Ironman St. George - Utah : Official Thread (Page 17)

I've been sick for the past two weeks and last week missed (for the first time) my long bike, long run and long swim. I haven't swam in going on two weeks now but on Friday did my long run (3:05) and Saturday my long bike (only 4 hours, it was miserably windy here in Las Vegas). So my confidence is shot as well. I have the California 70.3 coming up on Mar 27th.  This is a step back week on my schedule but I am really just winging my schedule since I've been sick. The congestion is a bit less each day so I may be back in the water this week. Thinking about riding to Searchlight this Saturday (108 miles).

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Edited by bctri21 2010-03-15 2:46 PM

Crosswind,  I'll talk to them tonight and see if they can give me a little more detail. 

Come on Jim, you have time to make it back up. You will be fine.

I am headed down the weekend of March 26th to ride the loop twice on Saturday the 27th with a friend of time. If anyone want to hook onto the pain train, they are welcome.

Mike

My husband and I will be there that weekend as well with a large AZ group!  Should be fun.

And YES someone please talk to the winds.  Remember the EPIC IMAZ year (because of the wind?)  This weekend in Vegas was WORSE!

Ok guys time to calm down.....
There was 30-40 mph winds here in Vegas this weekend (I too did a ride and it sucked). It was NOT normal and is NOT the standard for this area. The average for St George wind wise is 7-8 mph winds around 3-5 pm for that time of year. So please don't panic....

It might be windy, and that would suck and make the day harder, but us stressing about the IF's wont make the wind come or go so don't waste your efforts on worrying.... 

Don't assume we are stressing.  But the point of this thread is to gather information about the course and that does include weather conditions.  For me, personally, I like to KNOW what to expect.  Then I can accept it and have a plan on how to deal with it (this sport is more mental than physical).  I think it is healthy and smart.

Edited by sportyj 2010-03-15 11:00 PM

Edited by sportyj 2010-03-15 11:01 PM

Those who have done Silverman beg to differ... the area is often harsh on IM days. LOL

Transition Maps are up: http://www.ironmanstgeorge.com/transition.html

Was not trying to be negative at all, just helpfull. Not a lot of changes that can be made in training or racing due to wind (leave disk wheel at home) I'm sure you'll do great regardless of if the wind blows or doesnt.
As for SilverMan, the weather was perfect  this year!!! and Frank put on another great race!!!

I think I'm up for that.  I am still planning to go this weekend, but I may stick closer to home due to my cold.  I don't want to make that long of a day out of it yet...  So if there is a group, I'm up for it...

My plan calls for 6:15 for 110 miles (which ever comes first, I say!)...  So if I'm close to that, I'm good.  I fear that two times around the loop may not be long enough...   but I don't care - but that could be a good thing too!

Regarding the winds.  This last weekend's winds were a little stronger than normal.  I didn't get out, but some of my cyclist friends told me it was demoralizing...

The winds are not normally that bad, however, they can get that way more often than not - it's not as rare as I would hope.  This is just a windy place...  I have had some pretty bad days riding and at Silverman...

I wouldn't stress about it, though.  I'm actually more curious about what the temps could be.  It could easily be in the 50's OR the 90's.  I would suggest to those traveling in, to bring a whole assortment of clothes for race day...

That's the one we both did two years ago, right?  Rough...

BTW, going to do it again this year?  I may, since my base should be solid (if I don't let it go after IMSG).  It would be interesting to try two in one year for me.

Edited by Kido 2010-03-16 10:10 AM

Has anyone mapped the loop portion of the bike?  Save me the effort...  I saw the entire bike ride 3-4 times in "mapmytri" or "mapmyride"...

I'm curious how far two complete loops is...

Jim,

Here is my map for just the loop, starting at the Ivins turn-off.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ut/st-george/8621266537...

I clocked it right at 90.6, but that included some shenanigans in the town of Ivins where I was having trouble getting out to the highway.

Mike

Perfect.  That puts me at 6 hours based on my local training speed of 15-16 mph.  Not sure if I would be faster or slower in SG...

