Ironman Lake Placid : Official Thread (Page 7)

This is will be my 3rd IM (IMWI 2006 and 2008)

2. Have you done LP before?

NO

3. What are your goals for the 2013 race?

Early to tell for me.  I have not trained much since 2008 when I completed IMWI in just over 11 hours. Looking to go sub 12?

4. Do you have any specific questions that you wish addressed about LP (the race, training etc…)

Excited to get back at it and see what I can do.  Wisconsin is in September so I had all summer to get in some great training, how do those of you in colder climates plan to get your long bikes in durring your base training.  I just can't see spending 3+ hours on the bike trainer (I would go crazy). 

I did the treadmill and trainer for most of the training during the colder months in NY.  The only real hard one was the long Saturday bike ride.  It started to get up there before I actually made it outside.  I was able to use the iPad with netflix,  (was able to get through 4 seasons of 24 along with some of the great classic movies, Rocky, Top Gun etc).  For the treadmill I did the same thing I catch up on all the shows I DVR'd for the past year (Including some Tri races that were televised).  I've got some blue tooth ear phones and was able to listen without having to blast the TV.  

Registration opened a half an hour ago and I am in for the Raleigh 70.3 the first weekend of June.  If you are in the mid-Atlantic, this could be your HIM tune-up for Lake Placid.

While I'm excited to go to Raleigh -- we lived there for seven years and loved it -- I have a little trepidation about doing an inaugural race.  Even so, I'm psyched.  This is as excited as I've been about a race in the future since the day I registered for IMLP.  Whooooo Hooooo!

Oh, and I ran home from work last night.  First run of more than an hour since IMLP in July.  It wasn't ugly.  It wasn't painful.  And neither was it fast nor pretty. 

Howdy peeps ...

Just checking in, really. I've been absent from BT for a week or so as things get up and running via routine for me (I work at a university and the students just returned).

I'm well into a significant run phase as I prep for Reach the Beach relay in NH (anyone else going to be there?). I run it on an ultra team (6 people), so I've really been loading some mileage with two runs per day at least 3 days per week. I'm also 11 weeks out from the Philly marathon. At this point, I'm scheduled to run it with my daughter (her first), but she's dealing with some nasty shin splints and her mileage is taking a hit. If I don't get to run it with her, I'll use it to get my BQ for 2014 ... so I'm training like I always do.

I've got a nice 80 mile ride planned for tomorrow where I'll bike down to the ferry and then head over to Keane Valley to meet up with friends ... should get onto the flats of the course, but won't travel up to Willmington.

Enjoy the 3-day weekend if you've got it!

BD 

It's gorgeous over there! Just back from my long ride that included the flat section of the course. I realized that if I take the ferry over from Burlington (I biked south and grabbed another, but returned on the Burlington), I could then ride 25 miles to the turn up 86, do one lap of the course and return to the ferry for a nice century ride that incorporates the course. I'll try to get one in yet this fall and then a few of those in the spring before the race. Love that area.

I'd love some feedback on my nutrition for today's ride. I ended up with 360kcal/hour and felt pretty solid throughout ... that includes my by breakfast. I'm 6'2" and weigh 190 lbs. I noted everything on my log:
http://beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/training/index-weekly.asp?memberid=290088&year=&month=&day= 

And here's the ride if you're interested ... solid climb:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/217595622 

Book hotel - check.

Load training plan into BT for IMLP and Quassy - check.

Pray for a mild spring in the northeast to be ale to do April's long bikes on the road - in progress and ongoing daily until April 2013!

In the meantime....running a marathon in a few weeks and like many of you, hitting Jorge's bike training plan over the winter and some swim work. 

329 days and counting...

Yes! Another winter like last winter.

You all should feel sorry for me...I've got to train with this guy!  Ha ha...just kidding.  FYI: Last time he did IMWI he crushed the bike with a 20mph+ spilt...not to shabby!

As an Ironman rookie, I went into the race with a plan to only burn two matches.  Of course, that is not what happened exactly.  My plan was to burn one during the first two minutes right out of the gate.  As soon as the cannon fired I wanted to get clear of as much swim traffic as possible before settling down for the day.  Then, I didn't want to ever go into the red again until the last half mile.  I was of the mind that as soon as I went into zone four or five, or as soon as my heart rate went up -- it would get increasingly hard throughout the day to get myself back into a steady zone two-three pace.

On race day, I was focused on staying steady, in the saddle and aero for the bike.  I generally wanted to meter out my effort consistently regardless of the terrain.  I didn't get too worked up by the other competitors.  For the run, I was never in danger of running "too hard or too fast," that is not a risk for me as I'm more of a plodder than runner.  (I did a 4:42 for the run split for what it is worth.)  I probably burned a match at the following places:

• Start of the swim (per plan),
• Headed out of town for first climb on loop one of the bike (I could have given up one gear with no negative effects).
• Coming through town toward T2 on loop two of the bike, I was going fast for no reason other than the rush of the crowd and the excitement to be moving on to the next phase of the race. 
• Mile one of the run I went way, way too fast coming out of transition and downhill through town.  This was simply a mistake and due to not paying attention.
• Coming back into town on both loops of the run, there is a sustained uphill effort.  I ran through it both times and was conscious of how my heart rate was climbing but I didn't want to start walking and then not be able to get going again.

