Ironman Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 6)

Hail fellow IMLP13 mates!

1. This indeed will be my first IM event.  I have done 4 HIM events over the last 4 years (Austin '09, Syracuse '10, Poconos '11, Timberman '12).  In addition I have done a number oly & sprint events as well as a number of long distance running events before that including 2 NYC marathons, 1 Boston.

2.  I have never done LP or an IM before!

3. Goals will be to just finish and not die.

4  Re Lodging - I booked a place a Wilmington.  The 5 night min and $250+/night rates in LP were too rich for my blood.  Has anyone stayed here before and had any issues? especially w/ logistics? The only disad I can gather is that its a little further away, and roads obviously close making it difficult for any family members to return to the hotel for during race.  I'm most concerned about getting to the start line on time and stress free. 

Re Bike - I ride a 2011 Trek Madone, compact with 12-25 cassette. However, I'm half thinking of getting an aero bike.  Is it really worth the investment?  Especially on such a hilly course?

Re shorts/saddle - Given the longer distance, do people wear a different type of shorts with a thicker pad or diff type of saddle? I recently did Timberman and my bum hurt a lot more than usual both during and post race.  Inner thighs were completely burned out and fatigued 20 miles in.  I would like to avoid this type discomfort going forward.  I believe a poor bike fit might have something to do with it. 

Re death - I gotta admit, the death at the IMNYC has weighed heavily on my mind.  And post race Timberman I had numbness in my face and hands as well chills (still trying to figure out the cause).  Did you consult a doctor before doing the race?  What kinds of questions/tests should I ask/do to avoid any major issues?

Many more questions to come.  Thanks ahead of time for any insights!

x2... I am going to try to go there a couple times weather/fam/$ permitting

Re:shorts/saddle...

I'm a slower guy and I opted to switch my saddle to a heavier cushion. I also wasnt as concerned with taking a few extra minutes in transition to change into bike shorts and then at t2 into running shorts. For me I liked the plan because the ammount of time sitting on that damn bike.

It really only cost me about 5 minutes extra transition so no big deal...I wasnt winning anyway.

You're going to love Lake Placid

As for not dying, thats a high priority of mine as well. I find if i dont try to hard im ok....

For folks still looking for lodging, you can always try Airbnb.com. The rates will come in a little cheaper than the hotels and many of them will allow you to do your own cooking, thereby saving on meal costs. I've had great luck with the site ... both finding rooms/homes as well as booking my own guest room. I found a great cabin a couple of miles from town. 

Re: Bike questions ... I had thought about buying a tri bike prior to this, my first, IM. After riding the course this year, I put that lower on the priority list and feel just fine going into on my roadie (Giant Defy - compact with 11/28). I'll still keep my eye out for a good price on a tri bike, but it'll pretty much have to fall into my lap between now and IMLP for me to buy it. I feel just fine doing this course on my roadie.

ETA: I definitely plan on making some day trips over there once the spring riding is good for some training on the course. 

I was tri shorts the whole day and that included a near death time of 7:58.  But it's up to you and how you prep your body.

One of the guys we trained with wore bike shorts while training but then was going to switch to tri shorts for the race...not advisable in my book!

Train in what you're going to race in, it's that simple.  What you do won't work for someone else as it's specific to you.

Just my .02

The saddle took a good two weeks to start to feel good.  In fact, it down right hurt during those two weeks.  But stick with it.  It's the most amazing feeling once your sit bones get used to it and you get the fit locked in.  I can't wait to get on it each ride...

One of many ???s  . Never biked over 80 miles yet. Was going to do 2 x 80 mile rides in the next month. After that I will not be on the road till March. I will be on trainer and spin class but nothing over 2 hours. So I would think those 2 rides will have no long term effects that will make long rides in spring a little easyer? What are you going to do now so in the spring you can start with longer rides?

Thank You Paul

It's becoming too dark for me to get my morning weekday rides in (20-30 miles), but I still have plenty of gorgeous fall riding where I'll take my weekend long rides up to 100 and perhaps a bit more. I'll be doing some a couple in the 75 range with significant climbs as well (a couple of gap rides). 

This will set me up well for those 4 hour trainer rides I plan on continuing through the winter. Which will set me up to jump into long road rides ASAP once the snow melts.

To suggest that a couple 80 milers isn't going to do much for your spring rides is really cheating yourself out of the build from road to trainer to road. Get the miles in while you can. Come February, you're going to be really wishing you had taken some longer weekend rides this fall. 

Wheels: I used what is equivalent to Zipp 808 in the front and rear and was fine.  There were plenty of discs on the course.

Seat: I rode on an adamo road for LP and loved it.

Lodging: Just got confirmation that I got the cabin again for next year. whoop!

Good morning all.