So the portion leading up to it from the res. is about 22 miles +/-?  (I assume you didn't do TOO much putzing around).

I did the loop twice in 5:30 and am not that quick. I am going in the weekend of 03.26 and hope to be about 30 minutes faster, but who knows.

I tried to ride the course pretty hard, so no there was not much lolly-gagging on this ride. When I suffered was on the second trip up Veyo. That portion of the course was pretty tough and I didn't have the winds they had last weekend.

Mike

I think I changed my arrangements for that.  I just talked to my riding buddies to tell them I was going to stay in town to ride with them this weekend and then join you guys next weekend (if that's ok, of course).

It shouldn't be an issue. Let me check with my pal Scott and I am sure it will be fine.

Mike

sportyj will be out there with an entourage as well.  I can work out something...

The great thing about being an IM newbie is having limited options.  I have one bike, one set of wheels, one wetsuit, one pair of tri shorts and one bib to wear (+/- rain gear and perhaps arm/leg warmers if it is particularly cold!). 

My plan for a windy day:  go faster when it's at my back, and slower when it's in my face, and likely drink more of Sand Hollow Reservoir when I'm swimming.  At least hydration will be less of an issue...how long does it take the "runs" to set in?  I wonder....

For those who are IM vets who have competed in races with similar logistics (bus into the swim, etc.), any advice to give on how these things work - particularly the bus into the swim?  Do you wear comfy clothes on the bus and carry your wetsuit, goggles and cap in a bag, or do you get on the bus ready to get into the water right away (wearing wetsuit, holding goggles/cap)?  Do you supply your own storage bag for these things if you do indeed wear comfy clothes and such?  Do they provide numbered/tagged bags?  If you supply your own, do you label them in any particular way?  What "extras" do you bring to the swim start, and what would you recommend that we leave back at the hotel?

Does anyone know any rules regarding assistance from friends and family along the course?  If my wife wants to hand me a water bottle or banana while I'm running, is that against the rules?

For those with clinchers, I assume most carry two tubes with them.  If, god forbid, you have multiple flats and run through two tubes, are you  S*&t out of luck, or is there some sort of Ironman Course AAA to help you out with a spare tube?  Or had I better bring a patch kit as well?

Any other, "if you are thinking (hoping) that the organizers are gonna XXX, you had better think again" type of advice for us newbies? 

SAquavia I like you post.  I am not too worried about the training or the conditions of the course  or weather any more or.  It will be what it will be.  I just want to finish.

Being a newbie my big concerns now are logistics.  What to put in what bag? What to bring as “just in case”? Pretty much any advice anyone can give would be great. 

As far as I can tell from the schedule, you'll be setting up T1 at the reservoir on Friday...everything you need for swim or bike I assume you'll take with you then.  (That's kind of the opposite of the two-transition-area iron distance race I did last year:  You had to set up T2 the day before and then set up T1 on race morning.)  You'll bring your bike and a gear bag with whatever you need for T1 and check them in then.  You'll presumably also have a designated bag to stash everything that needs to be transported to the finish from T1...that includes whatever comfy clothes you shed before the swim.  (There's a "morning clothes bag" area on the T1 map...I assume we'll be turning in that bag there pre-race for transport.)  Every two-transition-area race I've done so far has provided either a numbered bag or at least a label with your race number to put on a bag.  They'll let us know the specifics as we get closer to race day, but I'd expect them to take both the morning bag and the usual IM T1 gear bag back to the finish area after T1 closes.




Outside assistance is technically a rule violation.  You will have access to a special needs bag on bike and run...that's the place for extra bottles, favorite treats, etc.




Pretty sure all the M-Dot races have a bike tech on course, but I'll bring a mini patch kit in addition to two tubes.  I'm not competing for a podium spot or Kona slot, so I'm more worried about finishing than how long it takes me...or the extra couple ounces of weight.  If I flat three times, I'd still like to have a chance to finish.

Edited by tcovert 2010-03-16 7:23 PM

So we talking BIG group weekend of 26-27?  SWEET!