Ironman 70.3 California : Official Thread (Page 3)

There is a thread for people doing that plan. I don't know how active it will be over the winter as ours is one of the early races.  Of course, there are always the people down-under who are beginning their season. HIM training thread

ETA: NM I see your post in there.

Pretty much sold out on schedule, around September-ish

Hi there,

Any clue how Oceanside race compares to Vineman 70.3 in terms of quality of the event, atmosphere, organization? I figure Oceanside is no doubts more difficult swim and bike course, but I'm wondering which event is simply higher quality.

Thanks!

KKr

Ditto on the above, just make sure you know the run course.  It changed last year and there were some new corners and turns that weren't fully manned early on.  a good friend missed the last turn and may have missed a kona slot (unlikely, but it was close).

Looks like Oceanside is going to be my early season warmup for IM Canda in Whistler

That's awesome!

How's training going for everyone? I've been able to hit most of my bike and run sessions but the pool has been closed a lot this month so my swimming is lacking (not that I'm upset about missing 6:00 swims)

Thanks akrenik, appreciated.

brds,

KKr

Starting my Base prep for this race today!!  Very Excited!  I have an injured rotator cuff so I won't be swimming for a few more weeks but just being back on a schedule is exciting.

I look forward to interacting with some of you that have done this race before- this type of forum definitely helped me finish IMSG this year...

Best!

For anyone interested in training some hills prior to this race there are a couple of us from the site who will be competing that are riding this Sunday at Griffith Park area.  This is going to be an ongoing training ride either in GP or in Palos Verdes so if you would be interested in joining send me a message.

Started my official training today.  Went on a 4 mile run and 60 minutes of spinning in my basement.  It is pretty cold up here and we have about 8 inches of snow on the ground in western Pennsylvania so that will be somewhat challenging for my biking and open water swims during the next few weeks.  I am so looking forward to getting back to southern California.  This will be my 3rd time doing this race.  I was a Marine at Camp Pendleton back in the mid 1980's and just love returning to the energy of California and especially San Diego.  

Good luck in your training mates! 

Took most of December off, mostly for a bit of tendonitis, partly because I hadn't really done any unstructured training in a while.  Seems to have resolved, got back in the groove this week with a couple runs and a 60 miler on Saturday.  Starting with a coach on Monday, we'll see how that goes. 

Looking forward to seeing what my potential is this year.  Saw big improvements last year after losing 30#, and plan on racing O Side 15# lighter again.

Fourth time for this race.  Great race to open the season.

Anyone  who has competed at the Oceanside 70.3 that can comment on how the hills compare to either the San Diego Classic Olympic hill, or the hills on the 56 bike trail?

I'm trying to calibrate the steepness of the steepest hill to see if my training is correct...

The only HIM I've done before was flatter....

Paul

Sorry, I see the hills question lingering, done the course 4X, but never those SD rides so can't compare

11 weeks.  sh*t! 

*shudder*

No kidding...  I really need to ramp up the training.  I got sick over New Years and now we're currently going through record low temps in Phoenix.  It's been in the 20's the last three mornings at 8am!

Yup!  Hills!  Whoever wants to practice, come train with me Saturday mornings!  As of right now, I ride through some flats, false flats, and small rolling hills for about 25-30 miles before hitting some long grades that range between 5-10% about 3-4 miles long around the Griffith Park Observatory.  Total mileage about 50-55 miles.

Man, I'm so screwed on the cycle.  I never anticipated it would take me so long to build up speed.  I started last June and figured I would have enough time to train to get faster. >_<  I seem to just be stuck going the same 13 mph all the time.  Group training has been brutal since I kept getting left behind and everyone has to wait for me (they've been very nice, but I know I'm slowing them down!)  Now I'm stuck indoors on the trainer during the week thanks to daylight savings.  Looks like it's cycle focus the last weeks here leading up to the race to try to do a longer steadier hills on weekends.  The only decent hill I've found here is a 2 mile hill that goes up 520 feet in Newport Coast Drive.  The only problem is that there's no good long course leading up to the hill that doesn't involve traffic plus no bike lanes in some form (And I do not need to get hit by a car aggro'ing me while riding a sharrow in Corona Del Mar -_-  I only ride no bike lanes when I'm in a large group.)

Do I have to sell my future first born for some upgrade components and tires to gain speed?  *Should* I?

Anyone know anything that's more like the race course around here that won't get me arrested by the MP? XD  The old 101 preview is just the flat flat part so that doesn't help me much (I have *plenty* of flat course here on the OC.)

LOL, at least I'm pretty confidant I'll finish the swim part XD  If I survive the bike cutoff, the run will be no problem at all.

What kind of tires do you have on your bike right now?   You don't need anything special really, just more time on the saddle.  That will make the most difference.  Training > Fancy equipment... 

What kind of workouts are you doing on the trainer?

Based on your logs, your bike mileage seems a bit low right now.  Come cycle with me and practice long grades at Griffith Park!!! 

I hear ya. Cold in NM too! Hard to get out there and run! And 2.5 hours on the drainer? BRUTAL!

Bike course preview - In years past I've sent this out, as I didn't write it, but it's old enough now, what the heck.  Note it's from 2006 so the end is not accurate (ETA actually it doesn't really talk about the finish), and the Las Pulgas turnaround seemed to be a bit shorter in 2012, with the new finish.  Everything else is IMO spot on

One thing about the new finish, is the no pass zone on the ocean front walk, make sure you get properly positioned, i.e., not behind someone going significantly slower than you.  Then, you turn left and go up a short but steep hill, then turn right to transition.  That little hill can take you by surprise if you are not ready for it.

