Ironman Coeur d'Alene : Official Thread (Page 96)

haha mcdonalds. food of champions! I heard macca had some mcdonalds in his run special needs 8)

seriously though, dont wait for others to validate what works for you. what works for you works for you. did you notice i just wrote what works for you three times back to back back to back?

just did a 1:40:00 OWS and am not thinking straight. sorry.

y'all see the swim start video from IMSG yet ?

http://www.everymantri.com/everyman_triathlon/2011/05/video-the-ironman-st-george-swim-start-up-close-and-person.html

Did I see some crazies in sleeveless suits AND even NO SUIT???  I did that race last year and that water is damn cold!  Hardcore!

Here's another IM rookie question.  What is the difference between the run/bike bag and the special needs run/bike bag?  I see alot of people putting tubes and CO2 in their special needs bag.  Are these extra?  Do you still carry tubes and CO2 with you on your bike? 

Thanks,

Kelly

I've argued at length for a compact in this thread.  I've also linked to a discussion of some very fast athletes at ST who all say they were happy with compact gearing or wish they had it... guys who were riding in the low 5 hour range.

My opinion... if you ride fast enough to be fine on a standard, you know it.  For the 5:00-5:30 guys, you could probably go either way.  For the 5:30+ guys, you'll be better off on a compact.

That said, lots of 5:30+ guys get by on a standard + wide cassette (27 or 28 tooth available).  It's my opinion, though, that they'd be better off on a compact.

The staff takes the special needs bags out on the bike/run courses.  So yeah the stuff you put in them is all "extra".  You might pick up the tubes and CO2 if you had flats earlier on in the bike ride, that way you have a backup again.  But if you have a good day then you might never stop to use your special needs bags.

At packet pick up you will get a small backpack filled with everything you need for race day... your bib number, your bike stickers, maps of the course, athelete guide, etc.  It will also have the following plastic bags with drawstrings in it:

1) morning clothes bag (so you can wear warm clothes whil you wait around for the swim).  You carry this bag around with you on race morning, put your clothese in it last second, and drop the bag at a station by the water (or hand it to a family member if you know where they are) and they can be picked up the next day or by a family member if you give them a stub from your bag.

2) T1 bag.  This bag gets your bike stuff.  In T1 you empty it, stuff your wetsuit/goggles in it, and put on your bike stuff (shoes, clothes, helmet, anything going in your pockets, suncreen, body glide).  A volunteer will take this bag and re-rack it so you can claim it later.

3) Bike special needs.  This bag has anything you want in it, and is available at approximately the half way point of the bike.  This bag is OPTIONAL... you don't need to even drop it off, but most people do and fill it with "just in case" items.  People who don't live off the course often have their second round of nutrition in here.  You can also have various medicines you might need, an extra tube in case you flatted and want more insurance, extra sunscreen, etc.  Smart to have an extra layer of clothing in case the weather has gone south.  Most people also put a crazy food item in here in case they can't stand the thought of more gatorade.

4) T2 bag.  This bag gets your run stuff (socks, shoes, hat, sunscreen, body glide, etc).  You dump it out and put your bike stuff in it, and a volunteer re-racks it for you so you can retreive it later.

5) run special needs.  Just like on the bike, this bag is available about half way through the run and you can put anything you want in it.  If you plan to be on the course after dark a jacket is a very smart thing to have in there.  I also recommend a second pair of shoes and dry socks in case you are having trouble with your first pair or with wet socks from dumping water on yourself.

When you drop off your bike, you also drop off your bags.  They are stored on racks by number... so your T1 and T2 bag will be hanging right next to each other.  When you enter transition during the race, you will run through the racks and grab your correct bag.  The special needs bags are usually dropped off at a second location (where you will actually pick them up) on race day morning (since you'll likely have put food in them that morning).

All of the bags and your bike are retrieved after the race by you or the person who gets your stub (provided in your backpack).  Although you'll likely see it again, don't put anything in your special needs bags that you can't afford to lose... they are not as secure or as orderly as the transition bags after the race.  I remember picking through a giant pile of them the day after the race to get my backup shoes (but the day old PB&J went in the trash).

All of this is explained in detail in the athlete's guide.

just an FYI that IMCDA hasn't used racks for T1 and T2 bags in recent years (including last year).  The bags are placed on the ground (another good reason to double bag) in numeric order.  T1 and T2 bags are in seperate locations.  You will place your own bags in these locations but they get reorganized and sometimes messed up by the volunteers.  It's a really good idea to mark your bag with something unique and easy to identify (curly ribbon or a bandana for example...I always forget to do this. This year I putting it on my pack list and race plan).  It's possible that they will switch back to the racks, but I would be prepared for either system.

Hello all, it’s been a while since I posted but I have been looking in here and there. Looks like everyone is going great makes me feel lazy to see all your numbers. My goal for the race is to finish, and I hope the time is at or under 13 hours. My bike and run right now support that theory but we will see on race day what the heat is like or not like.

As far as my planning goes. Here is what I will be rocking.

