When I’m getting ready to turn up the fire, here is what goes into the furnace:

JEFF IRVIN @JeffIrvin.

His guess of 5.2 pounds was just shy of the exact amount: 5.4 lbs.

Pre race weight photo, after eating a large breakfast (bagel, almond butter, banana, 1/4 of a cookie, stale energy bar, large glass of water, one bottle of EFS:

(Sorry it’s upside down and sorry the toes are unsightly.)

The temperature at the start of my run was 68 degrees, slightly overcast. But we are in Boulder, so it feels a lot warmer!

(video – click on photo)

During the run, I drank every bit of it:

In all bottles, the total: 104 ounces of pure water. In both flasks, the total: 600 calories of EFS Liquid Shot + 3 oz of water (10 oz total).

I drank one bottle every 4 miles, with the first one lasting 5.5 miles.  The total run time was 2:15, with an average pace of 6:18 per mile (21.25 miles). The workout was 5K wu, 11K at tempo, 5k regroup, 11k at tempo, 2+k cool down.

The temperature at the finish of my run was 73 degrees (12:05PM), with sunny skies.

The post-run weigh-in shows that I am down, despite consuming 114 total ounces of fluid (water + liquid shot).

This means that I lost 5.4 lbs during the course of the run, and Jeff guessed 5.2 lbs.

What does it all mean, despite that Jeff has won himself a bunch of fun freebies?

To me the greatest lesson to share with you all is that despite the seemingly cool conditions, my sweat rate is remains very high.

Converting from ounces to pounds, I took in an average of 3.167 pounds of fluid per hour. My net loss was 5.4, or 2.4 pounds per hour average.  So, we can say that combining the 3.167 (I took in) with the 2.4 (I lost), my sweat rate per hour is 5.567 pounds per hour.  This is right in line with the numbers we discovered during my lab tests a few years ago. However, the lab tests were in extreme “Kona” conditions (85 degrees with 80% + humidity).

So what you hopefully take home is this: your sweat rate is your sweat rate in most conditions. There is little variation, so figure out how much you are losing per hour, and aim to replace that fluid. For best results, combine the pure water with an electrolyte drink or shot like EFS.  This helps you absorb the fluid, and it will keep you in system in electrolyte balance – something that is key to successful endurance training and racing!

To those of you who thought I would not lose weight, you obviously haven’t seen me sweat!

Thanks for playing!

After returning from Solvang, where I was the guest coach for www.solvangtriathloncamps.com, I got into a nice rhythm of training. I had turned the corner, and was feeling very strong in my workouts. A few key sessions told me that I was going to be ready to mix it up at my first race of the year: California 70.3.

I was lucky enough to log a couple of fun workouts with some good training partners. Pushing myself to keep up with James Bonney in the water was a great way to ramp up the swimming; running fast with guys like Richie Cunningham, Derrick Williamson and Bernard (cousin of Gilbert Tuhabonye and whose last name I don’t know) was a nice boost to the fitness and the confidence. And riding with the group here in town, as well as individual sessions with Todd “the Buffalo” Gerlach seemed to take the cycling up a notch as well. Suffice it to say I was rolling on a high.

Then I got hit with the BUG. Marking only the second time I’ve gotten sick in probably ten years, I had to log some serious couch time. Fortunately for me, Amanda was a few days ahead of me with the virus, and I was able to see what was coming down the pipelines at me. Also fortunate for me was that my sister, the Physician Assistant Extraordinaire, was able to prescribe the path to wellness. And finally, I was fortunate enough to only be on the couch-based liquid diet for two days. My body fought back, and I was able to get back out and about.

Returning to training, or to exercising, I should say, was pathetic. I had lost seven pounds overnight, and was struggling to keep moving. My hydration was excellent, and I was attempting to top off my electrolytes by downing Ultragen and EFS by the gallon. To add to the overall weakness, I went off the coffee. My poor, sensitive intestines were not capable of handling the good stuff, so I was buzz free for over five days!

Amanda bounced back from her bout with the bug, and the ensuing weakness of limb, just in time for the Capitol 10,000 yesterday. It was really cool for me to see her put up a good result. Her training has been incredible, and it’s been far too long since she last raced anywhere near her potential. She’s on track for a solid race in Oceanside this weekend.

And seeing Amanda back in the game gave me confidence that I will be able to toe the line this weekend with a full tank. I just returned from swim practice, and I was very encouraged to make it through the entire session. Now I’m fueling up for a little jaunt on the Kestrel.

Just a word to the wise: should you find yourself battling the “big D,” head straight for liquid diet of Sprite, EFS or Gatorade, Jello, and Ginger Ale. Wait it out, and don’t eat ANYTHING solid until you are symptom free!

Solvang is a popular training destination for many professional cycling teams, including Lance Armstrong’s Astana team. Getting to the area is very easy, as it’s only thirty minutes from Santa Barbara, and a mere two hours from Los Angeles.

If you are interested in escaping the cold–and possibly monotonous–training routine of your home town, and/ or if you are looking for a challenging and fun way to jump-start the triathlon season, I encourage you to attend this camp.

While the focus of our camp will be to log many miles on the bike, we’ll have plenty of opportunity to keep the triathlon training alive, as swimming and run workouts are included in the program.

In addition to these great training opportunities, one of triathlon’s most knowledgeable sports med doctors, Dr. P.Z. Pearce, will be on hand to dispense valuable advice.

My role at this camp will be to lead group rides, to offer instruction on riding technique, style, and form, and to offer my color commentary and story telling as a welcome diversion from the pain inflicted from the hilly riding. Additionally, I’ll be offering advice on how to prepare for an Ironman race, on getting through the race, and on consequently celebrating completion of said race.

If my links have not directed you to sufficient information on the camp, please send me a comment, and I’ll email you with answers to any and all questions you may have for me.
See you in March!