Just Registered For Muskoka 70.3 2012!!

Nope - I registered for Cedar Point two weeks ago.  I'm not sure I'm brave enough to try Muskoka! 

That's AWESOME though!!! How excited are you???

Like a kid at Xmas!!

Looking forward to some serious training over the winter and then getting outdoors again in the spring, as many Tri's under my belt as possible from the Trisport and MSC series' culminating in the monster at Muskoka!!

Can you recommend a HIM earlier in the season a little less intense to practice the distance on prior to attempting Muskoka?

Mike

**Note - I have raced neither of these**, but having raced Muskoka twice, you really have two choices earlier in the season.  Peterborough or Welland.  My personal opinion is that Welland does not serve any purpose in preparing you for Muskoka since it is so flat and fast, the exact opposite of Muskoka.  Peterborough on the other hand is supposed to still be a good course, that will test you.  Maybe not to the same degree as Muskoka but you can certainly get the idea.  That said, lots of people will only race up to an Olympic distance before their first HIM.  Another great option would be the Muskoka Long Course, but I understand it may now be exstinct as a result of the Tremblant HIM.

Personally, I hope to race Peterborough to prepare for Muskoka this year.  After two epic implosions on the run at Muskoka, I want to see what happens when I race a different venue for the same distance, and get some takeaways that I can apply in September.

I am in!!!! So this will be my final event of 2012. The rest of the year looks like this:

May - Mississauga marathon

June - Olympic distance Tri - any suggestions that will help with Prep for the two HIM greatly appreciated. Would prefer the race being a short ( max 1 hr ) drive from Mississauga

July - Peterborough HIM

Sept - Muskoka HIM

Hope to meet some of you folks before and during this race. Maybe we can look at a couple of training sessions?

There's an oly in Guelph in June.  Or an aqua-bike in Welland.  Looks like a busy season! 

Will have a look at Guelph, thanks for the reply. Yeah very busy. Looking to build to 2013 and two events IM not sure which one yet and an Ultra marathon in South Africa called the Comrades.

I've got a co-worker who is trying to convince me to do this.  However I'm not going from try-a-tri's one year to a HIM the next.  I need to get a lot more base building in.

Good Luck to those that do it.

My first triathlon was the Muskoka long course in June then I went on and did the Muskoka HIM in September. While the long course wasnt as long as an HIM it certainly gave me a flavor for the Muskoka HIM. Its not the distance, its the hills that you need to prepare for.

You can do it!

I did Muskoka HIM on my 1st year of triathlon after a long season of preparation:

- Woodstock sprint

- Gravenhurst Oly

- Bracebridge sprint

- Toronto try a tri

As long as you put some mileage on the run and the bike, you'll be fine and you'll enjoy the experience.

Go for it!

Good advice from DaveL here. Thanks, buddy. That sounds like a plan to me. All the reading I have done on the 70.3 at Muskoka says the hills are what wipes you out, so plenty of pre and mid season hill work plus a dummy run of the course in June on the Muskoka long course should have me zipping up those hills no problem.

Hope to see you all out there in just under a years time!!

If it wasn't for the fact that I tend to spend half my time looking after my daughter (as I'm separated), I know I could probably train up to the HIM.

Anyways, I have a multi-year plan: 2011 was try-a-try, 2012 will be sprints with a Oly to finish, and 2013 will be Oly's with a HIM finish.  At least that is the plan.  I see no real reason to rush getting to the HIM distance.

As well, I've got business to do at the shorter distances next year.  For Guelph I Sprint, I've challenged a bunch of my friends to come out and try and beat my time.  And by the end of 2012, a couple of co-workers have said I can't do a 20min 5K.  As a result my focus for 2011 is trying to be quick in the short distances (or my wallet is going to suffer).

This is what I did.  Finding the time to train without having support can be a challenge if you are a parent.  Towards the end I was feeling a bit guilty.  Plus - HIM will always be around.  There's a lot to be gained in knowledge by participating in various distances... learning about transitions, nutrition etc.

Keep in mind that the course is also more than 56 miles... it's about 94-95km, but the timing (I believe) just takes the time and divides it by 56mi. That would make a minor difference...

But yes, the hills are tough. If you can, I definitely recommend getting out and riding the course.

I loved Muskoka.

I ride the Gatineau hills all summer so the bike course wasn't so bad. It is challenging and once your odometer says you're done the course drags you on through some steep short climbs for another 5 k.

The run is what I was not ready for. It is up or down.  Don't remember any flats except for the last 300 m.

There are a few more challenging courses, but not too many.

I am doing Tremblant both HIm and IM this year.  Looking to ride a lot of hills and get myself psyched for the Alpe d'Huez tri  next year.

Cheers

Registered this weekend for Muskoka, will do Welland as a preparatory HIM.

These will be my first HIMs....and swimming will be the challenge, working in the pool now and often .

I did this race last year!
Im still debating whether I should come back as I have lake placid 1.5months before.

Heres my 2cents.

The swim is the only flat thing about this place.  Not too crowded and buoys are visible (except the first buoy at 8am the sun is in your eyes)

The bike is where everybody is scared.  I was too.  It pays to visit muskoka course once cause it took away the jitters the built inside me from reading all the race report here and online.  There are hills, not long ones, but steep and short and comes after the other and sometimes on top of the other.  First 8k - 14k is hilly this is where the most challenging part of the course.  You'll feel good and have a lot of energy from the swim.  You'll feel like hammering away especially when you see tons of people passing you.  If your a beginner biker, pace your self going up the hill and coast downhill, my goal was to finish and that seemed to worked for me.  At 72.5k, is probably the steepest biggest hill youll ever encounter plus your tired.  Some people walked it.  You may have to change your cassette for gearing.  I didnt know anything about gearing and I often find myself needing more gear.  I remember tearing up when I was on my last gear and I was the bottom of the climb of the 72.5k hill.

Everybody talked about the bike being tough, your wheels are round youll downhill even if you dont pedal.  The run I found challenging.  Its always up and down up and down.  If you stop your stuck in one spot.  I was cramping so bad.  From 7k to 10k its a long climb.  Your hamstrings will be tired pace yourself.  at 10k you go back down, then your quads are gonna be on fire! 

All in all I'd do muskoka again in a heart beat, whats stopping me is lake placid is gonna be tough and Im not sure how fast ill recover so Ill sign up after I do lake placid.

If I can do muskoka you can do it!  I started swimming in january of last year and I finished it in 50mins.  I never owned a road bike until april and I did it in 3:45.  I didnt start running until dec of 10 and I finished the half marathon in 2:50.  Again my goal was to finish and I did in almost 8 hrs.  It took me long but I got my moneys worth and achieved my goal