Ironman Florida : Official Thread (Page 29)

I'm back in the swing of training but still struggling with some consistency...lots going on with husband, parents, 5 kids one just graduated from college and moved back home and one leaving for Air Force end of the month.

I haven't run since May 7th....need to start doing some fast walking training. I won't be running November 5th and hope with swim/bike I should have 8.5 hours to walk the Mary if my knee is okay.

Training numbers are pathetic compared to first 3 IMs but this is what I could do....

Started the month off good. 106 mi bike ride today followed by a 40 min run. Wouldn't have been so bad but it was with the fast guys with a bunch of bridge repeats. I am OK for the first 60 mi but then the speed just wears me out. I barely hang on for the last 50 miles. I mean we are going faster than I usually go in our weekly time trial.  Yea I am usually drafting but Ugh!  Gonna make me stronger though right?

And Gregg, I am right there with you.  Think I am doing good but then see the miles some of these people are putting in.  Yow.  But I trust my coach.  I want to peak in November and not get hurt along the way.  Seriously I need to get to the start healthy, that's my goal.  At 54 my plan differs from some of the younger folks.  I actually get a day off

enjoy,

Duane

What are ya'll doing AFTER IMFL? (as far as training and racing)

I think, I'm more worried about what to do after the race than the race itself.  I'm prone to post-race blues and really need something to look forward to afterward.  I just want to run and run and run!  This past spring I did my first Ulra and hope to do another shortly after IMFL.

Looks like some of you do back to back long distance races.  Could those of you with IM experience speak to the recovery time? 

I know this is very individual, but I'm wondering if in general your IM endurance level stays with you for awhile after the race, thus being able to fall right into Ultra training; or does it tear you up too much to take on another distance race too soon afterward? 

There is a 100K on January 14, but I'm not sure if that is too much too soon, or if my endurance will still be up enough to take it on providing I can work in  some back to back long run weekends in December.

First IM took longest to recover from. Didn't feel good for 3.5 months in part because I tried to keep on training without being fully recovered.

Have you done lots of endurance events? How have you recovered from them? How long have you been an endurance athlete?

From what I gather most folks recover better more of the events they have done and the better trained they are going into IM and with more years of being an endurance athlete....plus some is just how you are.

For me if I was healthy and able to run, doubt I would be good to go for 100K little over two months later.

If you look at training volume, taper and recovery. IM puts about 6 week hole in training (2 taper & 4 recovery), then when yo get back to training you need to build up fitness again as you will lose some during that 6 week hole. How much will vary by individual. Most coaches don't have you run post IM for maybe 10 days but more likely 14.

Kathy - Thank you for the candid response.  That's what I needed to hear.  I really don't have much experience, which is why I'm asking. 

I'm 2.5 years off the couch (couch-to-5K program).  I'm not sure what distance qualifies as "endurance" but I've done a few Halfs which I've recovered well from.  And I've done one marathon which I naively followed up with a technically difficult 50K trail run 3 weeks later.  But I loved the ultra trail run and can't wait to do it again.

There are some trail races in March and April; perhaps I should set my sights there instead of the earlier one.  It's hard not to get overly ambitious in this sport.  I just don't want to feel sad when IMFL is over.

Thank you tropical storm Lee for moving my 13.5 mile run indoors to the treadmill today!  Wow, that was fun.  Three shows on the TVs (should have changed before I started):  National drag racing championships, some beauty secrets formula with Cindy Crawford, and US Open tennis.  I'm not sure any of them held my attention very long.  Wound up watching Nadal and he got me through.  Ran an easy pace and maintaned a HR < 140.

On a side note, watched "Running the Sahara" on netflix on the bike trainer last night.  Pretty cool documentary.  I can't believe those three dudes ran 4700 miles from Senegal to Egypt - straight.  It was like 127 marathons over 110 days.  Inspiring.  Wish I had that to watch while indoors at the Y today.  Ill never complain at mile 13 again.

For folks who've done this race before -- where would you recommend sending spectators to try to catch a glimpse during the bike portion? 

Is it better to point folks toward the 77/388 intersection? Or send them a bit farther out and have them at the start of the 388/Blue Springs Rd out-back section? 

Any estimates of real-world drive times? Looks like google says ~20 miles (30min) for the 77/388 option and ~30 miles (45 min) for the 388/Blue Springs option. Not sure what race day traffic does to those times - or if those spots get too crowded to be a good option. 

Thanks in advance for any pointers! 

My husband and family came out on the course last year and when I was spectating I have as well.

If you look at the course map, best way to get out to bike course is to avoid the course in town, by going West and take 77 or 75 and come out to the loop or out and back section near Blue Springs Road. Other good location to watch is the out and back towards the end of the course. They could drive past the airport on 388 go north on 79 and park then walk over to the start of out and back on Steelfield road. Issue is they will have a hard time getting back to T2 in time to see you get off the bike and onto the run.

