Ironman Louisville : Official Thread (Page 3)

All,
Make sure you make your hotel reservations soon.  I just checked with the normal place we stay (Courtyard Marriott  and they are SOLD OUT for that weekend.  I found another hotel on 2nd street which is right on the run course and booked it.  I am sure hotel space will open up, but better to have a reservation than not.  Takes the stress off.

Hello Irondg,
What is the hotel you booked on the run course?
Thanks,
TD

TD,
I booked rooms at the Courtyard Louisville Downtown on 2nd street.  It is on the corner next to mile 1 of the run and less than 2 blocks away from transition. 

Thanks to all for your feedback. Like Pegasus said, I'm not sure the time savings will be worth the $$$, but I'll check out the article on ST (thanks Steve). 

Pegasus - do you know what your average 100 time is in the pool? Was your time 1:30 in IM Lou 09? 

Trihusker -

Just to be a bit more exact about that thread on slowtwitch.....

When you put in "Liftfoil" as your search, you can't miss the thread. Its title begins "Blatant Ad......", and there are loads of posts on display. Have fun!

Steve are you watching me? I tried finding the link yesterday to no avail. Thanks for the specifics! I'll give it a shot now...

So I found the Liftfoil...looks really cool. But looking at it from my version of the real world, I swam 1:31 AT IM WI this year - not a fast swimmer. Which might be a good argument for the Liftfoil, that is, it's common for weaker swimmers to benefit more from buoyancy-aided equipment. However, looking at the time savings that De Soto reports, the high end of savings was about 5 minutes for an IM distance swim. So here I am running out of the water and the clock reads 1:26 instead of 1:31 (all else equal, just for illustration). How much would this matter to you if you were a 14 hour finisher like me? Seems miniscule for the price = $250. Plus, that 5 minute advantage? You still need to strip this suit off. Not sure how easy it comes off since it's 'like' a wetsuit material from the description.

Just for fun, any arguments why you'd get this if you were a BOMOP'er like me? Maybe it gives you confidence in the water? I think 5 minutes is huge if you're an elite, but why would the average triathlete benefit from this. What say you, IM Lou (er's)? 

Trihusker -

I'm just hit-and-running now, but I'll return later. For now, though, I'll just say that my blueseventy comes off very quickly -- much faster than a standard wetsuit. And it has a back zipper, which requires some reaching for, whereas the Liftfoil has, i believe, a front zipper. Ultimately, this aspect is maybe 10-15 seconds faster at most --- although maybe after some significant time thrashing about in the Ohio, finding the back zipper might be fairly challenging!!

I'm glad you found the Liftfoil thread!

Trihusker -

I've had a few hours to think about your thoughts and questions - which are very good ones - and I'll try to put my spin on them by way of another perspective.

In general, many of us would kill for five less minutes in a race, and to this end we do all sorts of things - buy race wheels, buy aero helmets, buy a whole gosh-darn new killer bike, join clubs, attend training camps, and on and on. And for many of us, too, $250 is a lot of money, not parted with easily. When I got my pointzero3 it was on a modest sale, and although I don't remember the exact price, I'm thinking $150, at the Chicago Triathlon expo '08.

Would I do it again, just for Louisville? Yes, definitely. (And if I didn't already have the pointzero3, I'd have to think seriously about the Liftfoil.) Not only I am looking to be competitive in the 60-64 a.g., but I'm just hoping for the best time I can manage. And the way I swim - with as minimal a kick as possible - I'm viewing not only ~5 minutes saved on the swim, but the resultant savings of lower-body energy that I can then use on the bike and, ultimately, on the run.

Because I am not very flexible ANYwhere, I cannot readily go into proper plantar flexion, which is the main reason why my kick is ineffective. So, when I race I kick seldom, relying mostly on my upper body. The benefit to this is that my legs are very fresh from the moment I hop on my bike, and that helps my performances a great deal.

What I find with my pointzero3 is that it cannot take my legs out of activity as successfuly as when I'm in my wetsuit, but it removes them more effectively than when I am just swimming in the pool, or swimming in my tri top and bottom. However I can reduce a dependence on my woebegone kick, I'll take it!

Another thing to consider is that if you are not in a speedsuit, what are you wearing? If it's no top, then there is the problem of trying to get a tight tri top on to your wet torso, which is often one of the most frustrating things in the world. The alternative is to wear your tri top during the swim, but unless it is ultra-tight you will experience a fair bit of drag from it.

