Bone Island Tri - Full Iron Course : Official Thread (Page 3)

That's VERY good news. I am in 3B and was worried I would have to fly with it!

Out on yesterday's ride, I was thinking a bit about how to train for this one. While it's still going to be a lot of hours, but more on how to use the time. My area is generally considered pretty flat, I can go for a century and come back with 1,800-2,600 ft of ascending. I can find 4,000, but really have to look for it (and probably cross over into Wisconsin. This race might not even hit 400 ft. The significance of this is in training for maintaining aero position. It's going to matter. More than we're used to. A lot more.

The only "hills" there will be the bridges, and the "big" one was rated at ~1.8% iirc. That is still very do-able in aero. I might still be breaking 20 mph if there isn't a headwind. Some might take this to mean that the position should be over as much as possible. Well, that could help, but the intention here is more to be able to hold whatever position you end up going with as well as you can. Ride in aero as much as you can, especially late in the ride. Get used to being over and continuing to put out power in that position for long periods of time. 60-70% of the time is not a lot, just more often than not. If that's where you're at then that's what you do, but keep working on it. 90-95% or better is a lot.

Learn how to give your body breaks from the position without actually getting up. This thought really came to me yesterday. Even though my area is "flat", there area still a lot of small hills around. They only take 30-45 sec to get over and I've used these as standing breaks. These come no farther than every few miles for the most part. Doesn't necessarily sound like much until you take away half of those. Or actually about all of them come race day.

Things I've learned to do are to take off 1 arm at a time for brief periods. Move it around some to loosen up the shoulder a little. There are a couple shoulder shrug stretches that can be done mid-ride as well. Press them up (forward, actually) and also forward (which is actually down). Rotate your head side to side to help the neck. Do these before you actually get tired.

Another one is to stand while still in aero. Mary Beth Ellis recently did this frequently at IMNYC. She did it going uphill as they weren't that steep. I've also done it going down very gradual hills. Shifting up 1-2 gears helps to make it easier to keep balance as all the body motion will slow down for you. Also keep the nose of your saddle between your legs, especially when first trying this. An Adamo makes this harder to do, but I can do it. I also run the elbow pads narrow, another thing that makes it harder to do, but can still do this.

Anybody have more to add to this?

My wife and I were able to find a nice 1 bedroom condo for $100 per night through http://www.vrbo.com.  For those of you that haven't booked yet I thought you might be interested.

I haven't signed up for this yet but I really want to do it. I need to decide before the end of August. I've never been to key west but after studying the maps some today, the course looks more of a nuisance instead of an enjoyable ride. This is not gonna be a cheap race by any means so I hate to go down and have it kinda suck...

Anybody that's ever been care to set this straight for me?

I kind of backed off on this as well.  I pulled up the bike portion on the website and then opened up google maps on another tab.  Everytime I did street view of the course it all looked the exact same no matter where I was.  Given the water is beautiful, but 112 miles of looking at the same scenary seems awfully boring.  And you know there's going to be a nice headwind either heading out or coming home probably. 

I'm with crt87, someone please talk me back into it because at this point I have really backed off (although I've never been to Key West and always wanted to check it out).

I haven't looked at any street view stuff. And yes, I'm more of an out in nature, mountain, etc kind of rider.

I guess what I was really getting at was the whole 2 laps, 5 mile out and back 3 times here, ride 10 miles, 2 loops out and back there, turn and do 1 lap here or there....

I know I'm exaggerating that a bit, but that's what it looks like on the map and directions. I know I'm not familiar with the area and I'm sure that the RD's have found the best way to get in 112 miles down there. I was just hoping for a "yeah, been there, great bike course!" more than anything.

The original bike course looked as if it was going to be a long out and back but I am guessing that was too many miles to man so they came up with the out and backs to limit the total number of miles.

I guess it may get a bit "boring" but crap it is January in Key West. I am coming from Michigan. You know what I have to look at for scenery in January?, the tv while I am on my trainer and snow falling outside my window. I will take the ocean, warm temps, and cold drinks in Key West post race and deal with the out and backs.

I have done CDA, AZ, Wisconsin, Lousiville, Texas, Redman, and Cedar Point so I have seen the spectrum of bike courses from beautiful in CDA to boring in NW Ohio so I think looking over the ocean on flat land will be awesome!

