Ironman Wisconsin : Official Thread (Page 20)

I am exceptionally concerned about making the bike cut times. How strict are officials? Is there any wriggle room? The reputation of the difficulty of the bike leg freaks me out. I've trained the best I can around family and work. Not certain it's enough. This is my first IM. One more 100 miler and 20 mile run this weekend and then it's time to rest for the big day!

Looking at the extended weather forecast, it seems as though the consensus so far is that it will be hot for the week leading up to the race followed by a cool down on the weekend (and possible rain and wind)

Not ideal conditions for me though I'd rather have it cooler than hot.

Once second past a cutoff time and it's over. No wiggle-room, unfortunately.

Having said that, what goes up must come down. I had a blast riding the course last weekend and with the exception of one downhill I had to brake on, the rest were really awesome! Got over 40 MPH at one point (super fast for me).

Good luck at the race and with the rest of your training. Others have finished with less training than yourself, I guarantee it!

#2392, getting real!

Hope the gravel is gone from Timber Lane by race day, but there is an upside to it. Last weekend I rode 3 loops and that section forced me to back off a touch which helped legs going up Midtown hill. Though you need to slow going in to that first left, after that you can see where cars have been and if you take a line in their tire tracks there's less gravel, it's worse outside those lines.

I agree with others, take the center line on the hill on Sugarfoot. Some of those potholes could end your day. Here's hoping the County, or IM Corp, does some patching before race day.

Happy taper and good luck to all.

False, Kona is the only race they are strict on cutoff times. All otyher IM's are discretionary by the officials.

Heck I have seen them keep the course open 5-10 minutes past midnight at Madison before to bring in the final finishers, keep the music going, crowd alive, and they usually get the works after the race is over.

I don't know about that. Maybe they're more lax in Wisconsin, but I've worked as a bike catcher in Florida and saw someone just barely miss the bike cutoff. Her day was over then and there.

#2101

Hope everyone's training is going well and happily in their taper!

Does anyone know if there will be a practice swim? I didn't see one on the event schedule and was hoping I just missed it.

Thanks!

There will be lots of people swimming all day and especially in the mornings leading up to the race. There is no "official" practice swim with support. You are on you own until the cannon fires.

. Once Gatorade backed out sponsoring, the supported morning swims have stopped. That's too bad.

key word is discretionary. If they see them and they don't like in good shape they will pull the plug, if they look okay they generally let them go.

I worked as a volunteer racking the bikes after the bike leg last year at Wisconsin and there was no "wiggle" room. I guess I wouldn't plan on having it.

Mike and the spectators will cheer people finishing, but they aren't official finishers...they don't get a finisher's t-shirt or medal. Ironman won't have a truck following people and pull them off the course at midnight. Ironman allows people to cross the finish line on their own if they make the 9:00 2nd loop run cutoff. If Ironman actually allowed people to officially finish after midnight, there would be people with 17:00:00+ finishing times, but I haven't seen any.

I could be completely wrong, but I haven't seen official finishes to the contrary.

Edited by pnelson 2013-08-26 8:51 PM

One way shape or form guys and gals we only have 12 DAYS LEFT!!!! OMG!!!!!! Going nuts here! We plan on going to the banquet dinner Friday night(the wife and I) then on Saturday night we made reservations to eat at "Brococh" it's that Irish pub/eatery across from the capital building. Ate there last year after I got done volunteering and loved their shepherds pie.

Did a 2 hour ride yesterday followed by a 30 minute run all at zone 2 IM "pace" if you wanna call it that. The heat was so stinking ridiculous when I left and when I finished the run. Was 95 while I was on the bike and my thermometer on the bike said it was 107 on the asphalt road I was riding down most of the time. When I left for the run it had gotten up to 97 and it was really hard to stay in zone 2 the last mile or so. Really wish this heat wave we have been under would break and temperatures would drop back down. I am starting to get a little nervous it's either going to be really hot race day or, really stormy/rainy on race day.

Going for a swim workout this morning then the rest of the day is getting treated as a recovery day! Can't wait to hear "Chris Beveroth! You are an IRONMAN!!!"

Yep. Last year I was down at the Capitol and ran the last bit of the course with a woman at 12:02. She was able to go through the finish chute, but when I looked at the official results, she was not listed as an official finisher.

It's getting close, folks, but it is WAY too quiet in here!!

