Triathlons

[RayP]

Awesome guys. I'll try to find a training plan that is about a year and hopefully try to complete one before the end of 2016.

About an hour and a half away from me in Wine Country California. July 10, 2016.

http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman-70.3/vineman.aspx#axzz3kJdkmaR6

I look at their website almost daily to see what races might have been added... but I have never clicked on the details of that one, and I'm not sure why. That would probably be the easiest sell possible on the woman (who is OBSESSED with wine) on a race trip. Guess I know what I'll be bringing up over dinner, and assuming the rest of the year goes as planned that would fit in perfectly with my schedule...


You'll have to keep me posted if you do end up doing it.


Did you buy a bike yet? Saw earlier today a few bike shops out here have the 2015 Trek Speed Concept 7.0 on a closeout special for around $2300, down from $3000. I still don't have a proper tri bike, but if that deal is still around after my honeymoon, I might have to jump on it. Then would immediately upgrade the wheels without a doubt.

 

[Chairman Mallard]

I look at their website almost daily to see what races might have been added... but I have never clicked on the details of that one, and I'm not sure why. That would probably be the easiest sell possible on the woman (who is OBSESSED with wine) on a race trip. Guess I know what I'll be bringing up over dinner, and assuming the rest of the year goes as planned that would fit in perfectly with my schedule...


You'll have to keep me posted if you do end up doing it.


Did you buy a bike yet? Saw earlier today a few bike shops out here have the 2015 Trek Speed Concept 7.0 on a closeout special for around $2300, down from $3000. I still don't have a proper tri bike, but if that deal is still around after my honeymoon, I might have to jump on it. Then would immediately upgrade the wheels without a doubt.

That would be awesome if you end up going to this one Ray. We could go to Russian River Brewing after (less than an hour away from the race) and drink away the pain! I haven't got a tri/road bike yet but I will probably just get a road bike for now and not worry about a tri specific bike yet. I am still interested in the Cervelo R3 or S3 for now but I need to sell my Ducati 696 that I don't really ride to get some road bike funds first

 

[RayP]

Anyone here have any experience in swapping out a chain on their own? Watched a few videos, and it doesn't look too terribly difficult... Any tips, or more specifically, anything to be extra careful and to make sure not to do?

That would be awesome if you end up going to this one Ray. We could go to Russian River Brewing after (less than an hour away from the race) and drink away the pain! I haven't got a tri/road bike yet but I will probably just get a road bike for now and not worry about a tri specific bike yet. I am still interested in the Cervelo R3 or S3 for now but I need to sell my Ducati 696 that I don't really ride to get some road bike funds first

I'll let you know, but definitely going to float the idea out there. If I can find a race, or something for her to do running wise that same weekend on the day before then I think it would be a virtual lock. Going to push hard for it, that's for sure.

And nice... every time I see one of those bikes in the wild they always catch my eye.

 

[Chairman Mallard]

I spent probably close to the amount of a bike or at least a good chunk towards it on a girl the last six months who just broke up with me the day after her birthday (so she could get treated great one last time I suppose).

Gonna forget about women for the time being and really focus on my goals for a while so focusing on the 70.3 will be a great thing for me.

 

[RayP]

Just saw a video of a guy who floated a bag of potato chips down the swim portion of the Augusta race I'll be doing in about a month... and it took the chips about 32 minutes to float from the start line to the finish line of the swim part.

Did a little more research on the slow twitch forums and apparently the Augusta one is one of, if not the, easiest courses out there. Normally I'm all about a good challenge, but this is probably the worst I've ever actually prepared for a race so right now that doesn't feel so bad.

Apparently the Savannah River is always a very quickly moving river, and wet suits are always allowed... which I don't have, but found a place down the street that rents them, so debating if I want to go that route or not.

I spent probably close to the amount of a bike or at least a good chunk towards it on a girl the last six months who just broke up with me the day after her birthday (so she could get treated great one last time I suppose).

Gonna forget about women for the time being and really focus on my goals for a while so focusing on the 70.3 will be a great thing for me.

wowwwwwwwww. That ****ing sucks man, sorry to hear.

No better time to do so, then. Training for something like this takes a ton of time, as you might expect. I used a generic training program I bought from the Ironman website, and my weekends usually consist of a good 8 hours of training from Friday-Sunday... And that's just the training side, and not necessary the time it takes to get to the pool for a 30-45 minute swim, then say a 2 hour ride, followed by even just a 15-20 minute run. I love it, and have no regrets in signing up and training for one... but it has taken a lot more of my time that I anticipated, that's for sure. Zero regrets whatsoever, though. Can't wait to cross that finish line.

Talked to the woman last night and she's all onboard with me doing the Vineman one you mentioned. Keep me posted on it, and if you do it, I'll do my best to join. After the wedding and honeymoon in a month, I should be good to sign up.

 

[The Imp]

Get a wetsuit, Ray. It'll let you relax so much more in the water, and odds are you can just lie there and paddle with your arms. Just let your legs float. Keeps them fresh for the bike and run (just remember to kick them a bit just before T1, to get the blood moving).

