Ironman Arizona : Official Thread (Page 35)

While it can be a little dark on the north side of the lake, it's not too bad.  I can't ever remember having a problem seeing, a headlamp would probably be an unneeded distraction.

Nah, there is a few dark sections but you can still manage, and any technical sections (the steep switchbacks to get on/off the path have lights.

I think my last lap was in the dark, and I didn't have a problem.

I've run the course numerous times during raining and have never even thought about the need for better lighting...I would think that during IM it would be even brighter than normal.

You must be using Fink's plan? I'm doing the exact same workouts

I do not use Fink's plan, but have nothing against it, either.  My plans are based on a number of readings and resources, but I custom build them throughout the year myself.

As for the run at IM AZ at night - I never had a problem seeing anything after it got dark.  

This for me.

Yeah, it occurred to me last week during that this is going to take me longer than it takes on tv...how do they get everyone at Kona to finish in 1.5 hours? 

Question for you IMAZ veterans  --

A cold front (at least for us) blew in this weekend and got me thinking about something.  When I did IMFL in 2010, the temps were in the 30s that morning.  I went into transition, loaded my nutrition, etc. and then it was time to hang out until race start.  Luckily in Florida, there are plenty of hotels along the beach next to the race start, so I went inside the lobby and hung out in the warmth until time to put the wetsuit on.  I was able to put my wetsuit on in the warm inside and then go out into the cold to start the race.

Last year when I was at IMAZ to volunteer and sign up, I seem to remember everyone just putting their wetsuit on out on the lawn near transition.  There isn't anywhere to go inside to get warm while you put on your wetsuit is there?  Did you put your wetsuit on before you got there or just right before the race?

Just curious as I don't want to be freezing before I jump into the cold water.  Although if the air temp is colder than the water, maybe it will make the water feel warm to me.  

It was cool in the morning last year, but I do not remember it being too cold.  I recall being colder at IM Oceanside this past March more so than IM AZ last November.  We just hung out in transition and put our wetsuits on outside, and not too long before the start.  I suppose you could go into the changing tents in transition, which would be a bit warmer than being outside.

Hard to tell as of yet whether we will have wind or it will be colder than last year - but unfortunately there are no hotels or lobbies anywhere close to the start that you could take shelter in.

From  Mike Ricci's recent article on the importance of bricks here on BT...

Full iron distance race simulation example

An example of an iron distance race simulation might be a 4,200 yard workout with 20x200 or 10x400 as the main set. It doesn’t have to be too fast or too hard, remember it’s a long day! Then onto the bike you go while riding around 110-120 miles with a few half iron distance efforts during the ride. Getting off the bike you would be running 8-10 miles and working on your iron distance pace. No need to crush it and no need to do anything but iron distance pace and take in the same calories you’d be taking in as on race day.

Anyone have a workout like this planned?  My Fink Intermediate Plan really has no brick workouts to speak of.  I'm thinking of coming up with one like this in the next few weeks.  And how important or not important is a workout like this in your IM ramp up?

Thanks

I read that too and my response was something along the lines of "holy crap!".  No, I don't have anything like that planned.  My max brick is a 6 hour ride followed by a 30 minute run.  Then again, I'm following the "just-get-me-to-the-finish" plan.  Seems like this workout would be something more for someone who's racing for a better time. 

I don't have any plans to do anything that big.  I am following Fink's competitive plan and did for my first IM as well.  It has two scheduled brick's each week (a short bike/run mid week and a longer bike/run on Saturday).  The longest brick will be a 6 hour ride followed by a 1 hour run.  

Since I am at work at 7:30am during the week, almost all of my weekly workouts are after work.  While they aren't bricks in the sense of being done one right after another, I am at the point in training where I do two disciplines a day.  So, I may go for a run, come home, rest for 30 minutes and then head to the pool.  If I did the above workout as a long training day, I'd probably need to recover almost like I do from the race.

While I do think bricks are important (for your body as well as to test nutrition) I think everyone needs to do what works for you.  If you are following a plan, then follow it.  If your coach has you do something like the above, then do it.  But don't throw something like that in a plan you are following, just to do it.  A coach will plan build up and recovery, etc. accordingly.

Just my thoughts.

Not even close for me, wow.

Yea right?  My first thought was this is a REALLY big workout to try to work in and would necessitate some sort of recovery afterwards.  I mean this would be like a ten hour brick for me!  I do think I need to add 30-60 minute runs to the end of my long bikes, as the Fink Comp program does this but my Intermediate does not.  This is my first IM and while goal #1 is to finish, I would like to complete it in the 12:30 to 13:30 window.

The BT Half to Full training plan has a day like that scheduled for the 27th of this month:

6h 30m ----- -----

Bike Base Endurance 390 Bike 6 hours as follows: 30' easy to warm up. Miles 0-40 - are just easy top of Z1 Miles 40-80 are Z2 (mid Z2 is perfect). Miles 80 to the 100+ are top of Z2 - stay on the aero bars and drink/eat race day nutrition. It's going to take some focus to hold the effort.

45m ----- -----

Strength Race Day Specific BRICK 45 Off the bike, start out easy - get your bearings and pick up the pace gradually. After 10' you should be at race pace - remember to hydrate and run even paced. Try to run race pace for at least 25-35 minutes.

1h 50m 4700.00 yards -----

Swim Endurance IM Starts/Endurance 110 4700 WU: 400 non-free warm up. 6 x 50 kickboard 10" rest. MS: 5 x 100 free IM mass start sprint 10" rest between. 5 x 100 pull easy, 10" rest between 500 straight swim freestyle. 10 x 50 mass start sprint 10" rest between, 5 x 100 pull easy 10" rest between. 1,000 straight pull 500 cooldown swim/kick (on back) alternate by 100's.

Mike wrote most of these plans. 

I've decided to move the swim to the next day (a rest day), rather than tackle them all in a single day.  For me the issue is waiting for the gym to open to start the whole process (swim -> bike -> run).