IMO the hardest part of the course is the long false flat through Camp P after the first big descent and then the left hand turn, before the second climb.  It's a mindf**k

Camp P. presents a challenging course. There is quite a bit of wind to consider early as you ride up the coast and out to Christianitos where you turn inland. As well, there are some extended false flats. Once inland, three short climbs and three sets of rollers highlight the backside of the course. A usually solid head wind along with slight inclines, mark the trip back to T2 from near the mile 48 mark and your final return along Vandegrift.

Within the first 2 miles of leaving T1 you will turn left onto Stuart Mesa. This is a 500-600 meter climb. This is the perfect spot to begin your mental efforts to control your early intensity. There will be lots of athletes with high HRs out of the water on this hill and you'll hear heavy breathing and see athletes firing up this section. I recommend keeping things controlled at this point. I get into an easier gear and spin up with a high cadence. 

At the top of the hill you begin the flat to rolling to gentle incline section up the coast. The wind will probably be in your face or coming across from the left and the ocean. The next 20 miles are generally slower than most would like them to be as there are some false flats. Be prepared for this. I would consciously control your efforts until you are up to Christianitos Road. Trying to maintain a previously determined average pace into a cross/headwind and up a false flat will make the last 34 miles of the course, and the run, more difficult for many athletes. Use your HR and wattage caps as a governor, not your speed.

At mile 10 (on base and about half way up to Christianitos where we turn inland) there is an out and back. As you turn right and ‘out’ the winds at your back will help push you along. Things can get quite a bit faster on this stretch, even with consistent efforts. Tuyrn around and get the headwinds. You’ll be out and back in 20min. So, somewhere around 50min you resume heading up the coast. At this point there is a short steep roller. Control efforts in an easier gear. Then, you leave the base on a short steep descent. At the bottom of the hill is a 90 degree right hand turn that may have loose gravel and sand. Navigate carefully.

You will proceed up the coast on an extended false flat. It is a 2% incline into the wind. Average speed drops if you are smart. Then we ride some faster flatter miles of state park, past the San Onofre power plant, over a couple of short rollers and up a surprisingly steep bike path to Cristianitos Road.

If you have gotten this far and are feeling good after controlling urges to burn up your legs, you are well on your way to a good split. At the top of that path more than a few riders will wish their status were different. Ride time to this point will be about 1:10 to 1:15. That’s about 22 miles.

As we turn inland (right) on Cristianitos, after a short incline, the rollers are such that a fairly strong cyclist can stay aero and really move along quite well. There will be bike traffic and slower riders to navigate who have gone out to hard. Keep an eye out for the inexperienced riders from here to T2 as past accidents have occurred in these areas.

Just past half way into the course you re-enter the base at the end of Christianitos. Turn right over a short roller and into some fast flats leading up to the first climb. The first climb is the steepest climb and is about .6 of a mile long or 1k. This is at about mile 30 or 31. It’s pretty steep. Get into your easiest gear (a 39/27 for me), control your power and HR at pre-race targets, and then work over the very top and early descent. I drop my HR as I descend the backside.

There are a series of rollers over the next 4-5 miles before climb number two. Be careful not to expend too much energy here. The second climb is close to a mile (1.6k) in length if you count the slight incline leading to the meat of it. Not as steep as the first but slightly longer. Over the top you’ll descend some steeper hills that require paying attention to bumps, some potholes, slower riders and sharp turns. Then, it is only a couple of fast miles until the third climb.

The third climb is similar to the second but less protected by trees and headwinds come into play. Once you crest this climb, you’ll have a gradual incline for about a mile into some rather serious headwind. Over the top of this gradual rise are some downhill rollers that most athletes will stay aero over and reach speeds in the lower to mid 30mph.

This stretch will bring you back the populated part of the base and the helicopter landing area. You will be at mile 48 near the landing pads when you intersect Vandegrift and turn right back toward T2. I may be off by a mile or two depending on the location of the transitions. Ride time will probably be 2:20 to 2:30. There is still quite a bit of work to do over the last 8 miles. Hopefully, efforts have been controlled to this point. Some athletes will now be mentally challenged after going out too hard over the first 60min from T1 and then the climbing that follows. A smart ride can see you put several minutes into your competition from Vandegrift back to T2.

In general, my average speed and efforts are raised over the backside of the course (the three climbs and rollers during the last 26 miles to Vandegrift). The flats and downhill work to my personal advantage and I raised my effort levels on the climbs and over the rollers.

Some parts of Vandegrift (the last 8 miles) are flat and some have a gradual incline, but most of it has a brisk headwind; sometimes harder. The surrounding hills make for a wind tunnel along this stretch. If you have not saved a bit of gas you could drop several minutes to another rider. My pace along this stretch varies greatly if efforts remain constant (17mph to 25 mph). It is not flat and the wind does gust and move around some. This is usually an uncomfortable part of the ride.

I have noted conditions in the past. They range from rain and cold (50s) to sunny and hot, near 90 degrees F; maybe some of both. The ocean will be 57 to 63 degrees. On race day most riders will be on the course early enough that it will be cooler and there will be less wind to contend with. It may actually be a bit cold once you are out of the Pacific Ocean and head up coast.

This is a great bike course – definitely the signature part of the race.