 

[Chairman Mallard]

I'll definitely post on here when I sign up Ray. Signups aren't open yet, but I'm going to try to sign up early after they open because then I'm committed and can't find any excuses, although I've been good the last few years about meeting all of my goals I've set but it doesn't hurt to get cash committed

 

[RayP]

Get a wetsuit, Ray. It'll let you relax so much more in the water, and odds are you can just lie there and paddle with your arms. Just let your legs float. Keeps them fresh for the bike and run (just remember to kick them a bit just before T1, to get the blood moving).

Hmmm... thinking about it. Half of me says to take advantage of being able to. But the other part of me kind of whats to not wear it as this is the one part I've really been looking at as a challenge, and it would almost feels as if I was cheating if I did wear one. You know?

In the end, I'm almost positive that I will get one though and definitely take advantage.

How many swims did it take you in yours to get use to it? I'm debating just buying one, if I can find a decent deal on one. Then I'd be able to cancel my gym membership and swim year round at my apartment complex if water temperature doesn't matter.

I'll definitely post on here when I sign up Ray. Signups aren't open yet, but I'm going to try to sign up early after they open because then I'm committed and can't find any excuses, although I've been good the last few years about meeting all of my goals I've set but it doesn't hurt to get cash committed

Awesome... let me know when you do, if you remember to. As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to plan as if I'll be there as well. Have always wanted to go to that part of the country, and should make for a great summer vacation anyway.

 

[The Imp]

Just two or three, I'd say, to get used to it.

Water temps... if they stay above say 15 degrees celcius you should be fine. Below that, I'd begin considering neoprene socks, cap, etc.

 

[RayP]

Just two or three, I'd say, to get used to it.

Water temps... if they stay above say 15 degrees celcius you should be fine. Below that, I'd begin considering neoprene socks, cap, etc.

Cold weather won't be an issue. Absolute coldest it will likely be would be about 65 F (18 C). Not to mention the summers here it's pretty much 90+ (32 C) every day, literally, so the water should be pretty warm still from that.

 

[The Imp]

Sounds like it might be too warm in summer, to swim in the wetsuit. Be wary of overheating.

 

[The Imp]

http://justinstrilife.blogspot.dk/

Came across this yesterday - pretty good race report from a non-Dane. I don't particularly agree with him on the windiness of the bike course, but I began my bike earlier than him, and finished it good deal faster than him.

 

[RayP]

Race is less than a week away... Let the forecast stalking begin. Weather for this week is beautiful all week, and then takes a turn for the worse on Saturday with 70% chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday, oh and very windy.

Plenty of time for that to change though.

 

[The Imp]

Have a good race, Ray.

Couple of pointers:

This is an IronMan event, yes?

If you hand in your race bags the day before the race, make sure that you lay each bag's contents out on a table and take a picture of it with your phone, before you pack your bags. With that, you will have the peace of mind of knowing exactly what's in your bags. That'll settle a lot of nerves the night before.

Speaking of, make sure to pack an extra pair of socks in both the run and the bike bag. Each in a ziploc bag. With a rainy weather forecast... Well, you get the picture.

Bring a roll of TP to the swim start. EVERYONE needs to go before the race, many will be nervous, and... well, sometimes they run out of TP.

Remember the drafting rules.

Note that they will likely insist that you either run out of T1 with your bike shoes on, or they will have to be pre-mounted on the bike. No running in your bike shoes. Study the athlete's guide. Dilligently.

Note that you don't need to wear your race number during the bike part. Put it on in T2 (Assuming you have a number belt).

The helmet rules are enforced big time. Show up with an iffy helmet, and you can all but assume you'll be refused at the bike check-in. Until you've acquired a satisfactory helmet. Beyond that, NO NEW GEAR ON RACE DAY!

Remember to smile, and enjoy yourself. If you're not enjoying yourself, it's not worth doing.

 

[RayP]

Have a good race, Ray.

Couple of pointers:

This is an IronMan event, yes?

If you hand in your race bags the day before the race, make sure that you lay each bag's contents out on a table and take a picture of it with your phone, before you pack your bags. With that, you will have the peace of mind of knowing exactly what's in your bags. That'll settle a lot of nerves the night before.

Speaking of, make sure to pack an extra pair of socks in both the run and the bike bag. Each in a ziploc bag. With a rainy weather forecast... Well, you get the picture.

Bring a roll of TP to the swim start. EVERYONE needs to go before the race, many will be nervous, and... well, sometimes they run out of TP.

Remember the drafting rules.

Note that they will likely insist that you either run out of T1 with your bike shoes on, or they will have to be pre-mounted on the bike. No running in your bike shoes. Study the athlete's guide. Dilligently.

Note that you don't need to wear your race number during the bike part. Put it on in T2 (Assuming you have a number belt).

The helmet rules are enforced big time. Show up with an iffy helmet, and you can all but assume you'll be refused at the bike check-in. Until you've acquired a satisfactory helmet. Beyond that, NO NEW GEAR ON RACE DAY!

