Ironman Florida : Official Thread (Page 39)

We're getting pretty close and I have found myself searching through old IM race photos, looking at the you tube video I made from 2010 and just searching through all kinds of inspirational videos/photos etc.  I am going to start sharing some stuff I come across as we ge closer to race day.  Alot of them might be of me, my family/support crew etc., but if you guys come across anything or have some nice old race photos from IM's past, please share:

so, there was a recent Q&A with the IMFLA race director and I asked about a hot topic among participants about the swim "course".  Here is my question and response below:

Question: The commong beliefe in many places is that the only buoys that participants must keep on their left on the second loop are the turn buoys.  Many believe that they can enter the water and keep the diagonal buoys  on the right as they head out for the second loop as long as they kepe the turn buoys on the left.  Can you confirm or offer clarification on this topic?

Response:  Yes you can  keep them on your right going out and have the turn buoy on the left.

Now, what does that mean?

Obviously, alot depends on the current that day.  If the current is moving right to left (as you stand on the beah looking at the gulf) you want to enter the water as late as possible and jog/walk down the beah as far as possible.  The spectators and volunteers end up moving in after the pros come through so you usually can't get all the way down to get in a straight line with the buoys.  So, you usually have to re-enter the water somewhere around where the diagonal buoys start.

Some people will swim with the buoys on the left the entire way watch video below) while others will ignore the buoys heading out and just keep the turn buoys on the left....As you can see fro the RD response, this is perfectly legal.

The blak line below is an illuatration of what he has said was legal:

Now let me be clear, this may not be the preferred path for everyone. There will be less draft and you will have a harder time negotiating the turn buoy, but it will cetainly cut off AT LEAST 100-150 yards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fzbW7vjMpg&feature=related

So, as long as we turn at the correct two buoys for each lap, we don't have to worry about the other buoys, right?  Or do I need another cup of coffee?

8am behind boardwalk beach thursday and friday.  I will wear my blue BT shirt as pictured here

At last year thrusday morning BT swim.  IT has the BT logo on the front

There are a TON of people swimming the course those mornings. There used to be a sponsored swim by gatorade but someone died during one of the gatorade swims at one of the races so they are no more.  Technically you are not allowed to swim at the venue except at designated practice swim times but at this venue it is impossible to inforce that rule. 

Many people do. Personal preferance.  There are always 2-3 people who go without a wetsuit. Personallly I am no more hot in my wetsuit with sleeves than I am in my sleeveless

i'm going with a sleeveless. 

If your decision on which suit to wear will be based on temps, you can use this website to get a recent record of the temp.  Personally, I am fine in a sleeved suit and do not get too hot, but wouldn't be too cold in a sleeveless suit.

Currently coming in at 77 in Pensacola Beach

http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/egof.html

can't edit my post.. should have added, i have both full and sleeveless.  my decision to go with a sleeveless is based on feel of the water, not temp of water.  if that makes sense. 

Something else to consider with the wetsuits...

Salt water chafes like CRAZY...sleeved wetsuits will protect your inner arm from chafing...the sleeveless wetsuit does not offer that protection!

Bringing full and sleeveless with me. Last year jelly fish were abundant, sleeves was the way to go.  If no jellyfish this year going sleeveless

I will be rocking out the sleeved wetsuit. I'm just comfortable in it, and then I don't have to worry too much about jellies. This is Jon and myself (I'm on the left) before a football game a few years ago. Jon will be joining us: Bib 1444. 

Have a great weekend of workouts everyone and stay safe and injury FREE!!! 

Uh, oh.  The looking ahead has commenced in serious:

PCB now:

http://www.schooners.com/multimedia/beachcam.htm

80 degrees, about 2 foot surf, and no wind.  Looks like a beautiful place to be this Friday afternoon.

Better than in my office.

Three hour ride, and 4500 yards in the pool scheduled tomorrow.  Forecast 50 degrees 25-30 mph winds with a cold front blowing in.  Possible rain.  At least the pool is indoors.

As long as I'm not working anyway, The current water temperature is 81 degrees:

current water temp PCB

Both year's I've raced IMFL there has always been the debate about whether or not the water temp would be cool enough for wet suit legal.  Both years it was at about 75 - 76 degrees. That's pretty warm for open water, but still on the cool side.

For novices to this event it's also worth noting that you will be in the water for a while - probably over an hour.  Even with a full wetsuit my fingers were getting numb from the cold water at the end of each year's swim.  I get cold easily though.

It's worth noting that the air temp both years was in the 30's.  That's not a typo.

eta: check out the graph on the bottom of the page: Since 1988 the recorded low looks like ~ 70, recorded high ~ 77  Average over the period looks like ~ 75.  This is not the temperature at the beach, but just off shore.  Temp at the beach can vary significantly depending on air temp.  In 2010 it was actually noticeably warmer when we got off shore a little bit.

One of my favorite IMFL photos:

What is your hydration plan for the run?

I have been trying to get IM Perfomr from bottles (not powder), but is just not available.
I can't go with just water and coke for the marathon, so I really want to try the ready to drink IM Perform and see if I can tolerate it (there are some drinks, like perpetuum, that I can't drink a single sip)

If I can't drink it, I don;t know what to do...carry my own concentrate Infinit...??

ANy ideas?? or Someone that has a bottle of Lime and Orange/Mango preform that can sell to me?? 

Why not water and food?  They will have gu, gu chomps, cookies of several flavors, bonk breaker bars, oranges, grapes, and pretzels in addition to the water coke perform and chix broth.  Surely you can find some calories in that wide offering.  It is goign to be colder than you think also.  I don't hardly need anything come race day compared to what I usein training because itsiusually 30-40 degrees colder than what I train in

I have been drinking Perform all summer and thought I would be able to do it.  Last weekend I decided I just cant drink anymore of it unless I have to.  So back to the drawing board for me.

Powder or bottled?

Powder is ok for me, but as the one served on course is the rtd bottled version, I want to try it first. I have read some RR where people say is undrinkable for some, for others OK

in '10 I trained with the Perform.  I've got a tub of the powdered in the cabinet, and have tried it a time or two, but just am having trouble getting back to using it.  I use Gatoraide. 

I'm thinking I'll have four Fuel Belt bottles of Gatoraide coming out of T2.  I could put four more bottles in SN bag, and that ought to more than do it.  Yesterday I only used two bottles for 13.6 miles. 

I'm pretty slow anyway, so I just put the powder in the bottles and fill them with water at the first aide station.

Not sure what I'll do on the bike.  I really ought to try to train with the Perform again, even though it seems much less palatable this year. - so much so that I wonder if they changed the formulation.

I wonder how much longer IM is going to use the stuff, considering athletes don't seem to appreciate it, and it's not even available on the market  so one can train with it.