I am guessing you are doing the full? I haven't looked at the half bike course if it has any of those out and backs on it.

You bring up some good thought provoking points here. Never really looked at training for a course like this in that way. But yeah it will be some serious flat landing, aero position, long hours in the same position.

Yes, I'm looking at the full. The half has a tiny bit of the far out & back, but only a mile or so into it. You don't loop on any of the out & backs, the entire half course is a single out & back. So a bunch of the half folks will be making their way into and catching up to the full distance and then breaking ahead at the far turnaround as the full has to go farther up and then loop it 3 times. There is also a 2nd out and back for the full on the way back in. That one has to be looped twice.

Since you have a good deal of full IM experience, you'll probably be ok as long as you remember how ridiculously flat this is. The entire course has fit into about +/- 10 ft. Seriously, that's it. It could go outside of that with the bridges, but I don't think the mapping programs have the accuracy to plot that. Which still says something in itself.

That's what I'm thinking with the water & view. I live in IL, near the border with WI. I like seeing various bodies of water around here. And there is no way I'll try to compare them to this. I  have been to Florida, but it was more than 15 years ago and not in the more tropical areas. I've also learned to appreciate different views and scenery so much more since then. I could see the same thing getting old if that was all I had to ride, but I just don't see how I'm going to get bored with it in a single 5 hr ride. Others may, but that's just in understanding yourself. Not everyone has to like everything.

I'm thinking of having the GoPro hooked up. Maybe get a swivel mount to get in side views as well.

 I've recently moved North so I'll be experiencing my first 'real' winter this year. Thanks for putting that in perspective. I didn't really think of it like that. 20 week training starts Monday!

I am signed up and ready to roll, well minus the ready to roll part

I did Redman in OKC in 07 as my first full. There were 230 in the full and about the same in the half. I heard so many people think I was crazy and would get so lonely out there but it wasn't that way at all. The wheels came horribly off in the run and finished just over 13 hrs but even at the end of the night when it was getting dark there were still people around on the run. Sure no where near the hoards of people at WTC events but I think the independants get a bad rap for being so sparse on competitors.

Plus Duval street after we finish watching the others come in, priceless

My swim and bike are there now, but will be trying to make them faster in the meantime! Could use the remaining months to build up the run so I can actually run the whole way though.

For me at least, I'm just not seeing the lower numbers (as compared to WTC) as an issue. It's actually a reason I like this one. There was just no room to go on the bike at Louisville and a bit precarious at Pocono. Sure if you're average it might seem fine, but I catch people fast there, that's my strength. Then there is the solo training all the time. It's not going to be any worse than that, and I never get lonely there. Well, there will actually be more people around to make it interesting. Especially at the far end as everyone gets into the looping out & back.

The run is 2 laps for the full. There will be people out there. Just might not be on the same lap, or could be going the other way. Also likely to be pedestrians around. Have you guys seen the eastern half of the run on Google maps? Much of it is along a big walking area with an ocean view. This looks to be a fantastic evening walking area. The western half looks to jump in and out of various populated areas. The finishing straight is going to go right up a busy area. Should be loaded with people. They may or may not know what's going on, but you won't be all alone.

Signed up about two months ago. This will be my first Full.

I feel your pain on the 3 loop section of the bike. I am not exactly thrilled but the potential quiet and openness of that key mixed with the salt air breeze hopefully will make it seem less "been here seen that".

Now the Swim and Run... I think will more than make up for the 3 loop section (which is only slightly more than a third of the bike course).

The sunrise over the ocean before the swim will be pretty sweet. The swim will be crystal clear so you get to see all the coral, sand, and fish. Not to mention not having to sight forward every third stoke. If I am lucky enough, I may even get to see a shark or two that will mistake my horrible swim stroke for that of a wounded harbor seal.

The run along the coast line with the off shore breeze will be refreshingly cool. If you have the right pace (I will be about 30min to an hour late), you will get to see the sunset when rounding the fort. The final turn and last mile down Duval Street to finish on a Saturday night (I expect to hit about 9:00pm) during peak season will be a good lift for my weary butt.

I think the good on the rest of the course will outweigh the one section of the bike I am not so thrilled about.

Yeah these views are going to suck