BR-ICK #2

I can only speak for myself (although I am pretty sure the majority of my team feels similarly) when I say that the news of our second BRICK occurring only 6 days after our first struck a bit of fear and trepidation into my heart.  We were going to have a two week interval between these BRICKS, however the July 4th holiday messed with those plans.  So, away we went only six days later to Frenchman's Bar outside of Vancouver for a 15 mile bike, and a 2.8 mile run. It was a glorious sunny day, and a perfect 65-70 degree morning for our workout.  

I paid really close attention to my nutrition and hydration prior to our start since I had a tough time last weekend.  As we prepared for the BRICK, Julie gave us information about how much we should be drinking and eating while on the bike, and instructed us to return with two empty water bottles.  She explained that we need both electrolyte replacement and calorie replacement during the triathlon, and that the bike ride is the optimal event to accomplish this replacement.  She discussed drink formulas that have both carbohydrate and electrolyte replacement...this is something I need to look into because I have a really hard time eating solid food when I am working so hard.

This time I felt really great on the ride, and much better than last week on the run.  While riding, I kept my cadence higher than last week, kept my speed fast but steady (no leapfrog sprinting with Debbie, Will and Val!), and drank, drank, drank.  I emptied both my bottles by sipping regularly.  When I finished the ride my legs were tight but not cramping like last week and I did not have a dehydration headache.  I still wasn't able to eat anything while riding, so this I need to work on.  The small pieces of power bar I stuck in my jersey just weren't palatable!  It took me a good 3/4 mile before my calves started to release so that I could lengthen my stride, but eventually I got to the point where my stride felt pretty normal...I still felt much more tired than I usually do when I go out for a run but that shouldn't be surprising I guess!  All in all, this BRICK was a tremendous confidence booster for me.

Julie encouraged me to pay attention to my foot position when I ride.  My heel should be down when I am pushing toward the bottom of my pedal stroke....this will keep my calf muscles longer and less likely to tighten up during the ride, and will also engage my glut muscles which provide more power to the pedal stroke.  So many things yet to learn!!  Which is great because the day I am all out of technical tips to implement, working harder will be my only option!