Key for safety is to stay off the bike course as much as possible. Some roads are one lane each way with shoulder. Others are two lane with shoulder.  A few are narrow roads with no shoulders which are more dangerous.

The turn from 77 to 388 gets way backed up as bikers are making left hand turn. So 77 get blocked up pretty badly even though it is wide road.

Thanks - appreciate the info. I would like to have them avoid crossing over the course if possible, so it sounds like the Blue Springs area is the way to go. I wouldn't have thought about the traffic back-up on 77 near 388...makes perfect sense though. Rental place is north-east of the host hotel/transition area, so escaping that direction should be possible. 

Trying to get them in position to try to catch glimpses of 3 folks with possibly really different times should be a fun planning exercise! 

Feeling good - though the plan now increases the weekend ride times/distances & bricks. Think I have the nutrition for the day figured out but need one more long day to be sure. Swim looks low, but I substituted plenty of solid hurricane swell surf sessions  

August's totals:
Bike: 33h 52m 38s - 636.48 Mi
Run: 14h 02m - 97.8 Mi
Swim: 5h 25m - 18650 Yd
Surfing: 8h 00m

Spent the last week at the beach and used it as a training bootcamp. 5 days of riding including my first 100 miler which went pretty well!  Solid running as well with a 16 miler and a speedy 6 miles the day after the 100 miler.  Feeling better with the wind and staying in aero for an extended period of time, got in a short ocean swim session as well.

Planning a 2 mile ocean swim race this coming weekend and another 100 miler right after...feeling much more confident about the race in 2 short months!!!

Thinking about hitting PCB the weekend of September 23-25 to do the full bike course and at least part of the run course.  Let me know if anyone is interested in joining or if others will be there that I can latch onto. 

Totals for August:

Swim:  36,650 Yds  - 15:00 hrs

Bike:  463 Miles - 25:45 hrs

Run:  82.5 Miles - 13.5 hrs

I'm not sure when they resort filled up, but we made our reservations within minutes of signing up for IMFL online. We didn't want to take any chances.

Overall I am pleased with my totals. I did really wanted to hit 500 miles on the bike, but I took a vacation late in the month. I ran pretty much everyday on vacation, but I didn't have my bike so I missed out on the 500 miles.

However, I started this month out with a 100 miler.

I increased my run mileage. I can feel a huge difference in my strength and endurance since adding another run each week.

Thank you. How long did it last the online IMFL registering?

I think IMFL sold out in 3 or 4 hours. I was on a computer and my wife was on another right at noon. She's not doing IMFL but we figured it doubled my chances being on 2 computers. It took her about 10 minutes to finally get me signed up.

I have heard in past years it only stays open for a few minutes...but I don't know from personal experience since this was my first year signing up.

Last few years it has varied how long it stays open from few hours to more than a day. I don't recall it ever selling out in minutes like some IM races do.

Last year I considered skipping signing up in person and just wait for it to go on line despite being in PCB.

Booked our condo today....and actually found a unit at Boardwalk Beach Resort which will save on walking around before and after the race...sounds odd to say that with plan of doing IM.

Big week of training for me....6 bikes and 4 swims. I've been walking and yesterday even ran twice for maybe 30" to see if my knee could handle a little running.

I looked up the cut off times from last year's athlete guide...

First loop of swim 8:15
Full swim 9:20
Exit T1 9:35
88 miles into bike 4pm
100 miles into bike 4:45
Finish bike 5:30?
First loop of run 9pm
18.75 miles of run which is entrance to state park 10:30

I plan on watching IMWI this weekend...always motivational and I know many folks racing it this weekend.

Thank you for your info.

I was considering going myself from Houston to PCB to volunteer and secure a spot, but finally I will make 1/2 IM at Lake Conroe that weekend, and I was wondering if spots are available online (it says will be if they don't sell out), and for how long. So anyway I will have to ask someone to do it for me online. 

Another question: transfer and deferrals not permitted. Can someone in PCB sign me up? (I understand transfer as someone signed in not able to later bring that spot to another person, but what about sign in on-site for another person, is that allowed?)

You can only register yourself at on-site registration. They ask for ID and use that to enter your information.

Years ago you could register yourself and one other person at IM races up until 2007 so you may have heard about about that from the past.

You will get in on line if you get on line when it opens or have someone do it for you.

Last year IMAZ sold out very quickly and appeared to take a lot of folks who in past would have gone to IMFL since they are in a couple of weeks of each other.

Just don't do what I did, try signing up at noon ET.  I was an hour early   Wondered why it didn't work.  I was getting really frustrated.  But at exactly 1pm ET I got in. 

Now Active.com, that is another story.  took 3 tries to get through that as it kept timing out.  This was after I put in my credit card information but I was only charged once.

enjoy,

Duane