Ironman Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 45)

I agree completely,  I read/followed last year's thread, as well as volunteered the entire day. I handed out stuff on the run for the very first and very last athlete and everybody in-between.  It was definitely an experience to see what everybody had to do to endure to get to the finish line.  I have learned so much about the course and training in general to be able to complete this race.  It's just going to rock. 

Yeah, that was me that crashed last year. It is easy to get me and DC confused however, sort of like Dave Scott and Mark Allen. He and I were locked in our own Iron War last year and didn't even know it - he nipped me at the line by 22 seconds!

From my own (very limited) experience Bobby's advice is spot-on, especially if you already have some good marathon experience under your belt: bike volume is the key to ensure a strong IM marathon. As usual, Jesse's blog is illuminating, and here is another one that gives a little more background and explains the training protocol: http://home.trainingpeaks.com/articles/triathlon/how-to-nail-the-ironman-marathon.aspx (Warning: this is a link to an article written by Matt Fitzgerald; his writing has been proven to cause some triathletes hair to catch fire).

The only subtle difference in my own training is that I do very little training based on distance - almost all of my training is based on time. I have found focusing on distance to be of very little benefit (to me anyway) as  endurance training is all about time on your feet. You will rarely catch me running more than two hours, and NEVER more than 2.5 hours. Lots of transition runs (15 minutes) but max of 1:45 run off the bike, and that will be pretty deep into the summer.

If I had to take any (tiny, tiny) exception at all with Bobby's IM marathon analysis is that I personally felt really great for the entire marathon, but that could just be due to the sharp blow to the head I suffered when I went over my handlebars at mile 70. I don't think I could have paced the bike better AND I laid back in zone 2 on the run until mile 19. I think I did learn that I can go a little harder earlier on the run, so long as I pace the bike well. Contrary to popular wisdom I did slightly negative split the marathon and finished the last 4 miles at a pace :35 seconds per mile faster than my overall average, which arguably has to be a lot more fun than doing the opposite.

Oh, and here is a little more advice from another smart guy, from last year's thread:

I just think too many of us keep training like a runner when we should really be training like a triathlete. Over the years I have been amongst the worse offenders.

Sorry Rusty and Bobby...I read both of those race blogs (and have reread them several times-they are filled with useful info) but I keep getting you mixed up. My bad.

I really enjoyed reading those links today.

Does anyone have prognostic data equating 1/2IM bike to fullIM bike times?

Dale

I was watching Rev3 Quassy on tv yesterday.  They aired it on cablevision MSG channel.  I was shocked that almost every pro was riding a disc on that course, which is very hilly.  But the fact is, a disc is the most aerodynamic legal thing you can do.  Discs are underrated in my opinion.  I remember using a Zipp Sub9 disc at Eagleman (I rented it for the race) and on certain tailwind angles, the disc acted like a sail and I could feel the bike getting pushed forward.

And Monty, don't worry about being 'that guy'.  You are wearing spandex, a pointy helmet, counting the calories you consume, recording your speed and heart rate.  You are a triathlon geek.  WE ALL ARE!!!  We're all "that guy" or "that girl"!!!  The disc (if you can afford it) will just make you a bit faster -- also provided you have decent enough bike handling skills if it gets nasty windy -- which I know you possess.

So the question really is do you wanna be the tri geek with the deep dish rear or the tri geek with the disc wheel going  wooosh wooosh wooosh.   I'm thinking of putting a disc cover on my Jet 60.

I got one from wheelbuilder.com and it works great. Got that advice from my brother who uses one and he's no slouch. 10:28 finishing time at IMLP (with time in there from a flat).

They are wicked easy to put on and take off, just use some electrical or duct tape on the inside and becareful taking that off when you take the cover off. Even Wheelbuilder says these are not for constant use. Make sure you get your specs right on the wheel because they are custom cut and only cost $90. Also, according to the 'science' they are just as good as a disc wheel.

I use an 808 front and the wheelcover on the back with a mavic open pro with a powertap. I got the cover before the powertap but was still able to carefully slice the cover since it is plastic to fit the powertap.

Hope this helps

I spent three hours last night at the ER with a three year old.  Then another five hours bedside with him at home because he was so uncomfortable.  (He fell off some steps, landed awkwardly on his chest, stopped breathing and has a great deal of soreness.)

