Ironman Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 33)

Love this!  I also roll with a Kuota K Factor SL with an Ultegra component package.  I have a set of Mavic Aksium wheels.  I have one cage down low and a second suspended between the aero bars in the "torpedo" position.  I'm still technically illiterate and when I figure it out I'll post a photo. 

It's a cliche' answer - but it's cliche' for a reason:  Whatever bike fits you best will be the best bike.  Are the Felt and Cervelo available in different size frames?  When I went to my Tri Shop they took all types of measurements of me - torso, inseam, elbow to fingertip, and even measured my flexbility on a chiro table with a protractor.  Then they took my measurements and compared them to a chart to see which bike manufacturers would fit me best.  The P2 fits me LIKE A DREAM.  I was riding mine outside yesterday and it is more comfortable for me in the aero position than sitting up.  And my position is so dialed-in now, that in this comfortable aero position I can produce a lot of power.  However, this is on the P2.  Originally I wanted a P3 but my body measurements are not conducive for a P3 cause the P3 has a longer top tube.  

Whatever frame you can be the most comfortable on, the most aero on, and still generate the most power on is the bike you should pick.  Low-end and high-end mean nothing.  Put Lance on a low-end bike that fits him, and he's still gonna smoke everyone.  It's the engine that counts. 

And to give you a less ambigous answer, odds are you will be able to get more aero on the Felt or P2 due to the steeper seat tube angle and frame geometry; so they will be faster IF you can comfortably stay in an aerodynamic position.  Aero trumps everything, even on a course like Lake Placid cause despite the climbs there are plenty of downhills and plenty of flats.  However, if due to your specific body type, you are not apt to be in more of an aero position on the Felt or P2 compared to your specialized, then stick with the specialized. 

So I guess the question is, can you meet with a fitter and get fitted for the P2 or Felt and try them out first? 

To give an analogy in Swimming.  Say there is a $1,000 speedsuit that will make you swim through the water :20 seconds faster per 100 meters.  But the speedsuit comes in limited specific sizes and is very restrictive and doesn't stretch well.  If you put it on and your between sizes, but use it anyway, you may be faster for the first mile of the swim but then you get winded and have to stop.  And have to slow paddle.  And by the end of the swim you are very tired and your overall time is now slower than if you just used a regular wetsuit.  How fast is that high-end suit really?

Or Running.  I can wear a 5 oz racing flat.  I can run a 5k faster than a 13oz shoe.  Even a 10k.  It's lighter, I have a quicker cadence and turnover, and they are just so damn nimble.  So I wear them for a marathon.  After 13 and 14 miles my legs and calves start to hurt.  Badly.  At 20 miles every foot fall is unbearable pain in my toes, ankles and shins and I have to shuffle the last 10k.  My marathon time ends up being slower than if I just ran "comfortably" in my 13 oz training shoes.

The same with bikes.  You can have the fastest uber-aero-bike on the planet with Di2 shifting, 4.8 pound carbon nanotube frame, mind-controlled hydraulic breaks; a bike that literally disappears in the wind.  But if you can only maintain an aerodynamic position for 40 miles and you end up sitting straight up for the remaining 72  miles fighting off cramps and back pain, how much faster is it?  And how well are you going to be running that marathon after being miserable for that many miles?? 

Product technology and speed enhancements are irrelevant if COMFORT is not put first, especially when we are talking about ENDURANCE Events.  You cannot effectively and consistently produce your optimal amount of power if you're not comfortable and if a piece of equipment does not fit your specific needs and abilities.     

Dreamchaser-

Thanks for the very informative and insightful answer to my question. I have not been fitted to either bike and am not sure which is a better fit.  I actually have a friend who, unfortunately, has my same measurments and he owns the felt b16 and loves it.  I am just reluctant to spend the money not knowing if it will help my overall speed and efficiency.

As I lose body fat my positioning on the bike will change. I am down over 20 pounds since January and am able to get lower on my road bike that I could early January. I suspect that by July I might be touching the ground.

I guess I will have weight the pro and cons of spending the money on a bike that might improve my pace and risking getting castrated by the wife.

Thats awesome on the weight since Jan Doug, good job.  Keep up the training and loss / conversion to muscle and the gains will be majorly beneficial.  As DC mentioned, take it for a spin and see what happens. 

Had a side question regarding Finks swim workouts.  I noticed there aren't any paces listed on the swims, just sets and recovery intervals (unless i'm blind).  Don't know if we're supposed to take our times taken from field testing and apply it somehow, or just "swim a comfortable pace for the distance given".  What have you guys been doing?

Congratulations on the excellent job with weight loss, Doug!

By losing weight, you've become a better athlete at all 3 disciplines. You have increased your efficiency since you need to drag around less weight with you. Your v02max, a measure of your ability to produce oxygen at a given (maximal) pace, is a weight based number and you do not need to go to the labrotory to get it measured, you just keep training and trying to optimize your weight and you become more efficient-period.

Keep up the good work. We are all pulling for you.

Dale

Per Fink's swim plan, the swim is based on "perceived effort", warmup, cooldown and drills is 65-70% and main set is 80-85% RPE. (see page 91)

I cannot ride my friends bike as he moved to Georgia. It was very selfish of him to do so as I no longer have a great training partner. I have decided to forgo the new bike and just stick with my road bike. An extra hour on the course will just help me burn calories and Lord knows I can use that.

