz B Schwanen T
666-14oz
Wesco Custom

Cross post fit check of the jacket?
Paired with an older 666 and a random grey T tucked/untucked)

@Denimhead-0 they would look great next to each other.

Sloppy one paired with 634 UHR. Shifter stains included

Moving over from the runners thread for a quick race report of yesterday’s Triathlon.

Yesterday I finished my first Triathlon of 2024 and my first one ever. So far I have only run for two years and finished several half marathons with a PB of 94mins.

The Triathlon took place close to Zurich, Switzerland, about an hour by car from where I live. It was a sort of sprint distance, 500m indoor swim, 15k bike, 4K run. Short but intense.

I have been training for Triathlons since my last half marathon, November 2023. worth mentioning that I do have a coach for now 2 years since I started running who happens to actually be a triathlon coach. That is a huge plus as I don’t need to worry about planning and structuring training and can leave it to a professional. If you are willing to spend some money, I believe it’s well invested in a coach.

Main focus of that block was on swimming as I am an adult onset swimmer. I could swim breaststroke easily but never learned any other stroke and never really spent time in water.
I had several lessons with coach on deck, starting with relaxation drills in the water, breathing technique, streamlining. Not a single stroke was made during my first two lessons.
We slowly progressed using equipment like a snorkel, fins, pull buoy. It took me about a month to understand the basics and keep my legs from sinking. I was literally every single day in the pool, about 6 hours per week.
I started with swimming 25m being totally gassed from overkicking, panic attacks due to oxygen hunger (in hindsight more a CO2 issue) to now 500m continuous freestyle. Not that it’s easy but I made my piece with the water and accepted that it is just way more technical than the bike or run.
You are not swimming faster with brute force or mental grind, it’s about feeling the water and getting a rhythm.

The rest of the training was split into the bike with usually one long ride between 3-5h, one ride at threshold and a VO2max ride.
I did two runs a week as this is my best sport and I feel most comfortable with. Usually one long run of about 90-120min and a threshold session on track.
Additionally I went once or twice into the gym and included a yoga and blackroll routine. Remember, I am 40+ so recovery and injury prevention is huge.
I totalled on average 13hours/week of training with a peak of 20hours🥵

Now back to race week and race day.
I only tapered for about three days as it was a short race and more of a familiarisation event than an all out race.

I did a course recon the day before which was huge in hindsight as I knew where all the potholes and hills were to make my gameplan.

Race day I started with my usual oatmeal, as the race started at 2:30pm I had plenty of time to digest, double check the kit and bike and prepare my nutrition. Check-in for the race was at 1pm.
I arrived at the location, picked up my bib and stickers and put them on the helmet and bike.
Check-in arrived where they inspected my helmet and bike and I was looking for my tail to hang the bike and setup my transition. The setup was inside a gym with sufficient space.

After having set up everything I got changed into my Trisuit and headed to the pool. There was a small pool where one could warm up, so I took some strokes.
Shortly after, the fun went off. It was a staggered start, every 10seconds and the participants were split into fast, medium and beginner swimmers. I was in the medium category.
My plan was just to relax and swim like I did in training, not caring about time or anything. Well, that immediately went into the wrong direction. Nerves started and I somehow felt like I need to turn the first 50m into an all out swim… I couldn’t relax, panicked with my breathing to only find myself swimming breaststroke after 100m and getting overtaken by several athletes. I relaxed a bit and continued to crawl again and got into a rhythm.
Finished the swim in 11:42 official. I wanted to stay under 12mins, so it was ok. However, I was gassed. I jump out of the pool, around 200m into the gym to find my bike (I had a good spot that was easy to remember). I dried myself a bit, took a sip from my water, put on the helmet, cleats and shades. Took the bike off the rack and ran to the mounting point.
I clipped in and went on.
The course started with a hill, so I was patient to not overdo it and let others pass. I felt amazing on the bike and was simply just sending it, passing one after another, finishing in 27:06. I could have gotten even faster, I never felt at the limit and was riding close to my FTP. I was however concerned about the run afterwards, not knowing if I have enough energy left if I go all out.
So I finished the bike and went back to the transition area. Lost a couple of seconds orienting myself where I need to rack the bike again. Quickly grabbed my hat and running shoes and went off for the run.
I have some experience in running so I felt comfortable. I had enough energy and was quickly overtaking other athletes, running at around my threshold pace. After 2k I felt great I went a little faster, finishing in 18:18. I could have ran faster but was happy to finish and grateful for that experience.
I learned a lot and know now where to improve. Firstly swimming. I need to find a way to relax and get faster. Secondly transitions. Optimise the setup to not lose too much time. I was one of the slowest in transition.

Anyways, I am happy and enjoyed it a lot. It is such a great sport and community and I am hungry for more. Next up, Ironman 70.3. and yes, I will finish!

Some pictures that my coach took, more to follow when I get the official ones.

And as we speak, sitting on the indoor trainer writing this, to get a 2h recovery ride in before work.

Cross post
My daily driver currently on safari.

Blends in nicely on safari. The 187 however would have been great as well being ripstop.

@goosehd Congrats. Sounds like a great day of racing and yes, races are always different from training. Enjoy the accomplishment and trust me, you will look for new races shortly after you are rested…

@Nocturama sorry for the crappy shot. I was wrong on the model, I have the S1R Baton 2 as my daily driver for the dogs. I don’t need more to find the poop and the dog. It serves me well since many years. Small and handy to clip anywhere but bright enough for regular duties.

I have some olights. On my keychain is a i1R 2 and in my pocket a baton 3. Love these especially walking the dog and camping.

Love em!

@goosehd I see it a bit differently and would go more in line with research. Yes, you may not hit the wall but could you benefit, feel better and perform better? Distance to me is not necessarily a good marker. If I run a half marathon in 75 mins I may be able to run it with just the glycogen in my muscles and liver, however if I race for more than 90mins, everyone can benefit from a carb load and consuming carbs during the race.
To me it depends on intensity and duration, so being out there racing at your personal race intensity for two hours, certainly you will benefit from a carb load and fuel during the race.
As a general rule and what we see with the professional athletes we are working with is around 4-5grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight two days out and 8-12g of carbs per kilogram of body weight the day before. Front load the carbs, so you don’t have to eat too much too late.
But please don’t just carb load as prescribed without testing it. Everyone reacts differently and some may be able to absorb more or need to take less. Same goes for in race fueling. Test taking carbs at race intensity during a simulation or intense workout.

@goosehd practice carb intake. Depending on intensity, adjust your carb intake. Time 2 below, you can work with 30-60g/hour, anything higher practice higher intake of 70+g/hour.
Since you will be longer than 90 mins out there on race day, I would certainly consider a carb load.
Happy to help if needed.

@goosehd will it be a technical trail? If yes, try to get used to roots and rocks in different conditions. Trails are a different beast vs flat roads. Your muscles fatigue a good a bit more.

How did you fuel your run? Have you soaked in fuel and hydration?

@goosehd I use timer, distance, actual pace, avg. pace, HR
I have a second page for lap stats (I manually lap each km,mile).