Ironman Florida : Official Thread (Page 4)

All, thanks for the feedback thus far, it is greatly appreciated. This will be my first time for IMFL, so it's good to hear feedback from previous attendees. I'm most likely going to stay at a place close to transition to avoid the hassles of parking, etc... I'll probably look into booking in the next couple of months, hoping that places are still available.

One thing I have learned doing IM's, especially the branded ones where you register so far ahead is to not get too intense too early.  The winter is a good time to work on weaknesses, which I have many! This winter I'm going to keep the run to shorter runs and do the winter race series.  Every other week a 5 - 10K race at different locations around Rochester.  I am going to focus the bike on increasing my power using Jorge's winter bike program that you can now upload to your training logs here on BT.  Just started that this week.  I have also joined a swim group at the Y, I am hoping to find 7 minutes or so off my previous IM times and this group spends a lot of time on technique.  I will start going to masters again after this group ends.

I also like to do some fitness classes, spin classes and some yoga in the winter just to break things up some.  But the most important part of off season is if I don't want to get up for a workout, or I have something else I want to do on the weekend, I can.  To me, the burn out comes from the sacrificies we make to do the IM's. 

I have a HIM planned for July and I think the plan I am going to download from BT's custom plan creator will start about the end of February.  Then after that, a couple of weeks of low key recovery followed by am IM plan created again on the BT program.  I have used BT's plans for several years with success.

Yeah, we stayed on the ground floor, ran an extension cord and 125 of coax from our bedroom and brought our tailgate/support party out to the street.  Had a 32" tv, it was great.

Our own bathroom, kitchen etc.  Like I said, the rooms were clean and everything was nice.  Washer dryer, well equipped kitchen, nice view all for $550 for 3 nights and it slept 7 guys comfortably (nobody had to share a bed).

It is less than a mile from transition so it was an easy ride on our mnt bikes.  Plus, when the race was going on, it was an easy walk for food and the closest convenience store for much needed supplies.  The only thing it didn't have that I wish it did was a hot tub. 

I think the most important aspect is how true you will be to the plan. The plan I used was from an issue of Triathlete magazine. I followed this religiously for 4 weeks but decided it was not heavy enough on the bike for me. I still used the same plan and made modifications to the bike portion.

This was my first IM and I felt I was well trained. My goal was to finish and hopefully finish under 14 hours. My finish times was 13:51. I'm sure everyone will have different opinions but I did not feel the need to have an online coach or anything of that nature. I do think each person knows themself and knows their motivation level. If you need someone pushing you then you might need to check into a coach.

One more thing, originally I planned to train by myself. I was fortunate to meet 3 people this spring who were training for IMAZ. We ended up doing a lot of training together, especially our long bike rides. That was a huge difference maker for me.

I'll put a plug in for the place I stayed in 2010 and have reservations for 2012.  Laketown Wharf is across the street from Shores so it isn't directly on the beach, but it is on the bike course and just a little closer to the host hotel.  I think the rooms are a little cheaper than Shores as well.  There is access to the public beach right across the street. I also beleive that the parking lot has a back entrance that is not on the course and is accessable on race day. 

One of the reasons I chose this race is that my wife is originally from Florida so it is a good oportunity for her to invite friends and family up so that is why I reserved right away so I could make sure I got the 3 bedroom 3 bath condo.  But in 2010, we needed to add another condo a few weeks prior as my parents decided to come down and were able to get a 1 bedroom condo.  The 2 and 3 bedroom were sold out by then.  So unlike some other race venues, this is considered off season and it is not impossible to get rooms right up to the last minute.  Might even save a buck or 2.

Kathy, I couldn't beleive when you said that is still tore up from construction along there.  I would have thought they would have had it done by now!

Technically, the road is open to local traffic and if they wantde to drive, they could.  We saw a few people doing this. 

We brought mountain bikes though and if we had to leave, and when we went to the finish line, we just took mountain bikes or walked.  But like I said, Whispering Seas is about 1/2 mile from the La Vela area (which was the turn around this year) and about .85 miles from the finish line/swim start. 

Because we had a full kitchen, after we left the transition area after the bike had started, there was no reason for us to go back to the finish line until midnight.  We saw our friends so close to the finish line, we didn't need to see them actually finish.  most of them just walked back to us after they were done.

Unless they plan on watching you come in for T2, once you leave on the bike, there is no need to be at the finish line until after you run the marathon. 

Better?  Ask yourself this, when a pro can wear a wetsuit, do their wear sleeveless?

Full sleeves are faster, but can be warmer, but don't worry that the temps will be too hot for a full sleeved.  It should come down to comfort for yourself.  Some people say they feel "restricted" in a full.

Full sleeved are faster, and the temps will allow you to wear either.

Full protects more of your body from jellyfish.

I did IMFL in '09 and wore a sleevelss. I was fine.

However, I volunteered this year and was at the swim finish.  Every pro that I saw come out of the water was in a full.  Don't know if this means anything, but I thought it was interesting. 

I have two blue seventy axis wetsuits -- one sleeveless, one full sleeve.  I prefer sleeveless so that's what I wore.  Water temperature was warm and in reality you'd be fine without a wetsuit.

Places will be available even if you book the day before you leave.  I stayed at Gulf Crest condos (1/2 mile from expo/trans/IM Village, right along the run course) and I would say more than half the units were empty.  Panama City Beach can handle accomodations for massive amounts of people. With IMFL being in the off-season for the city there are more than enough places to choose from.  All that to say there's no need to worry about booking anything right away.

Great point about folks getting in and out of parking lots.  We are staying at the Shores of Panama and I'll suggest to my family that they move the car to the WalMart parking lot in case they want to get in and out.  Walmart opens the parking lot up to IMFL, so no problems there.    

Shores of Panama you can get in and out of the lot. During early on in the bike you may have to wait a little bit but for my family it wasn't a big deal.

IMFL housing is reasonable, lots of options which is much different than some of the other IMs in NA.

I am not familiar with the place you are referencing by the state park, but there is an rv park on Thomas Dr. (next to Alvin's Island).  It is less than 1/2 mile from transition and right on the run course.   I know someone that has stayed there several times for IMFL, and it has worked out very well for her.

http://panamacityrvresort.com/Index.aspx

If you are talking about Venture Out, it is on the left before you go into park.  I believe it is permanent mobile home sites.  I think you can rent a mobile home but not sure if you can park yours there.  It is a good ways from transition but it is not a bad area.  At least it wasn't 15-20 yrs ago when I stayed there last.