Ironman Arizona : Official Thread (Page 18)

Originally posted by todds

On a side note, noticed the NBC coverage of Kona will air the Saturday before IMAZ.......good way to get some afternoon rest at the hotel room.....

Originally posted by devilfan02

I did notice we don't have to wear our bib number while on the bike... A small victory

Originally posted by Tryrn



i always thought that was strange.... and only about half of the people wore it anyway

Originally posted by devilfan02

Did my 20 mile long run on Friday morning on the new run course. Wanted to pass along some notes for those who haven't had a chance to see it yet.

First note is make sure to you run on the correct path. I initially thought the run course by TTL was on the flat, dirt path directly next to the lake. Well, there's also a concrete path about 20 yards above the dirt path that is much hillier. The IMAZ run course is on both paths.

Here's some of my observations.

Miles 0-1 - Be careful here. We'll run out of T2 on the concrete path which is hilly the first mile. This will be a difficult stretch as the hills will make not going out too fast that more important.

Miles 1-2 - After a hilly first mile, we'll run under the Rural bridge, then run up a shirt but steep switchback in order to get back to the upper concrete path. Once there, it's dead flat to the 2mile turnaround point.

Miles 2-4.5 - Probably the easiest stretch on the entire run course. We'll turnaround at the 2 mile mark the head west primarily on the dirt path right next to TTL. This entire stretch is basically flat.

Miles 4.5 - 6 - I'll refer to this as the Priest bridge section. When heading west, there's a short ramp to run up in order to get to the bridge. It's not too bad and the bridge itself isn't bad either. Once across the bridge, we'll head east towards the TTL path down a pretty long downhill stretch. All pretty simple...

Miles 6-8 - Pretty straight forward here. Most is along the TTL dirt path which is flat but we'll also run through the marina parking lot. Easy segment.

Mile 8 - In order to get to the turnaround point at mile 8, we'll need to run up a tough section under the 202 freeway. This won't be too tough the first lap but the second lap your legs will feel it.

Miles 8-9 - Not too bad. Some of this is on the upper path which consists of rollers. Run through the parking lot again and down College Ave which is when you'll want to start preparing yourself for Curry Hill

Miles 9-10.5 - Curry Hill! In my opinion, this stretch isn't that difficult and far too many people psych themselves out. Is it a tough hill? Sure, but two-thirds of Curry Hill is actually down hill. Go into this segment mentally prepared for a difficult hill to climb but know that there's a long downhill stretch coming behind it. In fact, after Curry Hill, we'll turn left at Lake View Dr. which is even more downhill than the downhill section of Curry.

Miles 10.5-12 - Return to the TTL path after the Lake View stretch. This is flat until the uphill climb towards the Priest Bridge. I thought this climb was fairly difficult. Run to Rio Salado is flat, if not downhill. This is a good stretch to hydrate and get your HR in-check.

Miles 12-13.1 - You won't realize it at the time but the entire run on Rio Salado is uphill. My HR in the segment started to spike and I thought I was tiring. I returned to normal after turning left and getting back on the flat TTL path.

13.1-14.1 - We'll run through transition which should get everybody excited. Be careful because the hilly stretch immediately after T2 will further escalate your HR. Try and run through this stretch in a calm manner.

Miles 14.1 - 18 - Flat and easy. Really focus on your pace and hydration/nutrition during this stretch because you'll need some left in the tank for the last 4 miles. It's really easy to run too fast on this stretch.

Miles 18-22 - This stretch starts out with the Priest Bridge section which isn't too bad. The run out to the turnaround part is relatively flat other than the climb to the actual turnaround point at roughly mile 21.

Miles 22-24 - Curry Hill. Get over that damn hill for the final time and know that you have a LONG downhill stretch until you get back to the TTL path. This will be tough but you'll have around 1.5 miles to recover.

Miles 24-26.2 - Almost there! The climb to Priest Bridge will be tough on shaky legs. Recover over the next mile until you get to Rio Salado. Rio Salado will be a tough stretch... It's a false flat that will use up your last bit of energy. It will probably also be dark and lonely... Run right past the Hardy Dr turn and you'll only have about a mile left. You'll take a 90 degree turn to the right then approach your final turn to the finish line. One last turn left and BAM, the finish chute will be smack in front of you!

Originally posted by blackorcutt

LONGEST RIDE?

What is your longest/distance ride? And how many times did you do it? Reason I ask is because I am unsure if I should stick to centuries to have that good base or actually go for the 112 or 112+. Thoughts? Advice?

Originally posted by blackorcutt

LONGEST RIDE?

What is your longest/distance ride? And how many times did you do it? Reason I ask is because I am unsure if I should stick to centuries to have that good base or actually go for the 112 or 112+. Thoughts? Advice?

Originally posted by siouxcityhawk

I have been basing mine on time rather than distance.  Mainly because where I live there can be significant hills / wind / traffic etc that all impact the total distance so I want to make sure I'm putting in enough time.

For example, I may have schedule a 5 hour ride.  This could sometimes be over 100 miles or even under 80 depending on conditions.

Left on my schedule is about 3 5+ hour rides. 

Just my $0.02

Originally posted by thepaul500

How about a 5 hr ride with 3 at race pace???? Best of both worlds! Got a few more weeks to peak still.

Anyone have a link to past few years temps and what to expect? I've seen some mention of it on here, and looking at the averages has me a little worried. Water temp will be fine no matter what pretty much, two swim caps if needed but otherwise perfect!

More worried about the bike....travelling all the way from Missouri, so I'll be bringing two of about everything anyways, but just want to hear some thoughts.

Currently, I'm think long sleeve under armor heatgear compression top over a singlet if the temps are in the 40's or 50's in the AM. Have it all on under the wetsuit for a quick T1. Would give both sun protection and some protection from the cold. If it gets too hot on later laps can always dump some water.

Thoughts? Past experiences? Etc?

Originally posted by thepaul500


Anyone have a link to past few years temps and what to expect? I've seen some mention of it on here, and looking at the averages has me a little worried. Water temp will be fine no matter what pretty much, two swim caps if needed but otherwise perfect!

More worried about the bike....travelling all the way from Missouri, so I'll be bringing two of about everything anyways, but just want to hear some thoughts.

Currently, I'm think long sleeve under armor heatgear compression top over a singlet if the temps are in the 40's or 50's in the AM. Have it all on under the wetsuit for a quick T1. Would give both sun protection and some protection from the cold. If it gets too hot on later laps can always dump some water.

Thoughts? Past experiences? Etc?