RE:  the "pre-season" (or until Jan 1 or so, when the Fink Plan kicks in)... I am curious how others approach this.  I am going to focus on the bike (Jorge) and swim, and not so much on the run (running, but really, really easy).  In the past, I took long periods completely off and I felt I paid for it during the base building phase.  By long periods off, not a week or two for recovery, but more like a month or two.  What are you all thinking?

BTW, it is great to meet all of the new folks!

I try to s/b/r about 10-12 hrs/week thru the fall-early winter, but if I feel like doing something else (like hunt a cpl days per week) I do it. You have to stay in shape but its a great time to recharge the batteries too.

But I think its all about what you're looking for...I do triathlons because I like the training and like staying in shape. I try to get better, but Im never going to be f.o.p. at any of the 3 disciplines and im fine with that.

I'm going to do Jorge's Plan until January too.  I'll have to modify it slightly, as I'll only have about 3 quality rides per week...but time is a factor until November for me.  My focus until November will be run...November and December I would like to do a mini swim focus (there was a great article in Triathlete Magazine that had a 6 Weeks To Swim Faster Program)...and then a couple weeks down time until it fire up THE PLAN!!!!  I'm going with Fitzgerald 24 week plan...but giving myself several extra weeks within the plan.

I'm not familiar with the Fink plan (plans?).  Through the magic of google and a few clicks, I found his website and a link to "Be Iron Fit".  Do you recommend this book? Is there a specific plan of his that you're going to follow?

Thanks!

Thanks.  Sounds like the goal is to stay active.  With respect to Fink compared to Fitzgerald, any general thoughts?  I have read the Fink book a couple times, and generally like the structure/philosophy, and am curious if Fitzgerald is any large departure.  In the past, people have said that most plans seem to converge to the same place at the iron distance.  I simply have no familiarity with the Fitzgerald plan.

Thanks.  Sounds like the goal is to stay active.  With respect to Fink compared to Fitzgerald, any general thoughts?  I have read the Fink book a couple times, and generally like the structure/philosophy, and am curious if Fitzgerald is any large departure.  In the past, people have said that most plans seem to converge to the same place at the iron distance.  I simply have no familiarity with the Fitzgerald plan.

I don't have familiarity with Fitzgerald.  For my first IM (IMLP 12), I used the Fink Competitive plan with some wrinkles.  That is, I made up all my own swim workouts and probably only did about 30 percent of the recommended swimming.  I didn't have the time and it was the easiest to give up considering it is only 10-20 percent of the race.  Also, there are 30 weeks and I think that I only did all of the workouts in two of those weeks.  Twenty eight times I dropped a bike or didn't make a run or whatever.  With four kids, a marriage that I really enjoy, neighborhood things to do, an extended family and a job...I just couldn't do it all.

With that said, the plan worked well for me.  It delivered on the promise of getting me ready and I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed the race.  When I was in your position a year ago, I looked at several plans and decided that nearly all of the options had overwhelmingly positive user reviews.  The main complaint against Fink was that his swim workouts were tedious and boring.  This didn't phase me because I planned on writing my own swim workouts.  The other plans had various complaints but they all had generally high reviews.  Bottom line: Pick one that is reputable and stick to it as best you can.  Know that 100 percent compliance has a high cost on other aspects of life and be prepared to adapt after a week of travel, a bout with flu etc.  And, it bears repeating, stick to the plan.  They build on themselves and invariably you'll have doubts but these things have been tested on thousands of amateurs like us and they work.

Kent is right on,  though he is a fish so he doesn't really need to swim and he would be front of the pack.  I did the Fink competitive plan with a slight modification, which was not doing the interval work.  I was mainly looking to get the number of hours into training, I wasn't going to actually be competitive. I can say that I made it all the way through without missing a workout (I had to move some workouts around from day to day during some weeks but I got in all the total workouts).  It wasn't easy but you become a master at time management when you are done.  I think you have to look at it and see what your weaknesses are.  At the time I felt the swim was my weakest link, and so I followed the Fink plan and ended up having the best swim I have ever had.  I ramped up nicely on the bike to levels I have never ridden before.  To me I think it exposed my new weakness which is running.  I think for me I need to run more often but of course it puts more strain on the body to be able to do the other disciplines especially if you are doing the competitive plan (I didn't make any adjustments to how often I ran which knowing what I know now I might have made some adjustments).  All in all I felt it definitely prepares you for the race.  Any of the modifications you decide to do to help with your weaknesses or to keep you motivated is good to do.  Life is going to still continue on even while you are training so the more you can predict when training maybe tough the better you can adjust to it. No matter who's plan you go with know that you won't be wrong,  Pick the one that works with your family/work/life the best and trust in it and stick to it as best you can.   1000's of people have used each one and have been successful with it, you will too.