Thanks for the insight and suggestions to all who posted. Only 24 weeks left.

Hi Everyone,

We rented a very large house for 2012 IMLP and still have rooms available. It's a waterfront property on Lake Flower in Saranac Lake (about 7 miles outside of LP village).  If you're looking for lodging and want to know more details, please shoot me a message!  Good luck this year!

Thanks,

Jonathan

Doug -- I see I'm a bit late to the conversation about the bike options.  Nonetheless, in case others are having the same thoughts, my experience and two cents:

• I rode a third hand, ten year old Trek road bike for four years.  I got a little faster or stronger each year.  But I was definitely at the back of the pack. 
• Two years ago, I did a major upgrade and bought a Kuota K Factor -- and gave the Trek to a work colleague who was young, under-employed and just getting into cycling for fitness on the condition that when he had the chance he would pay it forward to someone else.
• I absolutely love my bike.  The degree of affection is weird.  It looks better, feels stronger, and sounds smoother than any other bike on the road.  Seriously, that is how I perceive it.  It has the same general halo that my own children have.  Other people's kids are plenty nice but I wouldn't trade mine for all the gold in the world.  With that said, it is the mid-level offering of an Italian company that isn't well known or marketed in the states though they do a great job with design and details.  It is not being ridden to the podium in most major international races.
• Even though I have improved a great deal over the past two years with general bike strength there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the bike had marginal effect.  It is lighter and more aero, but I still have to move the machine across the same distances on race day.  Probably 85 percent or more is due to "build a better engine" thinking.  I ride more, I ride harder and smarter and I lost 20-25 pounds which makes it possible to do some hills with nothing more than a grimace when in the past they would ruin my ride.  As a result, sometimes I'm more middle of the back inching forward.
• As long as your current bike is maintained well and safe, I think you made the ride decision.  Focus on your engine.  You're likely as not going to have a hell of a great time with all of your training and racing and I can tell from your posts that your satisfaction doesn't come from having the most impressive set up or fanciest bike.  Like Dream Chaser said, if you can comfortably maintain power on your current set up, that is a very important sign.
• If it is relatively easy to upgrade a bike or components, I say do it.  But, if it is a close call or involves potential castration, get under the hood and work on the engine.

3 hr trainer ride tmrw, maybe a short recovery run

Sunday funday - 1 hr run/ 1 hr bike...maybe a swim

Anyone see any good movies to get me through my trainer ride tmrw???

Just finished a 8.3 mile run

2.5 hours on trainer and downhill skiing on Saturday 

Sunday 1:15 run 

In between eat  play with the kids and sleep!!

AND WATCH SYRACUSE BASKETBALL CRUSH UCONN!!!

WARRIOR  - two brothers who fight MMA good movie!!

I had a cardiac stress test today.  An excerpt from my blog post on what's going on:

Sometime in the middle of November, I began to experience uncomfortable shocks on my chest during workouts.  I thought it was a bad HRM.  The sensation is not unlike a very strong, sudden pinch as if a live battery had been touched against my chest.  It wasn’t the HRM.

I cannot get the issue out of my head and a mild annoyance has become a focus point for my attention in the past week — mostly negative thoughts.  Last Thursday night, I had a whopper of a shock.  It startled me more than anything.

As to the shock, sometimes it happens once, other times two or three times inside of about ten minutes.  During about half of my workouts it does not occur at all.  Usually I am on my bike, never in the pool, twice while lifting weights and a few times while running.  When this happens, I don’t have to stop exercising, the pain leaves as quickly as it appears and it has no discernible effect on my heart rate or breathing.

Have any of you had this type of shock or ever heard of it?  I don't mind emails or direct messages -- or comments to the blog site -- so that I don't take over the conversation here since this isn't really a IMLP question.

Thanks, 

thinking 45 mile bike session (tossing some hills in there most likely)

1.5 mile ows if the group meets and hoping they do, then a 1.5 hour run.  was warm when ran last week and screwed w/ me since its february...

Kent,

I'm glad you got checked out at the cardiologist's office. Knowing that your heart-related risk is low when you have symptoms that are out of the ordinary is the most important thing anyone can do.

BTW, congrats on the near miss of the 'house record' on the treadmill. (I personally hold the record in one of my satellite offices-22minutes:30seconds...)

I'd agree that a musculoskeletal discomfort is most likely. See if you can pinpoint a particuliar area on your chest that is happens. Also, see if breathing a deep breath makes it worse. Try to find a position on the bike that makes it worse. Keep notes on it until it goes completely away-for your own peace of mind.

Take any of this back to your PCP or cardiologist. Hopefully they will be more, not less helpful, in the future. Good luck.

---------------

Snow expected in CT today, so I'll be on the stupid trainer...won't make 2 hrs but I'll try for 90 minutes. I enjoyed Thursday's ride outside-made 37 miles in a bit over 2 hours. What fun to be outside in early February! I can't wait until my P2 comes in. Must wait until early March...Bells and whistles galore.

Later today, I will run 4 miles and then 10 tomorrow. Swim 2500K late am tomorrow also.

I'm trying to get into the practice of getting all the weekend workouts in before noon to keep my wife happy.