Ironman Louisville : Official Thread (Page 8)

I was thinking about Cardinal Harbour, too.  However, I think I'll return to Muncie again this year (I did Muncie in 2009), I really liked that race!

Also, I have the "Essential Week-by-Week Training Guide"  by Matt Fitzgerald.  It has training plans for all distances from Sprint to Iron & all levels from beginner to advanced.  I followed the Iron distance level 3 plan for FL this year.  I added more biking than the plan called for; but loved the format and felt completely prepared for my race.  I think this book is one of my best triathlon related purchases yet



Edited by marathongirl11 2010-12-04 1:53 PM

Marathongirl, I have the same book. I used it to train for IM 70.3 Orlando & IMKY last year, and I'm using it for IMKY & IMAZ in 2011. Also, I see that you are from Harrison. FYI, I am also from Cincy.

Interesting question John. IMO, your assessment is correct. Heat and location are the primary deterrents to IMKY. For top pros and AGers, proximity to Kona is also a factor. Too bad, Louisville is a great city and the venue while not breathtaking is ideal. Downtown Louisville, 4th St Live, Louisville Slugger Museum, and the Ali centera are all within walking distance. IMKY is the ehh um...stuff!

Aaron ~ great book isn't it!  Cool, that we are both from Cincy   Are you still in the area?


John ~ I just learned another reason why LOU doesn't fill up so quickly from my IM veteran friends:  Canada & Louisville are both qualifiers for Kona for the SAME year; while Wisconsin & later races are qualifiers for the NEXT year.  While Canada fills up because it is a classic and has been around so long; LOU hasn't been around long enough and people who are trying to KQ stay away since they would have to compete again so soon.  **This may be common knowledge; however, I didn't realize WI was a qualifier for the following year**

Stacie, I was born & raised in Cincy. I went to RB & UC, but haven't lived in Cincy since. I've lived in VA, Indy, Louisville, and now reside in Clarksville, TN. I still have family in Cincy and get back a few times per year. Happy Training!

Im hearing a lot of chatter about Cardinail Harbour....Im plannin on it for two main reasons. Its one for the FEW 1/2 distance races that fits into our training schedule (on the back end of the cut off at July 16th) Its on the IMLOU Course (great recon) and it will allow you to practice race nutrision on the course in heat. PLus its driveable @ 7.5hrs from Atlanta.
Anyone know of any other good 1/2 that fall between June 20-July 16 that arnt a M-Dot race?
Really want to keep the $$ down and save the M-Dot for LOU and Austin....thx

Check out the Rock & Roll tri in Macon, Ga on June 4th. Half Iron, non-Mdot, and right in your backyard.

atodd...Macon is to eairly June 9th? Did it last year and YES its a great race/ kicker, hilly bike/run and 105-108 heat index. Great race/training for LOU, if it were later in June or first week of July.
Coach wants everthing really timed out this year during the IM build.
Really looking at Muncie 70.3....first thought it said Munich and overlooked it...plus only $200 til Dec 31st and 10hrs drive....with the bad reviews on Cardinal Harbour...this might be a better fit, plus its 8 weeks out of LOU = Perfect!!

Keep me posted Cube. I'm looking for a "pre" IMKY race as well. I was planning on Cardinal Harbour until seeing some of the reviews. I'm also considering Muncie.

I'm thinking about doing the half IM in Morgantown, WV. Its the last weekend in June. It's only about an hour and half from my house so it seems perfect. I'd imagine the course will be hilly and hopefully the weather will be hot as well.

http://www.mountaineertriathlon.com/

Peter

Muncie is a great race!  The volunteers go above and beyond!

Muncie is a great race!  The volunteers go above and beyond!  Ooooops...sorry for the double post!

Edited by amyleigh 2010-12-05 9:23 PM

I signed up for IMKY this past weekend, so just wanted to say hi to the group!  This will be my 3rd full (IMLP and Beach to Battleship)  Looking forward to the journey!

On the 70.3 topic, I did Muncie last year and there was 2 volunteers per racer.  Great support atmosphere.  It was also wetsuit illegal last year, which would be good prep for IMKY.  This is the first year for Muncie being an Mdot branded race, so quality may suffer a little compared to its past reputation.  I am planning on doing my half in Morgantown.  June 26th...River swim, Hilly bike, blazing hot run.   Sounds like great IMKY prep to me! 

Have a great training week all..

Todd

Todd- Welcome. I'm sure you will be a valuable resource here.
Peace.

I was registered for Eagleman 70.3 before I even thought about Louisville...so thats going to have to be my "tune up" race.  Not exactly ideal, its too early in my opinion. 

For my last IM, I raced Augusta 70.3 five weeks before IMFL which I thought worked very well.

Todd - Glad you are in.  :-)  We are going to have a fun summer of training.

I will also be racing Morgantown and Muncie.

I'm getting off the fence about my IMKY "tune up" race and making a decision. Morgantown is a couple of weeks too early and is an 8.5 hr drive for me, so it is out. Muncie is a week earlier than ideal and a 6 hr drive, so it is doable. Racine is perfect timing but would require a flight. Cardinal Harbour is perfect timing and only 3 hrs away. In spite of the reviews, I'll be racing Cardinal Harbour.

Another resource that may be of interest is iamtri. They also have an IMKY forum. A gentleman named Bob coordinated several group rides & swims last year that were done on the IMKY course. I was not able to join any of these last year, but I hear that the turnout was good. From what I recall, there were 3 swims/rides spaced about 2-3 weeks apart. Something to keep in mind as you are planning your 2011 race season & budget.

http://iamtri.com/group/ironmanlouisville2011/forum

I'll be doing my own 70.3 in my "backyard" in July, but atodd has a point about the C.H. 1/2 IM. If you are looking for a workout that has similar conditions and at the right time of year...this is probably the one to really consider. The difference I suppose is the kind of experience you are hoping to have. If you are looking for a well organized race type of experience, this might not be the best choice. However, if you are looking to have a 70.3 distance that simulates IMLOU, the C.H. event just might be the right move. You just might need to bring an open mind and a forgiving heart. I think the event is well-intended.

Two cents deposited.

Peace.

Sam,

I wanted to get your input on wheel choices.  I am going to upgrade my wheels soon and I was really leaning to H3 clinchers.  Since you have raced Louisville previously, what wheels did you use?  It looks like you have H3 wheels in the photo on the cover of your book.

Thanks
Alan

Alan,
You're right, I had the HED3 3-spoked, carbon wheels. I'm going to miss them because I thought they were great, but they don't fit my new bike (650 to 700). Having said that, I don't have experience with other race wheels and the day in 2009 was about as close to perfect as it could be.
I don't know if that helps, but others here may have some great ideas as well.
Peace.

Sam,
Thanks for the reply.  When you had the HED3 wheels, did you use them for training or did you save them for race day only?
Alan