Ironman Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 117)

Ok guys.....dumb question.

How come when I respond to inspires, I don't copy the message that I am responding to?  I click on respond and it takes me to that persons blog area; however, when I type my response, it doesn't keep the original message.  Make sense?

What am I doing wrong?

Team,

Can I stash an old pair of Crocks at the swim exit? I don't think I can walk barefooted all the way to T1 from the water without something on my feet. It is a really long way. Does this break any of the rules? Have others done it?

Kevin

Hi Kevin, it would be kind of hard to do, I think, just because it would be next to impossible to get off the course at that point. The entire run from the swim to T-1 is behind barricades and is wall-to-wall spectators. If it is any help, I do seem to remember that the entire of the run from swim to T-1 was carpeted... not 100% sure, but others with a better memory can chime in on that.

...and I just packed again, this time in alphabetical order.

Hi,

Good luck to everyone in the race this year, and with the end of training!

I'm doing the race this year as a first timer, and I'm veryyy nervous about the bike course. There are no hills in Philadelphia where I live, so I feel very underprepared. I've done my 100+ mile rides, etc, but I've really hardly biked any hills. Can anyone give me insight into the hills on the course (i've looked at the map obviously, but I wanted some opinions/descriptions from people who have done it before!). I'm sure there is probably a post on these forums about it somewhere, so if you'd rather not respond again, if you wouldn't mind directing me to a previous page on it, that would be great too. Can't believe its coming up so soon!

Hi all,

First time posting on this thread but have been lurking for quite some time.

Best of luck to all those participating!!!

And to those who have been taken out by injuries or other "life issues", please know you will be thought of on race day and healing thoughts are coming your direction.

I was wondering if I could get some feedback on getting nutrition in during the bike. Do you all use Bento boxes, do you stash Gel and Chomp packets in jersey pockets? I have moderate arthritis in both hands and by the end of a couple hours, I have trouble manipulating packaging.

Please kindly share any tips for easily and safely getting food from storage into self.

Thank you so much,

K

I agree with you on this I think from all the spots that I saw it was carpeted the entire way.  Though I don't think there is any rule about the crocks, the one thing would be hard to find them when you get out of the water.  With 2800 athletes, and 20,000 spectators if there wasn't a path you probably wouldn't even find the transition let alone a pair of crocks.  When I volunteered last year the day after there was a mound of sandals, flip flops, and crocks that you could fill a dumpster with.

Ascending from 'A' or descending from 'Z'?

I have been using some of the nutrition that will be used on the course.  I've mainly been using Gu and Chomps.  I have a bento box, but it's not very big.  So what I have been doing is because the Chomps are so hard for me to open, I have been opening them and putting them in a ziplock snack size bag and put that in the bento box.  Then I can just open it (Usually only once) and then I just reach in grab my chomps and continue on.  I haven't really found a Gu routine yet.  I tried a fuel belt flask but I'm not a fan of watering down the Gu.  (It's a mental thing) though I couldn't get the consistency right for it to flow nicely out of the flask.  That would save me some opening time for sure if I could get that down.  I figure I will just live off the course for the run, except for carrying a Nathan's sprint bottle.  

I did it both ways, Then I started to think should I do it by manufacturer, or by what it is.  I'll repack later tonight to see how it works.  

A little more shoe porn - UPS just dropped off my Lake Placid marathon kicks:

I don't think they are going to see as much running as originally planned, but oh well, what the heck, at least they match my kit and I'll look good walking!

Cornick-Really sorry to hear that.  I heard horror stories about the course being pretty bad (guard rails on the road and just general bad road conditions), plus that they were giving out water bottles that don't even fit on your bike...so I figured there'd be a few injuries and I'm sorry to hear that you were one of them. 

I may also be in the same boat, going up just to watch and join in on the swim on Friday.  After trying to train as much as I can the past few weeks with limited success, I decided on waiting to see how my doctors appointment goes next Thursday.  If the xray shows that the fracture is healing, then I'm definitely going to try to race.  If not, then it means the training I've been doing has been stopping it from healing and risking running on a completely unhealed stress fracture and possibly cracking it completely isn't worth it.  I was feeling hopeful last week, but then after it aching the last 20 miles of my century on Saturday I'm afraid that I'm just delaying the healing process.  But either way I'll definitely be at the race and at least be cheering on all of you!  

Will size order be on tap for tomorrow?

Those are awesome!! Love the LAKE PLACID on the tongue!

Im using mostly gels which I'll store in my bento box and pockets. Rip off the top w. my teeth and squeeze.  Also using uncrustables which are pretty easily ripped open.  If you're using chomps, u can slice the package all the way open in the middle so there are 3 chomps per side. They fit upright, open side up in the bento box so all u have to do is pluck them out of there and they stay somewhat fresh. 

Good luck and have fun!! What gearing do you have?  I've riden the course as part of a camp, not a race.  The hills are long but manageable.  One thing I was pleasantly surprised at was the fact the hills are not steep, nor do they pitch up much.  For the most part, it's a constant grade but you're just climbing for a while.  One piece of advice that I took with me and used was to use a gear that is one easier than you think you need. Especially the first loop!!!  I have an 11/28 and I popped right into the 28 going up to the Keene decent and after the first OAB and then again at Whiteface. Slow, yes but I didn't feel terribly trashed at the end.   And, the whole course is not hilly.  Once you drop into Keene, there is a beautiful stretch for @ 20 miles or so that is rolling and beautiful.  The whole course is beautiful. 

Dude!!! where did you get those,  they freakin rock.  Do they come in Green? 

I read a good idea for nutrition in bento box. Line it with a plasitc bag, cut up the bonk breakers in sections and eat them as you like. Then you don't have to worry about opening the packages.

Hey that's a good Idea,  I may do it by color too

OK, I may have missed a thread or two about swim start, but I am wondering what strategies people are taking.  I am getting nervous about it as I am a small person and don't want to get mauled to death.  My coach wants me to start in the middle but I think he doesn't understand being little.  I am not a bad swimmer but not super fast either.  Another person told me to start right and swim to the middle.  Leaning towards that but want all sorts of opinions please!

Any advice is appreciated! Or redirection to former threads would be fine

Although one of my last posts about starting at 8am was my attempt at humor, for IMFL I did start a few minutes after the cannon went off.  Maybe 2 oer 3 minutes.  I still had plenty of folks around me but most everyone was considerate and I didn't get mauled.  My thinking was that most of the aggressive folks will be gone and I can deal with crowds as long as they're not unruly.  It makes it a bit easier to swim closer to the buoys too.