Ironman Lake Placid 2014 (Page 6)

I'll be in up in June for a Camp. I'm finally starting to get outside more on the bike, it's been a long winter on the trainer for me. I'll hopefully be getting in some 100 mile rides soon. This time around I'm not feeling as sore as I did my first time in 2012, which has got me nervous. I just keep hitting the training one day at a time.

I rode 75 miles Saturday and then followed it up with a marathon Sunday. The marathon was a good reminder that I need to be very careful with pace, hydration and nutrition - which I have gotten overly relaxed about.

Hoping to make it over to Lake Placid in a couple of weeks to ride and run single laps of the course.

Wow! I will be happy to get out of the water in under 90 minutes. Strong work!

Well I am ramping up the miles on the bike and the run. I had a 4 1/2 hour ride on Tuesday. I felt great for the first half and then struggled with my pace and neck soreness in Aero on the second half. It seemed like I was moving awfully slowly for my effort. Plus my new rear mount PD bottle holder came loose and I did not bring a hex wrench. I had toi stop and tighten it every 15-20'.

Then, yesterday, I noticed on a shorter ride, that my distances recored on my bike computer did not match the distances I knew from riding/running on them for 6 years. My last 3.8 miles the odometer only registered 3.1 miles. Off by aver 18%. I felt much better about the long ride on Tuesday. I have no idea how far I went, but it was considerably farther than the 69.9 miles on the computer.

Running is going great. COnsistently under 9:00/mile for my long runs. I go for 2:30 today after working all night.

I am still afraid of the hills in LP, but there is nothing I can do about that.

So I rode the LP course this weekend and thought I'd update you all on the road conditions. Most of the roads really aren't as bad as rumors say they are, the only one that's particularly bad is 73 heading out of LP and into the Keene descent. There are tons of potholes, and really deep pot holes at that. After a call to the NY Dept of Transportation, it turns out they're repaving parts of 73 in LP and into the Keene descent, so I'm hoping they're the spots that I was worried about. It's supposed to start June 10th apparently so hopefully it'll be done in time for the race. As of Saturday, they were doing some construction on 73 and had a few detours set up already (made each loop 58 instead of 56 miles!).

As for the hills, I always get amazed by all the fear of the Bears! That long climb coming into Wilmington (after the out and back to AuSable) is the worse by far. I remember riding it the first time thinking "If this hill is this bad and not even named, I'm going to die on the bears!" and then got to the bears and only really recognized papa bear as being a real hill. So don't get too discouraged when you start climbing earlier on than you might think, because the only issue with the bears is the location, they're really not that bad of hills.

My training has been going okay...at the end of a massive overload and definitely really feeling it. Heading into a short taper for Eagleman this weekend, then I have Syracuse 2 weeks after that. Hopefully all the cobwebs will be dusted off and I'll be ready to go into the final build for LP!

Had my second 100 mile ride this past weekend. It was a tough one. Two Category 3 climbs between miles 55-75. My legs felt flat from the get-go so it wasnt a spectacular ride. Almost 7,000 feet of total climbing. Got it done in 5 hours and 40 mins. Im following my training plan pretty much to a "T" except my long rides im trying to do 100s. Followed up the 100 by doing a 30 mile ride, 5 mile run brick the next day and my legs felt great! I was pleased. Averaged almost 20mph through varied terrain and got the 5 miles done in 38 mins. Less than 3 weeks until my Syracuse HIM.

Thanks for that roads report!

According to an email from IMLP they have re-paved the Keene descent. I was there last Sunday and nothing had been done yet, has anyone been there this week?

How is everyone's training going?

I just arrived in town and came up the Keene descent on 73 to get into town. As of Thursday night they have paved from the intersection of Rt 73 & River Rd all the way up to the Cascade Inn and are moving towards Keene. So far looking good!

Thanks for the update. So they haven't actually done the descent by the lakes yet? I thought the email implied a lot of progress (more than possible) in a few days.

Not yet. Sounds like the email was getting ahead of itself. The total construction job is supposed to take 3 weeks and they just started this week. But from what I have seen so far, brand new pavement and not just crappy patch jobs they have been doing over the past few years.

I was up there this past weekend. They are about 3/4 of the way up to the Keene decent. I'm not sure how far they are going to go with it, but there are some perpendicular cuts on the road during the Keene Decent that can be pretty nasty for bikes. So be careful going down the decent until they get that fixed. Other then that the bike course seemed to be in pretty good shape.

First Century on Saturday in 5:31 and then 19.5 miles running on Sunday. 33 days to go! Happy training

I am wondering who sent this email? I'm on the registered list, but no email about the course -- although they never fail to send the emails about stuff for sale. anyone else miss this email? and how do I get on the list?

Check your spam box and accept it. My filter didnt allow any Ironman stuff bc its a brand, the filter caught it as advertisement.

Question for the group -- I'm hoping to do IMLPin 2015, and am looking for ideas/input/recommendations on where to stay. Camping not an option, and I'll have a wife & 2 daughters (ages 15 & 12 at race time). Anything you can share would be appreciated!!

Have a great race everyone!!!

Mike

Everyone must be into the big volume stuff now. Did 105 miles on the bike on Saturday with over 7,000 feet of climbing in 5:41. Followed that up with 20.5 miles running on Sunday in 2:51. Cant wait for this big volume stuff to be over. Looking forward to the race and seeing what my body can do.

