Ironman 70.3 Boise : Official Thread (Page 18)

geauxtri -- That strap might loosen up a bit in the water.

Low clouds, sprinkles & wind today.  Sheesh, it's like freakin' Western Washington!  ;-)

haha... yep I forgot about that... well, I'm sure I'll be the only one in the pool tomorrow w/ a neoprene cap, but we shall see

I've got a Zoot cap and it worried me at first that it was too tight.

After swimming in a race and practicing open water swims, it didn't bother me.

The only thing was it covers my ears and I don't like having my hearing muffled, so I pushed it back a little and everything was alright.

Hi gang,

All this talk about neoprene caps made me want to let you know, I don't think you need them. I've swam twice in LP in the last week just with 2 regular caps and that was just fine. I do recommend plugging your ears though, that's what I do and if not then it may feel cooler to you.

I'm toast, my throat is almost swollen shut, went to a diff doc today and he took 3 vials of blood. He thinks it's Mono or Epstein Bar or Staph infection, all bad options and most likely my whole season is shot, major suckaroo. I have hopes of seeking out something in early September...was wanting to do Bear Lake Half but doubt I can now load that much training, think they have an oly too, maybe I can do that.

You just never know what life has in store. I need to keep this in perspective, my family is healthy and I'm very pleased about that. Tri is a huge part of my life and I've had a blast this spring training but it's just not in the cards for me right now. I've been crying a lot but then I snap myself to and say stop it, the girls are fine, rest of family is healthy, alls not that bad. It's my new mantra.

I'll let you know the final results, doc should call in the morning.

Patsy

Oh Patsy, I'm sorry.  I was diagnosed with mono a week before my wedding.  I was so angry and upset.  I definitely feel for you.

No one else in this thread is allowed to get sick or be injured, ok!

Patsy sorry to hear about that. Hopefully it isn't mono as mono sucks. I had it twice when I was in high school. 

I believe that most of the westerly tacks on the course while going into a headwind will be mostly downhill.  Heading back from the turn around on 10 mile creek should be pretty fast with the tailwind.  After 40 miles, looks all downhill.  I'm trying to keep my glass half full.  I'm not familiar with the leg out to Micron and back as that is different than 2009.

Make it 28-35 mph winds, and that was the race in 2010.  I had to WORK to go downhill on Pleasant Valley, and the whole "nice gradual downhill to the finish" was mostly headwind.  :/

Jasen -- Welcome!  I'm pretty sure I'm gonna wear socks for the bike.  I generally prefer them for the run, too, so may as well just get them on in T1, methinks.  I did a short ride yesterday as well -- pretty cold!

The weather model I like to use (Meteostar) has predicted, from Saturday at 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 51-58 degrees, 16mph from the WNW, and light precipitation.  Could be worse.  Beats having all the wind and 95 degrees.

Thanks for the updates on the chilly!  Living in the NW I got lots of wet rides in at that temp and it's definitely chilly, though we don't have much wind.  Adding wind gives me the shivers.  I think I'll throw in some gloves too.

I'm definitely taking the kitchen sink.

My parents are so sweet! I had gotten an odd email from my Mom asking about some specifics for the race, she's not a detailed person on Monday.  She called me yesterday and told me they were planning to surprise me and show up.  Then she started to look at the website and realized just how complex this "stuff" was. LOL As I explained the weekend she got a bit overwhelmed with everything so I'm not sure they will come down (they live in Montana) but totally unexpected support..

Now I guess I really need to kick this course's butt.. please die down winds!

This is the weather site I trust the most. It's changing rapidly though, just last night ti showed a 30% chance of showers. If it's kind of windy, the bike is going to suck, because there aren't very many flat sections anywhere on the course.

http://www.ktvb.com/weather/weather-links/idaho-weather/links/KTVB-7-Day-Forecast-63602932.html

If the weather is bad (rain, cold, windy) it will definately change my strategy.  In the swim I was planning on just dealing with the cold water without neoprene accessories (hood & booties) but if the lake is choppy and air temp is cold, I will wear that stuff so I'm not too cold getting onto the bike.  I'll also be spending more time in the water wallowing around so the extra comfort might be nice.

