Ironman Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 15)

In a nutshell from what I've been told by others is there is no 'right' or 'wrong' Philosophy.  But the key is to pick a specific Philosophy and stick with it.  Jumping from one Philosophy to another is what is 'wrong' and can get you into trouble.  For the most part a good 'Training Plan' or a good 'Coach' will stick with a specific, consistent training Philosophy. 

When we jump all over the place and 'wing it' by ourselves; or grossly change our plans, is when we get into trouble. 

I personally think each philosophy should be specific to the individual and their personal skill-set and experience level.  For someone new to Ironman, and NOT from a competitive cycling background, I think strength work on the bike in the winter slowly grown into endurance in the Spring is probably more advantageous the long Z1/Z2 rides.  However, someone with some Ironman experience who has already established biking specific strength and physiology may benefit more from that approach.  I'm not certain to be honest.  If there is a sport where you can get away with going Long in the winter and benefit from it, it's the Bike followed by the Swim.  To run Long this time of year is just plain foolish, IMO. 

Either way, the morale of the story is PICK A SPECIFIC PLAN/PHILOSOPHY.  TRUST IT.  AND EXECUTE.  Specific Plans and Philosophies are created to guide you to attaining a specific goal and illiciting specific desired physiological repsonses from the body, which can only occur with  consistent training.  Jumping around, 'wingin' it', logging junk miles will gain you fitness, but it's not smart training  and with all of us having limited time to train we may as well train smart.  And there are just as many ways to train smart as their are ways not too. 

At the end of May and first week in June, many places within just a mile or two of Mirror Lake have rooms available.  The cut-off for withdrawl with a partial refund is June 7th, so many people who are injured, undertrained, or a life altering event happens forcing them to withdraw cancel their hotel reservations right around this time.  My parents books Art Devlin's for a super-cheap price the first week in June last year, and it's a block from the Oval Center (transition).

A month ago someone posted some detailed info about hotels in Saranac Lake.  Page back through this thread and you should find it.  Good luck.

This times about a bazillion.

To answer your question Major BC, come January I will begin to add more "overgear" (super low cadence) work to my weekly schedule. For some reason on several of my early long rides this season my cadence was averaging pretty low, most likely due simply to a higher ftp going into the fall. Based on what I believe to be my personal optimum IM cadence, this exposed a little bit of laziness on my part, so I have been very intentional in doing more of my long riding at IM cadence (for me 80~85). Figuring out what the right cadence for me has been a little bit of trial and error, along with some pretty smart folks looking over my shoulder. It is trying to maximize power output w/o the legs feeling like bricks - there are certain power efficiencies in lower cadence cycling, but other aerobic efficiencies in higher cadence cycling - figuring out the sweet spot was really important for me last year. I am only guessing that it might be less important at the IM distance, but I have also found over the years that I run much, much better off the bike if my bike cadence and run cadence are more closely aligned. When I am running my best I am at about 176~180 foot strikes and my HIM and under bike cadence is usually between 86~90. For me though bike cadences like that at the IM distance are just not that efficient over the duration. FWIW the overgear work is usually done on the trainer, not outside, or I will go to an area close by where we have a good 13+ minute climb that averages about 7% and do it 4~6 times in zone 2 ~ low zone 3, cadence <60.

I don't use Q-rings (I do have an set of ovalized Shimano rings on an old mountain bike that I still love to ride - just proving what is old is new again!) but on my long ride I will do 20 minutes of one-legged drills early on (but after a good warm-up) and then do 4x10 minute intervals spread out during the ride where I focus on nice, strong, complete circles. In January I will add some pedaling drills (pyramids, etc) as specific trainer rides.

hey 

I may have a room for you but maybe only for two people.
Im waiting for my wifes cousin to get her job extention in feb if they come with us then we we can take two people, if not we can take four people.  I rented a cottage in keene, 20k away? and its in the bike race course I believe.  Does $400 per person for one week from july 18 to july25 sound fair?  But my final answer wont be until first week of march.

????????Geeze - looks like everyone is training already...  Need to play a little catch up.  We have ages left, right?  :-)   Beeping knee injury is still with me and as a result i`m no where near as fit as i was this time last year and 18lbs heavier than IMLP2011.  Still, no surgery required so i`m looking forward to get back into running.  Many trip to LP lined up this year - training and wedding planning combinations.

I hope that everyone has an injury free and happy start to 2012.

Also...

I`m willing to open a betting book - taking bets on whether DC or Tank Boy win the most number of posts... :-)

My cleats are right smack-dab in the middle of my posts - I have ridden speedplays forever and that is where I always put them. Never really thought about it too much. But I am getting re-fit later this week on my road bike that I have not touched in three years, so I probably should give it some thought....?

These two recent posts of mine notwithstanding, I am putting my money on DC - tomorrow is my last long easy ride 'til May. Until then I will be training too hard to post much on BT.

Happy New Year everyone - here we go!

I've gone and done the deed: I wrote down and shared with the world some Ironman goal times.

From all that I've been told, IM rookies like me should not do so for fear of racing outside of themselves or ignoring the circumstances that develop during the race i.e. dropped nutrition, flat tire, rain.

A review of 2011 races is here: http://radicalimmersion.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/the-good-the-bad-the-uncertain/.

A review of 2011 training is here and it includes the splits that I hope will take me to a finish somewhere in the 11 hour range at Lake Placid: http://radicalimmersion.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/keeping-with-a-the...  Who's first to tell me that I'm crazy?  What are your goals for IMLP?

