Florida 70.3 (Page 7)

Two weeks til bike check in !!! Can't believe this race is almost here. My goals have changed due to ongoing knee troubles. I'm swimming the best I've ever swam, bike is average (low mileage due to 2 races and taper) but the knees are just not ready . My MD and PT both have me doing no running AT ALL for 3 weeks. So, if all my problems are healed by Florida, my run fitness will have suffered by a 3 week lay-off. I plan to enjoy this race and make the most out of the cards I'm dealt on race day. I figure best case scenerio I'll be able to run 50% of the run. On the bright side, I'm excited about the race and the following week at Disney with the family

Sorry to hear about the knees, Opiejoe, but it sounds like you've got a great attitude about the whole thing.

Last night I finished my last long run before taper. My next run over 6 miles will be May 18th.

After my 13.1 miles last night, I was able to guesstimate my finish time.
I'll have a swim around 45-50 minutes.
A bike leg around 3 hours.
And a half mary around 2:35-2:45.

That puts me about 6:30. As long as I'm standing at the end, I can be proud of that.

For me:

Swim: 40
Bike: 2:50
Run: 1:50
Transitions: 10
Blowup: 30

Total: 6:00

Actually, I forgot to add transitions and blowups. Add 15-30 minutes.

I'm still "calculating" my goal time.  Just spent the weekend in a "Puke-fest".  My oldest was sick, then my middle child, then me, now my son.  Now that's a lot of puke!  Lot of laundry! and a lot of laying around watching disney movies.  I'll get back to you with my prediction later.

Did my last long workouts this past weekend. Still concerned about the swim part - haven't been able to open water swim yet, and the swim is definitely my weak part. As this is my first 'race' more than sprint distance, I have no idea what to expect.. just hoping to finish upright will be a great day for me. If I had to give a prediction: somewhere around 50 minutes for the swim, about 3 hours on the bike (rode the course on Computrainer yesterday for the first time in 2:54), and somewhere around a 2 hour run.... add to that 15 minutes of blow-up and 2 1/2 hours of transition (I guess I need a lot of help in that area, too..), and all I am hoping to do is finish.

Good luck to all........ today is bib day.....

Well as of now the forcast is 91 and sun. All predictions out the window - I just want to practice my nutrition for IM, try to stay somewhat close to IM race pace and have a good time. Made the mistake at the Disney marathon of trying to go too hard and my unacclimated self suffered terribly in the humidity. So, have fun, hydrate well and then have more fun. If it takes 7 hours to do that - so be it!

I'm passing on Florida this year and focusing on Rhode Island.  Good luck BTers!!

Did a 60 mile ride followed by a 6 mile run. Longest brick yet. Begin taper this week. Still one 8 mile run and 30-40 mile ride, but nothing crazy. As nervous as we all might be and although the heat will be a challenge for us coming from the north, we should all take pride in our hard work over the last few months. Enjoy the taper!

Come on already, lets get this week over with so we can start the real countdown.  How's everyone doing out there? 

Starting to taper, I feel guilty.

Working on my list of thing to pack.

Working the race out in my head.



Anyone else?

Into my taper as well. During my run last night I thought back to all the training that I've put in over the last 5 months and I felt great. I'm excited, but trying to keep myself relaxed. One piece of advice that my coach has said over and over again that is my focus, and probably a good one for most....train hard, race easy!

Started my taper with a spectactular crash off the bike on Saturday (3 hours into my 3 1/2 hour ride). Oh well, timing is everything. Back on the trainer today followed by a short run. Rest of the week and the following week are relatively easy, sharpening workouts. We head to Disney on Friday to vacation before the race. We'll be camping at the race site the night before. I am excited and nervous. I want to do well (my bike has improved quite a lot this year), but now that it's almost here, the doubts are starting to creep in...

Let us know what the weather is like.
I'd like hourly reports.

A little bit geeky but fun....

After looking at the mountains the elevation chart shows for the FL70.3, I wanted a clearer notion of just how bad these hills were. (Yes, if you want an example of the problem with 'An Inconvenient Truth, that elevation chart sure dramatizes it)

So I went to mapmyride.com and searched Orlando. One of the FL70.3 maps looks like the new bike course for this year. After selecting elevation and getting another graph of vertical climbs and drops, I noticed a link on the bottom to download the raw data in a spreadsheet format. Did that.

Converted the data to percentage grades by dividing the change in elevation in feet by the distance from the last waypoint in feet. (This is right for grade, yes?)

