Ford Ironman 70.3 California : Official Thread (Page 6)

Question:
I will typically wear my tri-jersey under my wetsuit so I can speed up my transition time...but with the open water swim in the ocean, are there any concerns with salt water causing more irritation?
I am fairly new at this so any hints would be appreciated.

That's a good question.  I wore a one-piece racing suit underneath my wetsuit last year and had no problems with chafing from the salt water.  But then again, I also wore a longsleeve Under Armour mock top as a rash guard.  I have since stopped wearing the mock (figured it was a rookie move and it didn't help protect the neck anyway).  But it may have helped soak up some of the salt water?

I don't know if a tri top is all that different than the shorts you will be wearing under the wetsuit.   I didn't have any chafing issues (other than from the wetsuit / leash on my neck), but I did have a remarkable amount of salt all over my suit after the race.

My advice would be to wear the top you're going to be wearing for the bike and run under your wetsuit.  I've done it both ways and it's not the easiest thing to pull on a tight tri top over your wet body.  My only concern would be the air temps.  I was pretty cold for the first couple of miles on the bike.  Tri kit fabric dries pretty fast and you'll be warm (numb?) once you hit the first hill out on base around mile 5ish, but depending on the conditions on race day, you may want to wear dry, long sleeves on the bike (if you're going to be changing anyway).  I guess that's up to personal preference, considering your race goals.  Do you want to go as fast as possible?  Or do you want to be as comfortable as possible (for as long as possible)?

FWIW, I'm going with a two-piece tri kit (no rash guard).  The one-piece I wore last year did not exactly facilitate fast potty breaks in transition haha!

Error on the side of simplicity and liberally apply your body glide!

do you guys think that a 11/23 cassette will be ok on the bike ride?..thinkin about installing a dura ace 7800 on my wheels..

I haven't ridden the course, but a Marine friend of mine told me there is quite the climb about 35ish miles into the bike. I, too, have an 11-23 but I just bought a 12-27 and I'm going to give that a try for some hills.

I consider myself a weak climber. I need to spin to keep going. If I mash up a hill I burn out quickly. I run a 12-27 cassett with 52-39 when I have any sustained climbing. Does right by me.

What about a 12-25?  I wonder if that will work as well. 
About wheels - I was originally planning on riding with a 1080 on the front - my friend who has done this race several times, does not recommend it.  An 808 should be fine, even a 404 - He has done it with both.  He actually likes the 404 better. 

I will most likely be going with 90s front and back (unless we expect it to be extremely windy).  I'm also going with a 53/29 & 11/25.  There is one hill that you'll most likely be mashing regardless.  It's about a mile long.  I don't think you need the 1080 up front, but if you're comfortable in crosswinds then I guess it could make you faster.  I may go with the 50 up front just to be safe.

Good news is that the wind has died down and there's not a cloud in the sky today.  It was 68° out on the road today at lunchtime.  Just goes to show that the weather can change.

Looking forward to an awesome group ride up the coast, starting from Mission Bay, if anyone is interested.  Most will turn around in Carlsbad to make the ride about 60 miles, but some have been talking about heading up through base and riding part of the course.

Recommend the 12-27 for the hills. The 11-23 will be a tough sell and they limit your speed on the big downhill to 25 mph. Pppppptttthhhh...

Rode the coast today and the wind has died down considerably, although that's still no indication of what it will be like come race day.  Cool temps, but was able to ride with just tri kit.  57 miles from Mission Bay to Carlsbad and back with a nice little 4 mile run off the bike.  Today would have been a great day to race!

The sun is supposed to come out tomorrow and warm things up over the next few days with temps reaching 79 by mid week.  Hope it warms the water!  Right now, the water temp is about 59.  Swimming at La Jolla Shores Monday after work and will let y'all know how it feels.

Mike, let me know how the swim Monday goes...I've decided to gut it out with my full-length, sleeveless XTerra for the race.  I may be insane, but hopefully hypothermia won't set in provided its sunny.

"It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things." T. Roosevelt

I went swimming at Hermosa Beach on Thursday and it was cold.  The water temp was about 58 which makes it hard to get into the water.  However, after you go numb in about 5 minutes it is okay.  Although, I did wish I had remembered to bring my neoprene swim cap.

There was an open water race at Laguna Beach yesterday.  I was on my long ride but I had to stop and watch because they were all bareback.  I could not believe they were bareback in that water temperature.  The only thing I could think was that I need to HTFU.

If I had a disc, I would use it.  But, unfortunately, I don't have one...yet.  Bontrager is supposed to be releasing a new Aeolus TT disc soon and I'm waiting for that before deciding on what to get.

A disc and 404 might be the best setup for the conditions.  I don't think the back end is that much of a concern with the wind we'll have, but you never know.  I'm going with the 90 rear for sure and the front wheel will be a night-before decision, depending on the weather report.  Either way, I'm locked in to the 53-39 / 11-25 drivetrain combo.  It's all I've got.

