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Justin, when I travel, my goal is to swim, run and take more time to work core, gluts and hamstring stretches. I don’t attempt to bike – even on indoor gym bikes. My preference. I just don’t like riding off “my” bike as the fit is key to keeping my back from getting strained.
For the swim, I do look for a 24 hour fitness that has a pool or a public pool to swim. 24 hour fitness offers a free three day trail pass. You have to enter your name and email. And more times than not, I can find a public pool and pay the non-resident fee.
As for running…that doesn’t change and I actually enjoy new scenery.
Look to the Athletes Guide on core work and pick a few exercises. Travel is a great time to spend 30 to 45 minutes doing core and glut work. Don’t stress about what you can’t do and just focus on what you can.
Nick, my strong advice is to schedule some physical therapy. Getting to the root cause of the issue is key. Last season, I ran injured through three races. I treated the symptoms and failed to understand what was causing me pain. So, in October, I finally took the time to see a sports doctor and professional physical therapist. Made all the difference. I now have a regime of exercises specifically targeted for me and I know what I need to do to continue to get better. It is money and time well spent. What works for one, night not work for another. Seek the professional guidance and find your fix.
Having participated in LPIM last year, lodging within a mile of the transition / start and finish line is a premium. And the roads around the event are closed to traffic. I use the course map when I book lodging. That way I can understand where I am staying versus the roads around the event. Book early.
AJ, totally agree with you to check the athletes guide. As a point of reference, Lake Placid IM policy was that if it was wetsuit optional, and you chose to wear one, the would be a wetsuit wave that would start after the age group athletes entered the water. While your time doesn’t start until you cross the mat, you still have to finish by midnight. And by no means is a perfect example, and there are too many variables, I have swam 2 miles a few times without a wet suit. To mentally prepare in case I had to swim the distance without one. In those instances, I seem to swim my 100 yard pace about 10 seconds slower than I do in a wetsuit. There is no perfect answer.
Initial thoughts. What a great course. I am very impressed with those that made this their first Ironman. It is a beast with lots of hill challenges. If you are not ready, this course will find every fault in your preparation and every weakness in your body. Out of the 2,470 that signed up, 700 didn’t start or didn’t finish. So, the course is no joke. I glad I set my sights on Lake Placid for my Ironman event of 2019 and happy and honored to finish.
Swim. I went out faster than I wanted. I attribute that to other participants NOT seeding themselves correctly. As we were in the line, it was very apparent to me that dozens and dozens of swimmers lined up in time slots much faster than their capabilities. I started with the 1:20 to 1:25 group. And even then, I was swimming over top of people for the first leg of the first lap (several dog paddlers, back floaters, crawlers). So, I pushed the pace to find better waters and that meant more effort than I wanted. Once I got into a rhythm and found relatively open waters, the rest of the swim was on point. Looking at the numbers, my heart rate climbed a bit too high at the end of the swim and then spiked at I got out of the water. The spike was more than likely during my wet suit removal as it was a bit chaotic on the sand.
Transition 1. I walked/jogged. I really focused on taking some deep breaths and relaxing to not have any big heart rate spikes. Put on dry bike jersey top and took my time. Drank some water and ate a waffle bar before I got my bike. Got some good advice earlier this year – if you don’t expect to finish in the top 50 in your age group, taking an extra minute or two in transition is well worth it.
Bike. It was a warm day for sure. But, my nutrition was dialed in (thanks Coach AJ). Decided to drink a bit more than I planned to stay hydrated. Ate almost all my complex carbs with about 30 minutes to go on the bike. I pushed the bike a bit on the flats. I knew I was going to be a bit gimpy on the run, so I wanted to bank sometime in case my leg fell off on the run. I knew I was burning some reserves. I hit the deceptive rolling hills between Keane and Jay at 138 to 140 HR instead of 130 to 133 HR. On the hills, I tried to ride conservative – although I was in zone 3 more than I wanted – part of that was the heat. Looking back at the numbers, my heart average was high and my cadence was a touch low. Given I was exceeding my heart rate targets, I didn’t really use my goal power target. It was clear that pushing a 140 watts power – as an average – on the rolling hills would have easily crushed my heart rate to over 150. So, that power “target” was quickly dismissed early. I did use power as a reference on the climbs – just to make sure I didn’t push too hard as my heart rate tended to lag on the front part of a hill. The bike course took a lot of folks. Lots of walking bikes on the second time over the Bear hills. Blown riders on the second pass from Keane to Jay. I was glad to have rode the course and knew what was coming and took the proper plan to the ride (thanks Ryan…).
Transition 2. Good. Again, a complete change of kit. New kit – shorts, new top, new socks. Water, water. Don’t know why my heart rate jumped – I suppose I started to jog in transition.
