Ironman Florida : Official Thread (Page 7)

Hey, misery loves company!! 

Actually, I just mapped out my training calendar a week or two ago and started training again.  Never done an Ironman before so I adapted the strategy used in my marathon training.  We will see how that works out.  I have 3 days a week of each swimming, biking, and running.  Plus I have 8 hours a week of cross training doing the P90X program which is great.   I am definately a little terrified that we only have  25 weeks left but at the same time it seems like a long time to keep up the high level of training. 

Hopefully everything will fall together and I am sure  that time is going to go by fast.   Good luck with your training.  See ya on the beach!!

 

Holy crap! Time is flying!

 

Training check in: How is everyone doing? I'm doing my first HIM in 2 weeks and volume is getting up there. Everybody staying healthy?

jmeeks,

Just noticed your a fellow Atlantian.  I live up in Canton.  As far as training goes, so far so good.  It is very early for me so I am nowhere near the mileage you must be at to compete in a half.  I just got in from a nice easy 10 mile run which I finished in 1hr 40min.  I like my race pace to be at about a 9 min mile.  Otherwise this week I have 20 miles of running, 46 miles of biking, 8 hrs of strength/cross training, and some easy swim workouts to get back in the pool and see where I am at.

Good luck on your upcoming race. 

Edited by jjcnbg 2009-05-19 12:08 PM

My spring is normally filled with big cycling events. Riding in the mountains & up Brasstown Bald in northern GA, then Calvin's Challenge 100 mile TT, then TOSRV (back to back centuries). IM/triathlon is a new thing to me, but now that those early cycling events are done, I am back to concentrating on my first HIM: Muncie Endurathon on July 11. Just now getting back into the pool after 3 months of ignoring the swim altogether. I've also been going through some PT to try and figure out how to get past 8 miles running w/o my IT bands and hamstrings from freezing up on me. Making progress. I have a number of imbalance issues: pelvis/hip, over-developed quads (cycling focus only for many, many years) and weak hamstrings, etc.

Add in a lost filling and wisdom teeth extraction and it all makes for quite a painful spring.

It's all gonna work out just fine though.

Housing question.

I heard last year of people saying they got a week at a condo/townhouse for just $250 for a week.

I am looking to get 2 for myself and some inlaws.

Anyone know of such a place that is REALLY close to the finish line?

It seems that a number of people are having to cancel and also just the economy in general means good deals are to be had.

I got a two bedroom, 1 bath at Shores of Panama for $475 drive out (check in Wed / ck out Mon)... I know it isn't 250, but still cheaper than most I was looking at.  VRBO.com

Thank you for the info.

Maybe the figure I saw was $500 for the week. lol Can't remember now. Still pretty darn good price IMO

I'm staying at Twin Palms. 2 BDR/2Bath, kitchen, laundry, balcony, etc. I registered through Orbitz quite some time ago and actually paid a bit more than 2008. I think last time was closer to $80/night but this was $105. Didn't care this time because I'm splitting costs with my sister and her husband. I just wanted to be sure and get something reserved.

The nice thing about TP is the distance from IM central. It's about .8 mile up the beach. Close enough to walk, even if it's multiple times a day; far enough to be quiet and relaxing. And it's right across the road from Hungry Howie's.

My only real reason for doing Ironman is the "sub" I'm going to eat afterwards. They call it a sub, but it's freakin' huge and more like a Calzone. A Calzone on 'roids.

http://www.hungryhowies.com/menu/ovenbakedsub.aspx


Edited by dobovedo 2009-05-20 6:48 PM

Just an FWI for some of you looking at Shores of Panama.  It is a great place but there are some added fees that are charged at checkout by the condos.  They call them activity fees.  I had another $175 in fees tacked onto my bill when I checked out.  If you're booking thru VRBO they might not mention these.  It was still a great deal for me but something to consider if you're on a tight budget.  Good Luck ya'll!

Didn't have time to check in over memorial day and noticed that our thread was falling too far down the list for my liking.  So, just in case you had lost track of time over this wonderful holiday weekend I thought I would let you know we have 

23 WEEKS AND 4 DAYS REMAINING.

Hope everyone had a great "relaxing" holiday weekend.  I am off for an 11 miler and looks like it is about to rain.  Woo Hoo!! 

I managed to complete 10 miles on Sunday. Second time I've gone that far, but the first time it was pain free.

[clarification: I define "pain free" as: yeah it hurts, because running hurts, but not in an injury-causing kinda way]

Only 16.2 more to go!

Don't you meant 130.6??

Yes, hope everyone had a great weekend--we're getting close to (if you haven't already) getting into the meat of Ironman training. I'm nicely recovered from fibula stress fracture and had my first full triathlon of the season (vs. aquabike) at the CapTex Olympic and despite having only 3 weeks of running under me after a near 2 month hiatus for healing, I had a pretty darn good race!

All this summer training will be good for us as we adapt to the heat--that way, anything cooler in FL come Nov will just make it that much better!

Yeah, I suppose that's more accurate, but I'm far more concerned about this running thing. For now I'm ignoring the seven hours that comes beforehand.