I wasn't planning on wearing socks but if the air temp is cold with wind/rain I will wear them because I hate frozen toes.  I might also think about a long sleeve zip up bike jersey if its really nasty but hopefully I don't need to.

I really hope the wind is not going to be howling.  I've worked so hard for a PR and on paper I figure I have about a ten minute cushion between my optimistic projections based on training times versus my overall goal.  So far this year I've missed 5k PR by three seconds and HM PR by eight seconds.  I'm starting to have nightmares. 

One thing I'd recommend for the most likely cold temps is arm/leg warmers. You can wear them under your wetsuit, so no extra T1 time and they do a great job of keeping your extremities warm. Another thing one of my tri club members advocates is to get some cheapo throw away hand warmers and stuff them under your bike shorts before you start the bike. This will help your legs warm up more quickly. I would also probably grab a pair of gloves with how cold the water temp is. 

It's going to be cold for the beginning of the bike no matter what I think, you just need to have enough on to allow your body to warm up.

OK, now for the really important stuff.

Where are folks going after the race and when?

I've heard Pie Hole mentioned.  Is that official BT base?  I called them and said they could not reserve space and they are rather small but I don't care as long as I have a beer in my hand.  I would defer to Josh for inside knowledge.

Pie hole is delicious but it is TINY. I think they can fit maybe 15-20 people total. I won't be able to attend any post race activities since I've been volunteered to paint my sister in laws new house and it was all I could do to get out of it to go watch the race. I think Table Rock is the best choice IMO. Their food is delicious and they make some of their own beer and there is plenty of seating. It's also right next to T2.

Hi guys,

Well, doc called back and said all blood tests were negative, yey! Why do I feel like total crap then doc? "because you're sick, throat looks awful and glands are swollen" oh, ok. He prescribed me some prednisone for the pain and said if I felt ok by Sat. I could race and wouldn't have any long-term damage. So, that's good news but everytime I get up to walk around it's like I've had 4 or 5 beers except I'm not enjoying it like I would if I drank, go figure. So, the take away is, there's a slim chance if I feel well on Sat. that I do race but the great part is that it's not mono so my whole season isn't shot, I can play later when I feel better at least.

If I don't see you all, have a great race, I really hope the rain stays away and the winds are calm for you.

Patsy

GOOD LUCK!!

Yes YEAH for not being out for the season!

Have you ever done the frozen sock thing??  I did it when I was sick the week before Portland Marathon last fall and was better by the race and PRed!

Get cotton socks wet and stick them in the freeze.  As you go to bed put them on and put wool socks over them.  It's uncomfortable for a few minutes, but I swear by it now.  Somehow everything is dry by morning.

Beer was going to be part of my recovery but now my wife has to fly to Vegas from Boise so I will have to drive home with 13, 12, and 22 month old girls.  How lucky am I.  7+ hours in the car that day.  

But still might put down a few on Saturday night anyways.

Hi guys,

Oh man Spie34, driving home the same day with 3 kids?? You may be worse off than me at that point, hang in there!

So, some interesting antidotes. Well, I am taking Throat Coat which is an herbal tea supposed to help pain and it's non caffeinated which I like for afternoon use. 

Have to say I love, love roasted garlic by the campfire spread on bread, yum but guess I never thought of it as a healing agent, maybe I can roast in oven and try it at home...feel bad for the catchers at race.

Ok now the sock thing does sound a little crazy ha-ha. It's not as appealing as I normally have cold feet and have been suffering from insomnia to start with so that may make sleep more difficult but very interesting, do you have a background story for it, how it came about, you've piqued my curiousity.

My thought for the day: Stay calm and purposeful during transitions.

Patsy