I'm racing the duathlon at Pendleton on Saturday, so I won't be at the club race.  I'm meeting some friends at the harbor for a preview ride through the base at 11.  One of them has military security clearance, so we're going to see if we can get access to the back side of the base.  Anyone is welcome to join us.  I just don't know how much I want to ride the week before the race - especially after the du in the morning.  I can tell you the pace will not be fast - especially if we get access to the hilly back side.

Shores swim this afternoon!  Water temp is posted at 58° - same as race day (and Santa Cruz) last year.  Forgot to pack my neoprene cap.

If you're in an early swim wave, be forewarned that the glare coming back towards the boat ramp in the last half of the swim is formidable until the sun gets up above the horizon a fair amount - make your goggle choice wisely and try to make mental note of some of the landmarks along the East side of transition so you can sight off of those if all else fails. 

A 12-25 (or 11-25) will work just fine on that course, as will a disc/808 (or 1080) combo, provided you're comfortable handling them in wind, which is always a possibility on the IM Cali course.  I wouldn't go overboard with 12-27 0r 12-28 cassettes, unless you're an exceptionally weak climber - "the" hill at mile 29 is definitely a kick in the quads, especially if you push on the first part of the course, but its not K2 steep or anything.  The only other major hill on the course is much shallower grade and interspersed with a bunch of rollers (most of the back side of the course is nothing but rollers until a couple miles before you make the turn to head back towards O'Side).  If you're strong on the bike you can bank a LOT of time on the first 29 miles, but make sure you never forget that the energy vacuum is about to begin from miles 29-50.  Trust me, when you make the right from Christianitos Rd on to the back side of the course you'll see "it" looming about a mile ahead...

The run is much nicer this year, with the removal of the 1/4 mile sand section.  Very little to speak of on the run course, as far as terrain.

IM Cali is a great race...enjoy it, especially if its your first time doing it (or your first HIM).  See y'all there....

-John

Edited by TheWolf 2010-03-15 6:54 PM

Ok, we swam in the ocean this evening after work.  I'm not gonna lie - the water was cold at first. Especially on the face.  It took a while to get comfortable keeping my head down.  Final report was 57° when we checked in at the lifeguard station.  I ended up sweeping the beginner group, which was fine as I just wanted to get some time in the water and get used to the cold.  It wasn't bad once I started swimming, but bobbing around, bringing up the rear made it feel colder than it probably was.  There was also a definite thermal layer out on the surface past the break.  I don't think we'll have that benefit on race morning though.  I was probably out there for about 40 minutes, but like I said, a lot of that time was treading water, keeping an eye on some of the less experienced beginners.  There were some waves rolling in and I caught a few on the way back to shore.  I was glad to be out of the water.

On race day, the 100m swim from the boat launch to the start / staging area should be plenty of time to get over the initial shock of the water temp.

The good news is that I saw this image on my facebook.  It's a re-tweet from Jim Vance (originally from co-race director Roch Frey).  The harbor looks pretty inviting.  Roch said that today would have been a perfect day to race, with the water temp in the harbor at 59°.

The other pic is from my phone while waiting for the group.  It was a beautiful day in San Diego with temps in the mid-70s and not much wind.

Edited by halfironmike 2010-03-15 11:05 PM








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La Jolla Shores (3-15-10).jpg (26KB - 33 downloads)
Oceanside Harbor (3-15-10).jpg (73KB - 30 downloads)

Thanks so much for sharing information about the swim.  I really appreciate it! 

T-minus 11 days .. Boooooom! Im ready for this! This is it, this is what it's all about folks ! Are you ready ?!

Ready??  Hell no.  Between nonstop 100 hr work-weeks and multiple bouts of flu/colds this winter, my training was shot to hell, but still looking forward to it nonetheless.  Besides, this year, Cali is more of a progress check for what I need to focus on for CdA and AZ.  Good luck to everyone... =)

ok there is a slight chance i may make it to the race. It will be a short trip instead of the week long trip. No wife no kids just me and my bike. If i can swing it i plan to arrive friday after lunch, register and chill rest of the day .Then sleep in the car or camp out and then race. There is actually free overnight parking near the race site!! So all may not be lost yet!!

Thank you all for your help.  This thread has been of inmensenly helpful for newbies like me! 
For those who done the race before, has the wind being at factor on the bike portion?  I know it varies every year but on an average or on regular basis.  Also, any ideas on what should be the breaking point (wind speed) for a front 404, 808, 1080?

Sat
Mar 27
Sunny
68°F


from the weahter channels 10 day forecast

bib numbers are now available

how can i not go now look at those numbers


711 karcher stephen

807 - Dave Kellermanns