Timberman - Half Iron : Official Thread (Page 3)

Hi,

I'm in for my first HIM!! A bit nervous about the distance of all three disciplines. I just finished my first marathon three weeks ago--NYC!! I have completed several sprints over the past three seasons and one Oly. I will again do the NJ state Oly distance as a tune-up for Timberman. I would love to hear from all of you about what plan you are using to prepare yourself for the distance. I'm wondering if I should "purchase" a plan or just use a free online plan. I just bought a trainer and will be doing trainer rides and spin classes throughout the winter.

Denise

Denise-
Welcome.  You will be great. 
~Sam

Keith had emailed me a while back in response to me asking him about the kids race.  I believe his original website (before it went to the ironman format) said they were having a non competitive obstacle course for the kids.  In his email he said that details would follow at some point.  That would be a blast for the kids I think.  

I had read that the NJ Tri was way crowded since they had the sprint and oly participants on the course at the same time.  I am about 80% sure I will do that one.   

thanks. I did know about the Camp. I was hoping that she would want to be around with my husband to watch me cross the finish line, and hopefully see me somewhere else on the course. By the time Timberman rolls around, though, we will most likely have a 16 month old that we are adopting from Russia. So it will make it a little harder on my husband for logistics... We shall see.

Ha Thanks Steve! I can't wait to get back out and swim! Last year the ice was off by late April...there was still some on the shore you had to step over, but it wasn't so bad once you got in...ha what is wrong with me? I am going for a swim tomorrow - I need to get Turkey Day stuff and I figure I might as well go early, grab some much needed laps, and then fight the crowds...

Hey Denise,

Welcome, and congrats on your NYC marathon finish!

I am sure the folks on this forum will fill you in on all kind of great tips for training. This is my first HIM too, but I have found that The Triathlete's Training Bible is really good. It explains how to organize your training based on you rather than being put into a box with a general plan (nothing wrong with a general plan, I personally like this better.)...but it is a bit technical, I honestly haven't gotten through it yet, but I find myself going back time and time again, each time being drawn in more, and tightening up my plan some more.

I haven't gotten much more organized than that at this point, but there are a ton of free plans on this site, trinewbies.com and others also have some free plans you could check.

Check out www.GoTRIbalnow.com - you will get some great advice & support there too. Between this Beginner Triathlete and Go TRIbal, I get most of my info. Good luck, and keep us posted!

Onward and Upward!

Mandy

Denise -

First, congrats on doing NYC -- and surviving its thundering hordes! You sure know how to do things up right first time around, huh?

Second, one of the good things about starting thinking about stuff now is that you have loads and loads of time to forage through plans and find one that seems like it will work for you. This means that you can explore all of the free ones, and if none of those seem appropriate, then you can try the purchasable ones.

None of the plans will actually kick into specific HIM gear for several months -- other than that most will assume that you are into a Base Phase of your training at the moment (or soon). Mandy mentioned the Triathlete's Training Bible (Joe Friel; Velo Press), and if you haven't found this yet it is a great place to start. It will explain fully the concepts of Periodization, which will lead you through the off-season.

Another good source, also from Velo Press, is "The Perfect Distance" (Tom Rodgers), which is geared to the half-iron. It includes three broad plans, along with countless other valuable bits of information.

Finally, as for being nervous about the three distances......it at least is good to respect them! You've got the run distance in line with the NYC experience, and speaking of experience, you are at least coming into Timberman with a few seasons and several races under your belt - this is good!! So, realistically, you now have a whopping nine months - a full gestation period! - to work on building those distances in the swim and on the bike, and working at it diligently WILL get you there --- with time and distance to spare, I am sure!

Denise-

Steve and Mandy have provided some great advice.  The only thing I concerned myself with for my first HIM was being able to complete the distances.  Of course I think this is the minimum and greater detail can be found within the sources previously mentioned by Steve and Mandy.
Great to have you along.

By the way, I love it that those of you looking at the NJ triathlon are saying things like, "I've heard complaints about it being too crowded...I'm in."  Isn't that like saying, "This tastes awful...try it"? 
I'm not saying the event is awful or that you shouldn't do it, but it's just funny that a negative is followed by an enthusiastic, "I'm in!"
I think that's how the Hawaii Ironman got its start though.  "Dude, that's redonkulous...I'm in!"
Now we're all redonkulous and diggin' it.

Peace,
~Sam

Sam-I just re-read what I wrote about the NJ tri and realize how funny it sounded. What I meant is that last year the big complaint from what I read was that it was crazy crowded because they had the sprint and the oly on the same day/same course and it got way too crowded. So to fix that next year, they are hold the sprint on Saturday and the Oly on Sunday. I don't know how much this will help but its got to help some... Aside from that it sounds like a well run race, and it is fresh water which I prefer over salt water (ie Jellyfish!!)

elbi and Sam -

Even Timberman got its start similarly. Its first year, '01, had both events the same day, with the sprint start being about an hour before the half-iron start. I'm not sure how long Keith kept it like that before he split the two races intto separate days, but by the time I returned in '04 they were split.

