Ironman USA Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 15)

haha, me neither man.  I was envisioning a little drawing with the description. 

"Then, at mile 2 there is a 2% downhill grade for 1/2 mile with 3 potholes on the far right.  Watch out for those.  Then at mile 3 it flattens out a bit and the road surface is pretty smooth and it feels fast.  Sometimes the wind is blowing from the right and sometimes it is behind you.  Once in awhile it is a headwind.  Then, at mile 6...."   Falls asleep on second page  ...

I actually have a cycle center with computer setup and erg videos in the next town over and they ride the loop once every few weeks so will hop in there to experience it that way a couple of times.  I had originally planned to visit LP a couple of times but my wife is expecting and is due May 27th so that isn't going to happen! 

$16 on amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Ironman-Lake-Placid-Racing-Strategies/dp/1450569102/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291322801&sr=8-1

Well worth the price.

Edited by kaburns1214 2010-12-02 2:47 PM

November's totals:
Bike: 17h 40m - 309.5 Mi
Run: 5h 42m 02s - 35.55 Mi
Swim: 4h 26m 24s - 14350 Yd


Nice easy month... i wont ramp up until Feb 1, that is when i begin to get serious, i begin to watch my food intake and get more regimented in my training.

Who else is trying to drop some weight and lean out prior to building towards LP?

I hope to be about 10 pounds lighter than I was in '08 when I did the race. When training a lot I find it harder to drop weight as my appetite increases from the volume. After last two IMs I gained weight then lost it again but made zero progress overall. After IMFL my weight has stayed within 1-3 pounds of low for year but I kept being active and doing a bit of training. Last two IMs I took a full month off s/b/r to recover...not doing that again. I love to train, not training makes me cranky plus I gain weight that makes me more cranky.

I'm trying to lose some...prob 10-15lbs. I have lost a relatively large amount of weight since I started tri after my 2 yr lazy streak and now I am trying to get down to my pre-quitting competitive swimming weight. I am actually more or less the same size as I was when swimming (or so some of my old clothes say) but definately 10-15lbs heavier. Go figure.

We will see how it goes. I am definately trying to be more food conscious so I am banking on that to help me out!

yep, at least 10 if not 15lbs.  It's one of my limiters.  The performance gain is pretty big and can be equivalent to months of training.  I notice 5lb swings pretty dramatically.  Especially on the run ...hilly bikes too

November's totals:
Bike:	14h 41m 44s  - 54.7 Mi
Run:	11h 06m 12s  - 80.65 Mi
Swim:	14h 49m  - 36750 Yd

Almost all trainer rides for bike (doing Jorge's plan).  Had only one or two rides outside, hence the low miles.  Run was coming along until I strained my Achilles...will have to back off some for a while.  Right now trying to work on swim more than anything. 

I could stand to lose a pound or two in my midsection... but hopefully will be gaining 10lbs of quad and shoulder muscle!

My coach is putting me on a cleanse diet (not the juice kind) come January 2nd. Never done one before and it will be interesting to see how it works.

In the mean time, I am drinking as much wine as I want and eating whatever I want. I did run over 100 miles this past month (2nd time ever!), so I am noticing a good balance of indulging and keeping the weight off.

Will become more of a monk after the new year. Would like to drop 10 pounds before Placid, especially for the hills on the bike.

I'd like to drop a few myself. 10 sounds like a good number but it's more about how I feel and body makeup. I've definitely got some fat to lose.

Oh yeah!  Bring on the quads!

As to the losing weight thing, I am working this season just to not GAIN weight! I am a little guy, 5'-10" and for the last few years have raced best at about 151~153 lbs. Below that, I stink; Above and I really feel the pounding. When I was 30 and people asked me why I trained so much, I would tell them so I could eat and drink whatever I want. At 40, I had to revise it to say so I could drink whatever I want. At 45, now I gotta even lay off the adult beverages!

So I usually come out of August/September in the low 150's, during the holidays I put on 10 to 15 lbs, and take it of by April simply by cutting out the liquid carbs for 6 weeks or so. IM has of course changed that strategy, as from what i can tell it is a TERRIBLE idea to try to lose weight during the IM specific training, which makes sense - everyone tells me it is simply a good way to wind up sick and/or injured. So my plan since August has been to really maintain. On top of that, I am trying to build endurance power by 10%, so in all likely hood I will most likely actually gain a little weight. So anybody planning to lose weight in their quads, feel free to pass it along my way!

Even though we are still in the beginnings of IM prep, I am really enjoying putting in the hard work for Jorge's winter cycling program.  I feel stronger already, and I've only been at it for a few weeks!

My main goal is a 20% FTP improvement on the bike.  That would put me right around 260watts.  I'm hoping that will put me in a position to comfortably go 6hrs.

My coach is putting me on a cleanse diet (not the juice kind) come January 2nd. Never done one before and it will be interesting to see how it works.

In the mean time, I am drinking as much wine as I want and eating whatever I want. I did run over 100 miles this past month (2nd time ever!), so I am noticing a good balance of indulging and keeping the weight off.

Will become more of a monk after the new year. Would like to drop 10 pounds before Placid, especially for the hills on the bike.

Become a monk? Don't monks drink? A lot? The Trappist Monks make excellent beer. The Benedictine Monks made liquor and Dom Perignon was actually a Benedictine Monk. I think the Cistercians and the Carmelites are also monks that make wine...

