Ironman Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 61)

BooTri for the best line of the day.  If I had a nickel for every time someone on this forum made me laugh out loud...

yes I am... the Triple T will be..... fun?   I have not done it but my coach says it will be a good training day for me for Placid... not a race day. Meaning he does not want me going out 100% as if it was my 'A' race... as it is not... Placid is. I am not sure if this would be your first half, I assumed it was when I read the first post, sorry if my assumption was wrong. That is why I took the route I did with my response. When I see you say 'tune up' maybe it is not your first.

Regardless, from what I am told, Triple T is a good race to train for Placid, hills, hills and more hills... I even heard there are more hills when you think you are all done with the hills... lol. As you have read from RR's this is a tough race.

So if you can be disciplined to run this race as a training day then go for it. What we, or I should say I, need to be conscious of is recovery period after the race. I don't know if people put that thought into training for their big race, even though it is 2 months after. Even though IMLP is 2 months after Smokies you will need to rest a few days after before getting back into it... then you are tapering before IMLP... so your 2 months is down to 5-6 weeks quick. If you RACE this race that 5-6 weeks of training can be 4-5 weeks real quick.... injury, etc. so my thought process is that this is a training weekend for me... a high intense training weekend and a great experience as well.

If you do the Smokies I will look forward to meeting up with you, if not see you in Placid!

Glad I could put a smile on yer face!

I was in the same boat as you.  On May 5th there is the Gulfcoast Half which is within a 100 miles of my home in Tallahassee and is very flat.  On May 6th there is the Moutain Madness Half in Ellijay, Ga (North GA Mountains...6 hours from home).  Although it is a real possibility that I will be the last finsher in the race, I opted to for the race in North Georgia.  I am looking at it purely as training and hopefully a confidence booster.  Good Luck with whichever race you choose!

whoohoo! Riding the course today, looks like it's suppose to be nice weather for us.

Definitely an advantage living close (2.5 hours) from the course.

LUCKY! have a good time!

 I was curious as to what the grade percent of the hills were going back into town (Pappa Bear, etc). Anyone know the answer???

Ugh ~ I'm jealous!  I really, really want to get up there to ride sometime before the race, but it's not looking like it's gonna happen for me.

Let us know how it goes!

Also, any LP veterans out there who did NOT ride the course beforehand?  If so, how did you feel about it come race day?

How far are the water stations spread out on the run? I thought it was every mile? I've raced in some marathons where the spectators hand out stuff. Can this happen at IM LP? When I did 69.1 at Steelhead I kept thinking I needed more hydration and couldn't wait until the next hand out. I was on fire and hot (it wasn't even that hot out and it was overcast)! I kept telling myself I wish I had my camelback, but don't want to race with it. I am considering buying a fuel belt with 2 or 3 bottles just in case I feel like this, but I'm afraid I will get annoyed with it. What is your set up for the run? I think I will def. use the fuel belt that holds some gels, but I'm not sure about having bottles.

Also, is there special needs bag half way through the run?

yes, both the run and bike are challenging, and they are changning the run again this year because the railroads don't want to close down all day again. It is a good race to do before Placid and a few of my friends are doing it because they increase the slots to Vegas to 100 so people are racing Cuse to via for a slot in worlds. I don't have to worry about that so I am no going to do Cuse 3 weeks before Placid. lol.

I was upset they switched it too. I wanted to do both. People were b!thcin about the water being cold... I get amused at people who do the sport and complain about cold/hot. Next thing ya know they'll be complaining that the distance is too long. (sarcasm). You should have seen the comments from some of the people in our local tri club complaining about the first bike course route and the hills involved... it's ironman... not balsaman.

I think they changed it mostly because participation was down drastically from 2010 to 2011. So they made it in June and upped the slots to Vegas to 100. I can see the race getting close to capacity now. Which is both good and bad for the sport.

I concur... I officially retract my previous post about do the flat course in lieu of the Smokies.

I am glad I got the one time a year I am wrong our of the way by mid April... smooooth sailin for the rest of the year! 

