Ironman 70.3 Kansas : Official Thread (Page 12)

Finally talked to a gal at the WTC athlete services dept.  I can switch individual to relay status.  Have to pay the fee difference plus $25 change fee.  A friend of mine can do the swim or run, I swim with a masters group so if she does the run I'm pretty sure I can wrangle up a swimmer.  It will be a slow 56 miles for me but it will be fun.   I can ride then cheer you guys on during the run.

Ditto!!!  Awesome news.  Now, encase yourself in bubble wrap until Sunday.

Good info, thanks for sharing.  I've got the Zoot Ultra Tri top and shorts which are Black/white.  They're supposedly great at dissipating heat, but we'll see.  I'm also planning to wear my Zoot Arm Coolers which are white on the bike/run and a white visor for the run.

I've got an aero helmet that I plan to wear, but I'm not overly concerned with overheating in it due to the 22mph fan that will be blowing on the rest of my body the whole bike... Or was that a 30mph fan... (i kid)

I've definitely got the sodium/electrolyte preload down.  I always drink Gatorade G2's so its no different than any other day.  I've also got some Electro Salt tabs for the bike and run which should keep me in check.

One question though, I was planning on just drinking water and supplementing with The Electro Salt tabs and eating 2 Clif Bars slowly (1 per hour) for my nutrition.  I'm guessing with the sodium and electrolytes from my tabs and bars I should be fine with just water.  I'll pop a couple GU's on the run as well.
Whenever I'm going hard I have trouble drinking anything sweet, so that's why I went the water route. 

Your gonna do great.  Just remember, there's no workout you can do this week to make you more prepared, but there's a lot of them you can do to really mess things up.  Also, try to shift those nerves into focus on getting all your stuff in order, make a checklist, get your gear all set up in the living room etc...
This is my first HIM as well and I won't say I'm not nervous at all, but I'm really trying to focus it all on getting things ready. 

Yes, you'll get an assigned bike rack.  Last year I got a sweet spot, right on the very end next to bike exit/return, not that it helped my transition times.

And just like the KC Tri, I didn't ask it properly.  Will I have a specific spot that nobody else can take, or will I have a rack with a range of numbers from which to choose?

You looked good a few weeks back when we rode the course.  That was a warm day and most of us were taxed at the end.  So if I were you I would ride at an effort level below what you did that day since you've got a swim before and 13.1 miles afterwards.  I went out too hard on the bike last year and paid for it during the run.  Make sure you get plenty of nutrition on the bike course, that is key and hydrate well leading up to Sunday.  A little extra salt at the dinner table won't hurt either.

Yes, specific spot, there was a sticker with each bib number on the bike rack tubes.

I think it's almost impossible to not be nervous no matter how big or small the event or how many times you participate.  For anyone who owns the book " Going Long" p. 146 talks about your mind and racing and is pretty accurate.  A blurb that may help calm some nerves:  Is your mind telling you that you are woefully unprepared and you will surely crash and burn, hogwash!  Remember this- when you are at the track... when you are in a pack... when you are at the pool.. when you are naked in front of the mirror... when you are on the start line.  Say this to yourself when you need confidence, "My body did the training, I belong".

That is pretty awesome.  I am lucky that my best event is the swim because I can walk to the front of my wave group with the confidence that "I belong" and that nobody is going to blow me away.  That helps me calm down about being nervous for the later bike and run.  By then, I am in the middle of competition and nothing is going to spook me.

I am going to take Jon's lead and put HTFU on my forearm.  Maybe starting tonight.  :-)

I'm having the body marker put a big ol' "S" on my calf, for SINGLE. Someone has GOT to start that trend. It will be me.

Heyy-oooooh who's with me?! 

Since there seem to be quite a few first timers here I'll offer some tips and common mistakes that I see people make:

1) Trust your training-we all feel like garbage during the taper and even after 14 years of doing triathlon I still have the doubts creep in race week on whether I have done enough. Trust that you have done all that you could do and race day is a chance to for you to celebrate all the hard work you have put in just to get to the start line.

2)Pacing, pacing, pacing-Don't overestimate your abilites coming into the race. One of the biggest mistakes I see is when I hear an athlete say "I swam X:XX in the pool, I averaged XX.Xmph on my ride the other day, and I run a X:XX half marathon so there for I should finish my HIM in X:XX". Unfortunately it isn't as easy as adding up your individual splits for each discipline, you have to take into account the cumulative fatigue from each leg and that is why proper pacing is key to a good race. If you go out too hard on the swim and burn through your stored muscle glycogen by the time you get on the bike you are already behind the 8 ball nutritionally, likewise if you get caught up in the moment out on the bike and out ride your fitness the run is going to be a death march. By now you should have an idea of where you need to be in regard to RPE, HR, and/or Power, be smart and stick to those pacing parameters. Keep in mind that it is going to be hot on Sunday so you are going to have to slow down.

3) Nutrition-by now you should have a nutrition plan that you have practiced several times on your long rides/runs/bricks. Stick to your plan making sure you are eating and drinking at regular intervals throughout the day. Again it's going to be hot so you may have to back off on the calories a little and increase your fluid intake.

4) Have Fun!-Keep in mind that none of us are out there for a paycheck, we are all out there because we choose to be there. Enjoy the day and don't worry about time/placement, in the big picture of things it doesn't matter.

If I don't see you all before the race I hope that everyone has a great day!

arbucklemicah - 2012-06-05 10:56 PM Good one Lisa, were you single before training for Ironmans or did that have something to do with it. 

Hahaa...  I was dating a triathlete when I signed up for my first IM. He will cite training ("only" for halfs) as a reason for tension but in reality we just weren't meant to be and that was an easy excuse. I signed up for my second when I was newly single but then ended up dating another triathlete all through the training. Who knows, I'm sure there are much larger things wrong with me than training for long distance triathlons 

It would be cool at big races like this to have a singles mingle at the expo, no? With giveaways and such, and an opportunity to meet other single triathletes. I shall patent this and get rich!

Good luck this weekend, Lisa!  Sorry I can't be there this year...my red shoes are getting dusty and Toto is getting out of shape.   Are you dressing up again? Thanks for carrying along the torch for me.

And good luck with the S thing, too...  Guys, Lisa is nice and cute and talented...don't miss out!