Run. It was very hot. Even with the run/walk, I couldn’t get my heart rate down at the start of the course. So, I held on to run/walk – ran steady. As the temperature dropped, my heart rate dropped and became more manageable (e.g. started acting “normal”). I found a groove between miles 8 and 18. Walked all the hills and stations. It was the hardest run I have done. Lots of people dropping out. But, generally, aside from the 6/1 alert, I didn’t look at my Garmin. Just ran and talked to other participants. I really had no idea where I was at in terms of course time until I got to mile 20 (the turnaround beyond the ski jumps) and one of the volunteers said – you can make it to the line with 25-minute mile pace (best news I heard all day). So, then it was just a matter of gutting it out. Last four miles I dropped 6/1 and just did what could be done. Got to hear Mike Reilly call my name…that is always awesome.
Overall. Very happy to finish my second Ironman. Had a great experience. We had to weigh-in at check-in on Thursday. By Monday morning, I lost 12 pounds on the course. So, it will take a lot out of you. Leaned a ton about myself and the sport. This race was more about the journey. My swim was the best of the three sports. The bike was slightly aggressive – by choice. The run was a survival run – but, that is what I was expecting. A good opportunity to check “ego” and realize that speed/time are not the only things that matters. The volunteers were great and the course was beautiful. If you want to put a tough IM on your list – this is the one to do.
Nicole, I am racing LPIM this weekend as well. I had a chance to go up two weeks ago to swim, ride and run the course. If you want to grab some coffee/tea/water – more than happy to share some of my observations. AND we can get a “team” photo. I am staying at the Best Western across the street from the Oval. I am arriving this afternoon. If we don’t connect, hopefully I will see you on the course in the club kit! #miracle #1980
You can ping me on my email – joseph.fengler@gmail.com
A few updates.
The Swim Course has been changed. The course now runs counter clockwise with the buoys on the left. This moves the course to a more protected inlet. The swim course exit has changed from the printed materials.
Water temperature will be taken at 4:45am. Low probability that it will be below 76.1 degrees. So, anticipate swimsuit optional and if you decide to wear one, you will start at the back of the last group. I hope the water dips under 76.1, but it looks like it will be over by a tad.
The last 12 to 14 miles of the bike ride is expected to have headwinds between 15-20 miles per hour. So, brace yourself for a smart bike strategy at the end.
Also, as you walk up to check-in tent, on the left, you will see the Ironman Triathlon Team tent. If you signed up under DCTC, your name will be on the list. You will get a special band to wear post race that gets you into the Tri Team Tent – and three free beer coupons. So, don’t forget to get your special band.
I am thinking of taking a practice swim at 11:00am. Feel free to join me. We can swim where the swim course exit is located. I will have a DCTC shirt on.
Ok, the above didn’t paste like I expected. Last year, Atlantic City 70.3 had almost the same conditions. Projected rain during the bike with cloudy, drizzle on the run. A few thoughts.
Two large plastic bags. I am putting my bike and run gear in separate bags that I can close to keep the water out.
Dry socks for the run.
The rain and wind will take more effort than expected. Watch your heart rate and be prepared to go slower to hold your target heart rate.
Old-ish tires will be a problem. Water will find every knick and cut in your rubber. And with the high spin rate, will cause a flat tire as that water works it’s way into seam. In AC 70.3, there seemed to be a flat tire at every turn. If you are thinking that it is time for new tires, do it before the race. And then out a few miles on them.
Tire pressure. Would welcome AJ’s thoughts here. But, I am going take about 10 psi off my pressure to make my tires more grippy.
Hydrate when wet. I find it hard to drink when I am soaked in rain. Need to do it.
I am headed down today. Anyone want to meet for dinner tonight, ping me here. Also, willing to meet for a group swim on Saturday. I plan on going without a wetsuit.
Good luck!
Air Temp between 68 and 75
- Humidity: <span class=”co-v”><span class=””>82<span class=”Percentage__percentSymbol__2Q_AR”>%</span></span></span>
- Wind: <span class=”co-v”><span class=””>E 15 mph </span></span>
- UV Index: <span class=”co-v”><span class=””>4 of 10</span></span>
- Sunrise: <span class=”co-v”>5:40 am</span>
- Sunset: <span class=”co-v”>8:27 pm</span>
- Periods of rain. High around 75F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
No, I spray a very small amount and rub it in until each lens is complete dry. And then swim. I don’t dunk. I use the direction on the side of the bottle…
Every time before I swim, I use Quick Spit Antifog spray (Amazon). I have not had a problem in over a year. I also use BlueSeventy googles as well.