Swim…. I will have my full wet suite on with tri shorts and top under. I will have the race supplied swim cap and my goggles. I will hit the lake by my house for some cold swims to get ready for the cold. The swim is where I am the most scared of time. I am not a swimmer. I can do it but not quickly. I am more a steady swimmer. I have been working on it for months so we will see what happens on race day. I will start in the back and go from there. The people in the swim do not bother me I can handle that. It is the not seeing in the water that bothers me. If I can get past that I can do ok. To be honest anything under 2 hours, yes I know slow, in the swim will make me happy.

Bike… I will apply some sun screen, gels will already be on the bike or on my person with my Cytomax in my bottles and some food on the bike to. I will be riding my Felt B14 with its stock items on it. All the chat about chain rings and gearing has me a little on nerve about the stock items, but it’s what I have so I am going to rock it. My tires will be Michelin Pro 3. I have used them for a while and like them. Not that I would know much about other brands. I hope to be done with the bike in about 6 to 6.5 hours.

Run… This is the part where if it is hot I am toast, but will give it my all, also apply more sun screen. I hope to be done in about 4 to 4.5 hours but know 5 might be more like it. I will be rocking my Asics DS Racers and carry my water belt with me. I will have gels on me in my pockets.

Finish line… Lift my about 1/2 size replica Stanley Cup in my victory over myself. Then find my wife and son and a pizza.

Well, I dropped the hammer on a new 11-26 cassette today.  Hoping between that and the compact that I will have enough gears for spinning up the hills. 

Also, made the decision today to ship bike via tribiketransport.  I had been thinking about shipping via fedex to the ironbikes shop, but wasn't able to convince myself that they would be ok with reassembling my bayonet II headset on my felt.  So, this way no disassembly necessary.  cost a pretty penny, but was a smidge cheaper than the ironbikes once shipping was included.  Only downside that I will have to give my bike away for ~20 days. 

On another note, now that we're in the meat of IM training, I find myself increasingly tired, anxious, and self-absorbed.  If I'm not swim/bike/running, I'm thinking about swim/bike/running.  Or thinking about logistics of getting me, my family, and my gear across the country.  Also, I've found myself thinking during my long bikes/runs that I wish the darn IM would hurry up and start.  For me at least, it's difficult to maintain that high volume necessary for succesful IM execution for more than about a month.  Anyway, hope everybody else is staying focused and are able to train through whatever issues you are dealing with.  I figure we've got about 4-5 weeks of the hardcore training before entering taper time.

Same here.  Isn't it June yet?   

I'm wondering if this is an apples to apples comparison. 

PGAMike has mapped out one loop of the bike course.  The average grade is 0.9% and an elevation gain of 2,549 for 55.88 miles. This would make it a 5,098 total for both loops.   One of my training rides has been 84 miles with a 1.4% average grade and a 6,142 feet elevation gain.  Another has been 1.2% average grade and 6,135 for 96.6 miles. 

Any thoughts on how these rides might compare?  Thanks

I just have to chuckle at that chart only going to 180lbs

<-- (Mr 205 here)

I've never gotten to invlate under 120 PSI (max sidewall pressure) either... but I've come close (I weighted 182 on my IM race day).  I feel your pain.

Does anybody have a garmin profile of the bike course by any chance (or something similar)?

Also, can anybody compare one loop of the cda bike to the Oceanside 70.3 bike in terms of difficulty (hills)?  If I did the Oceanside 70.3 bike in 3 hrs even, what is a reasonable expectation or goal for the IMcda bike?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Don't know what your rides are like but I can give you a brief rundown on the IMCDA course.  The elevation numbers you have are pretty much right on.  At CDA there is a decent little hill at about mile 5-6 then you come back over that hill at around mile 10 or so.  From there it's pretty flat until you get back to town then you start a very slight uphill until around mile 24.  From there until around mile 48 there is nothing more than 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile that's flat.  It's either uphill or downhill.  English Point hill will be the steepest climb at almost 300 feet elevation gain in a mile.  Next you'll have Lancaster Rd hill, only 1/2 mile but nearly 200 feet elevation gain.  After that there are many smaller rollers and finally Hudlow Rd hill which all total is about 1.65 miles but most of the elevation gain is in the first 3/4 of a mile.  For some reason it's Hudlow that always seems to wear me out.  A few more rollers then a good downhill, then mostly flat and that very gradual downhill for about the last 8 miles into town.  The wind is usually in your face this last gradual downhill but occasionally you'll get a North wind and you can really fly on this section then. 
Hope this helps a little.  Everyone train safe for another 4-5 weeks then it's taper time!

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=219444&start=1769

Love seeing the equipment lists..great idea.   I remember going to St George last year to cheer my dad and brother and walking into the hotel room the day before and seeing stuff laid out everywhere as they got it all ready to go. 

Here's where I'm at right now.    Honestly, I haven't been stressing about it too much as I'm pretty good at adapting as needed, but this is the stuff I'm sure of:

Week before:   Pack up the mini van with gear and 3 kids wednesday morning.   Drive 400 miles to Sacramento and meet up with parents.   Thursday caravan with parents to Bend, OR and stay the night   Friday drive to CdA arriving mid-day.  Pick up wife at airport friday night.