Search the internet for places to stay. You gotta figure out how close to Mirror Lake you can afford to be. I opted for a house rental in Saranac Lake. Allows me to save some cash and have a full kitchen to control my meals.

I could not go the whole week, so any house rentals were out. We found a 2 bedroom suite for 4 nights (Thurs-Mon) at the Whiteface Lodge. It's ridiculously expensive, but we made it a family vacation and figured this will be my only IM, so we took it.

I got the whole week free at the courtyard with points. you can reserve based on points a year out, even if you don't have enough points yet. then spend the rest of the year using that Marriot credit card (you start with half the points needed just for signing up). I hit my required points last month, plus I have certificates for three other nights free. great deal.

race numbers are posted. one last big week of training. here we go

For those that have done the bike course I have a question. As far as I can see there are 3 major climbs for each loop. Climb out of town, climb out of Jay and climb back in to town. Which climb is the most worrisome? Any strategies that you employ to get through them?

IMO, the only climb that's really that bad is the climb out of Jay. The climb out of town isn't so bad, mostly because you hit it fresh, or on the second loop right after getting the boost from seeing everyone in town. The climb out of Jay though is right in the middle of nowhere, and is deceptively long with no little downhill spots to give your legs a break. I know people hate on the Bears, but to me the climb into Jay is the worst part of the course. Not sure about strategies, but keep in mind that you have some nice flats and downhills after this at least where you can get back up to speed.

The final climbs of the loop really start when you turn back onto 86 and head into the notch. Although it's climbing all the way back, it's not TOO bad because you do have some downhills along the way. At this point I usually convince myself to look forward to Papa Bear, because by the time you hit it you're pretty much home safe. The biggest mistake I see people make on this course is the same mistake as almost every other Ironman, they overbike the first loop. The thing with LP is that if you overbike the first loop, your legs are going to be toast coming into those last long 12ish miles of climbing back into town.

I agree when you do that out and back to Au Sable and you make that right onto 86, it's just seems to be relentless. It's not that it's that big of a hill but like Erin said it just keeps going and there seems to be no breaks. The Bears get all the hype but if they didn't spray paint the name of the hills on the road I wouldn't have known baby or momma. The only one you know is Papa, but I didn't think it was that bad. It looks pretty bad because you can see it coming, but papa bear I thought was cool because the spectators line up like the Tour De France where it's like single lane with people on both sides of you lined up the entire hill cheering you on. I think that is enough to get you up. I agree with Erin is that people take the first loop way to hard (probably because they are so excited to have survived the swim). I didn't even get into aero until after The Decent. From there is where you can get into a good grove because it's pretty flat until you make that turn onto 86 to head towards Whiteface. Just keep asking yourself on the first loop "Does this feel comfortable" If you say yes then go one easier gear. Don't worry about the people passing you because those are the ones that are going to be really feeling it on the second loop. You will see it immediately too on the second loop because that first climb out of town that everybody was passing you on, you will actually see people walking there bikes up it. I passed one person in 2012 on the second loop just starting up that first climb, and they just stopped and called it a day. He turned around and started to walk back down the hill. I didn't really start to put any thought into speed until the second time you do The Decent. You will think you are looking foolish on the first loop for looking like you are just taking a scenic bike ride, but you will start to really see who went too hard on the first loop. Even more so you will really see who just went too hard on the bike all together by seeing all the people walking the marathon. Remember if it feels like you are comfortable shift one more gear easier, you will be glad you did.

Though I have to say on the second loop when you make the left onto 73 to start to head back towards town you will hit your 100 miles. You will think I only have 12 more miles to go. I was so excited at that point because I'm thinking 12 miles is like a sprint tri and I can do that in less then 45 minutes, but then you soon look down at your bike computer realize that you will be mostly going up hill and you are only doing somewhere in the 9-11 range. Then I'm recalculating and thinking bummer I still have at least an hour to go. I think those 12 miles were the longest 12 miles I have ever ridden. it seemed like I wasn't get any closer. I was wishing for papa bear because once you see that it's time to start to get ready for the run.

Great info guys. I know I have to keep my together on the bike to get the time I want. Im likely going to be a sub 1 hour swimmer so I have to let the really fast guys get away from me on the bike. I have a habit of trying to stay with fast bikers or pass people (I see them as moving targets) which is fine at shorter distances, but for this distance I know I have to pace myself. Very excited to get this race over at this point! Im tired of obsessing about it.

I have to say that JMoney hit it on the head. The first time I did Placid, I swam 1:04, not bad considering that I took my goggles off for the autralian exit and waved and high fived people. On the bike, I hammered the first loop and did it in like 3:08, next loop..not so much. Finished the bike at about 7:20ish. Then the run, first 12 miles were fine... until it was a death march to the finish with a 16:20 overall time.

I did everything that you are told not to do when racing placid along with failing miserably with my nutrtion. I got the finish, yes but it was not how I pictured the finish in my head for my first ironman.

Anyway, fast forward 7 years and I am going back for IMLP 2. I know that course like the back of my hand now, both on the bike and run. I think the "new" bike course is a bit easier then the old one. On the old course, it seemed like the Hassleton out and back was up hill both ways. You will have to watch the wind on the back half of the 2nd loop also. You dont want to over exert yourself over the last 12 miles thinking that you are just about finished.

Have a plan and execute.

I'm also thinking of signing up for IMLP 2015. Does registration start the day after this year's race? Is it one of those races that sells out in 3 minutes?