Raleigh half? (Page 15)

I only hate my tri bike on hills...

Otherwise, it is my bike of choice.

Hope everyone has trained like they wanted to...

There is a recently arrived local pro in the Race. Bib 23 - Andrej Heilig recently relocated from Germany to Raleigh to start a post-doc at NC State. If you are fast enough to start the run before the pros finish be sure to cheer him on.

Speaking of pros, I just ran across this link to the pro entry list.

http://firsttimeironman.com/ironman-703-raleigh-pro-list.aspx

Cool, thanks for that list! The real question is what the heck were you doing up at 4:30 am, Bill?

So, it looks like BT members have logged both the FS Series half and the Raleigh 70.3 bike courses. I see 1037 feet of climbing for FS Series Half, and 2506 for Raleigh 70.3. Is it really that much hillier? Cuz I though the last 20 miles of FS Series half was rather brutal! Am I in for more brutal than that?

So I guess I overlooked it. Thanks for the info.

Hi Carol-identical courses for the first 18 miles, but the similarities end shortly thereafter.
I'm attaching a climbing comparison for you to see. Each vertical line is 5 miles on the attachment. FS Half is on top, IM Raleigh is on the bottom.

Where FS Half did some little roller ups and downs past mile 20, and saved the big climbs for mile 40 on, Raleigh looks to start the steady climb early just after turning North on Old US1. From mile 18 to mile 27 or so, it's a steady uphill. Then the big climb comes prior to mile 35 and they just keep coming along Optimist Farm. You'll see one last big climb on the Raleigh course at about mile 51-52, then it's fast down Lake Wheeler beyond Tryon Rd.

In answer to your question, I don't think it feels that much hillier because it gives you a couple of downhill rewards near the end, but I agree with the profiles; it does have more climb than FS Half course.





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Thanks for that elevation map comparison, Bill!

PS: do you have Garmin elevation numbers for either of those as a point of comparison?

Unfortunately, I ride Garminless. Those maps are from the BT route logger.

Edited by fgump 2013-05-27 9:05 AM

Thanks again for all your great info that you have shared! It has been extremely helpful to me, since I was not able to properly prepare myself for this race!

First things first - I'm probably the only age-grouper with a newborn at home! First day out of the Hospital and I've got night-duty.... IT'S 1:30 A.M. FOR GOODNESS' SAKE....

I've also got the week off from work! Proof that God wants me rested for Sunday BECAUSE I may have night duty but I'm drawing the shades and sleeping all day tomorrow....

If you're wondering, yes, she's a saint! Totally supportive and cool with me heading out Friday for the Race on Sunday... I'm a lucky guy....

Down to BUSINESS - so I've taken TWO Garmins (a 910 XT and an Edge 800) out on both the bike and the run and here are the most reliable analytics I've come up with:

First of all, no offense to the race organizers, but the numbers on the website are WAY off - here's the CONSERVATIVE data on the bike course:

2,133 ft of Elevation Gain
2,001 ft of Elevation Loss

I did the course in 88 degree heat with a POOR nutrition plan - 3 bottles of water and 3 bags of Chomps (540 Cals).

At 90 minutes, I had covered 32 miles in Z2 and thought "I ain't tellin' NONE o' my good mates (who'll be watching my splits on-line) about this course because it is FAST and EASY!"

THEN it felt like someone threw a tire around my waist and turned what I had ridden so far upside down!

Coulda been my crummy nutrition and dehydrated state (I only had about 800 Cals that day and I set out at 3 p.m.), but I'm telling you the last 24 miles kicked my rear-end big-time.

Regarding the run, and I swear this is no joke: 1,834 feet of gain.

The day I did it, it was HOT - about 86 with 70% Humidity.

It's all uphill (albeit gentle) until you get to the entrance of Meredith College - after the turnaround at the front of the School, you take a right down a path into the woods... Seems like a breath of fresh-air cuz "HERE COMES SOME SHADE!, right?"

Well, tucked in the trees is two LEGIT CAT 5 Climbs. They aren't that long but my goodness they are steep and are what I like to call potential "Race-Killers". I'm nowhere near good enough to finish in the top of my age-group - I want to finish with respect and honor dangit! Having said that, I will have to manage those hills at Z3 or I'll be in big trouble... I will likely walk 60 seconds and run 60 seconds through that section....

After the turnaround at the Performing Arts Complex, you have to DESCEND those climbs and you're in the back-half of the run. For me, that's not ideal - they pounded my legs and feet pretty good because I tried to hammer 'em.