Please don't get me wrong on this, Husker -- I am not trying to convince you to blew a couple hundred dollars on a swim-enhancing speedsuit! I have said before that my two irons both "featured" 1:25 swims, and they were when I was 55 and 56. I have NOT improved much since then, and next year, at 61, I'm bracing myself for a 1:40 swim at Louisville - even with my pointzero3. And because I am looking to be very competitive in the a.g., I can't give up too much time on the egg-suckin' swim, so a speedsuit is imperative. You used the phrase "confidence in the water", and for me it's not so much that exactly, but rather confidence that I can produce enough of a swim to allow me to be in a position where I can bike and run myself back into contention.

I bought a Xterra speedsuit this summer for $99 new.  I've used both Xterra and Blueseventy, and not much difference between the two.  I'd say hold out and see if Xterra has another blow big sale.

As for the BOP statement, you could use Zipps selling point.  The longer your on the course the the longer the X product is going to save you ____(time, watts, energy,...).


PS: Its killing me.  I wish I were coming back for round 3.

kproudfoot -

At the very least, there is parking in the area of 2nd and 3rd, and Market and Main. These are basically at the base of the Clark Memorial Bridge, so it is very close to t-zone.

I think it is Riverside Parking that has the corner on the parking market in downtown Louisville, so goggle them and see what comes up.

Thanks!!  I think I should be okay.  It is tought to pass up a $35 hotel when the race cost almost $600.

Steve - great points. I didn't realize you'll be AG competing - that's awesome. Where are you planning to do your long bike work with hills? 

*I guess this question goes for anyone living in midwest. I'm in Ohio, and there's not much here. I know hills are relative, but in my case living in central Ohio (Columbus area) the only hills that really helped me with IM WI was when I drove about an hour east of Columbus to find. There's a great ride on mapmyride that's called "Relentless Hills" - it's a great 65-70 mile ride with some pretty decent grades (7 - 15%). Again, relative...for me when I'm hitting 45 mph on the descents and staying aero because I can use that momentum for the next big a*s hill coming right in front of me. 

What's this $35/night??? I looked on-line and Townplace looks like a decent place? What's the scoop, is there a minimum night stay, or some other catch? 

kproudfoot -

Go to www.louisvilleky.gov/PARC/space4u/downtownattractions.htm for a moderately useful map of parking lots. One of them, 1st and Main Garage, at 100 East Main, has a daily maximum of $8.75. I can afford that!

Trihusker -

"Where are you planning to do your long bike work with hills?" Ah, we ask ouselves that question!

I'm in the flatlands of eastern Ontario, so I have to work to get to hills. When I did IMLP in '04, I rode a few times on the actual course, which is about three hours from home. But the terrain around LP doesn't really approximate that of Louisville, so that's not all that helpful. (Plus, the border crossing is a nusiance.)

Probably, I will do my longest long rides wherever, just as saddle time. I will do my competitive hill rides at races - Columbia (oly), Mooseman (oly), Musselman (half), and Fronhofer (oly). For basic training, I can get to some decent rolling stuff within 45 minutes of home, or I can torture myself by riding in the Gatineau Hills ("hills"? HA!), in Quebec; they're about an hour from home.

In general, though, I do well on hills, so my biggest challenge is simply heading off on the long solo rides. Wind is a big feature of this area, so the long rides are picking one's poison --- the first 3 hours into the wind, or the last 3 hours into the wind? Ugh.

It's a friends and family discount.  My wife has a friend who works for the Marriot and I am going to be her brother for the weekend so I get the employee rate.  Initially I thought I was going to get the downtown Marriot for around $70 but they must have special event rates that weekend because they are $180.  She look how much it would be to stay there during IMKY 09 and it was $70 so it might go down as the race gets closer.

I would not worry about hotels selling out next year.  She said there were plenty of rooms available last year.

Thanks, definately will check it out.  I think parking should be okay.  I was really concerned  that I would have to try and walk back to the  hotel after the race.

I know it's ealry, but does anyone have an interest in meeting in Louisville in the spring (APR/MAY?) and ride the course?  As I put in an earlier post, it's not a hard course, but since my wife is doing it with me in 2010 I want to take her out and at least ride the beginnning the first loop of Lagrange and the finish.  The roads have a few issues that I want her to be ready for.  If we get a group maybe we can get a group rate at a hotel.  Just thinking out loud. 

I would love to. Yea, its a bit of a drive but I can make a long weekend out of it haha. I have a habit of driving/riding courses before racing on them, so it is definitely something for me to consider. I will keep the idea in the back of my head until time gets a bit closer

I'm in Atlanta too.  We could carpool or follow up that way.  It's an easy drive.

Oh yea, didnt even notice that

I am more than willing to carpool and make a weekend of it. Lets put it on the backburner for now, but I am interested in the idea when the spring comes around.