As for chaotic multi-race days, see my post below, soon to follow!

elbi and Sam again -

The local race series up here (Ottawa, ON) is run by wonderful people whose mandate is something like "Events for everybody". To this end, they "stack" races like you wouldn't believe, with the best example being The Canadian, which usually falls on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Here is what is offered:

- Iron triathlon
- Iron duathlon
- Iron tri or du relay
- Iron swim/cycle
- Half iron tri
- Half iron du
- Half iron tri or du relay
- Half iron swim/cycle
- Sprint tri
- Sprint du
- Sprint tri or du relay
- Canoe tri (paddle replaces swim)
- Kayak tri (ditto)
- Try-a-Tri
- Super-sprint Tri

Needless to say, the transition zone is a bit nuts, and the flow of athletes* is a sight to behold, but matters are helped by an early start to the iron, then the half about 90 minutes later, and the other events later still. The website is www.somersault.ca, and you can see that they take this approach (with variations) to all eleven or twelve of their events during the season. It's never so simple as Just One Race------bless thier hearts!

*Last year it was about 1100 total.

Steve & elbi-

Elbi- I might have misread your e-mail, but I understand now.  I'm sure it will be much better.

Steve-  All those events in one!  Wow!!!

Sam - awesome plan! I like it! Anyone else have their 2010 season semi-planned?

Here is what I am looking at:
May - Polar Bear Tri (sprint)
- Sugarloaf Marathon 26.2
June - Pirate Tri (Sprint)
July - Lobster Ride and Roll (Cycling event - I am thinking Centry Ride right now, but may opt for the 50 depending on how I am feeling...)
August - TIMBERMAN 70.3!! WHOOT WHOOT
Sept - Lobsterman (Oly dist tri)...maybe

Hey if we are this excited now, imagine when the event is like a month away...

Crank on,

Mandy

Steve, I checked out that website - that is amazing!! I can't believe all the events. Sounds like fun though!

Mandy-
In July, do the century.  Take your time, enjoy the day, and you'll be amazed at the confidence it will give you for other longer rides.
Peace,
~Sam

Those look like some great plans.  Here's mine:

Feb 28th - Hyannis Half Mary
May 9th - NE Season Opener sprint
June 5th - Mooseman OLY
June 19th - Harpoon B2B (150 mile bike ride from Boston, MA to Windsor, VT)
July 18th - AppleMAN Sprint
August 8th - Lowell YMCA OLY
August 22nd - Timberman HIM
August 29th- Cranberry Oly (the week after, I know...it's my clubs team championship so I'll struggle through it)
September 11th - Hyannis Sprint
October 30th - NYC Marathon (maybe, we'll see...depends on how I feel about ramping up for another big race after Cranberry)

Edited by Brownie28 2009-11-24 8:20 PM

Nothing is carved in stone for me, including Timberman, which depends on whether or not I decide to do IMLouisville. But with the latter looking less likely....

May 23 - Columbia (MD) - olympic
June 5/6 - Mooseman (NH) - international or half-iron, haven't decided
June 26 - Tupper Lake short (NY) - a sprint/oly "hybrid"
July 11 - Musselman (NY) - half iron
Aug. 7 - Fronhofer Tool (NY) - olympic
Aug. 22 - Timberman !!!!

Beyond that? Some combo of....
Sept. 12 - Rev 3 Cedar Point (OH) full iron
Sept. 19 - Lake George (NY) - oly
Oct. 3/4 - a half-iron, wither MightyMan Montauk (NY) or Half Full (MD)....or maybe the Halfmax Championship at Myrtle Beach

And before all the above, if I can swing it there will be a trip to LA and TX that might include New Orleans 70.3 on April 18, or one of the Lonestar events - either the oly on April 24 or 70.3 on the 25th.

And if I get injured at some point..........

if you do decide to do NYC, your gonna get an extra week....its actually on Nov 7th next year.

tentatively, im looking like this next year:

1/25/10: NYRR Manhattan Half Marathon
2/27/10: Colchester Half Marathon
3/21/10: NYC Half Marathon (if I can get in via lottery)
4/26/10: Bronx Biathlon
5/23/10: Dutchess Triathlon
6/6/10: Mooseman 70.3
8/7/10: Fronhofer Tool Triathlon
8/22/10: Timberman 70.3
11/07/10: NYC Marathon

running is my weakness, hence the 3 half marathons in the first quarter of the year.

Cool, good to know, thanks!

Timberman is the only race I have registered for so far, but like Mandy, I will probably do the PolarBear(the duathlon though), Pirate Tri, and Lobsterman(for the fifth year in a row!)

2010 will be my second tri season, I am moving from sprints to mid distance. Any suggestion on where to stay, which of the hotels listed on this site is closest to the event?

5/23 Ironclad sprint LI
6/5 Rev 3 Quassy Oly
8/22 Timberman 70.3


Based on those I will schedule other events around them. I'd like to find a HIM distance aquabike to do in July, any suggestions?
Perhaps an IM distance aquabike in September, any suggestions? I'm in NY and don't mind traveling a bit for a good event.