I was up to 199lbs a few months back. My gf liked me that heavy, but I knew that I was hauling some extra weight. There was no way I was going to hit the 200's- I wrestled in the lightest weight division in high school and rowed on the light-weight crew team in college.
I'm hovering around 182lbs now. I wouldn't mind racing at 177-178lbs, but not lower than that. If I put on a couple more lbs b/c of muscle that is fine too. Made it through Thanksgiving without over indulging, but there is something about Christmas, New Years and the winter that makes me want to eat the fatty, fat, fat kinda foods. I love eggnog and the heavier weight winter beers too!

Hey everyone! I finally feel like an official triathlete today... not that training for an IM didn't make me feel close to being one... but anyhow, I finally upgraded to a tri bike! Just a Cervelo P1, but I am excited to have a big boy fancy tri bike... I did my first tri on a hybrid and the next one on a road bike so this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Im gonna get a pro fitting next Friday and the guy I'll be seeing had me using an Adamo saddle. I thought it was very comfortable! Question - Does anyone else have one of these or recommend them? Its a little pricy but may be worth the $ for the extra comfort down there for hours on end...

Also for the gearing, I noticed a lot of people posting here about different gear configurations. Do you think I should go with whats on the bike now and purchase an additional configuration or try to get that on the bike now during the fit? Thanks for your help!

Ryan

What kind of gearing comes on the bike? From Cervelo's website I see the P1 comes with a compact crank on it, which is good for the Placid Hills. Is this the case with your purchase?

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I literally just put an Adamo on my tri bike about an hour ago.  I signed on just to post about it as well.  I have zero experience with one so I'm hoping I like it.  I think I will because I on a normal saddle I sit on the very tip of the nose so I can really crank out the power.  This way I won't be crushing any delicate tissues.

I only rode it/fiddled for about 15 minutes and my sit bones are still sore haha.  I'll find out tomorrow on my 2hr trainer ride how it feels.  I bought the Road model btw.  From what I've heard, it has more gel than the Race model which is most preferable for Ironman riding.

Depending on the rider, I've also heard that it may take around 7hrs of riding to feel fully comfortable.  But from what you say, you might already be set!

On the gearing, I just switched out from a standard to a compact because I'm a relatively weak cyclist.  I hope to go 6hr on the bike after I crush myself all winter.

"JUST a Cervelo P1..."
Ryan that is really funny - that is a great bike - you will love it!
I raced on a road bike for 16 or 17 years before I got my first tri bike - I will never forget the day I got fitted and then went for a 40 mile ride. I almost stopped at 30 to throw it in the ditch on the side of the road. After about a week or ten days of riding that all changed, and I quickly became much more comfortable. For the first couple of years I would ride my tri bike in season, then dutifully put it away and ride my road bike during the late fall and winter. Last year I said "screw it" and rode the tri rig all year - I love it that much - it is very, very comfortable. The only time I get my road bike out is for the occasional winter group ride. So, when you get fit - stick with the setup, at least until you are absolutely positive that you cannot live with it  - I know a more than a few  folks that have paid a lot of bank to get set up, then they immediately start messing around with it because they are not comfortable.

Fortunately I have never suffered from saddle discomfort, except during the few times I have (sadly) had to replace a trusty but worn out saddle. A new saddle will take some time getting used to/breaking in, even if it is the exact make and model of your last one. Others can comment on the Adamo Saddles - I have never ridden one, but you see so many of them at races one would think they have to be more than just a gimmick. I just can't imagine that many folks would suffer with a crummy saddle.

From my perspective the only thing drivetrain/gearing wise that would alter your fit would be if you decided to change your crank arm lengths for some reason - you would definitely want to have your fit checked if you did that... Swapping your rear cassette and/or to a standard crank (I am guessing the Cervelo probably came with a compact?) wouldn't change your fit setup. If you do indeed have a compact crank on the new rig, same advice as above: stick with it for a while. I was talked into a few years ago by the shoppie when I got a new bike (with the promise I could switch if I did not like it) and I have never looked back. In fact, I have recently put compact on my road bike. hmmmmm.... maybe I will get out and ride it more after all!

And 'tis the season, indeed - I just got a package in the mail containing a Garmin 800 as well as a ceramic bearing bottom bracket - whoo- hoo!

If I remember correctly, most Cervelo models come with a compact crank.

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For those with experience in IM training and possibly what it's like surviving the northern winters, do you spend time going long on the bike at all?  By long I mean 2-3hrs.

I ask this because I'm doing Jorge's winter cycling program with my absolute goal being to raise my FTP to 260watts before race day.  His plans usually include a 2hr long ride on the weekends that is optional, but I want to take every opportunity I can get.  My problem is that the 2hr trainer rides are more mentally tiring than physically tiring.  I'm thinking about just scrapping the 2hr ride in favor of a 1-1.5hr ride at a much higher intensity.  This would help me more to raise my FTP an save me from burning out well before the snow melts.

Is this a bad idea in any way?  Don't get me wrong, as soon as the snow melts in March/April I plan to start hitting the long rides.  My plan is to make bank on my FTP during the winter months and then have all spring to rack up several 5-6 hour rides. 

April-July should be enough time for me to work up to several 80-100mile rides right?  By then I should have very strong cycling legs, just not the long rides under my belt.