Ironman 70.3 Timberman : Official Thread (Page 5)

Thanks for the link!  I can't believe I'm not in the eleventy-third wave, for once (6th or 7th - forgot already… happens with age, I'm told).  I'm also in the 45-49 group (see you there Mike!), and it's nice to not be in the next to last wave for once.  Of course, that also means fewer people to potentially pass and a lot more people to whizz by me through the race.  

I was also lucky enough to get up there and ride/run the course yesterday (probably saw you out there along with the hundred or so folks on course).  Did the bike plus re-rode the first set of hills to loop back and pick up a friend on course, then did one loop of the run.  Felt good and I'm really glad I had the chance to see both courses to help plan pacing and such (and see what the hills were all about!).  

Below are some observations that I wrote on Strava after a friend asked about the ride/run.  Worth what you paid for them, but here goes:

Bike:   First, it's hilly. There are basically 4 hill sections to start (I had been thinking 3), with only one real cranker that's a sit up and spin hill (from the left off Hounsel onto 107 up the hill to the right on Leavitt). The descents are OK if it's dry -nerve wracking but nothing you couldn't at least coast down (I geared out on a couple and sat up on the way out, as it was still sopping wet). The road once you turn uphill on 11b is cruddy on and off until you get onto 106, as are the first couple miles of 106 proper - but all rideable if you're looking. 106 to the turn is fast and downhill (stay aero) and false flat all the way back (stay aero there, too). The one steep climb on the way back is Frank Bean (really?) Road - might sit up on that one for a bit near the top - and it has one hairy but short descent, too. The one surprise was the hills at the very end - didn't notice all the downhill at the start, but sure did on the way back! All in, much more rideable than I thought (if you don't go hero-mode on the steeps like our roadie friends like to). Should be fun!

Run:   Two loop, out and back. Blech. That said, nice views of the water (which looks darned inviting by that point). Rollers the whole way, with only one spot I thought was anything near steep (downhill at about 1.5 or 2 miles and uphill there on the way back around 5ish - was a bit loopy myself at that point, but right where you turn onto Bleknap - errr… Belknap on the way out). There is one sunny stretch on 11 (good or bad, depending on how you use them - to suffer through or to crack a competitor). Otherwise, a nice run, I thought - but doing it once and then having to turn right around and do another 10k is a mind-messer, in my book. Not nearly as bad as they could have made it if they went with the hills on 11, though!

Now off to a recovery ride (and to sherpa water to my wife, who's on a 14 mile run and didn't feel like carrying much) and then maybe a swim set at Walden.  No more looooong efforts, though.  If the hay isn't in the barn at this point, for me anyway, it isn't going to be.  So, I'll pace off yesterday's HR data and go as fast as I can on race day with that as my speed governor.

Woot!

Matt

Thanks for the heads up.  I'm #601.

This is a "peak" week, so lower volume than normal, higher than taper - with race intensity.  3 days of swim with a b/r brick at race effort and 2 days of recovery workouts between each.  8-11 hours total, tops.  Maybe as low as 6 or 7, as I'm going to let my legs tell me how much to push (hay is in the barn, I hope).

Next week is taper.  Monday off, 3 days (T, W, Th) of decreasing short race pace efforts in all three (s/b/r), Friday off, Saturday some openers in each (10-20' each sport, easy with some accelerations), then race.  5-6 hours, tops, plus the race split (and we'll see how many hours THAT is!).

WOOT!