Ironman 70.3 Florida : Official Thread

dewcubs, you are MOTIVATED!! 10 months before and we have an 'official thread'I did this as my first HIM this year. I thought it was great, I still think it was great, but that is because I STILL haven't quite come down from the high of finishing !! (Never mind how LONG it took me!!) It was hot, very hot, but I am a Michigan native. In talking with other people who have done many HIMs, this course is not the greatest, but I plan to return. The timing is perfect for me because training starts after the holidays and finishes before the kids get out of school (no time for 3 hour rides during the summer, those darn kids just can't keep up!!)Good luck with your training!

hey guys im going to be attempting this guy next may with you as well. im from kansas city but it works perfectly and occurs the weekend after i finish up the semester of college and prior to an internship so im ready to start ramping up the training for this. do you have any goals of what time youd like to finish it or anything to expect

Welcome imsmith8! My goal for last year was under 7 hours, and I finished in 7:02. My goal for 2010 is 6:30. My swim and bike times were pretty much what I expected, but my run time was longer. It was SO hot and I wasn't mentally prepared for the heat. Plus, although I did have a time goal in mind, my real goal was to cross the finish line. During the run I passed six people who were down and out of the race due to cramps or exhaustion (and these were guys who looked like they were shooting for 5 hours!) , so I really held back during the run. I just wanted to be sure that I made it!! Plus I spent almost 15 min total in transition, so I think I can trim 6-7 min off that for sure!!Last year as small group of us BTers met up before the race for dinner. Chatting here and getting together before was such a great support. Plus, just like in any Tri, everyone there is so friendly, helpful, and supportive. I am getting excited already!!

Looks like we have teh midwest covered as I am from Illinois   .  Yeah, I am really looking forward to doing this.  I have a long training program I am going to try and follow.  I have heard about the heat but I like heat...usually...when not racing lol!!!  I am going to have to look into nutrition because I am terrible with that and I have had calf cramps after the bike in both my races this year.  I have heard that is either lack of hydration or salt.  I think it may be salt because I don't "feel" thirsty when they hit.  Anyway I will be on here a lot between now and then posting and surfing.  Dinner before sounds fun as well.

Sounds like a tough HIM to start off on from what I've heard about and read. All the more fun as far as I'm concerned. How many hours per week were you spending training guppie? And I definitely agree we should have a pre-race dinner together. I plan on getting a swim coach over the next month or two which should help out quite a bit. You planning on signing up tomorrow morning?

I followed the free BT HIM program (20 weeks). I think that is 6-10 hours per week. It got me the distances, but I have to admit that I didn't really train at the intensity it called for. I bought a HRM at the beginning of training, but it broke 3 weeks into the plan. Budget issues prevented me from replacing it, so my training was very low tech (my zones were "this is easy", "this is hard" and "OMG I am going to die"). But my true goal really was just to finish, and I achieved that. I am going to use the same plan again but I am going to get another HRM and use it as the plan calls for. I am also going to incorporate spinning classes into the bike workouts. I did a 13.1 in March (two months prior to the HIM) but I ran it 'all out' and then lost 2 weeks of training just recovering from that (duh...) I think I will run that 13.1 again but this time use it to figure my pace for the HIM.

Finally it tells when we can register   I plan on signing up tomorrow!!!  Woo Hoo!!!

I'll be registering today. The only downside to this race is that I really wanted to do the inaugural Knoxville REV3, but that is a week prior to this. Still might try the Olympic.

Registered! No turning back now.

Guppie, I had thought about doing that plan as well but it seems like the bare minimum and not really many long rides or runs are involved in it. Are you planning on doing it but just increasing the intensity this year? Also, where did you stay at last year? Next month I'll be doing the MS150 and doing a half marathon a couple weeks after. I'm definitely looking forward to all this training.

Indiana is now in the thread.  This will be my first HIM also. Have done 4 srints tri's and just completed an Oly.  Got 2 more triathlons this year before the season starts to close up here in the midwest.  Yes, will greatly look forward to insight and pointers for this event.  I'd like to be around 7hrs for my first go at this distance.  Trying to be realistic.  Look forward to being part of the thread and learing as we go.
Thanks

Woo hoo, no turning back for me either....looks like a good ol' midwest thing going on alright!!!

i'm thinking of signing up for this today.,...  kindda scared because i haven't even done and Oly yet... 

For those of you who need info on this race, Guppy is your girl. Shes been there, done that and got the t-shirt. Wife and I had fun meeting her and others at last years event.
I will not be returning to this event in 2010 as I vowed not to return until they move the venue or change the run course. No more African Grassland running for me...lol
Did it in 08 in 6:16, 09 in 5:57.
Stayed at the Comfort Suites Maingate West off 192. Great local, 10mins from transision. and a Carabba's in the parking lot. We all met there for pre-race dinner.
Doing Augusta 70.3 as my 3rd HIM next month and really looking forward to it.
Next year looking at HIM's like Gulf Coast, or Rock-n-Rollman for May.
Best to all and remember to enjoy the moment!!!