I did a pool swim last night and am okay with it.  I can't wait to do at LEAST one OWS with my wetsuit on before the race.  Yep, I haven't done one all year.  I don't care and am not worried.

I just bought a new swim google kit last night that have a -2.0 "prescription".  They help quite a bit with my eyesight since I'm near-sighted with astigmatism.  Even though the "prescription" is not exactly what I should have, it's better than nothing, and I can see things a little better.  Best investment yet.

Edited by 1stTimeTri 2013-08-27 9:16 AM

I finished my last long ride on Sunday 100.4 mile fast paced ride out to Orient Point and back here out on Long Island. Rode with a group and they really pushed the pace. I was totally not expecting that but it made for a great ride. I was able to follow that up with a 2 mile run. That's it, I started my taper yesterday with a well deserved day off.

I just can't believe that the race is 12 days away. I've totally lost all track of time since the training started and now the reality of doing this has hit home. I'm really looking forward to heading to Madison next week and can't wait to get out there and do this. This is going to be the longest 12 days of my life.

Edited by strikyr 2013-08-27 9:22 AM

I'm with you on that one 1TT. I did my first OWS of the year last week. It was just like I remembered.

I did a 20 mile run Friday morning, a 100 mile bike on Sat., and a 20 mile run on Sunday. Guess what? I trashed my immune system. I got a head cold that is keeping me down for the moment. I am coughing up bisquits. Yum!

The bike is in the shop getting a new front derailer, bottom bracket and aerobar rests. I figured I might need these to be in working order for the race.

Otherwise everything is good.

Taper is mentally tough. I feel like I should be doing more! It's going to be a long 10 days

Question for everyone, what kind of gearing set up is everyone using. I'm using a standard 53/39 on the front and 12/27 on the back wheel. Hope that's enough, I'm a middle of the pack kinda guy and don't plan on attacking the hills.

I have a 53/39, but am sporting an 11-28.  I put it on last year for the first time and really liked it for the course compared to my 12-27.  

Yup....I have the same setup 53/39 and 11-28. Tested it out on the loops a couple of weeks ago and it was fine. Would a compact crank work a little better?....sure.

Got in a decent swim this morning followed by a 51 minute 6 mile nice and easy recovery run. Man it's really gonna get hot out there today...and I have to work tonight in a steel mill....3000 degree steel + triathlete= tired boy.

So sitting here trying to decide if and what all I need to put into bags for the IM. Here is what I have so far.

T1 Bag:
Socks
Shoes
Helmet
Arm warmers (if needed/if I think I will need them will probably already have them on my arm rests on the bike)
Race Belt/#
Not sure if I will really need much else since I plan on going pretty fast through T1 and hopping on the bike quick. I don't like long transitions and also plan to have all my nutrition already on the bike in one way shape or form.

Special needs bag 1:
Spare tire inflator stuff(fix a flat basically since I race tubulars on race day)
Some extra salt pills incase I lose the ones I'll have stashed on my bike.
A few extra gels/other nutrition incase I lose some during the ride.
That's about all I can think of.

I won't have an extra tire in the special needs bag since I am going to have one all bundled up some way shape or form on the back of my bike incase something happens. Guess that's my only flaw for riding tubulars. Here's to no pinch flats though!

T2 Bag:
Running shoes..duh
New pair of socks
Nathan water bottle. Not sure if I will take it with me on the run or not. Depends on how hot/humid it is outside I guess and will a race day decision.
Baggy of salt pills.
Probably a couple gels but I plan on using what's on the course for the most part.
Body glide (in case I feel like re-applying.)

Special needs #2:
Clean/dry pair of socks.
Extra baggy of salt pills incase I go crazy and drop all of mine.
A few gels

Can't think of much else. Any comments/recommendations would be appreciated since this is my first IM. Like I said before I plan on spending as little time as possible in transitions...

I've been training the course on a 50/34 and 12-25. I just changed to 12-27 in the back and noticed the extra gear I have to spin up the hills.

in your T1 bag you might also want sunglasses, gloves and in your T2 you might want a hat or visor. If the sun is out it will be on the horizon and in your eyes during the run and will be blinding when you are heading down State Street.

Great idea about the endurolytes in the bags. in my 2nd IMoo I dropped my baggy somewhere and I started cramping really bad about mile 13. They don't have salt tabs on the course. I am going to be stashing them all over the place.