Hi Kent.  You're not crazy. Goals are good, keep you focused and motivate.  I did not see specific Ironman goals for the Swim, Bike or Run posted in your link though? 

My A#1 Goal is to always Finish.  Everything after that is gravy.  Once I wake up more later this morning, I'll look for your specific time goals again and offer my random, off-the-cuff feedback.  

Happy New Year IMLP'ers,

I am also a little behind the eight ball this year. I think it is time to get serious as well. I ran and rode yesterday in upstate NY. Amazing weather for us I think it was 47 on my ride. Beautiful today as well. I can't wait to get this training season kicked into gear.

Kevin 

Hey everyone...thought id throw my goals out there even though they aren't ambitious ones. My biggest concern is finishing lol. Im 47, a type1 diabetic, not very athletic and this will be my 4th yr of doing tri's. I do triathlons because I like the lifestyle of training more than because I like to race. I have a ton of respect for people who are good at triathlons, and I have a ton of respect for people who struggle to finish.

I guess finishing is the only goal Im really concerned with. But to throw some numbers out there I'll say I think I can do it in 14hrs, would love to be closer to 13 but unless I improve a lot in the next 29 weeks thats probably not going to happen. Im going to train hard, give it my all and see what kind of day I run into lol. there's a decent chance my whole day is going to be about survival...but I guess thats part of the game.

Mike nice to meet you I am from Rome and I will be racing IM Lake Placid as well.

Jeremy

If the primary goal isn't to finish...then I'm in the wrong forum.  Ha!  Great to have you here.  Look forward to updates on your training in '12.

Id be lying if I say I didnt have a time in mind.  I wanna finish in 12hrs!  Anything after that Ill be happy with still as long as its 17hrs.

29 weeks! sounds so far but itll be here!

oh yeah,

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year - I haven't been keeping up with the group since I've been working hard at recovering from my bike accident in CDA last June and the associated shoulder surgery. 

Sounds like some good plans are going.

I hear it's good to put your goals out there, and there is no better time to set goals than New Years.  I think you need to be specific.   Here are mine.  My primary goals is to finish my first ironman distance race without going to the hospital or injuring myself.  My specific goals  for my race will be swim: 1:20, ride 6:30, run 5:30.  My first attempt I avoided making specific time goals so my training wasn't as focused as I would have liked.  I can translate these goals into times for my swim, but riding and running are a different animal.

Good training to everyone in the forum, and I hope to see you all at the finish line. Most of you will have to hang around a while to see me.

Hello all and happy new year!

I'm a newbie to the Ironman distance and I am having a bit of a tough time shuffling through all the different training guides and I am getting a little overwhelmed with the different strategies. I have two books--but I don't really like either--Ironman Start to Finish in 24 weeks and Going Long by Friel and Byrn. They have lots of good ideas, things to consider for training--but I really am looking for a day by day breakdown for training that a beginner can do and follow.

I saw some mention of Don Finks "Be Iron-Fit" which is 30 weeks? Is this an online training plan or a book? Day-by day, or no? 

So excited for IMLP but I'm getting a bit anxious too--hope I can fit all this training into my full time life :p

Thanks!

It's a book.  Check here: http://www.amazon.com/Be-Iron-Fit-2nd-Time-Efficient/dp/1599218577/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1325525615&sr=1-1-catcorr

Yeah, I have 'Going Long' and it contains lots of information, but it doesn't contain a daily training plan.  Fink offers three different Ironman Training Plans (Competitive, Intermediate & Just Finish) that give detailed daily workouts, and he gives many suggestions on how to fit training into a busy lifestyle. 

Welcome to BT!

Happy New Year!!  

Anyone interested in doing a little "introduction" of ourselves to kick-off the new year?  I borrowed this idea from the IMWI thread (thanks guys!).  I thought it was a good idea....I will start us off!

Name: Stacie Tumlin

Ironman Resume:  This will be my 4th.  IMWI '09 (DNF); IMFL '10 (Finish); IMLOU '11 (Finish).

Why did you choose IMLP?:  I can (reasonably) drive to four IM venues ~ WI, FL, LP & LOU; well, I guess five now that they added IMNY.  Plus, I hear LP is amazing!

What are your goals for IMLP?:  Finish, of course, is always my main goal; however, my time goals look like something like this:  Swim 1:10, Bike 7:00, Run 5:30 (I would like to break 14 hours).

What are you most looking forward to?:  Training!  I love the long days ~ especially in the heat; Seeing the town of Lake Placid ~ I am a HUGE Olympics fan, super excited to be going to an Olympic town during an Olympic year;  And, of course, the Finish Line ~ always a beautiful sight!

Looking forward to getting to know you all over the next 30 (well, 29) weeks!  Hope to meet some of you in Lake Placid.

Happy & Safe Training to All !!

Good idea Stacie--here's my blurb

Name: Annie Wysock

Ironman Resume:  First full ironman; completed Ironman 70.3 Muncie, IN last summer (grossly hot and humid); original swimmer, triathlete for past 6 years

Why did you choose IMLP?:  My husband and I vacation in the Adirondacks every few years--we love the beauty of the region and Lake Placid has a magical feel. Though slightly intimidating coming from pancake flat Illinois!

What are your goals for IMLP?:  Finish--and not get taken to the medical tent :p

What are you most looking forward to?:  FINISHING--and the journey to get there.