Ironman USA Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 35)

My iPhone said it was -2 this morning in Lake Placid.  It was 18 degrees here on Long Island.  I'm starting to think it may never warm up!

Dream Chaser - 2011-03-03 11:40 AM

RJohnson1979 - 2011-03-02 12:15 PM Thanks all! Very helpful! I train using HR so it always baffled my mind that I was only going low 20 mphs when hammering at my LT.
 
It also explains why I can do a Zone 1 high RPM spin session on one of those bikes at the gym and log like 2x the mileage as normal - but I already knew those machines were way off.

It makes sense that the tire pressure and flywheel tension affect the mph. I'm using a time based training program but like most newbies am very motivated by distance (even while technically not moving!). I'll try not to worry about it as much... unless DC posts a bike challenge again! My goal (like everyone's) for March is to get outside as much as possible on the bike so it should solve the problem

Unless you have a powertap or computrainer, pay no attention to the MPH while on the trainer.  Use time, HR and RPE.  I know how you feel though, when you bust your butt on the trainer for an hour or more, you want to see you've accomplished a decent distance.  This is is one of the reasons I may invest in a computrainer in the near-future.  The good thing to know about the trainer, is that riding outside will be much easier -- at least it is for me!

And I will not be posting any Bike Challenge this go-around.  Riding too hard and too often (not following a structured plan) was probably one of the biggest factors that led to my injury which kept me off the start line at LP last year.  The day my injury first reared its ugly head, was on a Century Ride about 90 miles in, and I had started the ride on VERY-VERY fatigued legs from a heavy week of cycling, in an effort to keep up with the contest.  Everything I had read in interviews with athletes and articles about getting faster on the bike said: Ride Hard and Ride Often.  I'm sure this is the case, but one should do so under a structured plan.  For me, riding hard and often was a recipe for disaster.  I would enter the caveat: Ride Smart, Hard and Often.  

Even with a powerTap and Computrainer I still don't pay attention to MPH

_{"And I will not be posting any Bike Challenge this go-around.  Riding too hard and too often (not following a structured plan) was probably one of the biggest factors that led to my injury which kept me off the start line at LP last year.  The day my injury first reared its ugly head, was on a Century Ride about 90 miles in, and I had started the ride on VERY-VERY fatigued legs from a heavy week of cycling, in an effort to keep up with the contest.  Everything I had read in interviews with athletes and articles about getting faster on the bike said: Ride Hard and Ride Often.  I'm sure this is the case, but one should do so under a structured plan.  For me, riding hard and often was a recipe for disaster.  I would enter the caveat: Ride Smart, Hard and Often."}

This is some of the best biking advice I've seen posted -- NICE!

Dream Chaser - 2011-03-03 11:40 AM  Riding too hard and too often (not following a structured plan) was probably one of the biggest factors that led to my injury which kept me off the start line at LP last year.  The day my injury first reared its ugly head, was on a Century Ride about 90 miles in, and I had started the ride on VERY-VERY fatigued legs from a heavy week of cycling, in an effort to keep up with the contest.  Everything I had read in interviews with athletes and articles about getting faster on the bike said: Ride Hard and Ride Often.  I'm sure this is the case, but one should do so under a structured plan.  For me, riding hard and often was a recipe for disaster.  I would enter the caveat: Ride Smart, Hard and Often.  

Great advice! I'm only up to mid-April of last year's thread so I didn't know how it turned out... But glad to learn from others so I hopefully dont' have to learn it the hard way. How are you liking Be Iron Fit? 1st 10 weeks and Base Phase coming to a close this weekend... I just did the last 2500 continuous swim and saw some improvements in my split time so I'm happy

Are the cable and bouys always in the water at Mirror lake?

ie if I head up there late May/June time will the cable/ bouys be present to sight off of?

Hopefully the water will be warm enough to swim over Memorial Day weekend. I am planning on going up for training then and really wanted to get a sense of what the swim is like.

Anyone else planning to be up there Memorial Day?

I need some advice on how to best incorporate some races into my training plan. I'm doing the Gale Bernhardt 26 week IM plan.

I'm a fairly experience triathlete, been in the sport since the mid 90's, and I've done several half IM's, my best was a 5:50 in 2009. Lake Placid is my first full ironman.

Unlike Don Fink's Be Iron Fit, my plan doesn't include any racing. I'd like to do a half and an olympic distance prior to Lake Placid. I'd like to do this so I can check out my race day gear, and get a warm fuzzy for doing some longer swims and bikes.

I was thinking I could do Mooseman on June 5th, this is seven weeks prior to Lake Placid, and an olympic distance race about two to three weeks prior to IM.

I'd really appreciate some feedback from some of the iron vets in this group.

BTW, anyone in our group older than 52? Just want to see if I'm the old fart in the crew!

thanks,

Ralph

In response to Ralph's question, I don't know if I should admit this or not, but I am 57 and my husband is 62.  (With a birthday in August, I miss competing at age 58 by a couple of weeks.)  Unlike you, we have very little experience in triathlons.  We have 2 sons doing Lake Placid this year and took their challenge to join them - a family affair - which is why we are going ahead this year without much experience, instead of waiting a year.  I have been following these posts, but am a little intimidated by how much farther ahead everyone seems, so don't feel like I have much worthwhile to contribute.  But - after another longer ride on a spinner in the basement today I am looking for any advice on how to keep going and not go crazy!  It is still snowing and blowing around here - even had a highway shut down for awhile today, so it doesn't look like it is going to be possible to bike outside anytime soon.

In the immortal words of Bill Clinton..."I feel your pain". I knew I was going to spend a lot of time on the trainer this year, so I asked my wife if she would mind my putting my bike+trainer up in the family room. No problem. So it's tucked against the wall and when I'm ready to use it I spread a couple of beach towels on the floor, park the bike in front of the big screen tv, pop in a dvd (last week it was "Blackhawk Down") and get after it!

I saw a few brave souls riding outside yesterday, but the the streets are still too narrow and covered with sand for me.

My bike is in our sun room tucked against the windows so I can look outside and enjoy watching our new puppies play outside, have a TV with on demand so I can watch various shows. In general if you ride shorter ride harder, ride longer ride easier. Are you following a program for your trainer rides? Use HRM or RPE to determine effort level?

Many Northern triathletes work on run and swim over winter, ride trainer doing more intensity doing zone 3-5 work, then once spring comes they build their bike when they can ride outside.

For me to get some early outside riding, I'm going to tri camp in Solvang CA next week.