Remember to smile, and enjoy yourself. If you're not enjoying yourself, it's not worth doing.

Yes, it is a IM race.

That's a great idea/tip with the pic.

Good to know on the bike shoe and T1, I'll have to look into that. I've read the manual, but it's been a few. Need to do that a few more times this week to be safe.

Numbers will be painted on, so don't think I'll have to worry about that.

Never even looked into any helmet rules, and would haven ever thought to. I just have a regular cheap helmet, though. Nothing that I imagine would be considered illegal, just cheap.

And that is exactly the approach I switched over to about a month ago. I'm not going to win this race, so no point in taking myself so seriously while I'm out there. I just want a fun and healthy race, nothing more than that. I'm going to take the swim really easy, the first 7-8 miles of the bike course easy as well, pick it up a bit after that, and have a couple mile cool down at the end of the bike leg to rest up a bit for the run. I haven't been able to run much lately, well beyond 5-6 miles that is, so I'm not really sure what to expect after that 6-7 mile mark.

 

[Chairman Mallard]

Good luck Ray!

 

[The Imp]

The helmet needs to be of a certain standard (CE in Europe, the US standard would be USA CPSC. Look for a CPSC sticker inside), and it may not have any cracks. Not even hairline cracks. They're pretty draconican with that here - I saw two people sent to the shops at check-in, one for 70.3 Kronborg and one for IM Copenhagen.

 

[RayP]

Good luck Ray!

Thanks dude!

The helmet needs to be of a certain standard (CE in Europe, the US standard would be USA CPSC. Look for a CPSC sticker inside), and it may not have any cracks. Not even hairline cracks. They're pretty draconican with that here - I saw two people sent to the shops at check-in, one for 70.3 Kronborg and one for IM Copenhagen.

I just have something basic like this. Any reason why it wouldn't be allowed?

 

[The Imp]

From what I gather from Google images, this sticker, and no cracks, and you will be golden.

Oh, and aesthetecially? The visor on that helmet... Dude, really?

 

[RayP]

From what I gather from Google images, this sticker, and no cracks, and you will be golden.

Oh, and aesthetecially? The visor on that helmet... Dude, really?

Yeah, I know... it's brutal. I've been meaning to replace it but I always find something that is more pressing of a need.

 

[RayP]

Alright, Imp. You're guilting me into a new helmet. Still don't want to break the bank on one, though. This at least a bit better?

http://atlantacycling.com/product/bontrager-starvos-211973-1.htm

Also went ahead and bought myself a wetsuit, that should be here tomorrow, and should be able to get 3-4 swims in in it before the race.

 

[The Imp]

Infintely better. If you're driving to bike check-in, bring the old helmet just in case there's a fowl-up of some sort.

You'll feel a huge difference, with the wetsuit. Will the race be wetsuit-legal though? What are the expected water temps?

Also remember to deflate your tires a bit at check-in, and then to re-inflate them in the morning before the race. Leaving a topped up tire out in the sun all afternoon can cause explosions.

You'll likely be wanting to ride at a pressure around 8 bar (115-120 psi).

 

[RayP]

Infintely better. If you're driving to bike check-in, bring the old helmet just in case there's a fowl-up of some sort.

You'll feel a huge difference, with the wetsuit. Will the race be wetsuit-legal though? What are the expected water temps?

Also remember to deflate your tires a bit at check-in, and then to re-inflate them in the morning before the race. Leaving a topped up tire out in the sun all afternoon can cause explosions.

You'll likely be wanting to ride at a pressure around 8 bar (115-120 psi).

Good idea.

Not sure what the expected water temps are, but I've read that every year they've ran this race wet suits have been allowed... and it's raining here all week, so that should cool things down. Not to mention it's been cooler than usual out here for this time of year of late.

Good tip. Would have never thought to do that.

Is that what you ride in? The roads I normally ride on are not the best, so I'm normally 105 in the back and 100 in the front. Every time I've gone to 120 I've gotten a flat. Won't know how the roads are that the race is on until Saturday when we drive through the course, so can get a gauge then on how they'll be. I do know that the one stretch of road that was a rough ride, as supposedly been repaved.

What kind of wetsuit do you have? I picked up a relatively cheap sleeveless NeoSport. It was within the budget, and the one I originally wanted was going to charge me over $50 when I went to check out, and that's just ****ing absurd. The reviews on the one I did pick up are all great, though.

 

[The Imp]

My wetsuit has a bit of a story to it.

In the spring of 2014, I attended a Open Water workshop in an indoor swimming pool. I know the guy that arranged the workshop. His ex-wife was there, and it turned out she's a sales rep for 2XU, and had brought many, many wetsuits. Anyway, I tried the V:3, and it felt really nice. That's a bit of an expensive one though, so I tried for the next model down, the R:3. I then found their top model, the X:3, on sale at a price right in between the price of the R:3 and the V:3.

So I'm rocking this:

 

[RayP]

Pretty badass looking wetsuit.