Ironman Florida : Official Thread (Page 30)

Nice!!!!

I will also point out that 79 specifically is a false flat...uphill on the way out and downhill on the way back.  So DO NOT freak out if your average speed early on is a bit low.

Curious to everyone who always says this ride is boring.  Where do you guys ride? 

Every ride I do is horrifically boring here in Charlotte.  The most excitement I get is when I am start to go crazy about 4 hours in and start talking to the cows and horses (and they talk back to me). 

I feel exactly the same.

Also, I am usually so concentrated on Heart Rate, avg Speed, Cadence, Nutrition...that I just miss everything around. One time after getting to the top somebody told me that by the dam he was very tired...I asked what dam?? On the way down then I realized we passed a HUGE dam, and I did not even notice...so a lack of beauty landscapes at IMFL won't hurt me, and I better get ready for the things that will affect.

Anyway, 15step thanks for the info. One question: how was the pave condition? What about that out and back section on 388?

Thanks a lot. 

I am not inthis for the scenery quite frankly and its no less boring than anywhere else I ride in FL

can I just shar that I am going to frigging kill my parents?  I booked a condo at Boardwalk beach LAST YEAR forthe race.  THEY also had a condo but said oh no we want to do the RV thing next year...mmmmK.  YESTERDAY they decided they do no want to RV and want to stay at boardwalk...which is completely booked......AND they are bringing their friends and even tho I have a room with 2 double beds in it in my condo they want their own rooms and dont' want to share.  I have spenthours nad hours looking for something for them and hundreds of emails and I am going mad.  Apperently Sunbird is nearly all one bedrooms.  My parents AND their friends are in their 70s so they don't walk well any more and need something close.  I am thinking I will take a remote unit and stick them in boardwalk but I am supremely annoyed!

They are not all closed.  79 and 20 are not closed for SURE.  Drove me BATTY in 2010 that there was a HUGE shoulder to ride in and people were ignoring it and instead choosing to ride in the car lane...(aka BLOCKING!).

If you pre-ride the course I highly recommend using the bike path on 79.  It's fairly straight with only a few minor curves.  It goes all the way to the overpass and starts somewhere just north of 98.

I believe 77 is pretty much closed.  I know they block the northbound traffic due to all the bikes making the left turn onto 388.  388 seemed to be local traffic only...probably not officially "closed" but I don't remember seeing cars on it.

Front Beach will be dead on your way out...but depending on how slow you are there will be cars when you come back.  I think parts of it are blocked off...I remember there being police directing traffic.  Front beach on any other summer weekend without police support is very dangerous...be careful!

For me on race day there are lots of pretty bicycles passing me for scenery.

And I don't have to worry about no shade on the run.  It's usually pretty dark for at least 1/2 the run.  :-)

aR you wAtchingMNF and CRUSHINGBEER, like IAM!!!?  becAuse iam having DIFFicult time readingyour post. 

but as others have said and as i did last year, just check shores on vrbo.  we got a nice 3 bed condo at the last minute. 

and please don't kill your parents.  they love you.

Great advice, thanks for the warning and glad to hear you're ok!

No beer.  I am a lousy typist on a good day and I rountinely use as many as 5 diffferent sized keyboards on any one day.  Makes it even worse Its part of my charm you need to learn to live with it.  I spent about 20 hours on VRBO and any other site I could find trying to find soemthing on S. Thomas drive.  After a few false leads I got anemail bakc late yseterday for a unit in Boardwalk which I booked.  I'm very fortunate to have found it. 

If you think her typing is bad you should see her handwriting. :D

Glad you found a place, Sue!

i tee'd up a doc joke.  but i missed.    glad you found a place too, sue. 

Found plenty at the Shores of Panama.  It's beach front, right next to Pineapple Willy's. Less than half mile walk from start\finish line.

For those that are still looking, click here.  Check in Nov1. Check out Nov4.

I'm in this for fun.  This doesn't sound like fun   Nothing wrong with it as I train with some people that race this way but it's not me.  Seriously, I do not spend that much time focusing on these things.  I do take nutrition every 30 minutes and watch my effort, but pretty casual.  No power, hr, etc.  I like to look around, talk to to other riders/runners.  I'm not a heads down, let's get it done type guy, at least not in a full.  Sprint, Oly, different story. 

I spent way too much time training to not "smell the roses" as they say.  But, this is also only my 2nd full and I will never be below 12 hours.  If I had done 4, 5, or was an 11 hr pace I might have a different story.  If this is anyone's first, have fun, take it all in.  As was said above, "be happy that we're there and able to be doing what we're doing".  You don't know when or even if you'll get back.

enjoy,

Duane

that is why I TYPED letters to you when you were deployed

Ran the Captiva Sprint Tri this past weekend.  What a blast!  This is the second year for the event and they increased form 450 to 750 participants.  That is pushing it as the roads and run trail are not that big.

I was lucky because I was in the first wave so there were very few people in front of me.  Later waves had a hard time passing. 

But, you couldn't have a much prettier setting.  It is located at South Seas Resort at the North end of Captiva Island.  Swim in the gulf, ride along the gulf and the run is part gulf and part golf.

Finished 4th but was a full minute back.  It was faster than last year when I finished 2nd and I just moved up an age group - go figure.

Augusta next weekend then IMFL in a few short weeks!

enjoy,

Duane 

My wife and I are heading down to PCB this weekend (9/22) to checkout the course.  Any chance the BT collective knows of a group/club that is down there?  

Any of you planning to be down there for a pedal Saturday?