Given the circumstances, no place in the world I would have rather been.

This morning, he woke up a little cranky but essentially ready for a new day as if nothing had happened. The various x ray, sonograms and exams at the hospital pronounced him healthy and ready to go home.

With all of the brains devoted to this thread and this race, can one of you tell me how to develop the recuperative powers of a child?  I got up early this morning -- after finally going to bed at 4 -- to write a memo for my boss' boss to use on a 9:00 client call.  I skipped my hour ride yesterday, hardly slept and know that the hour run today will be a bugger (though the moderate temp should help).  More than intensity or volume, I need a lesson on how to balance the rigors of life with the relatively less challenging rigors of IM training.  I'm seriously questioning my own sanity here.

i am going with a 404 808 set-up but am wonderng how much more time I could get If I switched the 808 with a Sub 9 disc any thoughts?

Love that line --'no place ..I would have rather been'---says it all.

Kent,

Hang in there buddy! Life will always make it more challenging...but you are a good dad and did the right thing (even though the child will not recall this or many other events for which you gave up time and energy-  ).

There is no magic pill when it comes to balancing training and the various unexpected things that come up. Keep doing your best to get some training in. Exercise is good for the soul and it sounds like you need a recharge. It is still quite early and you are a seasoned triathlete.

I can relate to what you are saying about time pressures, though. I am a practicing cardiologist and work 60-70 hours /week and have to somehow fit training into life. I'm sure we are ALL having to work through challenges with work and family.

Sending healing vibes your way

 <<<<<get well soon>>>>>

sometimes I think sanity is overrated. I mean, if we were 'sane' would we be putting our minds and bodies through the rigors of an IM ontop of the rigors of life?

What makes 'us' different is that we accept these challenges, overcome the rigors and come out the other end wiser, more clear and thinking "HOT DAMN THAT WAS FUN." All the while knowing it was worth it. Yes we will have our doubts and doubters. We will have those days that we can't or simply don't want to train but those days are by far inferior to the days when we can and when we want to.

If we wanted sanity we would be somewhere else, doing something else with most likely no one else.

I am happy to hear your son is well and he probably won't remember this or what you did for him, but you'll know. And that is all that matters. You will think of him during the swim, at miles 1, 10, 50, 100 and 112 of the bike, at the start and all through the marathon and you will smile and that will carry you through, not society's 'sanity'... but your sanity.

You don't need any lessons here. It seems you have your priorities in the right order. Family has to come first and then training.  To get the recuperative powers of a child eat pixie stix and ride your bike.

Don't freak out, I missed 14 days in a row due to illness and just started back into my training last Friday. I just followed my plan while listening to my body and not over doing it. You can't make up lost work out but you can injure yourself trying to make up time and distance. Just follow you plan and alter your work out to fit your current health and fitness.

As LP Peeps have mentioned, www.wheelbuilder is the trusted sole source.  No need to shop around.  Under 100 bucks out the door. 

Thank God your three-year-old is okay! 

The quest for balance in family life and Ironman training is the Holy Grail.  Many, many triathletes end up divorced. 

For me, the key is to keep in mind that Ironman is a silly race so many of us 'A Types' pretend is life or death serious.  It's not.  It's just a silly race between guys and girls in spandex. 

News Flash: No one cares what your time is!  Except you!!  No one forces us to do this.  The 70.3 and even Olympic Distance is more than enough to impress people with; enough to keep us training and maintaining a 'healthy lifestyle'; more than enough to fill the few hours we have.  Lesser distances are enough - if you so choose. 

We do Ironman cause We Can...  Cause We Can afford to pay 600 bucks or more!!  And A Lot more when you consider the equipment, training time, nutrition, clothing, pleeeze.  And Ironman training is NOT healthy.  It's an extreme.  Which is why so many of us get sick and injured.  Ironman is an Everest of our own making.  It's a goal us Obsessive Compulsive Types get stuck in our head and it's all we think and self-absorbedly obssess about.  Thank God Charities attach themselves to us or we'd all just be narcissistic idiots wearing pointy hats keeping our families waiting HOURS for us in one spot, just to see us for 5 seconds, then wait another three hourse to get another glimpse of us. 

Not sure where that came from.  Sorry.  Sad but true. 

