Hydration

I sweat a lot.

I know that this will not sock anyone that knows me, but if you see me in the gym, you will know that I am there to work out (or I just got out of the steam room)

I thought that this would be a good place to put in a few thoughts (and reserch) on hydration.

Seven Rules of Hydration
1. The rate of passage of water from your stomach into your small intestine depends on how much fluid is actually in your stomach. If there is lots of water there, fluid flow from stomach to intestine is like a springtime flood; if there is little water, the movement resembles a lightly dripping tap. Therefore, to increase stomach-intestinal flow (and overall absorption of water) you need to deposit a fair amount of liquid in your stomach just before you begin your exercise. In fact, 10-12 ounces of fluid is a good start. This will feel uncomfortable at first, so practise funelling this amount of beverage into your "tank" several times before an actual competition.

2. To sustain a rapid movement of fluid into your small intestine during your exertions, take three to four sips of beverage every 10 minutes if possible, or five to six swallows every 15 minutes.

3. If you are going to be exercising for less than 60 minutes, do not worry about including carbohydrate in your drink; plain water is fine. For more prolonged efforts, however, you will want the carbohydrate.

4. Years of research have suggested that the correct concentration of carbohydrate in your drink is about 5 to 7%. Most commercial sports drinks fall within this range, and you can make your own 6% drink by mixing five tablespoons of table sugar with each litre of water that you use. A bit of sodium boosts absorption; one-third teaspoon of salt per litre of water is about right. Although 5 to 7% carbohydrate solutions seem to work best for most individuals, there is evidence that some endurance athletes can fare better with higher concentrations. In research carried out at Liverpool John Moores University, for example, cyclists who ingested a 15% maltodextrin solution improved their endurance by 30 per cent compared to individuals who used a 5% glucose drink. The 15% drink also drained from the stomach as quickly as the 5% one, though many other studies have linked such concentrated drinks with a slowdown in water movement.

5. A 6% "simple sugar" drink will empty from your stomach at about the same rate as a fancy 6% "glucose polymer" beverage, so don't fall for the idea that the latter can boost water absorption or enhance your performance more than the former, and don't pay more for the glucose-polymer concoction.

6. Contrary to what you've heard, cold drinks aren't absorbed into your body more quickly than warm ones. However, cold drinks are often more palatable than warm ones during exercise, so if coldness helps you to drink large quantities of fluid while you exert yourself, then keep your drinks cool.

7. Swilling drinks during exercise does NOT increase your risk of digestive-system problems. In actuality, most gut disorders that arise during exercise are caused by dehydration, not from taking in fluid. Dehydration induces nausea and discomfort by reducing blood flow to the digestive system, so by all means keep drinking!

Zoot Wetsuit

Sorry I haven’t posted in a while… I’ve had a mental block and didn’t know what to write about.

Steelhead Ironman is under two weeks away, and I finally decided on a wetsuit and it arrived today. I went with the Full Zoot Z1 Wetsuit.

It has a protected rear zipper reduces water entry. It also zips up for closing and has a Velcro collar to make the suit watertight.

The suit is supposed to be one of the fasted suits around and it’s designed anatomically through the hips and shoulders for a man’s specific build. (They also make them for woman’s build as well.)

One thing I can tell you is that once I got the suit out of the box I was somewhat surprised how small it was. My wife thought that it was way too small. I looked at the tag and it read L, which should have been the correct size. I looked at it carefully and as I unzipped the suit, I was having trouble getting the suit unzipped. As I looked at it again, I noticed that they shipped the suit inside out. It’s a good thing because I was not too impressed with the sleekness of the suit. Once I turned the suit inside out, the wetsuit glistened and all of the seems were hidden. It looks fast… I can’t wait to get this thing in the water to see how it does.

I put the suit on… If you have never put anything on like this, get ready to be compressed. It is very tight fitting throughout the body and it is very form fitting. The wetsuit has variable thickness on torso and upper legs that is supposed to help maintain the perfect positioning in the water. It is also thinner in the side torso and underarm panels, which I was glad that it allows full chest expansion, arm extension and shoulder rotation.

One thing I do like about the suit is that it has a textured forearm catch panel, which increases stroke efficiency by helping you "grab" more water per stroke. As I am an arms swimmer, this should help a lot.

I’m going to try it out tomorrow in the pool. I will need to do a little research to see how to take care of it once it is in chlorinated pool water.

The Hunt for a Wetsuit

Why do I need a wetsuit? All that I read about is that these things will make me faster and/or I will expend less energy during the swim. The simple way it does this is that it takes the head out of the equation with keeping your body in plane during the swim. The second major reason for swimming in a wetsuit is that it reduces the drag coefficient of the water. (I love this... Engineering while talking about swimming) Another reason to have them is that they provide warmth during some of the colder swims.

Cheeck out these stats for a 2.4 mile swim...

Wetsuit Type / Average Heart Rate / Time
No Wetsuit / 167 bpm / 1:28:37
Long John wetsuit / 162 bpm / 1:14:00
Full Wetsuit / 154 bpm / 1:09:07

What features should you look for in a wetsuit

• Proper fit
• Material layout
• Neck and wrist seals
• Ease of exit
• Sleeved or sleeveless?
• Construction
• Warranty and service
  

So, how much is a wetsuit? Around $300 for a good mid-range suit, and almost double that for the top-end from some manufacturers.

What kind should you get? Ironman, Orca, Xterra, DeSoto, Zoot, Aquaman, QR (Quintana Roo), ProMotion, or others, they all have good points and can help make you a faster triathlete in the swim. According to the attached article, the high end of each of these manufactures suits are not that much different from each other. So the most important thing that I can think of is suit fit and ease of exit from the suit.

Five weeks to go

T minus 5 weeks and counting...

I still need to get a wetsuit for the swim, but I have not decided on what kind yet. If anyone has any ideas of manufacturer, I'm all ears.

I got a new pair of kicks last week... Asics GT 2110. They have superior torsional rigidity and have front and rear foot GEL cushioning for improved impact resistance. I have run in the Asics GT series for about 5 years and like the fit so these are it for Steelhead. It's too bad they won't make me any faster. I do hope that they will alleviate some to the knee pain that I will endure.

I will need to break in before the race. I think about 50 miles should do the trick... I just checked a few sites and they suggest 75 - 100 miles. Also, spend the first week walking in them in the house before you even take them on a run. Start with a few short runs first.

Remember to replace shoes after 350 - 500 miles and wear appropriate socks when running. At least that is what the website stated.

What about if one does not wear socks?