Turns out the steepest ascent on the whole course is 2.1%. Granted a waypoint might not land on the crest of a hill but since there are only 580 ft between each waypoint, it just cant be bad.

Then I got to wondering just how bad a 2.1% grade was in real life.

So I went and found our local Jax to Baldwin trail, which is almost flat as a pancake. Did the same calcs. Turns out our local bike trail is more mountainous than the FL70.3. We actually have a 2.9% grade.

I did notice one section of the course that ascends for almost 1/2 mile; all less than 2%

why is everyone into taper but me?  And probably Wendi?  And Bridget?  We still have a long bike and run this weekend....   and this week is a sorta big week for me too.  

Lucky's looks like a good swim.
I've been looking for a place, but I'm not sure I want to "Enter the food chain".

I have a spy at a conference in Orlando and got a email from my spy with a weather report.

Message received @ 13:27 est dst.

Right now it's 85° and 45% humidity. Couldn't be better. Mornings are a bit cooler, near 70.

Great to read that I am not the only person freaking out before my first HIM! Awesome!

I am tapering for 2 weeks after a hip problem during a 10mile run 15 days ago. I went to see a Orthopedic Surgeon and he told me its either Hip Bursitis or IT Band Ligament on my left leg. He gave me a anti-inflammatory + physical therapy for 2 weeks until the race. I get pain in my hip around mile 5 or 6. I have overtrained according to my doc. He says there is a 50/50 chance I will be able to complete the race...

So, I figured I would focus on my bike and swim to stay in shape. Not so fast... I crashed on mile 20 of my 40mile ride this past Saturday. I now have cuts and bruises on both hands, left knee, left shoulder, and the bad hip is bruised. Perfect! 2 weeks before my race.

I went looking for my Anthony Robbins motivational CDs and I am staying positive. I will not be able to swim until race day to allow the wounds on my hands to heal. I will do a few bike rides on the indoor trainer just to keep the cardio going...

All in All! I am so pumped and ready to finish my first HIM. I also purchased the massage body stick which I plan on using on my leg and hip before the race, and right before I start the run. If I can get to mile 8 or 10 without pain, then I can just walk/jog the rest...

My checklist is complete. Don't underestimate the nutrition for this race since Florida will be hot. I will be driving from Atlanta, GA.

I did purchase a new neoprene chip holder to avoid from using the cheap plastic version they give out on race day. You may want to consider this.

BEST OF LUCK PEOPLE! I will likely do a swim Saturday morning at the luckys lake swim if my hands have healed. http://luckyslakeswim.com/

Hey all...
This will be my first IM 70.3 as well. Looking forward to it. Since starting training, I have lost almost 15 lbs. Down to 151 lbs for my 5'10" frame. I'm now entering my forth season of triathlon and thought the 70.3 distance was a good, "next step".
Training went very well. Amazed at how the body responds to the extra workload and volume. Into my "taper" now. Finding the 10k runs and 30 mile rides relaxing. Still doing distance in the pool. Swam .25, 1.25, .25 yesterday and finding the short distances are really getting faster. Should be an interesting summer racing some sprints after IM.
Where is everyone staying. My wife and I got a room 1.5 miles from Fort Wilderness off St Rd 192, the Comfort Inn Suites Maingate West. We have stayed there before for the Disney Oly Tri the last 2 years. GREAT spot with 5 good restaurants in the parking lot of the plaza the hotel is in and also a Winn Dixie Market Place for all your food needs. We got a friends and family rate of $39 a night booked back in Jan. Checking in on Fri, out on Monday.
We'll be driving down from Newnan, GA. (south of atlanta) on Thursday and staying with friends in Orlando Thursday night. Look for us, Root beer color 2008 Honda Element SC. We'll have some kind of fun motivational message written on the back window, just for fun!
Looking forward to a awsome/fun/exciting weekend!!

Fred Mehrer
Newnan, GA.
http://www.myspace.com/fredtriguy65

Anybody know what the 2008 Finishers Medal looks like?
The ones in the past gave been kinda generic.
IMKY has it in the shape of a horse shoe, others the M-dot..looks cool.

FM

training has turned into taper..... wait, my whole training schedule is a taper...... not sure if I'm ready or not - the swim is still the scary point for me.. just trying to remember to have fun with it, as I haven't done anything race-wise longer than a sprint (being sure the swim distance wasn't more than 500 yards). Hoping to be able to meet up with some of the BT'ers over the weekend... good luck, everyone...