For me, finding the balance is getting all the Long Stuff done early on the weekends.  Sunday mornings in May/June/ early July I start my 100-mile bike rides at 5 AM.  And even with a transition run, I'm home just after noon time.  So the rest of the day is with the family.  Same thing on Saturday morning, which is when I'll switch my Long Runs too.  Get up at 5 AM and home by 8-ish.  The rest of the Saturday is family time.  The mid-week stuff you have to figure out according to your own schedule.      

It depends entirely on the wind that day - speed and direction of it.  In rare cases you can actually lose time if you encounter more crosswinds due to all the time and energy spent recorrecting and keeping her going straight.  The LP course is not that windy so this is likely not the case.  With the right conditions a disc can save the average rider 2 to 5 mins over a 56-mile course; so 4 mins up to 10 mins over 112 miles (10 mins being a real stretch).  Most likely you're looking around a 4 to 6 minute savings over 112 miles WITH favorably wind conditions.   

Your sanity is in knowing that you had the right priorities. I'm always telling my kids the primary motto that I want them to live by is "Do the right thing". You did that and should be proud. The amount of training that you missed is minuscule. Another way to look at your last 48 hours is to consider it as mental training. Lack of sleep, having to think on your feet while tired and determination to get through it all are great qualities to possess.

The nascent conversation thread here about disc covers is really intriguing.  What are the downsides?  I don't see them (excepting more time monkeying with my back wheel between racing and training and $100, neither of which are negligible but certainly could be overcome.)

Since so many courses are looped, wind on the course will be against you at least some of the time.  Is there a rule of thumb about how much is too much or does it really matter more how comfortable you are riding a straight line through the wind.  i.e. 15+mph is too much for a disc cover.

There aren't that many negatives.  If you're doing a pure out & back and their are heavy crosswinds, it could be a huge negative; and this is exactly why discs are NOT allowed at Kona. 

Another negative is the weight.  Discs weigh more.  However the standard is "Aero Trumps Weight".  Always.  Unless you are doing a mountain-style uphill time trial.  

Another negative is some people do not like the sound of a disc.  Others like it.  A disc makes a whooosh whooosh whooosh sound.  Think Star Wars and the sounds of the light sabers when they move through the air.  Channel that sound into a reverberating woooosh woooosh.  Mind you this is only with a one-piece true disc; not a disc cover.  The times I rode one-piece discs I liked the sound and then just tuned it out involuntarily. 

You need a crack pipe to inflate a disc wheel; so during your race you'll have to carry a 'crack pipe'.  Yup, totally ghetto.  The crack pipe is just a 90 degree inflater attachment that allows the pump access to a small area of valve due to the disc material.  If you forget that pipe, or lose it, and you flat - you're fuuuucked.  So that could be a negative. 

Rule of thumb is, if it's considered a "windy day" ; most will not use a disc.  Another negative.  You drop over a grand or 100 bucks to rent, and you don't use it. 

One final negative.  Your dork friends play a prank on you and glue a picture of a hot Playboy pin-up girl on your disc.  And your wife sees it!!  And she's like, "Kent, who the hell is that slut?"  Another possible negative of a disc.

Thank you, BT (and a special shout out to Bobby for that last line.)  Been a long, long day already.  Despite all of your (our) ridiculous obsessions it's nice to see that the BT crowd can keep everything in perspective (spandex and silly helmets?  We are nuts.) and keep a sense of humor.

Looking forward to meeting you all in July and swapping even more stories about the journey to get there.

I think Bobby needs to get over his sinus infection and get out and train!!!!!!

Klassman - good to see you back away from the ledge. There will be many times between now and July 22nd when you have to make  choices between dealing with other important things in your life and Ironman training. Caring for a sick or injured family member is not one of those times. And my hat is sincerely off to you folks that pursue this Ironman thing and have kids and spouses that don't share the same obsession. I am genuinely and frankly in awe at how you all pull it off. I usually think I am pretty fortunate that my wife is also a racer, but today on our warmup ride together we were talking about what we were going to do after Lake Placid; I think it is always good to have another goal to look forward to before you have completed the next. I was thinking something like Bone Island in January. So after the ride she runs off to the massage therapist, while I take a shower. When I get done, I of course head to our studio to log on to BT. Her computer is open adjacent to mine, and on her screen is the homepage for Leadman, Oregon.

I am not sure, but I think I threw up a little in my mouth.