Thanks! It is the Macon Half this weekend! Do you have any races coming up?

Jay

 
 No other races this year.  There was a couple of marathons and an ultra I was considering but had to pass on.  I was very interested in participating in the Augusta half.  However, this is my first Ironman and I have no idea if I can do a race of that length that close to the Florida Ironman.  Maybe after I knock out this first IM I will have the confidence to include some additional races.

So, am I the only wannabe Ironman that absolutely hates the bike!!!  Not big on the swim either (love swimming, hate crawl stroke).  But the bike causes me more pain than the rest.  I am a recovering fat man and used running to lose 50 pounds so I have an affinity for running, albeit slowly.  

I just got done with a 22 mile bike that was supposed to be a 28 mile bike and my neck and back are killing me.  I am borrowing my brothers road bike that he converted to a tri-bike.  I can tell it is not exactly the right size for me but it is close.  I just don't have the money to go get a new bike right now so I am trying to make do.  

I loved riding my bike growing up.  However, those bikes allowed you to sit up while riding. This whole being bent over for hours on end is rough!  Even when I am off the aerobars and using the regular handle bars I am still bent over quite a bit.  

Well thats my rant.  I just needed to whine a little.  I am just in awe of all you triathletes that love biking huge miles.  Everyone on this site seems to complain about the long runs but you can give me a 20 mile run anytime over hours in the saddle.  

I am off to the pool.  Good luck with training everybody.

 

Happy Thursday!  

I have a hate-hate relationship with the bike. I actually enjoy riding when I get out but it's all the other stuff that makes me crazy -maitenance, changing flats, clip-on pedals (which I still haven't mastered) - too much too worry about on top of all the stress of just finishing an IM. I was toying with the idea of getting a tri-bike before the race but I may just stick w/ my roadie w/ aerobars because it's familiar now.  We'll see...

I am in for Florida IM also. This will be my first full. I am very excited about it and glad that in my area we have about 30 some odd people signed up to do it also. Will make the run nice (I love to see my friends suffering along with me=)

You go gry71!

Well I was out training today and had another "boy I am a rookie moment".  I was out riding the bike and trying to make adjustments so that it fits better when I notice that my butt keeps feeling like it is going to slide off the seat and into the back tire.  So I stop to look at it and the seat is pointing up at like a 35 degree angle.  Even I knew this couldn't be right so I loosening all the appropriate bolts and wiggle the seat into position.  HOLY COW did that make a difference.  With the seat now tilted slightly forward I don't feel any more back pain. In addition, as a man there was a whole different kind of pain going on in Aero "ouch".  This whole time when I have been trying to adjust the bike I knew the seat could move forward, backwards, side to side, and up or down but I never realized that a seat could tilt like that.  Not really sure if it is supposed to be able to!

Of course right after I had this brilliant revelation I went to unhook from the pedal and the whole clip-in mechanism fell apart.  If it's not one thing it's another.  At least there were no flats today.

Question for all you "old pro's", is the awards ceremony on Sunday worth going to for the average Joe or is it all about the pros and top age groupers.  I am combining this trip into a vacation for the family and I wanted to make sure I didn't waste time at an event that had nothing to do with me.  I would love to go if it is worth it but I just wasn't sure if it was a "community" event.  Thanks.

Off to the pool yet again! 

Ahhh, you can tell we're all entering or about to enter the IMFL training zone as chatter in here increases! I like it!
Ref: the bike-
I was woefully fearful of it for a while after I signed up, and really kind of until a couple of months ago.  But, seeing as biking is non-impact (unless you fall--which I have) and I recover well from it, I've been getting a lot of good base building under my belt with several 60-85 mile rides (soon to be hitting the 100's) and I have to tell you that I enjoy the bike MORE and MORE every day. 

The swim is actually the part of IM that I dread.  Not that I can't do it, I can...I just keep thinking "when will this be over, when will this be over"--maybe it's the lack of scenery and how monotonous swimming can be, so I'll definitely be glad to get out of the water on the bike that morning. I have more of a running background, but from reading enough things here, talking to IM vet friends, and doing a couple of HIMs, I definitely learned to know that you can be super prepared to run a marathon, but if you're legs are DONE after the bike, all that run training just flew out the window!  I will and am training for the run, but I want to be able to knock out those 112 miles and still feel like I've got some good push in me to go run (I would love to run the whole marathon) the last leg of it. 

Anyhow, I'm more and more excited everyday--not to mention I'm doing the Janus Charity Challenge to support the Wounded Warrior Project (see my log for more details if you're interested) and raising funds for that is going well! 

Happy weekend to all--may you get some good training accomplished!

161 days or 23 weeks, however you count it, left! 

Wow, already looking at centuries!  You are a bike riding fool.  I am new to the bike thing and trying to build slowly.  I am only doing long rides of about 30 miles adding 5 miles give or take a week.   That means I won't reach the centuries until Sept/Oct.  I am impressed that you can find the time to be doing those long rides this early on and maintaining that for another 5 months.  You are my hero!