The good news really begins once you leave Meredith College and turn left for downtown... All that gentle incline at the beginning is gentle descent on the way back through NCSU into downtown and, let me tell ya, we'll be able to hear the finish line for a good 2.5 miles - I'm sure I'll be in full tears for the last 2 miles. Hell, I was in tears on my practice-run!

Most notable, the HOME STRETCH toward the Marriott over the last 1/2 mile is worth looking forward to because if you have ANYTHING left in the tank you'll sprout wings and float home to your family and friends at the Finish Line. It promises to be electric - I have a good friend in the RPD and he tells me they're expecting quite a spectacle from the Organizers Sunday at the Finish....

Thus, this old dude's plan is to go without a wetsuit and ENJOY a relaxed swim in therapeutic H2O temps, HAMMER the descents in the first 30 miles on the bike and SPIN up as many as possible - I just have to avoid letting my ego take over! Type A, anyone?

Regarding the run? Let's face it - this is OUR REGION'S FIRST M-DOT RACE! It's gonna be awesome - get through the first 5 miles at Z2, have the discipline to walk some of the steeper ascents in the park, and HAMMER the final 5 miles of the run.

Based on my personal experience, this (along with the right nutrition plan) will get it done. I just wish we could have bottles handed to me full of Perpetuum... Oh well... I'll manage.

Oh - I failed to mention that I left my gels in the truck when I did the run on a very hot day - Life-Savers and RedBull (thanks to the fact that I did NOT forget my CC) had to suffice... Not ideal but I gutted it out.

In closing, y'all inspire me so much - I finish these things because my brothers and sisters who share this passion are surrounding me and are the greatest examples of what winners DO for the 5 or 6 hours I'm out there.

Can't wait to see YOU at the Finish Line!

Congrats on the new little girl. Make her proud on Sunday.

Peaked at 75 on 5/25. Back down to 74.
Agony.

Bill you need to hook us all up. Head out to Jordan and start doing some sort of crazy rain dance for the next 3 days.

Here's my plan for today; 23 mile bike with a quick stop at Ebenezer to dump a water bottle full of crushed ice in the lake. Butterfly wings, right?

I did an open water swim out there yesterday. Ironically, the water temp is quite nice. I didn't pee so I didn't contribute to the warming temp. I'm sure I can't say the same for the mass of humanity packing the beach though.

Highs of 88 and lows in the mid 60s all week....I say that lake warming trend is gonna go up up up.

To the sleep-deprived dude with the new baby, congrats and welcome to parenthood. Funniest, most excited post I have read in a while!

I think the 2K elevation gain for the bike is probably pretty accurate but there is no way that is accurate for the run. Garmins are good at elevation gain when you are traveling at a decent speed (like on a bike) and use "elevation correction" on garmin connect. 2K feet gain in 13 miles is running in the mountains, not in downtown Raleigh. Now come Saturday in 88 degrees at 1pm its gonna feel like 2K elevation gain, thats for sure!!

Oh this is going to be a fun weekend.

1) I'm not going to take my wetsuit to Vista Point on Sunday. Which means they will announce the water as 76.04 degrees Sunday morning.
2) Elevation gain on the bike I believe is accurate at over 2k feet. As I have ridden the entire course twice, and most of it 2 more times, I think it's actually getting steeper each week.
3) Elevation gain on the run is NOT more than 500 feet. I ran 12.7 miles of the course on 5/19, and it's not a terrible amount of climbing. However, that which remains, will kick you in the teeth and take your lunch money.
4) Hello, my name is June. I will make you wilt just about the time you pass Snoopy's. Oh wait, you pass 2 of them. Twice. That's going to be just mean. I'm thinking that has "post-race recovery meal" written all over it.
5) Let's remember, we do this for fun. Right? If you see someone who needs help, offer it. Gentleman's agreement and all that.Unless they're in your Age Group.

In all seriousness, be safe, have fun, and thank the volunteers/law enforcement/medical staff. Without them, we COULD NOT DO THIS!

I just came across a post about the lake temp from the Ironman TriClub program. This was posted within the last hour.

"Just confirmed, 77 F at surface, we have 4 days of 88F weather prior to race, anticipate 79 surface, however with the amount of swimmers the mean temp will more than likely be 75-76 with the fluid vortex from the swimmers pulling up the cooler water."

I agree about the run. The first 4.5 miles aren't that bad, even though it is a gradual uphill. The middle 4 miles around the turn around are miserable. Crossing the pedestrian bridge each way is basically the beginning and end of the pain.

