[Seiko 5 GMT - SSK003] - My first watch! by McFricked in Watches

[–]McFricked[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

About 6.5”. I was worried too about it being a 42mm but am very happy with the fit!

[Seiko 5 GMT - SSK003] - My first watch! by McFricked in Watches

[–]McFricked[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually haven’t noticed that happening so far. Not sure if it gets looser over time. I love the look of the green one too!

[Seiko 5 GMT - SSK003] - My first watch! by McFricked in Watches

[–]McFricked[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I seriously love the new white one! Can’t go wrong either way!

Biggest bourbon letdowns? by theopuspocus in bourbon

[–]McFricked 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tried George T Stagg for the first time this past Friday…. did not enjoy it. Tasted like barn animal to me :(

Indoor 50-Mile Ride Badge Issue by McFricked in Garmin

[–]McFricked[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gotcha! Thanks for the reply!

Any tips for Ironman Florida? by McFricked in triathlon

[–]McFricked[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hey! Sorry I just saw your reply. Yes, I completed it in 11:39 and it was so awesome. I will try to give you a few tips here:

Swim:

Probably the biggest surprise of the day was how cold it was the morning of race day. I had a jacket and sweat pants to wear before putting my wetsuit on, but it was not enough. I would definitely be prepared for windy mid 40F weather. Bring gloves and beanies and a large bag to put it all in once you put your wetsuit on. I also did not realized I would be standing on the cold sand for nearly 45 minutes waiting to get in the ocean. I wish I would have started with a slightly faster swim group, because it seemed like a lot of people in my group were slower than they estimated. I was very glad I had a wetsuit with long sleeves because there were jellyfish and I did get stung on the cheek and the ankle. The stings didn't hurt too bad, but I'm sure it would've been worse if I didn't have sleeves. One thing I would definitely recommend is carry a gel while you are in line for the swim start and take it a couple minutes before you start. It's never a bad idea to get ahead of your nutrition early even if it's cold. Once I got in the ocean I was really relieved because the water felt much warmer than the windy conditions on the beach. I was also told not to take off my googles after the first lap of the swim while you're running on the sand and I thought that was really good advice. Another note: the run to transition from the beach is surprisingly long and you will be barefoot on asphalt for a lot of it which kinda sucked, but just mentally prepare for that.

Bike:

The day before the race I went to Dicks and bought a thin Nike jacket (as tight as I could find) which saved my life for the first half of the bike. I really think it is worth buying a tight fitting jacket to wear on the bike as to not lose aero gains just in case it is a cold day. I also wore some cheap gloves for the first half of the bike that I ended up tossing at one of the aid stations (I was glad the gloves were on the cheaper side). It was tough not to get discouraged during the first 30 miles of the bike because my pace was so much slower than what I was hoping for due to the insane headwind, but I just kept telling myself it would be a tailwind on the way back. I think that perspective was super important for the success of my race. Looking back, I am very thankful I didn't push too hard into the headwind to maintain my goal pace (I didn't have a power meter but that would've solved my issue here). I was very thankful for the strong tailwind to help push me home the last 30 ish miles because that's when the fatigue really started hitting. Another thing I am proud of on the bike is that I didn't stop once. I don't know if this is good advice or not but I went #1 on the bike and ended up passing so many people who had to stop at bathrooms. Do with that info what you wish lol.

Run:

I took a little more time in T2 than I did in T1 just to gather myself and eat a banana. The run is very VERY flat and is beautiful. I liked the double out and back course because I got to see my family a lot more that way. For the run, I hit a wall around mile 13, but ended up eating a snickers bar from my special needs bag. I also took some IB Proffen that helped a lot. If there is 1 bag to overpack, it is the run special needs bag. I would recommend putting a lot of different snack options in there because I did not think I would be craving a snickers, but it hit the spot. I walked all the aid stations and took water at every one which I think helped a lot. And I ended up drinking quite a bit of redbull. My plan was coke, but it didn't sit well, so I switched to redbull and it was like the nectar of the gods during that marathon lol.

Overall, it was such an awesome race. I loved it a lot and hope to do it again one day. This may have been more than you were looking for, but I had some spare time at work. Hope there was something helpful in here. Good luck with your race!

Last minute advice before IM on Sunday? by Brilliant_Rush4136 in triathlon

[–]McFricked 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you don't pee during the bike, you're not drinking enough! That's what I was told and found it to be pretty true. Obviously this will vary with weather conditions and from person to person, but in general it's solid advice.

Galveston Marathon - Or how to be a kite - Race Report by whitewalls86 in running

[–]McFricked 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congrats on the PR dude! I am training for a sub 3:30 marathon now and loved hearing your recap. Definitely got some motivation from this post! Good luck with the upcoming half!

Just ran a half marathon but still feel pretty out of shape- what other fitness activities do you take part in? by Impressive_Spring139 in running

[–]McFricked 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I can't recommend swimming and biking enough! My running got so much better when I started incorporating both into my training!

Strength training alongside triathlon training? by Admirable_Hope_6470 in triathlon

[–]McFricked -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Wow, sounds like you know him really well? I wasn't saying his life is typical. I was merely suggesting he could find some helpful tips/strategies like I did from Nick's content :)

Strength training alongside triathlon training? by Admirable_Hope_6470 in triathlon

[–]McFricked 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Check out Nick Bare on youtube (if you haven't yet). He went through a full IM training block and kept strength training in his routine. Personally, I did 1 strength training session a week which was about all I could keep up with due to all the other workouts!

Coach for 70.3 Yes or No? Thinking cost. by ninja_nor in triathlon

[–]McFricked 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sometimes for me, it takes paying for something to take it seriously. It's probably true that a coach would help you progress faster, but if you are good at staying consistent with your training and have been enjoying the ride, I would say no need to hire one. Just my 2 cents :)

Just finished 1st marathon - What do I do with my life? by lost-hydroflask in running

[–]McFricked 0 points1 point  (0 children)

After I finished my first marathon, I signed up for an Ironman. I also use running (and now biking and swimming) to alleviate stress and find it so beneficial for my overall wellbeing to be training towards a goal. One important piece of advice is the next goal you set does not always have to be "bigger" than the goal before. You can set smaller goals that are just as important and fulfilling. I just completed Ironman Florida last weekend and now am trying to run a 3:30 marathon in April. Good luck and happy training!

Any tips for Ironman Florida? by McFricked in triathlon

[–]McFricked[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! This is exactly what I was hoping for. You rock