Well done guys
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Yeah of the bike, kms 75-80 I really felt like Id done too much, although I finished strong as riders faded badly in the last 5k around me I was pretty sure Id done too much on the climbs and the freewheeling descents werent going to make up for it. Sure enough, although I started the run strong, the wheels came off. At 1h42 my legs just turned to lead like a switch had been flicked. Not had that before. But my calf held up the whole way 
Still, like always its a learning event which is why I did it. My success at olympic distance and marathon training this year has given me too much confidence, I need to temper the rest of my virtual rides until my next simulated 70.3 at the end of august, or possibly until IM Barcelona in October.
Long and the short;
Run 0h27
Bike 2h37
Run 2h20 (IMVC has apparently got the wrong time of 2h17, I hope they arent using āmoving timeā)
5h24
I dont know if thats ever comparable to my real 70.3 times, given theres no transition taken into account, no swim, etc etc but that really felt like a 70.3.
For completeness I took 10mins in t1 because I had to wait for the race to start for five minutes, and 20mins in t2ā¦because I was faffing around.
Even then at 5h54 its still a 4 minute PB 
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Pb is a pb ā¦
Well done.
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A guy I know, who is a strong rider, and used to beat me in 70,3s did the bike in 2:27. So a 2:37 bike split is not at all bad
It sounds like you got nutrition wrong on the run. Itās hard in events like these as you need to carry round your own food. Did you fuel well on the bike? After bike did you eat some easily digestible food? On run did you take any fluid and carbs? you should have been consuming around 300 per hour.
The other thing that may have impacted you is the run bike run format. You werenāt running on fresh legs, they had already done a fast 5k
Its difficult to say how this compares with a proper 70.3. Most people seem to have found the bike tough judging by the times. In a real event you run with others, which for me helps me to maintain a better pace. I struggle to run fast solo. Also on an event there is food on the course, so much easier to maintain intake of carbs and hydration.
There is no way I would do a 4:02 70.3, probably 15 mins slower. However my swim is much slower than my 5k run. For you there is probably much less difference
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Yes I tried to run near my swim time, or rather my goal swim time of 30mins warm up pace but came in faster at mara pace and soaked in sweat 
I started the second run a little too fast but nothing outrageous, my half mara best is 1h50 and I was 59mins at the halfway point when I took a toilet break, slower after that then a stiff shuffle for the last 6-7km.
Ill be looking to do my long rides no harder than 0.75IF reduced from 0.8-0.82 and run off the bike at the same 6min/km pace, see if I can keep that pace for 1h45 at some point. And 6:30 for long course.
I could definitely have done this better, Ive just counted all the wrappers up and done the maths, I was aiming for 3 high5 caffeine gels (23g carb) per hour and only did 2.
2 caffeine gels + 300ml water before start: 200cals
6 caffeine gels on bike + 3x750ml electrolytes (~200cals, 46g carbs, 250mg sodium, 750ml water per hour): 600cals
5 caffeine gels on run + 2x750ml electrolytes: 500cals
Total consumed = 1300cals
Run 400cals
Bike 1900cals
Run 1700cals
Total burned = 4000cals
Deficit: 2,700cals
After the race and a small plate of food I weighed the same as Id started, so I think I got the hydration right but that doesnt tally with feeling thirsty all night and still thirsty today.
Are you planning on racing the final event next week?
Ive got to say putting out those performances week after week is very impressive.
13 gels, and you think you underdid it? Bluerghh. Couldnāt stomach all of them. Especially with them all being caffeine. Over a 70.3 Iād historically do solids at least the first hour of the bike. Maybe 3-4 gels total bike and run after that. The deficit you quote is not such a big deal given youāre not aiming to come out calorie neutral. The body stores around 2k of calories as glycogen, and thatās before you add in any fat used for fuelling. So on a 70.3 if youāre topped up beforehand, itās not as crucial as an ironman (at least from my experience).
After my positive experience on my marathon, I imagine Iāll be doing solely Maurten on the bike (maybe with the odd bit of solid food for variety early on), and then carry some gels from T2
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I was hoping to get away without racing, however, due to discard, 2 guys ahead of me in VR10 missed VR11ā¦ one just beat me last night, so I will probably need a good final race to get 2nd or 3rd. The guy currently in 3rd didnāt have a brilliant race, but is strong on 5150, so I also need to cover him too. Sam Gyde is too strong for any of us, however the next 5 spots are covered by a few seconds, I am strongest on bike, but the others run faster
I am getting stronger every week. I will probably do Friday evening and Saturday morning again. Otherwise it takes an entire day out of the weekend
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Im not sure how the points system works but either way it makes sense to give yourself another chance of more points.
This must be what ITU racing is like 
Ill do the olympic next week but for the training benefit, so just to complete. Probably at 70.3 or 140.6 goal paces. And because its fun! 
Well its the number of carbs really isnt it, these have only 23g each so only 46g per hour consumed instead of 80-100g wasnt doing me any favours. Basically i just used what I had as I wasnt really respecting it until too late 
Im focussing on middle to long course these next two-four months so should be more appropriately trained next time I race it beginning of sept.
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Edit - my mistake
The course is now closed, and official results due in on Thursday. But pretty please with my effort
9th fastest overall on the bike course, with 2 people ahead of me on unapproved trainers, so 7th fastest on official times. Mixing with the pros, faster than Matt Russell and just behind Andy Boecherer
In my AG I was 4th, Sam Gyde (3 times AG Kona Winner) wins again to give himself a clean sweep of victories, Kirk Framke (multiple Kona finshes) got 2nd and Vladimir Figari (3 times AG 70.3 podium) took 3rd, however, he has not done the other races, so may not be in the championship division.
My other podium rivals all had bad days in the office, so I think I am guaranteed 3rd overall. Next week I can get second if I beat Kirk Framke by 2 places
Whatever happens, this will be my best ever result, competing, virtually, against a pretty stacked field
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Is our virtual Brazil Demi-god still smashing it out of the park or have IM wised up and put him onto a watchlist?
So are you off to Taupo?
Mr Costa did not come out to play this weekend
The roll down will be huge I think. Who is going to want to go to an event, which is half way round the world, on a date that is uncertain, where you have to self quaranteen for 14 days on arrival.
Anyway, I have done my 70.3 WC in Nice, not big desire to do another for a few years.
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Just a practice for you for the virtual Kona qualification if and when it happensā¦
Well done Matt, youāve been smashing these virtual races and seems like youāre in very good company
I did wonder if it would be Taupo or St George they would offer?!
Bring it onā¦ however, they would have to be really hot on cheats
Weāll wait and see. Absolutely zero interest in Taupo, canāt see myself at St George either, but may investigate a bit more if it was on offer
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St George is stunning. The town itself isnāt anything special, but the scenary outside is amazing. I did the IM there in 2011 and Iād definitely go back.
Lots of flights into Las Vegas, so you can tack on a few days there if that floats your boat and then itās an easy couple of hours drive to St George.
Yeah an easy sell that location