No way the swim is wetsuit legal.

I did a "proof of concept" 1.25mi swim in Jordan yesterday without a wetsuit. It was slow and I had a few rests, but if necessary, I can do it and if I need to hang on a kayak here and there, so be it. My guess is it'll cost me 5-10 minutes without a wetsuit.

The temperature varied from place to place. It was warm between the buoys and the yellow rail that delineates the beach swim area, but in the shallower coves, it got a bit chilly. Must be that the ground holds the cold longer and I was closer to the ground in the shallow coves.

Personally, my game plan is to take my wetsuit. Seeing as how I won't know whether it's wetsuit legal or not til I actually get to the lake, I'll make my decision at that time. If they don't add a "wetsuit wave" at the end, I'll use it, AG award legal or not. If they do add that extra wave, I'll just throw my wetsuit in my T1 bag before the start and pick it up downtown at the end. I'd rather get finished with the race more than an hour sooner and save myself a few degrees in the big heat on the run.

In the meantime, I have some hefty fishing weights that WTC can borrow for when they drop that thermometer in

Hey Ya'll, I'm coming up from Fort Lauderdale, FL for this race and am pretty excited/nervous about doing my first 70.3. I'm orginally from raleigh so looking forward to seeing the familiar sights!
It is great for me to read a lot of these posts as many of you have the same concerns I do. Leisurely swim to finish, work through the bike and try and not fall out on the climbs on the run. Not a lot of elevation to work with down here in South Florida.

I suppose my current fixation is the swim. I feel fairly confident about being able to push through the bike and run, but not sure about the swim. I was hoping for wetsuits to give me a little peace of mind, but it sounds like it might not be an option. Like someone else mentioned I'd rather start a little earlier than swim with one on if the temp is over 76. However, in all my races i've never 'took a break' by grabbing a paddle board. Is this ok to do? I know the rules but didn't want to come across as a potential non finisher by doing so...

Welcome back, Coppertop! According to rules, you can hold onto a kayak as long as no forward progress is made. That always sounded vague to me (how do they measure that?!) Good luck!

7. Any assistance required during the swim will result in disqualification if forward progress was made. Athletes are permitted to use kayaks and boats as aid, as long as forward progress is not made. Special provisions are made for Physically Challenged (PC) athletes (please see Physically Challenged tab). Course officials and medical personnel reserve the right to remove athletes from the course if determined medically necessary.

Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/ironman-70.3/world-champion...

Thanks Buddy - I feel I have to tell you though - my driver back home after the race is my oldest son!

Same Mom as the newest.... Caring for the youngest scares me a heck of a lot less than falling asleep on the way home does... Come to think of it, the ONLY thing I have to fear Sunday is a 3 hour ride with my 15 year old (that's right - learner's permit only - Momma said HAIL no to making the trip!).

The fact that I have 4 total is probably the ONLY reason I'm getting a pass - bringin' up Babies is Momma's specialty -

Everyone on this post can appreciate this - I spent a solid SIX WEEKS doing every honey-do I could think of between the day I realized the due date was May 28th and the day I actually brought up the fact that I had a Bib for this race - THEN I PAID FOR A REMODEL OF OUR HOME.... ONLY THEN did I casually mention one day.... "Guess what sweet-pea? I got a spot in that Ironman Raleigh and it's sold out! Problem is, I'm gonna miss it because it's June 2nd.... You're worth it though. I can't wait to meet our newest son!"

She thought about it and said, "My Mom's taking two weeks off from work when the Baby gets here.... If he's on time and I'm home, you can go race"

I'm telling you - I went to every Dr.'s appointment, listened to every word they said! At THE FIRST MENTION of a C-Section I started asking questions like "Don't y'all normally try to schedule 'em right before the due date?" Sure enough, they said "YEP!" and set the date of May 24th!

At that moment, "The Final Bell" song from Rocky started in my head and I couldn't get on my bike fast enough!

MORE PROOF THAT GOD WANTS ME TO RACE!

Sorry - more late night delirium and that nap never happened today - SOMEBODY'S gotta keep this economy afloat!

Hope I can keep my rear-end afloat on 4 hours sleep a night before Friday!

Thanks for the Vine... After all, LIFE IS FOR THE LIVING - In the immortal words of Darrel Waltrip,

"BOOGITY BOOGITY BOOGITY! LET'S GO RACIN' BOYS!!!!"