FM

Hi Cube and Anne! Good Luck next month!imsmith8 - That plan probably is bare minimum, but that is what I needed. Even with that plan I had trouble finding time for the longer work outs (like the 3 hour bikes). I am going to try to 'Bring it' (doing P90x now) to all of the workouts and really work on the intensity it calls for. Plus I am going to go 'high tech' for me and get a heart rate monitor. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Sunspree which I thought was nice, very kid oriented. For me the most important feature of the hotel room was a fridge and microwave since nutrition is so important. Cube is right about the hot, hot, HOT African Grasslands run (one of the other athletes said it best when he noted "I have never seen so many trees with no actual shade around!") but like I said before, the timing of this works out best for me, so hot steamy run through Mickey's back yard here I come!!

Edited by guppie 2009-08-04 7:47 PM

Hey Guppie, I finished P90X in April before I started tri-training.  My advice is just keep yourself motivated.  The last 30 days are the toughest but you have to keep plugging away and you will see great results!!!  How in the world do you find time for P90X and tritraining????

I live in Daytona Beach in Florida. I signed up  this week for this as it will be my first 1/2 IM. I am excited and nervous at the same time. It's good to hear about others who will be racing this distance for the first time. Let's encourage each other for the next 9 months.

Welcome craig0812! It looks like for a lot of us this will be our first HIM. Out of curiosity, I looked at some of your logs and saw nothing, do you all use something else to keep track?  Keep training hard. I don't know if you all saw the thread on tri talk but you can get a Forerunner305 for only 129 at bestbuy right now. Did my second longest run ever today of 8 miles and did my longest bike ride ever of 80 miles two weeks ago. Now if I could only be motivated for my longest swim. Blah

-Ian 

Edited by imsmith8 2009-08-05 11:16 AM

Ian,

I have been sluffing off lately as I had my 2 tris in 2 weeks and then some issues.  I am planning on hitting it hard beginning August 24th.  I spent a lot of hours figuring out exact times when I can work out and how long and I told my wife, ok pleaded with her, I had to stick to the plan no matter what.  I have 4 kids 5 and under so I have to schedule it or it won't happen.  I think it will be great if we can keep everyone fired up for this.  I plan on keeping accurate data from my start date on out.

Edited by dewcubs 2009-08-05 12:53 PM

HI all - I am in - it will be my third HIM - first was Patriot in June 5:55, and will be doing Timberman 70.3 August 23....

So on here representing the north and this will likely be hot as hades to me but will be a good start to the season....

I have not even looked yet to see if I have the kids that weekend  - if I do I will likely stay right at Disney....

Haha and thats exactly why I decided to start doing tris while I'm still single and in college! Seems to me that with all the kids you have running around, training for a triathlon should be easy

 Welcome TriToy! You get to be one of the pro's helping us newbies on how to prepare. Best of luck on your upcoming HIM as well.

Well, I must be getting ready to do another HIM...I can tell because since I started posting on this thread I have spent $600 on tri equipment (new HRM, protein powder, case of SportBeans) and I haven't even registered yet!!  

 

Guppie, SportsBeans??? You like thoses things...lol
How your training is going good. what races are you doing the rest of the summer?

FM

Hi Cube!

I like the Beans, as long as I don't dream about choking on them again!!

Tri training is...well not going right now because I am doing p90x.  But that isn't stopping me from actually doing tris!  I did one Oly early in the summer, then two sprints with one more sprint to go.  They were fun and I was very S---L---O---W!  Next weekend I am doing a 5k with my 10 year old son (his first, I am so proud.  He wants to 'tri' but he has to learn how to swim more than 10 feet!!) 

How about you?  You are hanging out on this thread so much are you SURE you don't want to join us again?  What if I trot behind you and thow wet sponges at you when you get hot (that would really help MY run time!!!)
 

Training is going really well.
Ann is doing on-line coaching with our team Sports Beans.
She has a all womens Tri sunday in Acworth Ga. 600 women, sold out.
We hvae been doing Oly and did a sprint 2 weeks ago. took 5th of 33 in my AG.
Heres my schedule for the rest of the summer:

Tri Peachtree City, Peachtree City GA Aug 22nd.
Callaway Oly Tri, Pine Hill GA. Sept 6th.
Vidalia Onion Sprint, Vidalia, GA. Sept 19th
Augusta Ironman 70.3, Augusta GA Sept 27th
Tri Red Sprint, St. Simons Island , GA OCT 11th.

Were both really loking forward to Augusta. Went over last week and rode the bike course, fun, hill but wont kill ya.

FM