John ~ My husband and I are coming up for RI. Where are you staying - hopefully we can run into each other? If it makes you feel any better, you'll be in better shape than both of us. He's been battling PF since December, so other than one Olympic distance race, he hasn't run at all since April so he'll just gut it out at Rhode Island. I have chronic tendonitis in my left lower leg, so I'm putting in less than 10mi/wk and know that I'll have to walk some of the race. I did a half marathon a few weeks ago and finished almost in tears from the pain. So, you definitely won't be the last one on the course! :-)

It sounds like you're doing the right thing in terms of hydrating/nutrition. How much you need varies with each individual, but you are at least taking in something. Plan on walking the aid stations, similar to the drink breaks you are doing now. Also, are you getting enough sodium? In this heat I regularly carry salt tablets, and they should have pretzels at the aid stations.

Maybe dial back the swimming the next two weeks and spend that extra 2hrs on the bike and run? Unless you're brand new to swimming, you're spending almost a third of your training hours in the pool while conventional wisdom says you should spend probably 10-15% of your training hours swimming.

Thanks for your suggestions..

Tamara: My wife/I are staying at the Renaissance Providence Hotel (address below) - I think it's right at the finish line. Would definitely be up to meeting up in RI. I did an early season half and walked the water stations at each mile and will probably do the same for this one. I'm using endurolytes - I mix 4 capsules into each 24oz watter bottle (that's the max recommended dosage) so I think I'm good in the electrolytes dept. Bottom line is being new to the sport (2nd season w/only one half, 2 olympics and a bunch of sprints), I need to train more to use fat for fueling my long bikes/runs instead of ripping through carb/glycogen stores which I'm probably doing now.

5 Avenue of the Arts
# Providence, Rhode Island 02903 USA
# Phone: 1-401-919-5000

As for swimming, I see what you mean about my proportions in time dedicated to each sport - It's swim heavy.. I learned to swim last year (as in I could not swim more than a lap!) and have made such progress with a swim coach (can swim even pace 1:40/100yd for 2+miles) that I sometimes have this fear that if I step away from the pool too much, I'll lose the technique that I've learned.

I think I need to gradually add miles.

Stephen: Thanks for the compliment about LSD - How do I get to Long FAST Distance running?? :) I guess I'm looking for a shortcut to faster splits and the only shortcut, I'm likely to find is one that leads to injuries... My training is inconsistent so sometimes I miss a run workout which changes my weekly mileage considerably - How should I handle the next week? Keep the 10% rule on the baseline (say prior 4 weeks?). Given that I'm a 25mi/wk runner, split between (~10-15mi slow, ~6-8mi tempo, 4-5mi speed (includes slow wu/cd time) ) , how would you recommend adding volume? extend the 3 key runs (run 15min longer on the lsd, add a couple more intervals?).

Thanks for the running partner offer - just difficult to schedule/find a time/place that is convenient..

As for nutrition, I use gatorade endurance/carbo pro/endurolytes mix along with a couple gels and endurox after - wondering about perpetuim. Many swear by it...

now you on the gray bike don't draft 'cause I wouldn't want you to get docked 2min -

not exactly - I'm feeling happy that I have 3wks + a taper week between now and Rhode Island...

Alternate perspective:
If you are 4 weeks out, have been doing 25mpw, and have a potential injury issue, I would think that anything you do differently now to 'cram' for the run is far more likely to be detrimental (injury) than it is to make you a faster runner after the swim and bike. To continue the analogy, if you've been to most of the lectures and done most of the reading (ie, you've been steadily putting in the longer-term training), you'll be fine in the exam.

I have less of a running base than you, and after some early injuries (well before my 'real' training) I learned to be a bit more conservative. For this race, I did long runs every other Saturday (8-12) with shorter long runs, usually tempo (5-8) on the intervening Saturdays, and then 2 runs (of 3-4 mi each) during the week, sometimes with a little bit of speed...so a maximum of 18 mpw (not much, but you have to start somewhere and you have to do what you tolerate). I had nondescript foot discomfort (possibly unrelated) about 4 weeks out from my race, so I skipped a planned 14-miler and took a week off running, then just did short runs (max 6 mi) in the last 2.5 weeks up to the race. Yes, I had anxiety about not running, but my anxiety about injury was greater.

If you're concerned about the heat in the race, it might be especially useful to try some more strenuous running (faster or with hills or something), in the heat, while consuming what you're planning for race day...see how your stomach manages heat + exertion + calories + lots of potentially sloshing liquid. If you're worried about cramping, you might want to increase the electrolyte content of your mix.

Best of luck to all, and have fun!

We're staying at the Courtyard right there near the finish. We'll be getting in Friday morning (spending Thurs nite with a college classmate who lives nearby). John's at the Renaissance. Who else is headed that way...

John -- find a golf ball and make it your new best friend! That arch pain can get bad... I find it REALLY helps mine stay minimal if I roll my feet on a golf ball a couple times a day, using the pressure on the ball to massage the feet. And getting a foot massage isn't a bad thing, either :)

another helpful hint for your foot, after training, sometimes I have pain so freeze a water bottle (recommend the plastic ones-not the ones you use for training) and then put your foot on top of the bottle and roll it back and forth. This feels great after training, wouldn't do it before though, with the ice, go with the golf ball before! Good luck!