Vineman Full Ironman : Official Thread (Page 2)

Will you extend the offer to some out-of-town BT'ers when they come to the race?  (Please??) 

Let's do it!!

I read a little bit of your blog... you have a very entertaining writing style!

Thanks for the encouragmenet. My mind tends to wander while I'm training and my blog is a way to capture some of that. The writing process helps me clarify those crazy thoughts and I also tend to crack myself up when it is in written form. Hopefully it is fun and encouraging for others as well.

I'm a new dad, and I find your blog great!  Nice to see like minded people!

How's the training going with having a baby? Must be pretty demanding between your business and family. Triathlon really brings some sanity and insanity to my life. Look forward to meeting you at Vineman & best of luck with your training.

Yeah, it's kind of crazy these days.  It's all about getting up early and getting the training in before the rest of the sane world get's up.  This is the first Tri-training I've done, and as you know, there's a lot to learn, and a lot to do.  The training get's me through the days and the goal get's me out of bed!

I'm glad we have this thread to help me through my training. Every little bit helps.  Good luck with your training as well.

I want to make sure everyone knows that Vineman has a really neat deal where 3 people can join for the price of 2! Here's the link that explains it!!

http://www.vineman.com/latestnews/news-id30.htm

Edited by ironjim 2011-01-19 7:16 PM

Just signed up for Full Vineman. It will be my first IM distance and my coach tells me that I couldn't have picked a better first race than Vineman. I will be driving my RV up for the race and if anyone can give me a suggestion for RV spots near the race I would appreciate it.

Great article on fluid replacement

http://www.aimsworldrunning.org/guidelines_fluid_replacement.htm

I booked a room at Extended Stay America in Santa Rosa.  It's for the budget minded folks obviously.  Right now it's $105 for a room with 2 beds.  It's cancellable up to the day before the booking I think.

If you book through Hotels.com, it's $155 / night.

Thanks for the info.  I'm going to have to call and book a room before it fills up!

Hi gang I have singed up for Vineman full as well.  I am coming back from a broken colar bone with a nifty new metal plate on it in 9/10.   Between the break and some torn muscles I had 3 months off 8( and lost oh so much fitness.  I did Vineman in 09 and CDA in 10.  I have Boston in April and don't like having the mary so close to the IM, but not going to turn down my qualification for the Boston marathon. 

Things to keep in mind when training....

It may be hot, like 96 F hot.  So train in heat if you can to acclimate.  The heat is not too bad for most of the bike, but will hit you on the run.  Do not drink too much water or you will slosh and get side aches, do put cold water on your shirt, etc at each aid station, do not put ice in your hat!  You will get the frosty freeze headache of your life and it may take you an hour to recover. 

The swim is great, it is in a river so you can't get too far off course, basically no current and for the weak swimmers, you can stand up and rest it is only 4 foot deep in most places.  The temp of the water is typically just cool enough that you can wear a wetsuit.  (2 laps wave start by age/gender).  If family is driving you to the swim start you need to get there early for parking. 

The bike, rolling hills with 1 big hill around mile 50, 2 loops so you get to hit it twice.  It is not bad on the first loop, but on the second loop it is harder.  The rolling hills will wear you down and the wind will pick up on the 2nd lap.  Very important, between mile 7 and 18 (I forget exactly) there is a stretch of road where the pavement between the right lane and the left lane doesn't quite meet up nicely.  There is a half to 1 inch gap that if you cross over to the double yellow line when passing you will pinch your front tire in the pavement and go over the top of your handlebars.  Unless they fixed it this year.  Just don't cross that double yellow, it is not worth it.  Also there is a very sharp corner about 4 miles into the bike, you turn off the main road to your right, go down a hill and corner sharply to the left.  GO SLOW.  There are only 2 sharp corners on this course and that is one of them.  (there are some not gentle corners that are marked , but nothing special besides those 2).  The other sharp corner is around mile 53 maybe after dropping down the long descent after the big hill.  It is a T intersection so you just have to be aware and slow down enough to make that left, it is not much of an issue.  

On the run, you have the heat to deal with, just keep wet and don't overdrink.  It is 3 loops with 1 minor uphill and one more significant hill around mile 6 ish.  The hill will be fine for lap one, will be not so much fun on lap 2 and will be "challenging" on lap 3.  It is not super long, but adds an element of suck it up to the run.  They only mark about every 3 miles so if you have a garmin, use it on the run.  

The entire race is very well supported, however it is a point to point event, so you swim at point 1 drop your bike off at point 2 and then end the run at the bike transition.

For those with family the 1st loop of the bike does not go by T2/T3.  Family needs to walk over a few blocks to see you on the first lap of the bike.  

Also, the time cut off is 16 hours not 17.  Plan accordingly. 

Feel free to ask any questions. 

I am cheap so my family just camps for like $20 a night or so.  

Currently I am running 40 miles a week biking 50-60 and swimming 4000 yards.  I won't be able to pick up the bike and swim much until after Boston.  Not nearly as much time to transition over as I would have liked and we will see how the shoulder comes along, not close to 100 percent yet and it affects the swim a lot.  I am soooo slow in the water atm.   

Edited by Baowolf 2011-01-28 11:34 AM

Thanks for the helpful post. Training for heat right now is kind of a problem.

Any advice for good places for family to go to watch on the bike and run? Also, do you know if they have a way for people to follow progress online?

Thanks again and best of luck in Boston.

It only takes about 2-3 weeks to get heat acclimated so ya the 25F temps won't help much with that at the moment.  You don't really have to worry about it until late June though. 


Hrm 2 years ago they didn't have a way to follow athletes online.  The run you can watch anywhere near t2/t3 so you are not too far from the finish line (at t2/t3).  The run is 3 loops so they get to see you 3x.  The bike loop for loop 1 goes a few blocks away.  So my family missed me on the first lap of the bike.  I always provide my wife with time guestimates for when I will pass where they are going to be.  I am usually within 5-10 minutes of pace or they can adjust.  If the first 8 miles was at a 9 mpm pace, then I will be back by in 72 minutes.  If they walk up a mile on the run they can see you twice per lap and then mosey back to the finish line for the last lap.  They can bring a chair and just haing on the grassey area next to the road in the shade.   

Edited by Baowolf 2011-01-28 12:51 PM

Great info!  Thanks

Racing this one again in 2011, I have some unfinished business from 2010 to take care of!

The bike course for Vineman is easier than the CDA bike course.  Don't get me wrong the smaller rollers will eventually wear you down some, but Vineman only has one of those nasty hills.  In CDA they just kept  comming. I would turn to the cyclist next to me and say... how many more of these puppies do we have left?  The Vineman hill is kind of like that one coming up from the lake in CDA.   I don't think it gets more than a 10 percent grade, but it is long enough that on the 2nd lap at mile 100 ish I was up out of the saddle.  On the first lap I was able to stay in aero and just crank up it.  Although the thought of it stays on your mind for 50 miles. 

Oh another thought, there is a set of railroad tracks or two at that small town maybe 35 miles into the bike.. so keep that in mind when you decide on how to secure your waterbottles.  I saw a number of them launched and some folks did flat on the road or the rairoad tracks.  I would bring 2 tubes and 2 air cartridges.  I didn't flat personally, meh maybe it is just something is gona happen to someone on any 112 mile ride. 

If you had a solid CDA ride you should be fine. 

Thanks for all the info, Baowolf! This will be my first full distance "ironman" race, and I'm really stoked about it.