Ironman Mont-Tremblant : Official Thread (Page 15)

Given how I swim, I'll be self-seeding somewhere between the parking lot and my condo's balcony.

You are right about where I am.  That time ranks pretty decently in an IM swim and I would say you'd be at about the 1/3rd mark.  So sort of in the water, since they say 30% will be in the water. :-)  Either way you and I will be in a pretty big pack of people.  If you want to avoid the crowd, you can do the old standard of waiting 10-20 seconds and let everyone go, and then head off on your own.

Accuweather long range forecast for race day is sunny with hi of 67 and low of 43.  

Before you hit the reply/quote button to this...yes, we are all well aware of the folly/futility of looking at forecasts this far out and it will change right up til race day (anyone who raced with us at IMWI 2006 knows that one), so don't bother posting same.  So why bother looking?  Cuz I am a weather geek...ok? :-)   I pray for that kind of IM weather.

Don't worry, I've started looking too - seeing how the weather is trending.  Sure is hot/stormy now but looking good.

Can't help but obsessing. 

I have been training in 100 degree heat and did Eagleman as my prep race.  I'm from Canada and anything above 75 feels hot to me.  Bring on the cool!  I am a weather geek too, as a golf course superintendent, I'm glued to the weather at this time of year.  Just a quick hint, if one forecast doesn't look good to you, check another site until you find the coolest temp and hope like hell that one is right!

Just watched a youtube video of the climb to Lac Superior and threw up in my mouth.

Good luck to all and see you in a couple of weeks.

Hmm.  I would seem to have a shot at a decent daylight picture, maybe even beating sunset for the first time in an IM.  That'll be something to shoot for.  But if they obey the "chicken broth after dark" rule, that means I miss chicken broth. :-(

St-Jovite, 19 August 2012

	Sunrise / Sunset	Twilight	Daylight hours
	6:03	5:30	13hrs 56min
	19:59	20:31

Can anyone throw light on how the special needs bag work for the bike and run, are these even offered?  I'd like to restock by drinks for the bike, (not via the aid stations, but my own special mix), just not sure how IM handle their special needs?  

Plus, how will the transition area be set up, i.e. bike rack/bags/changing, I have only done Challenge events before so am familiar with their set up i.e. first stop out of the water is the changing tent where you find your bike and run gear bags hanging by bib number, quick change, then out to the bike racks before hitting the course... Will IMMT be similar?

Thank you and can't wait till race day!

Hey it's going to be a great day!  It'll be interesting to compare IM against Challenge.  So, anyway, the special needs bags will be dropped off the day before the race, and they will set them up in order at the halfway points for the bike and the run.  Sometimes I do put drinks in them, and wrap it in an ice bag that I buy at Walmart for $1.  They say not to put anything in the bags that we'd want back, and you should remember that, but I've always gotten my bags back.

When we get near the SN area, there are volunteers that will be looking for your number and then screaming the numbers out to others who are grabbing the bags for you.  If all goes well, someone runs up to you with your bag.  But if you are in a pack of people, that is really tough to do so just assume that you are getting it yourself, until someone puts it into your hands.  The same thing goes for the transition areas really.  The volunteers are wonderful but we/they can only handle so many people.

For the swim exit, we will run up to a crowd of volunteers, who will eagerly push us to the ground and pull our wetsuit right off in 1-2 seconds.  Then we run to the bag area, and there will likely be someone screaming out numbers and maybe someone getting your bag, but if there's a lot of people, just head right to your bag yourself.  Then you head to the changing tent.  It is very crowded in the changing tent so if you can do what you need to outside the tent (avoiding the naked rule), that's a decent idea.  Then we take all of our swim stuff and put it in the bag and you normally throw it in a pile of bags right outside the changing tent (or give it to a volunteer who will do the same).  Run towards the bike, someone is screaming out numbers and maybe someone will have your bike ready or will at least point you to your bike.  But assume you are getting it yourself.

Coming off the bike, at the dismount line, someone takes your bike from you and takes it back to the rack (that likely isn't optional).  You run through the bag area, someone is screaming out numbers, and maybe they give you your bag if it's not busy, or maybe you get to it before they do.  Grab your bag, run into the changing tent.  Change, throw your bike stuff into the bag, and throw it into the pile at the exit of the tent, and begin your run.

The Run Special Needs will be really obvious, as we are going by much more slowly than the bike special needs.

At the finish line, they have "catchers" who will grab you, walk with you, and talk to you to make sure that you are ok and don't need the medical tent.  It's really awesome to be cared for and everyone does a wonderful job.

Woo hoo!  Did I miss anything?

I've seen no one do hype as well as IM, so I would love to hear how well Challenge does (I assume they do well) in comparison.

Oh, one note I did miss.  At the special needs, once you are done with your bag, just drop it or give it to a volunteer and they will put it back wherever they want to put it for their use.

Sometimes you can get really personal attention at these areas.  Once at T2, I had a guy get my bag for me, go into the tent with me, dump my bag for me and then ask me what I want him to get from it.  Then he was taking all my bike stuff from me and putting it in the bag for me, and took the bag away for me, walking out with me.  He was also asking me how it was going, how I was feeling, etc.  It was a super experience.  Fortunately he did not realize that I couldn't walk straight and I was severely dehydrated, or he may have pulled me to the side a bit. :-)

Actually, special needs run and bike bags are dropped off at designated areas the MORNING OF the race.  It is only the T1 (bike transition) and T2 (transition to run) bags that are dropped off the day before so that they can organize them by number at the transition areas for race day.  You can usually access your T1 and T2 bags the morning of the race if you forgot to put something in them the day before.  There will be designated areas the morning of the race for you to drop off your special needs bags which will be a different area from T1 and T2.  Then they will be trucked off to the approximate halfway points of the respective bike and run courses.  Good luck.

Doh.  Thanks for the correction. :-)  And good point about access to the bags on race morning.

The bike special needs is near the bike exit, and the run special needs is down the hill from the shopping area at the finish.  So yes that's a good point too.  I imagine they will leave them right there, possibly even overnight, unprotected.  That's how it was at LP anyway. 

I sure wouldn't count on 5-10 mins.  A friend of mine did the half and had to wait for a support vehicle and ended up spending about 45 mins on the side of the road before he was moving again.

x2

I have never needed support but I have had friends with issues that take an hour to get resolved by bike support.  56 miles is a lot to cover.  It kills your ideal times but not your day.  You do with what you have - breakages, weather, etc.

I have read about people getting lent wheels but no way are they doing that for flats.  Flats are easy to fix and we are expected to be able to do them ourselves.

The Athletes Guide for IMMT up up on the race website now.

I'm volunteering this year (run aid station 2), I have read this thread and appreciate all the good info you folks have put out. Good luck and I'll be cheering for you, Jim

Browsing through our wonderful Athletes Guide..

Hey we have an athletes parade after dinner!  And fireworks!  And some "Musical IRONMAN Show".  That'll be some night.  Fireworks at the end of the race as well.

I don't see the typical Monday breakfast/lunch/dinner.  I see a "Sugar Shack Brunch" which may do all the same things since it is 90 minutes.

I assume they'll have some version of the "Ford Inspirational Mile" but without Ford?  What have other IMs been doing with this, this year?

I have Ironman Mont Tremblant as a friend on facebook and somebody is claiming the water is in the high 70's...what temp do they make it a non wetsuit race?