Swim:  Xterra Vortex full suit (have to make sure this still fits as I've lost about 20 pounds since buying it, but I did buy small because I knew I'd lose weight)over my tri shorts and jersey, my tried and true mirrored Speedo goggles, and the issued swim cap.   Not planning on a neoprene cap, ear plugs or anything like that right now.   If the water ends up being super cold, then who knows, but I'm pretty tough and a good swimmer so it shouldn't be a problem.

Bike:  09 Quintana Roo Lucero, Zipp 404/808 rentals wheels I'll be picking up before I leave.   Not sure what tires/tubes they come with.  12-28 cassette with the 54/39 up front.   Horizontal bottle between the bars, aero bottle on downtube, and spare kit (2 tubes, 2 CO2's, small multi tool) in the single bottle behind the seat.  Probably gatorade in the bottles, then I'll live off the course. red Bull shot as I leave T1.  Plan is to have a few items like Laffy taffy or Sour Patch Kids in a small baggie in my pocket....just as a pick me up whenever I need it, and a power bar or poptart as well.  Giro helmet, Jawbones, TR31 shoes, and I'll throw on my gps watch in T1 (not powered up though).  I'll have socks and other cool weather gear in my bag just in case, but the plan is to do the whole race sockless and in my Pearl Izumi In-R-Cool tri shorts and Aevero jersey. Turn on my gps before hitting transition.

Bike Special Needs:   some snacks, extra couple tubes, body glide and chamois butter.

Run:  Kswiss Blade lights,  2XU visor (I know my wife will want me to wear a hat, but I'm much more comfortable in the visor) Jawbones, body glide,  Red Biull shot as I head out.  I'll stay in my tri shorts and jersey unless it's cold, then I'll have a long sleeve run shirt in T2.

Run Special Needs:   socks, body glide, bandaids (in case I get blisters) Red Bull shot, windbreaker.

More for me than the group:

Swim: 310xt garmin + HR strap, 2 piece DeSoto T1 wetsuit (backup wetsuit in case of rips), zoot neoprene cap (PRN), b70 booties (PRN), ear plugs, IM cap, 2nd cap from home (PRN), finis goggles (bringing spare pairs), vaseline for face, team all3sports.com 2-piece tri-suit with backup Team EC suit, extra pair of old shoes to walk out to swim with.

Bike:  new BLUE Triad EX with Di2s, Hed 6/9s stallion builds with Power tap, joule, 53/39 front, 11-28 rear, specialized tubular open mondo tires with butyl tubes, speedfil on tube between legs, and two fuel bottles off rear of seat, bag with one spare tube, levers, and two c02s (may bring 2 tubes). Giro aero helmet, broken in CEP socks ready to go, specialized photchromatic glasses, BONT sub9s shoes, long sleeve cycling shirt and cloth gloves (PRN), race belt. Considering hauling a can of that fixaflat stuff and latex tubes.

Run:  going with cushioned clunkers (brooks dyad 6s), TeamEC hat, keep wearing CEPs and trisuit, considering wearing fuel belt with 2 or 4 bottles of my own fuel but lean towards living off course

Run Special Needs:  dry socks, backup running shoes, body glide, bandaids, light long sleeve tech shirt

Rough race day game plan

night before-take it easy, eat solid and healthy, wake up at 1-2am and pound 800-1200 cals if possible, up early to hit loo, and eat solid and healthy race morning including ample coffee

swim-long and steady/deal with the fray politely/urinate as much as possible

t1-sneak somewhere out of the crowd to do the change on my own fast as possible

bike-get up to right below aerobic threshold (t1) and hold it (250w?), easy on the ascents, kill the descents, treat heavy headwind like hills. nutrition and hydration as usual.

t2-hurry up slow poke

run-lock into as close to 8 min pace as is comfortable and hold it for as long as possible and pound the last 5k if there is anything left in the tank. gels every 20-30 mins, water and perform as needed, and coke only around mile 16+.

chute-High step the whole way, dorky picture

after-celebrate or cry as needed and then cheer if time left

Phatknot--what, I thought after the race we were getting beer...I'm so sad now. With the rental house not far from the finish line, unless I am physically unable (which is always a possibility after 140.6 miles), I totally plan to be part of late finisher party cheering (given I'm not a late finisher, again, anything is possible in 140.6 miles)...so one way or the other, I plan on being there! 

I will post my gear stuff later, 6 more hours of class to go today...yay. Cannot wait for this quarter to be over and have my focus be on CdA alone.  I will post all of my geardo stuff later.  Of note, I stalk the IMTX page cause I'm going to watch, and know so many of the people doing it.  Apparently they think we're going to go stagnant on our posting as they posted the following:

They're already off on their math as we've exceeded 119.  Someone asked about the record for IM threads, well, you should've seen IMLP last year. It was insanity. It was like TAN for IM; I'm okay if we don't go crazy. We're not allowed to get nonsensical until taper time.   (which, as indicated by the computations above, our IMTX peeps have entered--but that's okay, they ARE in taper!).