There is aid all over the course for the run. Coach said don't bring anything with you, why weigh yourself down or fumble with belts ... etc... There is a special needs run bag, I worked it last year. You will pass it 4 times I believe. The vols are great there and even though the women in charge at first instructed us to throw the bag away after first use we ended up getting bags for whomever wanted them, whenever they wanted them.

I have been told that SNB are good for socks if it's raining, hats, bandaids etc. No need to nutrition unless you want a specific flavor or a different brand. Some put red bull in it but it's pi$$ warm by the time you get it. Also, there will be a bin the vols throw it in so you can go get your bag after the race or have someone go get it for you. There will be a card with your race number on it so someone can collect it. I believe you have until the next morning. Luckily our house is 100 yards from SNB so on my way home I can grab it if I use one. A few people I know didn't even have a SNB for the run.

slow day in the office today... getting my posts in  ha!

Haha, I can relate to the slow day...

See my biggest complaint about the water at Syracuse was the angle of  the sun and direction of the swim.  I don't know about you, but during my heat because the way the sun was glaring off the water and the color/low profile of the buoys, I had no idea where to go.  I literally had to completely stop in the water a few times to figure out which direction to go (and then only could because the boats!)  Also interesting to hear about more slots. So since last year qualifiers at Syracuse go to Vegas this year, and this year they will also because its moved, a total of 150 from Syracuse get to Vegas this year?  

And I also vote on the harder one.  My plan this year is to get in one that I've heard is notoriously hilly about 2 months before LP.  Seems like better preparation than one that will not mimic race conditions much.

Busy day for me, but not too busy to sign on to BT and check the thread out (and secretly check the logs of many of the LP training peeps...

My patients keep asking me for things that don't come easy-like weight loss. I remind them that it is simple, but not easy.                                                                                                      Eat less, exercise more...There is no 'magic pill'.

sigh...

Have a great weekend IMLP training group!

yeah that sun is brutal on the reservoir. We are used to it here because that is where my local tri club trains every Wednesday night. So the sun is pointed at us as it's setting instead of rising.

I don't often quote Oprah but she said it best,"If there were a pill, I'd have it." More and more I am hearing these bariatric stories and Syracuse has a large center that advertises on TV a lot for it. I am all for it from a medical prespective but I have a hard time with people doing it because they are lazy. I was pushing 280 in Dec of 2009, resting HR of 89... and I pushed back... I am 189 now, resting HR of 60 with great BP etc. I still have a ways to go IMO.. I am only 5'9"... but from a toning perspective. Regardless if the extra skin stays or not you won't find me going under the knife... plus if I shake in the water maybe I'll get more propulsion sans wetsuit!

And don't get me started on the little rascal with the free arm picker upper thingy... again, for those who NEED it go get it, but I am tire of the laziness this country caters to.

that being said I am going to try and rip a sub 8 min mile 5k tomorrow.... my PR is an 8:17 4 miler a few weeks ago.  If I can hold 8:17 for 4 I think I can hold 8 for 3.1..... unless one of those darn rascals trip me up!

Well I wish both of you (Klassmen and Bootri) good luck tomorrow!  

And Bootri, I'm always so impressed when I hear stories like that.  I've never had to deal with a situation like that, and I can't imagine the willpower it takes.  I've ran my entire life, and just coming back from having 1.5 years off (hip surgery) and barely being able to run a mile was discouraging, but I can only imagine for people who don't have a running background how difficult starting getting healthier is.  So congrats, and good luck on the 5k, it sounds like a reasonable goal to me!  

good luck Kent and Joe!

May you both do well in your races this weekend.

starting to write a blog... again... sllloooowwww day today.

fatasstoironhorse.blogspot.com

it's a work in progress, going to highlight the past 2 years then really try and dive in weekly and write. I think me quoting Oprah a bit ago made me wanna write it... ha

I am very excited. I have my first big race of the year tomorrow. The Tour of the Battenkill. 

This weekend also marks the end of my bike specific training and the start of my dedicated Ironman training.

14 weeks to go and it appears that the race season is finally upon us! Lots of racers this weekend: Klassmen, Bootri, Drdking, who else? I have a just-for-fun organized century tomorrow with a recovery swim on Sunday. What is on tap for everyone else?

Good luck racers!