Altogether, I guess about six matches across nearly 12 hours of work.  I should add also that I swam a good deal faster (three minutes) than I had planned and I'm sure I used up energy there that I could have conserved to better effect on  the run.  However, this was not a conscious "I'm going to burn a match" effort as much as I felt good and smooth and just went with it.  I was quite surprised because I didn't feel like I swam that hard even though my splits were each about 2.5 minutes faster than an easy loop that I did the day or so before the race.

Final thought, another place where someone can very, very easily burn a match without meaning to do so is the inconspicuously challenging T1.  I wonder what other people think of this idea but my sense is that it is a real danger zone and place to be conscientious about what we are doing.  In addition to the three blocks of running, there is the overwhelming charge from the crowds lined up behind barricades, the hot and humid tent, the anxiety of so many little details with bag and wetsuit and nutrition, and the general excitement of having the swim behind you.  I think it is probably pretty easy to have a skyrocketing heart rate here for a good five to 10 minutes even though very little forward progress is made toward the 140.6 miles.

the better question is: are u racing or just finishing?

I always try to pace evenly the whole thing and if the hill is so step that you "are" forced to burn a match then before the race go to the store and buy a cassette with more gears.

In my case I am going with a compact crank and a 12-28 cassette; that should be more than enough to keep the power even on the up/down hills.

^^^ that is if you are just a finisher like most of us; I can't comment on "racing" given that I never raced a race

Question for those that have done Jorge's Winter Bike program. It says if you want to do three bikes per week rather than the four that are in the plan, the fourth ride is optional.  The fourth bike each week is the long one. So this means you never do a long bike throughout the entire 16 weeks? Does that sound right, or did people pick and choose which bike to skip each week to get in some longer rides?

Thanks!

keep the long one and drop one of the shorter ones/

I agree, but could see it both ways.  On one hand, the more intense workouts will push power, but the longer workouts are probably better long term prep for a 30 week program.

BTW, thanks to all on the "matches" question.  From reading race reports, I myself figured that the first hill in the bike and the end of the bike loops were the biggest opportunities to burn a match.  When I get to the run, I always walk hills of any real magnitude, to avoid burning matches.  I am playing with the idea of a run 8, walk 2 type of plan as well.  I will not run a fast 26.2 on my best day, so this type of strategy is appealing because 1) it breaks up the monotony and 2) would seem to be self regulating.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  

A quick sprint tri tomorrow, and 2012 is done and looking forward to 2013! 

IMHO

keep the short ones and drop the long one. You work FTP/VO2/Sweet spot on the short ones; the long one is the keep or build some endurance thru the program.

A quick sprint tri tomorrow, and 2012 is done and looking forward to 2013! 

Howdy gang, done with Savageman and finally ready to subscribe to the thread and focus on IMLP. This board and community really helped educate me going in to IMSG this year, and I look forward to learning lots from you all, plus from my pal klassman. 

1. Is this your first IM?

Third full IM, in third year of triathlon.

2. Have you done LP before?

No, but I know a man who has. 

3. What are your goals for the 2013 race?

Sub-11. Ha. Between family, a start-up and other commitments it's a sound goal.   

NEED ADVICE:  I am going to IMLP next year and I am searching for houses for my family but other that looking at LP, what other neighboring towns should I be searching that is still reasonably close to LP?   I heard, and correct me if it's bad info but if you stay closer to saranac lake , that road is still open till you get real close than you should shuttle in?   also I am presuming if you stay anywhere east of LP the roads will be closed so family will be stuck in LP till the night?

any input would be appreciated...i am looking at adirondack rentals by owner and wondering how far away from LP I can go without being too far

if you can share your experience, especially if you rented a house...thanks Scott

I stayed in Saranac (Right on Flower Lake, it's right there on the corner of I think Rt3 and 86).  If you are not going to stay right in LP then I would stay to the Saranac Lake side of LP.  86 going into LP is open all the way into town.  I had my little ones come back and forth a couple time through out the day.  The only downside of staying outside of LP is that the race day you would end having to park at one of the lots and get shuttled in since Parking is very limited within the LP town.  My MIL did all the back and forth and didn't have any problems.  Race morning it was clear sailing (Though I'm an early person so I was there right before transition opened up).  I had the wife drop me off right in town and she went to one of the lots and got shuttled in.  Saw here about 30 mins after she dropped me off.  Enough time for me to get into transition and set up the bike and last minute check for my transition bags.  One other downside that I didn't think of was after the race was over.  My support crew didn't go in to transition to get my bike so I did afterwards along with all the bike and run bags.  It was a little walk to get back to the car since I was pushing the bike along with me.  But if you have family get your gear while you are out on the run, then it shouldn't be a problem.  It takes about 17 minutes to get to LP from Saranac (not that I timed it or anything ).  if you stay on that side you will end up going back and forth a few times so you will get the lay of the land pretty easily.   

X2.  Threshold work builds fitness the most efficiently.  Plenty of time to build endurance come springtime.